Fee dataset: 2026-10-31
Sources & Methodology
By What I Keep
How we build estimates, what we include, and why Seller Center always wins when numbers disagree.
Calculate what you keep — Strong / OK / Fragile / Kill + Lever #1
The rates on this page are the planning model. The TikTok Shop fee calculator applies them to your SKU.
Purpose
This site helps sellers estimate contribution-style net profit per unit on TikTok Shop after major fees. It is an educational calculator, not an accounting system and not an official TikTok product.
Primary source of truth
TikTok Shop Seller Academy / Seller Center policies for your market are the only authoritative source for live rates, promotions and category exceptions. Our calculator defaults are planning assumptions derived from those official articles (reviewed 2026-10-27) and may lag policy changes.
When a number in this tool disagrees with your Seller Center settlement or Academy article, trust Seller Center.
Fee dataset last verified
Last verified: 2026-10-31 (the date shown across this site). That stamp is the planning model date — not a Seller Center settlement export. On 2026-10-31 we re-read the US referral pages (6%, and the 8% reported by third parties), the US FBT returns guide and the UK commission pages; the other rows of the log below were last read on 2026-10-27.
- Academy referral / commission rates — US · UK · EU
- FBT — planning placeholder only (not the live rate card; paste your unit fee in the calculator); the rate-card tables are not readable as text, so tier fees are not verified
- US new-seller promo (3% for 30 days) — not verified against a readable official source
- US refund administration fee (modeling assumptions)
- Seller Center wins when any number here conflicts with your live shop
Cadence: we re-check public Academy pages when shipping fee-related changes. An unchanged percentage does not mean we skipped a check — the date above is the latest check, and the log below gives the read date of each row. Planning defaults may still lag policy updates between passes.
Rate verification log (read 2026-10-27)
Each rate shown on this site, compared with the official page as read on 2026-10-27, unless a row says otherwise. Page dates are the dates printed on each page, shown as YYYY-MM-DD. “Matches” means the figure is stated in the readable text of the page. Where a figure is only in an image or an attachment, or no readable page states it, the row says not verified.
| Rate shown | Official page (page date) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| US referral 6% (most categories) | Referral fee updates (2025-05-08) · Category table (2026-10-08) | Matches: 6% on qualified orders from 2024-04-01; the category table lists 6% for the non-jewelry categories. |
| US 8% option (off by default) | Third-party articles only (see 6% or 8%?) | Not confirmed by TikTok: on 2026-10-31 the official category page (dated 2026-10-08) and seller.tiktok.com still state 6%. Offered as a scenario for “Most categories” only. |
| US jewelry 5% | Category table | Matches for five sub-categories (Diamond, Gold, Jade, Platinum/Carat Gold, Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald). Other jewelry sub-categories (for example Silver, Pearl, Amber) are 6% in the same table; the calculator’s Jewelry option applies 5% to the whole choice. |
| US pre-owned and collectibles | Category table | Pre-Owned 5%; for Collectibles and Pre-Owned, 3% on the part of a sale above $10K. Not modeled in the calculator. |
| US referral base | Category table · Referral fee updates | Rate × (customer payment + platform discount − tax); the base includes shipping paid by the customer. The calculator applies the rate to the sell price (simplification). |
| US refund administration 20% | Referral fee updates · Settlement report guide (2025-09-11) | Matches: 20% of the referral fee. |
| US refund admin cap $5 per SKU | Referral fee updates | Matches: capped at $5 per SKU from 2025-05-15. |
| US new-seller promo 3% for 30 days | seller.tiktok.com (no page date) | Not verified: no readable official page states 3% or 30 days. The portal only says “Reduce your referral fee up to 4%”. |
| US FBT tiers (Light $3.58 and others) | FBT rate card (2026-10-27) | Not verified: the fulfillment fee tables are not in the readable text. The tier values are planning placeholders. The page also lists itemized customer-return fees from 2026-06-01; the calculator models them from the FBT returns guide (next row). |
| US FBT returns handling per returned unit | FBT returns guide (2026-10-08) | Matches, read 2026-10-31: since 2026-06-01 the former $3.00 flat fee per order is replaced by per-unit fees. No inspection + dispose $1.10, no inspection + return to seller $1.05 (+ Return-to-Merchant shipping billed by weight), inspection + dispose $1.40, inspection + return to seller $1.35 (+ shipping). Modeled for US FBT; the shipping is a seller input (default 0). |
