TikTok Shop vs Amazon FBA Fees (2026)
Sellers ask this constantly: "TikTok takes 6%, Amazon takes 15% — so TikTok is cheaper, right?" Not so fast. The referral fee is one line of a much bigger stack on both platforms.
Fee by fee
| Cost | TikTok Shop (US) | Amazon FBA (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Referral / commission | ~6% (most categories) | ~15% (most categories) |
| Monthly plan | $0 | $39.99 (Professional) |
| Fulfillment | FBT from ~$3.58/order or self-ship | FBA from ~$3.50–$5+/order by size |
| Payment processing | Included in referral fee | Included |
| Creator/affiliate cost | 10–20% (common when scaling) | None (but ads pressure instead) |
| Ads to stay competitive | GMV Max, 10–20% of revenue | PPC, often 15–25% of revenue |
| Refund handling | Lose shipping + goods often | FBA returns processing |
The same $29.99 product on both
Assume $8 product cost, $4.50 shipping, 15% affiliate on TikTok vs $500/month PPC scaled over 300 orders (~$1.67/order) on Amazon, both using platform fulfillment:
- TikTok Shop: $29.99 − $1.80 referral − $4.50 affiliate − $4.50 FBT − $3.00 ads − $8 COGS − $4.50 ship = ~$3.69 profit (12.3%)
- Amazon: $29.99 − $4.50 referral − $4.25 FBA − $1.67 PPC − $8 COGS − $4.50 ship = ~$7.07 profit (23.6%)
Interesting result: the platform with the lower referral fee can net less — because creator commissions replace ad spend as the dominant cost. TikTok Shop wins when you drive organic (non-affiliate) traffic; Amazon wins when you'd otherwise pay for ads.
When each platform makes sense
- TikTok Shop: impulse-buy products, strong demo/visual appeal, $10–50 price band, if you can produce content or work with creators cheaply.
- Amazon: search-driven demand, replenishable goods, higher price points, if you have review moat.
Model both scenarios yourself in the free calculator — run the same product through different fee stacks and compare net margins.