TikTok Shop fees
TikTok Shop fees explained (2026): what US sellers actually pay
· Nolyn research team
This guide lists every fee a US TikTok Shop seller pays, the exact base each one is calculated on, and a worked example for a $30 product. Every figure comes from TikTok Shop's own seller pages, linked at the bottom with the date we read them. Fees change often, so check the dates and your own Seller Center notices.
How much does TikTok Shop charge sellers in 2026?
In the US, TikTok Shop charges a 6% referral fee on each paid and delivered order (5% for fine jewelry and pre-owned items), calculated on what the buyer paid including shipping, plus any TikTok-funded discount, minus tax. There is no separate transaction or payment fee. On top of that you pay the affiliate commission you set for creators, your shipping labels or Fulfilled by TikTok fees, and 20% of the referral fee (max $5) when an order is refunded. Rates checked on TikTok Shop's official pages on 2026-10-20.
All TikTok Shop US seller fees at a glance
TikTok Shop's settlement report adds up the fees on an order as: transaction fee + referral fee + refund administration fee + affiliate commission + affiliate partner commission + affiliate Shop Ads commission. Shipping is deducted separately. The transaction fee is shown as no longer applicable: since April 2024 the referral fee covers all TikTok Shop fees except shipping and tax.
| Fee | Rate | Charged on | Applies when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral fee | 6% (5% fine jewelry and pre-owned) | Customer payment + platform discount − tax (includes buyer-paid shipping) | Every paid and delivered order |
| Transaction / payment fee | None | Included in the referral fee since 2024 | Only orders before April 3, 2023 had one |
| Affiliate commission | You choose the rate | Product price (excl. tax) − seller discount; shipping not included | Orders that come through a creator's video, live or showcase |
| Refund administration fee | 20% of the referral fee, max $5 per SKU | The referral fee of the refunded item | Refunded orders (not pre-shipment auto-cancels or sample refunds) |
| Shipping | Label rate, from $2.99 with TikTok Shipping pickup | Greater of actual and dimensional weight (L×W×H ÷ 166) | TikTok Shipping; with Seller Shipping you pay your own carrier |
| Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) | From $4.28 per single-unit order (≤4 oz) | Chargeable weight and units per order | Only if you store inventory with TikTok |
| Sales tax on the referral fee | State rate | The referral fee | Sellers registered in West Virginia or Texas, since Nov 1, 2025 |
TikTok Shop US fees, read on the official seller pages on 2026-10-20.
The referral fee: 6% of what the buyer pays
TikTok Shop raised the US referral fee to 6% per order on April 1, 2024, and its category page (dated 10/08/2026) still lists 6% for almost every category: beauty, fashion, home, electronics, food, toys, pet, sports and the rest. The official formula is: referral fee = rate × (customer payment + platform discount − tax).
Three things follow from that formula. Shipping the buyer pays is included in the base. A discount you fund yourself lowers the customer payment, so you are not charged on it. A discount TikTok funds is added back, so you pay the fee on the full price. TikTok's own example: 6% × ($102 paid + $5 platform discount − $2 tax) = $6.30.
Sellers who searched for an 8% fee from August 2026 found it in third-party blogs. On 2026-10-20 the official category page, the sign-up page ("6% commission on each sale") and TikTok's August and September 2026 policy roundups still said 6%. The seller terms let TikTok change fees after notice by email or in Seller Center, so that is where a change would show first.
| Category | Referral fee |
|---|---|
| All main categories (beauty, fashion, home, kitchen, electronics, food, health, toys, pet, sports, automotive, books and others) | 6% |
| Fine jewelry: diamond, gold, jade, platinum, ruby, sapphire, emerald | 5% (since Oct 31, 2024) |
| Other jewelry: silver, pearl, crystal, semiprecious and artificial stones | 6% |
| Collectibles (trading cards, sports and entertainment collectibles) | 6%; 3% on any part of the sale over $10,000 |
| Pre-owned (bags, watches, refurbished phones, coins and others) | 5%; 3% on any part of the sale over $10,000 |
Referral fee by category, TikTok Shop US (category page dated 10/08/2026).
Affiliate commission: the fee you set yourself
When a creator sells your product, you pay the commission rate you set in Open Collab or in a Target Collab with that creator, and you still pay the 6% referral fee on the same order. Commission is calculated on the product price excluding tax minus your seller discount; shipping is not included.
Raising a rate takes effect for creators at once. Lowering it does not: creators already promoting the product keep the old rate for 30 days in Open Collab (5 days in Target Collab). Shoppable carousel posts earn 60% of the video commission rate. Creators are usually paid 15 days after delivery; if the order is refunded before then, the commission comes back to you, after that it does not.
TikTok does not publish a typical rate. Look at what comparable products in your category pay before you set one: Nolyn's TikTok Shop product research shows the commission rate and sales of products in a niche.
