Do You Meet the TikTok Creator Fund Eligibility Requirements in 2026?

If you have been hunting down the TikTok Creator Fund eligibility requirements before applying, there is one thing you should know first: the fund you are searching for no longer exists in most of the world.

TikTok retired the original Creator Fund in the United States in late 2023 and wound it down across its remaining markets through 2024. It was replaced by the Creator Rewards Program, which pays dramatically more per view. So the practical question in 2026 is not "how do I join the Creator Fund" but "do I qualify for the program that replaced it." This guide covers both: what the old fund used to require, why it was scrapped, and the exact rules you have to meet today.

Why the Original Creator Fund Went Away

The Creator Fund launched as TikTok's first serious attempt at paying creators, but it was widely criticized for paying almost nothing. Rates hovered around $0.02 to $0.04 per 1,000 views -- roughly $20 to $40 for a video that hit a million views. Because the fund was a fixed pool split across a growing creator base, per-view earnings often shrank as more people joined.

TikTok's answer was to shut it down and launch the Creator Rewards Program, which pays $0.40 to $1.00+ per 1,000 views -- a 10 to 25x jump. If you want the full earnings breakdown by niche and region, see our guide on how much TikTok pays for 1 million views.

Creator Fund vs Creator Rewards: What Changed

Factor	Creator Fund (legacy)	Creator Rewards Program (current)
Status	Discontinued (US 2023, others 2024)	Live in 2026
Rate per 1M views	$20-$40	$400-$1,000+
Video length	Any length	Must be over 1 minute
What counts	Raw views	Qualified views (watch time on original content)
Follower minimum	10,000	10,000
Age minimum	18+	18+ (19+ in South Korea)
Recent views needed	100,000 in 30 days	100,000 in 30 days

The headline difference is not just the money. The old fund paid on raw view counts, while the current program pays on qualified views -- meaning viewers have to watch a meaningful portion of longer, original videos for those views to earn anything.

The Current Eligibility Requirements in 2026

To join the Creator Rewards Program -- the direct successor to the Creator Fund -- your account needs to meet every one of these conditions:

• Be at least 18 years old (19+ in South Korea)
• Have a minimum of 10,000 followers
• Have accumulated at least 100,000 video views in the past 30 days
• Be located in a supported country (see the list below)
• Keep the account in good standing, with no active community-guideline violations

Meeting the account requirements only gets you into the program. Individual videos then have to clear their own bar to actually generate revenue.

What a Video Needs to Earn

Once you are enrolled, each video only earns from qualified views if it:

• Runs longer than one minute -- anything under 60 seconds is excluded from payouts
• Is original -- no reposts, compilations, or heavy use of third-party content
• Is a standalone post -- duets and stitches do not count
• Follows community guidelines -- no violations on the content

The practical takeaway: a 15-second clip that racks up 10 million views earns nothing under this program. Creator Rewards is built for longer-form original content, which is a real shift from the anything-goes days of the Creator Fund.

Supported Countries

Eligibility is tied to where you are based. As of 2026, the Creator Rewards Program is available to creators in:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Japan
• South Korea
• Brazil

If your account is registered outside these markets, you cannot join the program yet -- though brand deals, affiliate links, TikTok Shop, and LIVE gifts remain open to creators everywhere.

Quick Eligibility Checklist

Run through this before you apply:

• I am 18 or older (19+ in South Korea)
• I have at least 10,000 followers
• I have logged 100,000+ views in the last 30 days
• I am based in a supported country
• My account has no active community-guideline strikes
• I am posting original videos longer than one minute

Tick every box and you are ready to enroll from the TikTok app under the Creator Rewards section of your account tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the TikTok Creator Fund still exist?

No. The original Creator Fund was discontinued in the United States in late 2023 and phased out across other markets through 2024. It was replaced by the Creator Rewards Program, which pays significantly more per view.

What are the TikTok Creator Fund eligibility requirements now?

Because the fund itself is gone, the requirements that matter today are the Creator Rewards ones: 18+ (19+ in South Korea), at least 10,000 followers, 100,000 views in the past 30 days, an account in good standing, and residence in a supported country.

Can I still earn on TikTok with fewer than 10,000 followers?

Not through Creator Rewards. Smaller accounts can still make money through brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, TikTok Shop, and LIVE gifts, none of which carry the 10,000-follower threshold.

How much more does Creator Rewards pay than the old fund?

Roughly 10 to 25 times more. The legacy fund paid about $20-$40 per million views, while Creator Rewards pays $400-$1,000+ for the same milestone. Our 1 million views payout guide breaks the numbers down by niche and audience location.

Why do my short videos earn nothing?

The Creator Rewards Program only pays on videos longer than one minute. Clips under 60 seconds, duets, stitches, and non-original content are all excluded, no matter how many views they collect.