| UK commission 9% | Commission fee (2025-09-15) · Rate policy (2025-09-18) · Category page (2025-09-18) | Matches: 9%, inclusive of applicable taxes including VAT. The commission base includes customer-paid shipping and platform discount; the calculator applies the rate to the sell price. |
| UK Electronics / Beauty 5% | Rate policy | Matches the policy (effective 5% on eligible categories). The calculator uses 9% for every UK category. The UK category list is an attachment and is not verified. |
| EU5 commission 9% from 2026-01-08 | EU5 policy (2026-01-28) · Category rates (2026-09-16) | Matches. |
| EU5 electronics 7% | EU5 policy · Category rates | Matches for Electronics (including Beauty & Personal Care electronics) in the listed categories. The category list is an image and is not verified. |
| EU5 new-seller 4% for up to 60 days | EU5 policy | Matches: mission-based, up to 60 calendar days. |
| Creator commission range 1%–80% | Collaboration setup (2026-07-16) · Shop Ads commission (March 2026) | Matches. “Commonly 8–25%” is this site’s planning range, not an official figure. |
| Creator commission formula | Standard commission (2026-09-14) | Matches: (Revenue − Refunds) × rate. The calculator is more conservative (see Profit formula). |
| Payment processing | Referral fee updates | US: matches (the referral fee covers all TikTok Shop fees except shipping and tax). UK and EU: not stated on the pages read. |
Official sources (linked)
Below are the public TikTok Shop Academy / policy pages this calculator’s defaults are based on. Some pages require a seller login or show rate-card images that change over time.
United States
| Topic | What we take from it | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| Referral fee (standard) | 6% on qualified orders from Apr 1, 2024; formula uses customer payment + platform discount − tax; “referral” encompasses platform fees except shipping/tax | Referral Fee Updates (US Academy) |
| Category referral rates | Most categories 6%; selected jewelry sub-categories 5% (Diamond, Gold, Jade, Platinum/Carat Gold, Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald) from Oct 31, 2024; pre-owned often 5% | Referral Fees by Category (US Academy) |
| Refund administration fee | 20% of referral fee on refunds; capped at $5 per SKU from May 15, 2025 | Same Referral Fee Updates article |
| Settlement / fee line items | How referral, refund admin and affiliate commissions appear in statements | How to Access Your Settlement Report |
| FBT fulfillment rate card | Official weight-tier fulfillment fees, multi-unit pricing, storage, returns handling (tables update frequently; enter your live unit fee in the calculator) | FBT Rate Card & FAQ (US Academy) |
| FBT program overview | What FBT covers (pick/pack/ship) and links to rate card | Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) overview |
| Affiliate commission (seller-set) | Sellers set collaboration rates; commission formula (Revenue − Refunds) × rate; allowed collab range 1%–80% (commonly 8–25% in practice) | Setting Up Affiliate Collaborations · How Standard Affiliate Commission Works |
| Shop Ads commission rates | Optional separate ads commission (1%–80%) vs standard organic affiliate rate | TikTok Business Help – Shop Ads commission |
| Seller portal (entry) | Public entry point; notes no setup fee and points to referral fee docs | seller.tiktok.com |
United Kingdom
| Topic | What we take from it | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| Platform commission fee | Standard commission rate 9% (VAT-inclusive); worked examples and formula | Platform Commission Fee (UK Academy) |
| Commission rate policy | 9% before incentive reductions; category reductions for specified Electronics & Beauty (effective 5% on eligible SKUs) | TikTok Shop UK Commission Rate Policy |
| Category commission list | Full category/sub-category commission table (linked from the policy) | Commission Rate by Product Categories (UK) |
| Affiliate commission (UK) | Creator payout formula and rules | Affiliate Commission and Payout Rules (UK) |
Model note (UK): Our calculator uses 9% for every UK category. Eligible Electronics / Beauty SKUs can be 5% per the official policy; the calculator does not model that rate, so check your exact rate in Seller Center. Re-read 2026-10-31: the Platform Commission Fee and Commission Rate Policy pages are unchanged (9% VAT-inclusive, same base formula, commission refunded on returned items). A UK-preset version of the calculator, with a worked £24.99 example and VAT notes, is on the TikTok Shop UK fee calculator.
