- US sellers pay a flat 6% referral fee per sale (5% on jewelry), and it already includes payment processing.
- New sellers get a discounted 3% rate for 30 days if they make a sale within 60 days of onboarding.
- Add returns, fulfillment, and creator commissions and the real all-in cost is closer to ~30% of the sale price.
TikTok Shop’s headline fee is refreshingly simple, but the real cost of selling depends on how you fulfill orders and promote them. Here’s every fee a US seller actually pays, so you can price for profit.
The referral fee (the main one)
The core charge is a flat 6% referral fee on most categories, with jewelry at 5%. Unlike some marketplaces, this single fee includes payment processing — there’s no separate transaction charge stacked on top for US sellers.
New seller discount: if you make your first sale within 60 days of finishing onboarding, TikTok drops your referral fee to 3% for 30 days. The discount kicks in within 48 hours of your first order.
The fees people forget
- Refund administration fee: when a buyer returns an item, TikTok charges 20% of the original referral fee, capped at $5 per SKU.
- Fulfillment (Fulfilled by TikTok): if you use TikTok’s warehousing, expect from about $3.58 per unit, dropping to roughly $2.86 for orders of 4+ units. Ship it yourself and you skip this.
- Creator commissions: if you run an affiliate program, you set the rate. Most sellers land in the 5–20% range, paid only when a creator drives a sale.
- Ads: optional, but any paid promotion is an added cost on top.
A quick example
Sell a $25 item shipped yourself, with no affiliate: TikTok’s 6% referral fee is $1.50, leaving $23.50 before your product and shipping costs. Add a 15% creator commission ($3.75) and you’re down to $19.75 before costs — which is why margin planning matters.
Frequently asked questions
Does TikTok charge a monthly or listing fee?
No. There’s no subscription and no per-listing fee. You pay when you sell.
Is the 6% fee before or after shipping and tax?
The referral fee applies to the product price portion of the order. Sales tax is handled separately and isn’t your revenue to keep.
How do I lower my effective fees?
Fulfill orders yourself to skip fulfillment fees, set creator commissions deliberately, and keep returns low with accurate listings. See how you get paid and how to withdraw your earnings.
New here? Start with how to sell on TikTok Shop.
Verified against TikTok Shop’s US seller fee schedule as of July 2026. Rates can change and vary by category and region.