Shipping and Fulfilled by TikTok fees
With TikTok Shipping, TikTok sells you the label at its negotiated rate and deducts it from the order or your deposit; doorstep pickup (Collection by TikTok) starts from $2.99. Labels are billed on the greater of actual and dimensional weight (length × width × height ÷ 166). From October 5, 2026 parcels over 48 inches on the longest side or over 50 lb pay a $10.15 surcharge. With Seller Shipping you use your own carrier and upload tracking.
Free shipping is now yours to pay: the co-funded free shipping subsidy ended on May 29, 2025. Setting a shop-wide free-shipping threshold of $30 or less gets you extra exposure; a higher threshold opts you out.
Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) charges one fee per unit that covers picking, packing, packaging and last-mile shipping, and since June 16, 2025 every FBT unit ships free to the buyer. Storage is free for the first 60 days, then $0.03 per cubic foot per day for days 61–90, rising to $0.27 after a year.
| Chargeable weight | 1-unit order | 2-unit order | 4+ unit order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 4 oz | $4.28 | $2.52 | $1.56 |
| 8+ to 12 oz | $4.70 | $3.05 | $2.23 |
| 12+ to 16 oz | $5.10 | $3.16 | $2.36 |
| 1+ to 2 lb | $5.71 | $3.92 | $2.60 |
| 2+ to 3 lb | $6.27 | $4.30 | $2.76 |
| 4+ to 5 lb | $7.66 | $5.09 | $4.54 |
FBT fulfillment fee per unit, 2026 rate card (effective July 13, 2026), selected weights.
Worked example: a $30 product sold through a creator
A $30 product in a 6% category, a $3 discount you fund, $5 shipping paid by the buyer, sold through a creator on a 15% commission, shipped with TikTok Shipping. Tax is left out because it is excluded from both bases.
The buyer pays $30 − $3 + $5 = $32. The referral fee is 6% × $32 = $1.92 (shipping is in the base, your discount is not). The commission is 15% × ($30 − $3) = $4.05 (no shipping). You receive $32 − $1.92 − $4.05 = $26.03 before the shipping label and the cost of the product, so TikTok and the creator together take $5.97, or 18.7% of what the buyer paid.
Sold without a creator, the same order leaves you $30.08. If it is refunded in full, TikTok keeps 20% of the referral fee as the refund administration fee: $0.38 here.
| Line | Creator sale (15%) | Direct sale |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer pays (price − seller discount + shipping) | $32.00 | $32.00 |
| Referral fee, 6% × $32 | −$1.92 | −$1.92 |
| Affiliate commission, 15% × $27 | −$4.05 | $0.00 |
| You receive before label and product cost | $26.03 | $30.08 |
| TikTok + creator share of buyer payment | 18.7% | 6.0% |
The $30 example under the official formulas (checked 2026-10-20).
When you get paid
The payout clock starts at delivery, not at the sale. New or probationary shops are paid 31 days after delivery, established shops 8 days, shops with a Shop Performance Score of 3.5 or more 5 days, and 4.0 or more 1 day. TikTok can hold a reserve when a shop has a high rate of order problems, and sellers are liable for chargeback losses in cases of suspicious activity.
How to estimate your TikTok Shop fees for a product
Find the referral rate for your category
6% for almost every category in the US; 5% for fine jewelry and pre-owned items. Check the category page in TikTok Shop Academy for your exact subcategory.
Work out what the buyer pays
Price minus the discounts you fund, plus the shipping the buyer pays. Add back any TikTok-funded discount. Multiply by the referral rate.
Add the affiliate commission
Your commission rate × (price excluding tax − your discount). Look at the rates similar products pay before you set yours.
Add shipping or FBT
Use the TikTok Shipping label rate for the parcel's chargeable weight, or the FBT per-unit fee if TikTok fulfils the order. If you offer free shipping, the label is all yours.
Leave room for refunds
A refund costs you 20% of that item's referral fee (max $5) plus the shipping already paid. Your return rate decides how much to set aside.
Check what products in your niche sell for and pay creators
Fees are only half the margin question. Nolyn's TikTok Shop product research lists products in a niche with price, sales and affiliate commission rate, so you can see whether there is room after the 6% fee and the commission.
Questions
Is the TikTok Shop referral fee 6% or 8% in 2026?
6%. On 2026-10-20 TikTok Shop's official US category page (dated 10/08/2026) and seller sign-up page both state 6%; the 8% figure from August 2026 appears only in third-party blogs and is not on any official page we found. Any change would be announced in Seller Center first.
Does TikTok Shop charge a fee on shipping?
Yes, indirectly. Shipping the buyer pays is part of the base for the 6% referral fee, so $5 of buyer-paid shipping costs you $0.30. The affiliate commission is not charged on shipping.
Is there a transaction or payment processing fee on TikTok Shop?
