Short answer: TikTok Shop affiliate commission is the share of each sale a seller pays the creator who drove it, set per product from 1% to 80%. In September–October 2026 data on top-selling products, the revenue-weighted median listed rate was 9%, with three-quarters of revenue at 5–15%. Category sets the norm: Health best-sellers list a median 18%, Household Appliances 5%.
This page is about that creator commission. TikTok's own cut, the referral fee, is a separate charge, covered in the second section below. The rate data comes from MediaLabs Research, in collaboration with Coherence Limited; the mechanics come from TikTok's Seller Center help pages.
About the data: research figures are estimates from tracked best-sellers (about 100 per category in each weekly snapshot). They are observational, not TikTok's official figures, and they describe listed rates, which are not necessarily what creators were paid. Each table states its window.
How TikTok Shop affiliate commission works
Sellers set commission per product in Seller Center's affiliate tools. Three settings decide what a creator earns on a sale:
| Setting | Who it reaches | What TikTok says about the rate |
|---|---|---|
| Open collaboration | Any eligible creator. You can require approval first. | 1% to 80% of GMV per order, or an automatically optimized rate based on the top-performing 30% of products in your shop and the marketplace. |
| Target collaboration | Creators you invite, for a period you choose. | 1% to 80%, set per product. The target rate always supersedes the open rate, and TikTok recommends setting it higher. |
| Shop Ads commission rate | Orders generated with the support of ads that use affiliate posts. | A separate custom rate. Without it, those orders earn the standard rate. Available only to invited sellers. For open collaboration it can't be lower than 30% of the standard rate (all regions except Mexico and Brazil). |
TikTok's affiliate orders FAQ gives the calculation: commission = (revenue − refunds) × commission rate. A cancelled or fully refunded order earns nothing. Since April 15, 2025, commission is typically paid on the 15th day after delivery, or 31 days after delivery when the seller's settlement period is longer. The creator's side of that is in our guide to how creators get paid on TikTok Shop; program setup, samples and outreach are in our TikTok Shop affiliate program explainer.
How much commission does TikTok Shop take?
Two different charges get called "commission". TikTok takes a referral fee on every qualifying order. The affiliate commission goes to the creator, and only on orders a creator drove. On an affiliate order, the seller pays both.
| Referral fee | Affiliate commission | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | TikTok, by category | The seller, per product and collaboration |
| Who receives it | TikTok | The creator who drove the sale |
| Rate | 6% for most categories, with exceptions for some jewelry, pre-owned and collectibles sales | 1% to 80%; 9% revenue-weighted median among top-selling products (2 Sept–1 Oct 2026) |
| Charged on | Every qualifying order | Orders attributed to an affiliate creator |
| Base | Customer payment + platform discount − tax, including customer-paid shipping | (Revenue − refunds) × rate |
The referral rates and fee formula are from TikTok's category referral fee page. Programs you enroll in, fulfillment and returns add further costs; our TikTok Shop fees breakdown covers the full stack with margin math.
What top-selling products pay across the market
Our commission study looked at 2,188 top-selling products in 29 categories from 2 September to 1 October 2026. The revenue-weighted median listed commission was 9%. Products listing 5–15% carried about three-quarters of the revenue.
| Commission band | Products | Share of revenue | Revenue per product vs average | Revenue sold through video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5% | 203 | 7.9% | 0.85× | 67.3% |
| 5–10% | 1,052 | 44.0% | 0.91× | 80.5% |
| 10–15% | 643 | 31.2% | 1.06× | 85.2% |
| 15–20% | 197 | 10.7% | 1.19× | 83.9% |
| 20–30% | 89 | 6.2% | 1.52× | 77.4% |
| 30% and over | 4 | 0.1% | 0.72× | 70.1% |
1.00× is the average product in the sample. The 30%-and-over band holds only 4 products and is too thin to read. Source: MediaLabs Research, in collaboration with Coherence Limited.
