What Is 'Mouse Pay' And Why Are TikTokers Making Jokes About Using It? The Freak Pay VS. Mouse Pay Meme Explained

One-tap payments used to be the final frontier of contactless payment mechanisms, but one cheese-obsessed TikToker has made it his mission to usurp Apple and Google Pay from their position as people's go-to. Meet @Awesome_Cheese_Mouse, the TikToker who has been parading around his AI-generated mousepad to try and get cashiers in his town to accept "Mouse Pay" as a valid form of payment.

Here's how Awesome Cheese Mouse's lighthearted jokes about paying for his cheese turned into a TikTok trend in which people beg their local shops to accept Mouse Pay — or at least its biggest competitor, "Freak Pay."

Where Did Jokes About 'Mouse Pay' Come From?

Mouse Pay is a recurring bit on TikToker @awesome_cheese_mouse's page, a creator known for his semi-ironic mouse obsession that goes beyond keeping a furry critter as a pet.

The TikToker began posting videos using AI-generated mouse imagery in April 2024 but only posted his first "Mouse Pay" clip in May when he was politely let down by a cashier who told him, "No, we do not accept Mouse Pay."

How Did Memes About 'Mouse Pay' Spread?

Awesome Cheese Mouse continued to post his mouse-themed videos going into May 2024, but he only found success in his Mouse Pay quest in June when he finally found a cashier willing to let him tap to pay using his Mouse-themed iPad.

By July 2024, other creators hopped on the Mouse Pay bandwagon and began posting videos asking cashiers and clerks about the payment system. It got to the point where the official Columbus Library TikTok account posted a video about Mouse Pay, showing someone trying to pay for a stack of mouse-themed books with a slice of cheese.

What Is 'Freak Pay'?

In late June 2024, some TikTokers began making jokes in which they pit Mouse Pay against what they think is a superior payment mechanism — Freak Pay.

A play on the Freakbob memes of early 2024, jokes and sketches in which people ask cashiers to pick between Freak Pay and Mouse Pay spiked in the summer of 2024 as the trend continued to evolve as it spread.

For the full history of Mouse Pay, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.