Where TikTok Shop is open
Which countries are open, which are not, and how sellers there can still reach buyers.
TikTok Shop guides for creators and brands.
Commission, samples, levels and fees, in plain words. Each guide lists its sources.
Markets.
Basics.
Browse the full glossary
Plain-language definitions of the badges, plans, fees and levels you meet on TikTok Shop.
TikTok Shop agency or on your own? How to decide
What you can do alone, what an agency adds, how agencies charge, and the red flags to watch for.
What is TikTok Shop?
TikTok Shop is a shopping system built into the TikTok app: people discover a product in a video or LIVE and buy it without leaving the app.
For creators.
How TikTok LIVE shopping works
What you need to sell on LIVE, how a shopping stream runs, and what makes people buy.
How TikTok Shop commission is calculated
Who sets your rate, how it is calculated, what refunds do to it, and when the money arrives.
How TikTok Shop free samples work
Who can request samples, how requests work, and what TikTok expects once a sample arrives.
How to become a TikTok Shop creator: your first 30 days
Your first month: getting access, picking products, first videos, first LIVE.
TikTok Shop Ads commission rate: why one product can pay two rates
One product can pay a creator two rates: a standard rate for organic sales and a lower one when the sale comes from an ad. How it works, what is confirmed, and what to ask before you post.
TikTok Shop creator badges and levels
The eight UK levels and the eight US badges, how TikTok calculates them, and who can see yours.
For sellers.
How to sell on TikTok Shop as a brand: your first 30 days
Your first month as a seller: who can register, what it costs, setup, affiliate plans, samples and a first LIVE.
TikTok Shop affiliate plans: open, target or match-up?
What each affiliate plan does, and when a brand should use which.
TikTok Shop terms, defined.
Short definitions of the words you meet in Seller Center and Creator Center. Search every term, or open the full glossary.
- Commission rate
The percentage of a sale a seller pays the creator who drove it. The seller sets the rate.
- Open collaboration (open plan)
A commission offer any eligible creator can add straight away, at one rate the seller sets. In the US, the seller can turn on approval.
- Target collaboration (targeted plan)
A commission offer the seller sends to creators it chooses, at a rate set for them, which can be higher than the open rate.
- Shop Ads commission
A second, lower rate some sellers set for sales that come from ads built from a creator's video.
- Gross merchandise value (GMV)
The total value of goods sold. It is a sales figure, not profit.
- Creator badges
Monthly creator levels set from recent sales: Level 1 to 8 in the UK, Bronze to Diamond in the US.
- Sample request
A creator's request for a free product from a seller, in exchange for a video or LIVE about it.
- Shop Performance Score (SPS)
A 0 to 5 score of a shop's delivery, cancellations, returns, reviews and customer service. TikTok's UK affiliate policy asks for 3.5 or more.
- Ship by TikTok
TikTok's shipping option: TikTok arranges the carrier and the seller still hands each parcel over, within two working days in the UK and EU.
- Revenue share (creator agency)
The share of a creator's TikTok Shop commission that goes to their agency. The creator approves it first.
- TikTok Shop Partner (TSP)
An agency registered with TikTok that works on the parts of a shop the seller hands over. The seller grants and can remove its access.
- Referral fee
The percentage TikTok charges the seller on each order. It differs by market and category.
- Affiliate program
The system that lets creators promote a shop's products and earn a commission on the sales they drive.
- Creator Agency Partner (CAP)
An agency registered with TikTok that represents creators on TikTok Shop and takes a share of their commission, with their approval.
- Creator matchmaking (match-up)
A campaign run by an affiliate partner that matches a seller's products with suitable creators at scale.
- Cross-border seller
A seller that sells into a market from a business based in another country. TikTok's UK seller terms cover those it invites.
- Data authorization
Permission a creator gives an agency to see their TikTok Shop sales data. In the US, the creator accepts it in the app.
- GMV Max
An automated TikTok Shop ad campaign. With a creator's authorization, it can use their affiliate videos as ads.
- LIVE Creator Network
An agency that partners with TikTok LIVE to develop creators who stream. It registers on LIVE Backstage, not in TikTok Shop's Partner Center.
- LIVE shopping
Selling products during a TikTok LIVE stream, with viewers buying while it runs.
- Local seller
A seller registered in the market it sells in, such as a UK business on TikTok Shop UK. UK and EU rules also ask for local stock, with some EU exceptions.
- Multi-Channel Network (MCN)
An agency registered with TikTok that represents a roster of creators on TikTok Shop. Partner Center lists it next to the CAP.
- Outreach quota (sample quota)
A limit on how many new creators a seller can invite or message. In the US it is weekly and based on the last 30 days of sales.
- Partner Center
TikTok's portal where agencies register for TikTok Shop partner roles and send access requests to sellers and creators.
- Product link
The product tag on a video or LIVE that viewers tap to buy without leaving TikTok.
- Seller authorization
Permission a seller gives an agency to use chosen parts of Seller Center, for a period the seller sets. The seller can remove it.
- Seller Center
The dashboard where sellers run their TikTok Shop: products, orders, affiliate plans and settings.
- Shop tab
The storefront inside the TikTok app where people browse and search for products, as on a marketplace.
- Showcase
A creator's product list on their profile, where followers can browse and buy what the creator promotes.
- Standard commission
The commission a creator earns on sales from their own content, with no paid ad in between.
- TikTok Shop Affiliate Partner (TAP)
An agency that runs affiliate campaigns between sellers and creators. The seller is its client.
- Violation points
Penalty points for breaking TikTok Shop rules. In the US, high violation points can limit some creator benefits.