Two things follow. A rate between 5% and 15% is typical, not generous. And revenue per product rises with the rate, but the study can't say the rate causes it: higher-priced or higher-margin products may both pay more and sell more, and brands may raise the rate on products that already sell.
Typical affiliate commission by category
Commission differs far more between categories than between a category's top sellers and the rest. The table below covers the 30 days to 21 October 2026: the 142 to 262 best-selling products tracked in each category over that window, the commission they listed, and how many listed none.
| Category | Median rate | Average rate | Best-sellers listing 0% | Rate band with the most revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 18% | 17.88% | 14 of 142 (9.9%) | 16–20% |
| Beauty & Personal Care | 13% | 11.46% | 28 of 170 (16.5%) | 11–15% |
| Food & Beverages | 11% | 13.85% | 36 of 171 (21.1%) | 11–15% |
| Luggage & Bags | 9% | 9.09% | 32 of 188 (17.0%) | 6–10% |
| Shoes | 9% | 8.3% | 33 of 195 (16.9%) | 6–10% |
| Pet Supplies | 8.5% | 9.84% | 22 of 168 (13.1%) | 6–10% |
| Kitchenware | 8% | 9.01% | 53 of 188 (28.2%) | 11–15% |
| Books, Magazines & Audio | 8% | 8.89% | 62 of 187 (33.2%) | 11–15% |
| Baby & Maternity | 8% | 8.87% | 12 of 160 (7.5%) | 6–10% |
| Menswear & Underwear | 8% | 7.95% | 39 of 186 (21.0%) | 6–10% |
| Textiles & Soft Furnishings | 8% | 7.79% | 41 of 153 (26.8%) | 6–10% |
| Womenswear & Underwear | 8% | 7.75% | 30 of 181 (16.6%) | 6–10% |
| Automotive & Motorcycle | 8% | 7.69% | 29 of 170 (17.1%) | 6–10% |
| Home Supplies | 8% | 7.67% | 50 of 206 (24.3%) | 6–10% |
| Toys & Hobbies | 8% | 7.22% | 48 of 199 (24.1%) | 6–10% |
| Sports & Outdoor | 7% | 6.97% | 31 of 175 (17.7%) | 6–10% |
| Phones & Electronics | 7% | 6.85% | 49 of 185 (26.5%) | 6–10% |
| Kids' Fashion | 7% | 6.74% | 62 of 191 (32.5%) | 6–10% |
| Furniture | 6% | 6.82% | 16 of 173 (9.2%) | 6–10% |
| Home Improvement | 6% | 6.41% | 44 of 184 (23.9%) | 6–10% |
| Computers & Office Equipment | 6% | 6.08% | 45 of 176 (25.6%) | 1–5% |
| Household Appliances | 5% | 5.51% | 24 of 177 (13.6%) | 1–5% |
| Tools & Hardware | 5% | 5.23% | 31 of 180 (17.2%) | 1–5% |
| Fashion Accessories | 3% | 3.87% | 60 of 171 (35.1%) | 1–5% |
| Jewelry Accessories & Derivatives | 0% | 5.08% | 97 of 182 (53.3%) | None (0%) |
| Collectibles | 0% | 0.76% | 235 of 262 (89.7%) | None (0%) |
These medians and averages include products listed at 0% and are not weighted by revenue, so they differ from the revenue-weighted medians in our papers. "Rate band with the most revenue" is the commission band holding the largest share of the category's tracked revenue. Pre-Owned, Muslim Fashion and Virtual Products are left out because their samples are small or unusual. Source: MediaLabs Research, in collaboration with Coherence Limited.
What the table shows:
- Three categories sit above 10%. Health (18%), Beauty & Personal Care (13%) and Food & Beverages (11%). Everywhere else the median is 9% or less.
- 6–10% is the default. That band holds the most revenue in 15 of the 26 categories. 11–15% leads in four, 1–5% in four, 16–20% only in Health.
