TikTok Shop Ads commission rate: why one product can pay two rates

The TikTok Shop Ads commission rate can apply only to orders that come through an ad a seller builds from your video. Sales from your video, LIVE or showcase with no ad in between pay the standard rate.

How does the TikTok Shop Ads commission rate work?

Sellers set a standard commission for organic sales, calculated as described in How TikTok Shop commission is calculated. Some sellers can also set a separate Shop Ads commission for orders that come through ads built from a creator’s post. TikTok’s Ads help center gives an example with a 10% standard rate and a 5% Shop Ads rate: a buyer who taps your product link earns you 10%, and a buyer who taps an ad built from your post earns you 5%.

TikTok’s help center adds three details:

• If the seller has not set a Shop Ads rate, ad-driven sales pay your standard rate.
• When you run the ad yourself, for example by promoting your own showcase product, TikTok applies the standard rate.
• The feature is open to invited sellers only, so you will not see it on every product.

The help center pages do not name a market. Wherever you are, the product’s commission details in Creator Center show which rates apply. A seller can use your video in ads only after you authorize it for Shop Ads, either all your affiliate videos at once or one video with a code. Once authorized, it can also run in automated campaigns such as GMV Max, which is one way your video can end up earning the ad rate.

Is there a minimum Shop Ads rate?

In the UK, a minimum applies only in partner campaigns. TikTok’s UK guide prompts sellers there to set the Shop Ads rate above both the open collaboration Shop Ads rate and 30% of the partner commission rate. It states no minimum for open collaborations, and it says a change to the Shop Ads rate takes effect immediately.

In the US, yes. TikTok’s US Seller University says the Shop Ads rate must be at least one third of the standard rate, so a 15% standard rate allows an ad rate of 5% or more. It also sets a 30-day grace period in open collaborations: if you have already linked a product to your content or showcase, a cut to its Shop Ads rate reaches you only 30 days after the change, as long as the product stays in your showcase and the content stays up. Social Impressions and Hamster Garage report the same two US rules.

We found no EU statement on a minimum or a grace period, so check the product’s terms in Creator Center.

How can a lower ad rate cut your earnings?

1. You post a video, and it sells at the standard rate.
2. The seller sees it working and, with your authorization, runs it as an ad.
3. More of the next sales come through the ad, at the lower rate.
4. Your sales count rises while your earnings per sale fall, and you see it only when you check your statement.

Example. A product sells for £40. The standard rate is 15%, so an organic sale earns you £6. The Shop Ads rate is 5%, so an ad-driven sale earns you £2. Of 100 sales, 70 come through the ad: you earn 30 × £6 + 70 × £2 = £320, against £600 if all 100 had paid the standard rate. These are illustrative numbers, not typical earnings.

The comparison has a limit. An ad can reach buyers your organic video would not, so some of those 70 sales might not have happened without it. If the ad created 60 of those 70 sales, you would have made only 40 × £6 = £240 without it. Even then the ad pays you £80 more than no ad (£320 against £240, illustrative).

How do you check a product’s ad rate?

• Before you add a product to your showcase, open its commission details and look for both rates.
• Write down the date and both rates when you start promoting, because a seller can change them.
• Each week, compare the commission per order in your earnings with the standard rate.
• If a video sells more but your earnings do not follow, ask the seller whether it is running as an ad.

How do you protect yourself before you post?

• Ask first. “Do you run Shop Ads with creator videos, and what is the ad rate?” is a normal question to put to a seller.
• Put it in writing for any target collaboration or paid deal: the ad rate, how much notice you get before it changes, and whether your video can run as an ad at all.
• Know you can stop. If the ad rate drops after you have posted, you can stop promoting the product. TikTok’s Ads help center says that if you turn off your authorization, ads using your affiliate posts are paused.
• Ask your agency to cover it. If you work with an agency or network, ask it to agree the ad rate and the notice period with the seller before you post. Do you need a TikTok Shop agency? lists more questions to ask.

What should brands know about setting an ad rate?

A Shop Ads rate is a legitimate tool, and creators who find an undisclosed lower rate may stop promoting the product. State the ad rate up front, keep a reasonable gap to the standard rate and give notice before you change it. TikTok Shop affiliate plans covers how to structure the offers.

Rules change. TikTok updates commission features and limits, and they can differ by market.