European Union (EU5: DE, FR, IT, ES, IE)
| Topic | What we take from it | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| EU commission rate policy | Standard 9% on settled orders; new-seller reduction to 4% for up to 60 days (mission-based); electronics category reduction to 7% | EU5 Platform Fee / Commission Rate Policy |
| EU category commission rates | From 8 Jan 2026: 9% standard; 7% for listed Electronics / selected Beauty device sub-categories (and related) | Commission Rate by Product Categories (EU5) |
| EU category reductions (DE portal) | Cross-link to category-level 7% electronics list used by EU Seller Center | EU category commission detail (DE Academy) |
An EU-preset version of the calculator, in euros with a worked €19.99 example and the 9% / 7% / 4% official rates side by side, is on the TikTok Shop EU fee calculator.
What is user input (not a fixed TikTok “rate”)
- Creator / affiliate commission % — set by the seller (open/target collabs), typically within platform bounds (1%–80% allowed; commonly 8–25% in practice). Official: US collab setup & UK affiliate payout pages above. Walkthrough: TikTok Shop affiliate commission explained.
- Shipping paid by buyer / unit — optional field in “More options”, default 0. Added to the referral / commission base only (see below).
- COGS, self-ship postage, ad CPA, Smart Promotion — your costs; not published as a single TikTok global fee.
- Return rate % — your trailing shop data; we convert it into an expected-value cost (see methodology below).
- FBT $/unit (your own figure) — official rates are weight/size tier tables (images in Academy). Defaults in the tool are planning placeholders only.
Shipping paid by the buyer
The TikTok Shop fee calculator has an optional field, “Shipping paid by buyer / unit” (in “More options”, default 0; URL parameter shippingBuyer).
It is added to the base on which the referral or commission rate is applied, for the markets where the official page says so. With the default of 0, every result is unchanged.
All three pages below were read on 2026-10-27.
| Market | What the official page says | What the calculator does |
|---|---|---|
| US | Referral Fees by Category (page dated 2026-10-08): “The Referral Fee calculation base includes the shipping fee paid by the customer.” Formula: rate × (customer payment + platform discount − tax); same formula on Referral Fee Updates (2025-05-08). | Referral base = sell price + buyer-paid shipping. |
| UK | Platform Commission Fee (2025-09-15) and Commission Rate Policy (2025-09-18): commission = ((net sales + customer-paid shipping fee + platform discount) − (net sales refund + platform discount refund)) × rate. | Commission base = sell price + buyer-paid shipping. |
| EU5 | EU5 Commission Rate Policy (2026-01-28): same formula, including the customer-paid shipping fee. | Commission base = sell price + buyer-paid shipping. |
Limits of the model. The field only changes the referral / commission base, and the fees that follow from it (US refund administration, expected return cost, break-even price). It is not counted as seller revenue, so enter your self-ship cost net of what the buyer pays. Creator commission stays on the sell price. The calculator applies the rate of the category you pick; check your exact rate in Seller Center. The rules above refer to platform discounts and taxes that the calculator does not model.