- Zero is common. At least 7.5% of tracked best-sellers listed no commission in every category, 53.3% in Jewelry Accessories & Derivatives and 89.7% in Collectibles. A 0% listing may reflect other arrangements that the listing doesn't show.
The ranking is stable across windows. In the 2 Sept–1 Oct study, which used revenue-weighted medians, Health was also highest at 20%, followed by Food & Beverages (14%) and Beauty & Personal Care (13%), and Fashion Accessories was lowest at 4%.
Do top sellers pay affiliates more?
No. Ranking each category's tracked best-sellers by revenue, the top 10 list about the same median commission as the products ranked 11 to 100. We measured it twice.
| Rank in category | Median, 3 Sept–2 Oct | Listed at 0%, 3 Sept–2 Oct | Median, 20 Sept–19 Oct | Listed at 0%, 20 Sept–19 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 10 | 9% | 20.4% | 10% | 23.8% |
| 11–25 | 10% | 18.3% | 9% | 27.1% |
| 26–50 | 9% | 24.7% | 9% | 28.8% |
| 51–100 | 9% | 22.8% | 9% | 30.1% |
Medians leave out products listed at 0%, which are shown separately. Samples: 2,800 products in 29 categories (commission strategy paper) and 2,900 products in 29 categories (affiliate commission guide). Source: MediaLabs Research, in collaboration with Coherence Limited.
Inside categories the picture is mixed. In the 3 Sept–2 Oct window the top 10 listed a higher median than the rest in 12 of 28 categories compared and a lower one in 9. In the 20 Sept–19 Oct window it was higher in 11 of 29 and lower in 12. Commission looks like a category norm, not something the leaders pay to stay on top.
Open, targeted and Shop Ads rates: how to set each one
These are our working rules for the three settings. They are judgement, informed by the data above, not findings.
- Open rate: set it from your margin (next sections), then check it against your category's median. It is the rate every eligible creator can take, and the base everything else builds on.
- Targeted rate: reserve it for creators whose content already sells for you, and set it above the open rate, as TikTok recommends. It replaces the open rate for that creator. Paying well above the category norm is easier to justify for proven creators than across the board: products listing 15–20% earned 1.19× the average revenue per product and those at 20–30% 1.52×, but that is an association, not a promise.
- Shop Ads rate: if you plan to put ad spend behind affiliate posts, decide whether ad-supported orders should pay the full standard rate. Where your account has the setting, you can set a separate rate for those orders, no lower than 30% of the standard rate for open collaboration.
When raising commission helps, and when it doesn't
The data supports a narrower claim than "pay more, sell more".
Signs a higher rate may help
- You are well below your category's median and creators aren't taking the product. A rate far under the norm is easy for a creator to pass on.
- You are under 5%. Products under 5% sold 67.3% of their revenue through video, against 85.2% for products at 10–15%. If you want video-led selling, the bottom band is the weakest place to be.
- Your category sells through affiliates. Affiliate creators were credited with 74% of latest-week revenue across categories with channel data (20 Sept–19 Oct 2026 window), including 85.8% in Baby & Maternity, 82% in Beauty & Personal Care and 81.4% in Health.
Signs it won't
- You already pay at or above the norm. At 20–30%, the share of revenue sold through video fell back to 77.4%, and category leaders don't list higher rates than the products below them.
- Your category doesn't sell through affiliates. Affiliate share was 8% in Collectibles, where own accounts (47%) and LIVE (44%) lead, and 21.1% in Jewelry Accessories & Derivatives, where 69.6% of revenue came through the shop tab.
- The product is the constraint. Price, listing, reviews and stock decide whether a creator's video converts. A higher rate doesn't fix a product creators can't sell.
- The margin isn't there. In the example below, moving from 12% to 20% cuts what's left per order from $10.60 to $8.20.
None of this shows that a rate change causes sales. The cleanest evidence is your own test: change the rate on one product, hold everything else steady, and compare.
