# TikTok Shop fees: what US sellers pay in 2026

TikTok Shop fees for US sellers: the 6% referral fee, withdrawal, refund, fulfillment, and affiliate costs, with margin examples and where guides differ.

16 Oct 2026 · 8 min read · Guides · By Sloosh

Web page: https://sloosh.ai/blog/tiktok-shop-fees

> **Tip: TL;DR.** TikTok Shop fees start with a referral fee of 6% on most US orders, taken from the item price before sales tax and shipping. Other costs depend on how you ship and how you get paid. Guides disagree on some smaller fees, so confirm every number in Seller Center before you set prices.

**Key takeaways**

- Opening a shop is free. The main charge is a 6% referral fee per order, and 5% for some jewelry.
- A $12 item pays $0.72 in referral fees. A $50 item pays $3.00.
- Extra costs include withdrawal fees, a refund administration fee, fulfillment if you use Fulfilled by TikTok, affiliate commission, and ads.
- Seller guides conflict on per-order processing fees, so treat anything beyond the 6% referral fee as something to confirm.
- Video is the main sales tool on TikTok Shop, so budget for it. Collabstr put the average paid UGC collaboration near $202 in 2025.

TikTok Shop fees decide whether a product is worth selling there. A $20 item priced on the wrong fee assumptions can turn a profit into a loss. This guide lists the TikTok Shop fees that US sellers report, shows the math at real prices, and flags where the guides disagree.

The figures come from seller guides published or updated between March and October 2026. TikTok Shop fees change often, so check your own Seller Center before you commit to a price. If you have not opened a shop yet, start with the [TikTok Shop requirements for US sellers](https://sloosh.ai/blog/tiktok-shop-seller-requirements).

![TikTok Shop fees: what US sellers pay](https://cdn.pro.shopos.ai/sloosh/o/93664a0d00debd5d/01a1631a-cf60-7fe6-be41-1db905f48bca.png)

_A fee spreadsheet next to a phone showing a TikTok Shop product video_

## What are TikTok Shop fees?

TikTok Shop fees are the costs a seller pays to sell through TikTok's in-app store. Opening a shop is free. The main charge is a referral fee, which seller guides put at 6% per order in the US. Other charges depend on fulfillment, payouts, refunds, creators, and ads.

Printful says that [setting up a shop is free](https://www.printful.com/blog/how-to-sell-on-tiktok), and that the US referral fee is 6%. Printify says the platform [typically charges a 6% referral fee per order](https://printify.com/blog/tiktok-shop-fees/), and some jewelry carries 5%. Webgility reports that the US fee [rose to 6% on April 1, 2024](https://www.webgility.com/blog/tiktok-shop-fees) for most categories, with jewelry at 5%.

So the baseline is simple. You pay nothing to open the shop, and you pay 6% of each order. Everything else in this guide is an extra you may or may not choose.

## How is the TikTok Shop referral fee calculated?

The TikTok Shop referral fee is a percentage of the order's item price, before sales tax and shipping. At 6%, a $12 item costs $0.72 and a $50 item costs $3.00. If you give a seller discount, the fee is figured on the discounted price, so discounts lower it.

Printify describes the base this way and gives the same $12 example. It adds that a $2 seller discount on that item drops the fee to $0.60, because the fee is figured on $10. Webgility's formula also counts any discount that TikTok itself pays for.

Here is the referral fee at common prices, using the 6% rate.

| Item price | Referral fee at 6% | Left after the referral fee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $12 | $0.72 | $11.28 |
| $25 | $1.50 | $23.50 |
| $40 | $2.40 | $37.60 |
| $50 | $3.00 | $47.00 |
| $100 | $6.00 | $94.00 |

Jewelry at 5% costs less. A $50 piece pays $2.50.

## What other TikTok Shop fees can you pay?

Beyond the referral fee, sellers may pay withdrawal fees, a refund administration fee, fulfillment and storage fees if they use Fulfilled by TikTok, affiliate commissions, and ad spend. Printify lists each one with amounts. Most apply only if you choose that option, so you can avoid some of them.

| Cost | Amount reported | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bank withdrawal | $0.05 per transaction, with a $2 minimum payout | Printify |
| PayPal withdrawal | 0.9% of the withdrawal, with a $2 minimum | Printify |
| Refund administration fee | 20% of the original referral fee, capped at $5 per SKU | Printify; none if canceled before shipping |
| Fulfilled by TikTok fulfillment | From $4.28 per unit for items of 4 oz or less | Printify; from January 12, 2026 |
| Fulfilled by TikTok storage | Free for 0 to 60 days, then from $0.03 per cubic foot per day | Printify |
| Customer shipping if you opt out of FBT | $5.99 on orders under $30; sellers can get a $0.75 per item rebate | Printify |
| Affiliate commission | Set by the seller | Printify and Webgility |
| Ads | Campaign minimum of $50 per day or $50 lifetime | Printify |

Printify also notes that with Fulfilled by TikTok, customers get free shipping with no minimum order value, effective June 16, 2025. If you ship orders yourself, the shipping rules differ, so check which model fits your products.

Two of these deserve attention. The refund fee means a refund is never fully free for you. And affiliate commission is a rate you choose, so it is the easiest cost to control.

## Do guides agree on TikTok Shop fees?

No, the guides only agree on the 6% US referral fee. They differ on per-order charges. Darkroom lists category rates from 2% to 8%, a $0.30 per order fee, and 2.0% payment processing, while Printify says there is no per-order card processing fee. Confirm every number in Seller Center.