Default fee assumptions (2026) ↔ sources
| Item | Default model | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| US referral | 6% general · 5% jewelry | US referral policy + category table |
| UK referral | 9% most categories | UK Platform Commission Fee |
| EU referral | 9% standard · 7% selected electronics | EU commission policy + EU category rates |
| US new seller promo | Optional toggle → 3% | Promotional plans referenced in US Academy referral docs; eligibility and rate are time-bound—confirm in your Seller Center missions. Not a permanent published base rate. Not verified against a readable official source (the US seller portal only says “Reduce your referral fee up to 4%”). |
| EU new seller promo | Optional toggle → 4% (up to 60 days) | EU policy § New Seller Reduction |
| US FBT single / multi (Light default) | ~$3.58 / ~$2.86 (editable); optional Standard/Heavy/Oversize planning bands | Illustrative planning placeholders only — see FBT tiers in this tool. Live fees: official FBT rate card (tiered by weight/units; updated through 2026). Always paste your unit fee from the card or billing. |
| US FBT returns handling | Return rate × per-unit fee of the selected option ($1.05 default: no inspection + return to seller; $1.10 / $1.40 / $1.35) + your return shipping / unit (default 0, only for “return to seller”) | FBT returns guide (rate card effective June 1, 2026; page dated 2026-10-08). US FBT only. |
| US refund admin | 20% of referral × return rate, capped at $5 per SKU | US Referral Fee Updates (expected-value model in our tool—not a per-order guarantee) |
| Creator commission | User input (commonly 8–25%) | Seller-set; see affiliate collaboration docs (US/UK) above. “Commonly 8–25%” is this site’s planning range, not an official figure |
UK/EU FBT-like logistics defaults in the UI are rough placeholders for comparison only—use local Seller Center logistics pricing when available.
Profit formula
Per unit:
referral_fee = (price + buyer_paid_shipping) × referral_rate(buyer-paid shipping defaults to 0; see Shipping paid by the buyer)creator_fee = price × creator_commission_%fulfillment = FBT unit fee OR self-ship costreturn_cost ≈ return_rate × (referral_fee + 0.5 × creator_fee + 0.3 × COGS) + refund_admin_EV + fbt_returns_EVfbt_returns_EV = return_rate × (FBT returns handling fee + your return shipping), US FBT only (0 for self-ship, UK and EU)total_costs = COGS + referral + smart_promo + creator + fulfillment + ad_spend + return_costnet_profit = price − total_costsnet_margin% = net_profit / price
Why return cost is an estimate
True return economics depend on restockability, reverse logistics, and whether creator commission is clawed back. We use a transparent expected-value model that is intentionally a bit conservative. Enter your own return rate from your trailing 30-day data.
Break-even
We treat percentage-of-price fees as variable and COGS / fulfillment / ads as fixed per unit, then solve for price where net ≈ 0. Non-linear fees (caps, thresholds) are approximated.
FBT vs self-ship comparison
For every run we recompute net profit under both fulfillment modes using the FBT unit cost and self-ship cost you entered (or regional defaults). “Better” means higher estimated net per unit in that scenario only.
FBT tiers in this tool
The calculator includes a small set of simplified weight tiers (Light, Standard, Heavy, Oversize) so you can ballpark heavier SKUs without leaving the page. These bands are planning placeholders only— they are not an official TikTok FBT rate card and must not be treated as live billing rates.
- Default: Light single-unit (~$3.58 US / multi ~$2.86) matches the historic ballpark defaults in this tool.
- How it works: Choosing a tier fills the FBT cost/unit field (single vs multi from the multi-unit checkbox). You can still paste any custom fee from Seller Center; your figure is used until you pick another tier.
- Share links:
fbtTier=light|standard|heavy|oversizeis supported in calculator URLs. - Source of truth: Use the official weight/size tables in the US FBT rate card (and local Seller Center logistics pricing for UK/EU). Tables update frequently. How to read it: TikTok Shop FBT fees & rate card explained.
Privacy
All calculations are client-side JavaScript. Product inputs are not uploaded to our servers for computation. (Standard web hosting logs may still record page visits.)
Update process
- Review Seller Center / official announcements every 1–2 months.
- Bump the visible last updated date when defaults change.
- Prefer editable inputs over hard-coding when rates are volatile (FBT, promos).
Limitations
- Category lists are simplified (not every TikTok category tree).
- Taxes (VAT/sales tax) and currency conversion are out of scope unless you bake them into price/COGS.
- Promotional discounts, multi-item carts and partial refunds are not fully simulated.
- Not financial, legal or tax advice.