How to set a commission test budget
Work backwards from your own margin, not from a market rate. That is the approach our affiliate commission guide recommends; it is a recommendation, not a finding.
- Take your price and subtract product cost, the referral fee, fulfillment and a returns allowance. What's left is the contribution per order before commission.
- Decide how much of that contribution you will give creators. That sets your maximum rate.
- Add the costs that don't depend on sales: samples (product plus shipping), any flat creator fees, and ad support.
- Cap the total, fix the period, and write down in advance what result would make you stop, continue or change the rate.
- Change one variable at a time, and track affiliate-credited orders separately from your own account's orders.
| Commission rate | Commission per order | Left per order, before ads and samples | Share of contribution paid to the creator |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8% | $2.40 | $11.80 | 16.9% |
| 12% | $3.60 | $10.60 | 25.4% |
| 16% | $4.80 | $9.40 | 33.8% |
| 20% | $6.00 | $8.20 | 42.3% |
Round numbers for illustration, not a benchmark. Assumes a $30 price, $7.50 product cost, a 6% referral fee simplified to $1.80, $5.00 fulfillment and a 5% returns allowance ($1.50), leaving $14.20 per order before commission. Commission is shown on the full price for simplicity; TikTok calculates it after refunds.
Now the fixed side. Say you send 40 samples at $12.50 each (product plus shipping): $500. At a 12% rate you keep $10.60 an order, so it takes 48 attributed orders to earn the samples back, before any ad spend. Add a capped ad budget if you plan to boost affiliate posts.
Give the test enough time. In our video shelf-life study (3 Sept–2 Oct 2026), 56% of top-video revenue came from videos under two weeks old, and the revenue-weighted median age of a selling video was 11 days. Judge the last videos in a test only after about two weeks. To model a whole program, with managed creators, open collaboration and GMV Max, against your category, use the free TikTok Shop Forecaster.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average commission rate for TikTok Shop affiliates?
Among top-selling products, the revenue-weighted median listed rate was 9% (2,188 products, 2 Sept–1 Oct 2026), and products listing 5–15% carried about three-quarters of revenue. Category medians in the 30 days to 21 October 2026 ran from 18% in Health to 0% in Collectibles and Jewelry Accessories & Derivatives.
How much commission does TikTok Shop take?
TikTok charges sellers a referral fee: 6% for most US categories, calculated on customer payment plus platform discount minus tax, with exceptions for some jewelry, pre-owned and collectibles sales. Affiliate commission is separate. The seller sets it and the creator receives it, on top of the referral fee.
What is a good commission rate for TikTok Shop affiliates?
One that fits inside your contribution margin and sits near your category's norm. Most category medians are between 5% and 9%; Beauty & Personal Care is 13% and Health 18%. Start from your margin, check the category median, and pay more selectively through target collaborations.
Do higher commission rates get more sales on TikTok Shop?
Revenue per product rises with the listed rate in our data, from 0.85× the average under 5% to 1.52× at 20–30%. But it is an association: higher-margin products may pay more and sell more, and the top 10 sellers in each category list about the same median rate as the products ranked below them.
What is the Shop Ads commission rate on TikTok Shop?
A separate rate some sellers can set for orders generated with the support of ads that use affiliate posts. Without it, those orders earn the standard rate. TikTok says the feature is available only to invited sellers, and for open collaboration the Shop Ads rate can't be lower than 30% of the standard rate, except in Mexico and Brazil.
Want a commission plan built on your margin?
MediaLabs is a TikTok Shop agency and an Official TikTok Partnered Agency (TSP), Creator Agency Partner (CAP) and TikTok Shop Affiliate Partner (TAP). Our affiliate agency team sets commission structures, runs sample budgets and recruits from a managed roster of 3,000+ vetted creators; the full-service TikTok Shop agency program adds shop operations and ads. Book a 30-minute call and we’ll check your rates against your category and your margin.
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