TikTok Shop vs Etsy Fees

TikTok Shop's base fee (6%) is lower than Etsy's combined ~9.5% + fixed fees, but creator commissions often add 10–20%. Set your affiliate rate to compare fairly.

Item price ($)Shipping charged ($)Sales tax collected ($)Item cost ($)Your postage cost ($)Creator affiliate commission (%)

Pricing, offer & flipper tools

Target margin (%)Offer to check ($)

Advanced

Referral fee rate (%) — 6 standard, 5 select jewelry Enrolled in Smart Promotion (3.5% of GMV)Refund rate (%) for admin-fee estimate

TikTok Shop US
Referral fee 6%	$1.80
Creator commission 15%	$4.50
Total fees	$6.30
Payout	$23.70
Profit	$9.70
Margin	32.3%

Etsy US
Listing fee	$0.20
Transaction fee 6.5%	$1.95
Payment processing 3% + 0.25	$1.15
Total fees	$3.30
Payout	$26.70
Profit	$12.70
Margin	42.3%

TikTok Shop: price for 30% margin $28.56 · max buy price / lowest offer cost at this price $9.70 · break-even max ad rate 32.3%

Etsy: price for 30% margin $23.89 · max buy price / lowest offer cost at this price $12.70

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Fee table

Platform	Fee	Rate	Source
TikTok Shop US	Referral fee 6% of (customer payment incl. buyer-paid shipping + platform discount − tax)	6%	Last verified: 2026-10-13
TikTok Shop US	5% for five jewelry sub-categories; 3% on the portion above $10k in some Collectibles	5%	Last verified: 2026-10-13
TikTok Shop US	Refund administration fee: 20% of the referral fee, max $5 per SKU	20%	Last verified: 2026-10-13
TikTok Shop US	Smart Promotion (optional program): 3.5% of GMV, 4.5% in mega-campaign periods	3.5%	Last verified: 2026-10-13 indirect
Etsy US	Listing fee $0.20 (per listing, 4 months / per renewal)	$0.20	Last verified: 2026-10-13
Etsy US	Transaction fee 6.5% (item price + shipping + gift wrap)	6.5%	Last verified: 2026-10-13
Etsy US	Etsy Payments processing 3% + $0.25 (on full total incl. sales tax and shipping)	3% + $0.25	Last verified: 2026-10-13
Etsy US	Offsite Ads 15% (shops under $10k sales in last 365 days) or 12% ($10k+), capped at $100 per order	15% / 12%	Last verified: 2026-10-13
Etsy US	Currency conversion (only if listing currency differs from bank currency)	2.5%	Last verified: 2026-10-13 indirect

Fee changelog

2025-05-15 TikTok Shop US: US refund administration fee capped at $5 per SKU. source
2024-10-31 TikTok Shop US: US referral fee cut 6% → 5% for five jewelry sub-categories. source
2024-04-01 TikTok Shop US: US referral fee raised to 6% per order. source

Worked examples

$30 item, 15% creator commission

TikTok Shop US
Referral fee 6%	$1.80
Creator commission 15%	$4.50
Total fees	$6.30
Payout	$23.70
Profit	$9.70
Margin	32.3%

Etsy US
Listing fee	$0.20
Transaction fee 6.5%	$1.95
Payment processing 3% + 0.25	$1.15
Total fees	$3.30
Payout	$26.70
Profit	$12.70
Margin	42.3%

$30 item, no affiliate

TikTok Shop US
Referral fee 6%	$1.80
Creator commission 15%	$4.50
Total fees	$6.30
Payout	$23.70
Profit	$9.70
Margin	32.3%

Etsy US
Listing fee	$0.20
Transaction fee 6.5%	$1.95
Payment processing 3% + 0.25	$1.15
Total fees	$3.30
Payout	$26.70
Profit	$12.70
Margin	42.3%

FAQ

Are TikTok Shop fees lower than Etsy?

Before affiliate commission, yes: 6% vs Etsy's 6.5% transaction + 3% + $0.25 processing + $0.20 listing. With a typical 10–20% creator commission, TikTok Shop usually costs more.

Which is better for handmade sellers?

Etsy brings search buyers looking for handmade; TikTok Shop sells through video and creators. Many sellers use both.