TikTok Shop
TikTok Shop Break-Even Price Calculator
Find the lowest TikTok Shop price that breaks even once the referral fee and creator commission take their percentage of the price itself.
Referral rate note: TikTok Shop US referral rates are set by category. Published guides checked against TikTok Shop Seller University in October 2026 list 6% for most categories and 5% for some jewelry and pre-owned categories, while some trade reports claim an increase to around 8% for most non-food categories in August 2026. The rate field below is editable, so enter the rate shown on your own settlement statement if it differs from the 6% default.
Formula
Break-even price = (product cost + shipping cost + desired profit per unit) ÷ (1 − referral rate − affiliate rate). The percentage fees sit in the denominator because they are charged on the final price itself, so adding them to costs instead would understate the price you need.
How it works
Enter product cost, shipping cost, referral rate and affiliate rate, plus any profit per unit you want above break-even (leave it at $0 for pure break-even). The calculator solves for the price where revenue exactly covers every line, and shows the fee amounts at that price so you can check the maths.
Worked example
Product cost $11.00, shipping cost $5.00, referral rate 6% and affiliate commission 15%, with $0 desired profit: break-even price = ($11.00 + $5.00) ÷ (1 − 0.06 − 0.15) = $16.00 ÷ 0.79 = $20.253, rounded up to the next cent for listing: $20.26. Check with unrounded fees: referral fee 6% of $20.26 = $1.2156 and affiliate commission 15% of $20.26 = $3.0390, totalling $4.2546, so $20.26 − $4.2546 = $16.0054, shown as $16.01 — covering the $16.00 of product plus shipping with a $0.01 rounding cushion.
FAQs
Why can I not just add the fees to my costs?
Because the referral fee and affiliate commission are percentages of the final price. Adding 6% and 15% to your costs prices the fees on the cost, not on the price, and the result falls short. Dividing by what remains after the fees gives the exact price.
How is this different from the general break-even calculator?
The general break-even calculator works with fixed costs and a single margin. This one is built for the TikTok Shop fee stack specifically: a category referral rate plus a creator affiliate rate, both charged as percentages of the selling price.
What if I sell without a creator?
Set the affiliate commission to 0%. The formula then divides only by what remains after the referral fee, and the break-even price drops.
Should I round the result up or down?
Always up, to the next cent. Rounding down puts the price below break-even, even if only by a cent, and that shortfall repeats on every unit.
Does break-even include returns?
No. This is break-even on a kept sale. Returns add refund administration costs and lost product, so a price that only just breaks even leaves no room for them. Add a desired profit per unit to build in that buffer.
Stand: October 2026. The 6% referral rate used here is not sighted on an official TikTok page.
Note: some third-party reports say the standard US referral rate rose to 8% from August 4, 2026. TikTok's published category table still lists 6% for most categories (revised May 2026). Check your own rate in Seller Center and change the rate field if it differs.
Sources: StoreHero — TikTok Shop Fees 2026 and Printful — TikTok Shop Fees 2026, both summarizing TikTok Shop Seller University material. Confirm your own rate in Seller Center.
Disclaimer: Results are estimates and general information only, not financial advice. Fees change, so confirm the current rate in TikTok Shop Seller Center before you price a listing.
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