Webgility adds a further wrinkle. It lists a 3.78% transaction fee effective September 5, 2024, but its tables are for Malaysia and do not label that fee as a US rate. [Darkroom's cost breakdown](https://www.darkroomagency.com/observatory/tiktok-shop-fees-seller-cost-breakdown-2026) does not label its fees as US-specific either, and says they come from its own analysis, not an official TikTok schedule. It also says new sellers pay 2% for their first 90 days, which no other guide we reviewed confirms.

The practical answer to uncertain TikTok Shop fees is to stress-test your price. On a $50 item, the 6% referral fee alone is $3.00. Darkroom's extra $0.30 per order and 2.0% processing would add $1.30, for $4.30 total, or 8.6% of the price, as a planning cushion and not a TikTok rule. If your margin only works at the lower number, the product is risky.

## How do you work out your margin after TikTok Shop fees?

Subtract every cost from the selling price: product cost, shipping, the referral fee, affiliate commission, and ad spend. In the example below, a $40 item keeps $16.60 after a 6% referral fee and a 10% affiliate commission, which is a 41.5% margin before ads. Replace the assumptions with your own.

| Line | Amount | Basis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Selling price | $40.00 | Example |
| Product cost | $12.00 | Assumption |
| Packaging and shipping | $5.00 | Assumption |
| Referral fee at 6% | $2.40 | Reported rate |
| Affiliate commission at 10% | $4.00 | Assumed rate you set |
| Left before ads | $16.60 | 41.5% of the price |

Ads change the picture quickly. If a campaign has a $50 minimum, as Printify reports, that $16.60 per sale means you need just over three sales from that budget to break even on ad spend. A product with a $5 margin would need ten.

This is why small, high-margin items do well on TikTok Shop and thin-margin ones struggle. Run the table for each product, with your own TikTok Shop fees, before you list it.

## How do video costs fit into TikTok Shop fees?

TikTok Shop sells through video, so video is a cost line next to the TikTok Shop fees above. Shopify's guide to user-generated content, citing Collabstr's 2025 data, puts the [average paid UGC collaboration near $202](https://www.shopify.com/blog/user-generated-content). At that price, the $40 item above needs just over 12 sales to pay for one video. To see how paid creator-style video works, read [what UGC ads are](https://sloosh.ai/blog/what-are-ugc-ads).

That does not mean every video must cost $202. Many sellers film their own clips on a phone, and some use AI to draft more versions. [Sloosh](https://sloosh.ai/) is an AI creative studio for images and video, and it is in beta. Two of its [Spaces](https://sloosh.ai/spaces) fit this job.

- [**Phone Photo to Studio Product Video**](https://sloosh.ai/spaces/phone-photo-to-studio-product-video)**:** Turns a phone photo into a square studio image and a 5-second turntable video. The page warns that the turntable invents sides the photo does not show, so the back of a product may be wrong.
- [**AI UGC Video Ad Creator**](https://sloosh.ai/spaces/ai-ugc-video-ad-creator)**:** Takes 1 to 8 product photos and a creator portrait, and makes a 4 to 15 second video in one of three aspect ratios. It is listed as made for TikTok and Instagram videos and for Meta Ads.

Sloosh shows the credit cost before you run anything, and new accounts get 20 starter credits once. You can compare the real cost per clip with the $202 average. Two cautions apply: you need the rights to any portrait you upload, and platform rules on labeling AI-generated video and on testimonials apply, so read them before you post.

You can browse more setups in the [product video templates](https://sloosh.ai/templates/category/product-video) and the [UGC templates](https://sloosh.ai/templates/category/ugc). Selling on Instagram too? See [how to use Instagram Reels for business](https://sloosh.ai/blog/instagram-reels-for-business).

## What should you do before you set prices?

Read the current TikTok Shop fees page in Seller Center for your category, then put every fee in a spreadsheet. Price each product so the margin still works after the referral fee, an affiliate commission, and one realistic ad budget. Drop any product that only works at the lowest fee.

If video is your biggest unknown cost, [Sign up for Sloosh](https://sloosh.ai/signup?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=tiktok-shop-fees&utm_content=signup) and make a test clip from one product photo. Check the credit cost on the generate button, compare the result with the real product, and see how it stacks up against paying a creator. Review the [pricing page](https://sloosh.ai/pricing?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=tiktok-shop-fees&utm_content=pricing) for plans.

## FAQ

**Does TikTok Shop charge a monthly fee?**

The guides we reviewed list no monthly or setup fee. Printful says setting up a shop is free, and Printify lists no recurring charge. Costs start when you make sales. Seller Center is the final word, so check your account's fee page before you open.

**What is the TikTok Shop referral fee in the US?**

Three seller guides put it at 6% per order for most US categories, with 5% for some jewelry. It is figured on the item price before sales tax and shipping, and a seller discount lowers the amount it is figured on.

**Who pays for shipping on TikTok Shop?**

It depends on your fulfillment model. Printify says customers get free shipping on Fulfilled by TikTok orders. If you opt out, customers pay $5.99 on orders under $30, and sellers can get a $0.75 per item rebate. Rules change, so confirm the current setup.

**Do you pay TikTok Shop fees on refunds?**

A full refund reverses the referral fee, but a refund administration fee still applies, per Webgility. Printify puts that fee at 20% of the original referral fee, capped at $5 per SKU, and says there is no fee if you cancel before shipping.

**Who sets the affiliate commission?**

You do. Printify and Webgility both say the seller sets the affiliate commission rate, and neither gives a fixed percentage. A higher rate attracts more creators but cuts your margin, so test the math on a sample item before you promote it.

**How much does it cost to make TikTok Shop videos?**

It varies. Collabstr's 2025 data puts an average paid UGC collaboration near $202, as cited by Shopify. You can also film your own or use AI tools. Sloosh shows the credit cost before each run and gives new accounts 20 starter credits once.