For: New and existing sellers pricing items for a LIVE.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by TikTok.
Steps
- Find your referral fee rate. It's 6% for most categories (5–6% depending on category).
- Use the right base. The fee is rate × (customer payment + platform discount − tax). Buyer-paid shipping is included in the base.
- Add the refund admin fee to your refund costs. When you refund an order, TikTok keeps 20% of the referral fee, capped at $5 per SKU.
- Add your own costs. Affiliate commission (you set it), shipping or FBT fees, ads, product cost and packing supplies.
- Check your statement. Confirm the fees on your own settlement report, not a rate card.
Worked example: one LIVE order
| Line | Math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fee base | $26.60 paid + $0 discount − $1.60 tax | $25.00 |
| Referral fee | 6% × $25.00 | $1.50 |
| If later refunded: admin fee | 20% × $1.50 (cap $5) | $0.30 |
| Same item on Whatnot (for comparison) | 8% × $20 + (2.9% × $26.60 + $0.30) | $2.67 |
Common Mistakes
- Pricing on the item price only. TikTok's fee also counts the shipping the buyer pays.
- Forgetting affiliate commission when a creator sells for you.
- Comparing platforms on the headline rate alone. Fee bases and payment timing differ.
Checklist
- Category referral rate confirmed
- Shipping included in the fee base
- Affiliate commission set and counted
- Shipping or FBT cost counted
- Refund admin fee in refund estimates
- Fees checked on your settlement report
Part of SaleTrail Campus: practical guides for Whatnot and TikTok Shop sellers.
Sources
Put the week on one page.
A blank weekly workbook across the five areas: show economics, inventory health, fulfillment flow, accuracy, and team rhythm.
- One blank page per area, with a source column (Recorded / Estimated / Unknown / N/A)
- A page for choosing the few figures that change a decision
- A short page on reading your own numbers without fooling yourself
- No score, no target range, no benchmark
Blank workbook only. It sets no score, no target range and no benchmark. You record your own figures and compare against your own previous weeks.
Email required. The guide and the on-screen scorecard stay open to everyone.