TikTok Shop Seller Fees Explained: What Do You Actually Keep?
By Sagan Rios · Reviewed 2026-10-14 · fee data verified 2026-10-14
What you keep on TikTok Shop is the sale price minus the platform referral fee, the affiliate commission you set, any discount you fund, shipping and fulfillment, ad spend per order, refunds and product cost. Referral fee rates differ by category and change over time, so pull the current rate from Seller Center before you price — then model the full waterfall, not just the headline fee.
The process
- 1List every cost per order: COGS, packaging, shipping, fulfillment
- 2Look up your category's current referral fee in Seller Center
- 3Choose an affiliate commission you can sustain at scale
- 4Add a realistic refund/return allowance
- 5Estimate ad cost per order once you run ads
What this covers
Platform fees, affiliate commissions, advertising, fulfillment, discounts, refunds and net earnings — written for US brands that already sell elsewhere and want TikTok Shop to be a real channel, not a science project.
Fee waterfall example
| Sale price | $39.00 |
|---|---|
| Platform referral fee (example 8%) | −$3.12 |
| Affiliate commission (example 15%) | −$5.85 |
| Shipping & fulfillment | −$4.5 |
| Refund allowance (example 4%) | −$1.56 |
| Product cost | −$9.00 |
| Example contribution before ads | $14.97 |
| Example break-even ROAS | 2.61 |
Illustrative rates only — verify your category's current fees in Seller Center before pricing. Verified 2026-10-14.
7-day action plan
- List every cost per order: COGS, packaging, shipping, fulfillment
- Look up your category's current referral fee in Seller Center
- Choose an affiliate commission you can sustain at scale
- Add a realistic refund/return allowance
- Estimate ad cost per order once you run ads
- Calculate contribution margin and break-even ROAS
- Reprice or rebundle if margin is under your floor
FAQs
What is the TikTok Shop referral fee?
It is a percentage of the order value that varies by category and has changed over time. We don't print a number here because it must be verified in Seller Center for your category today.
Who pays the affiliate commission?
The seller. You set the rate per product or per targeted collaboration.
Are seller-funded discounts deducted from payout?
Yes, discounts you fund reduce what you receive; platform-funded promotions work differently. Check each campaign's terms.
Do refunds cost me fees?
Refund handling and fee reversals follow current policy — review the settlement details in Seller Center.
What's a healthy margin?
There's no universal number; know your contribution margin after ads and set a floor before scaling.