Not any more in the US. The transaction fee ($0.30 per order plus a percentage) applied only to orders placed before April 3, 2023; since April 2024 the referral fee covers all TikTok Shop fees except shipping and tax.
Does TikTok Shop still have a 3% fee for new sellers?
We could not confirm it. The 2025 new-seller referral fee promotion page on TikTok Shop Academy returned a 404 on 2026-10-20 and the category page lists no new-seller rate, so plan with 6% and treat any reduced rate offered in your Seller Center as a temporary bonus.
Do I pay the referral fee on affiliate orders?
Yes. On an order that comes through a creator you pay both the referral fee and the commission you set; the settlement report lists them as separate lines.
What happens to fees when an order is refunded?
TikTok returns the referral fee minus a refund administration fee of 20% of it, capped at $5 per SKU since May 15, 2025. The affiliate commission comes back only if the refund happens before the creator is paid, usually 15 days after delivery.
How much does Fulfilled by TikTok cost?
Per the July 13, 2026 rate card, a single-unit order up to 4 oz costs $4.28 to fulfil and ship, 1–2 lb costs $5.71, with lower per-unit fees on multi-unit orders. Storage is free for 60 days, then from $0.03 per cubic foot per day.
Sources
- TikTok Shop Academy: TikTok Shop Referral Fees by Category (page dated 10/08/2026) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: Referral Fee Updates (formula, refund administration fee, page dated 05/08/2025) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: How to Access Your Settlement Report (fee lines and affiliate commission formula, 09/11/2025) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: How Standard Affiliate Commission Works (09/14/2026) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: What is TikTok Shipping? (10/13/2026) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: Free Shipping FAQ Guide (05/13/2026) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: FBT Rate Card & FAQ (2026 fulfillment fee and storage images, 07/13/2026) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: Sales Tax on Referral Fees, effective November 1, 2025 (10/30/2025) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop Academy: Finance & Settlement 101 (payout tiers, 08/10/2026) · checked October 20, 2026
- TikTok Shop US seller sign-up page ("6% commission on each sale") · checked October 20, 2026
Ecommerce research guides & examples
Browse all resourcesResearch example
Stanley vs Owala vs HydroJug: what 447,586 Amazon ratings say about leaks and durabilityAmazon review analysis of 5 best-selling insulated tumblers: 73% of Stanley Quencher leak mentions are negative; durability is Owala's and HydroJug's weak spot.
Research example
KKV and MINISO best sellers in China: what 31 popular Xiaohongshu posts showWhat shoppers in China like at KKV and MINISO, from 31 popular Xiaohongshu (RedNote) posts: nail polish and must-buy lists at KKV, a guava lip balm at MINISO.
Research example
TikTok search trends, October 2026: 28 product searches with too few videosWhat people in the US searched on TikTok in October 2026, and where videos are missing: 28 product searches with popularity, 7-day trend and video counts.
Research example
How many followers do you need to sell on TikTok Shop?Sellers need no followers; affiliates need 1,000 (5,000 to lift limits). In our data, 27 of 74 product videos with 500K+ plays came from accounts under 10K.
Comparison
Kalodata alternatives: free and cheaper options, from EchoTik and FastMoss to AI researchFree and cheaper Kalodata alternatives compared on data, history, price and limits, checked on each official site: EchoTik's free plan, FastMoss, an AI research option, and where PiPiAds fits.
Comparison
FastMoss vs Kalodata: pricing, data and which to chooseFastMoss vs Kalodata compared on data scale, history, pricing, limits and extras, checked on both official sites, plus what sellers say on Reddit and where EchoTik and an AI research tool fit.
Comparison
FastMoss: what it is, what it costs and who it fitsWhat FastMoss is, Basic, Pro and Ultimate pricing (monthly and yearly), history and daily limits by plan, the 7-day free trial, and the 20 regions it covers. Checked on fastmoss.com on October 18, 2026.
Comparison
Kalodata pricing: what it costs, the free trial and cheaper optionsHow much is Kalodata? Monthly plans from its own App Store listing (US Basic $45.99, US Standard $99.99), how the 7-day free trial works, who it fits and cheaper or free options. Checked October 17, 2026.
Comparison
EchoTik: what it is, what the free plan covers and what it costsWhat EchoTik is, what the free plan includes, Basic, Pro and Enterprise pricing ($13.9 to $57 a month), history and daily limits by plan, regions and refunds. Checked on echotik.live on October 18, 2026.
Comparison
Shoplus has shut down: what it was, refunds and where to go nextShoplus, the TikTok analytics tool, stopped all services on September 18, 2026. What it offered, its last prices, the refund window, and alternatives with checked pricing. Checked on shoplus.net on October 18, 2026.
Comparison
Fakespot alternatives in 2026: Amazon review checkers that still workFakespot shut down on July 1, 2025. We checked which Amazon fake review checkers still work in October 2026: Null Fake, SureVett, RateBud and more.