How to be a TikTok Shop Affiliate

If you run marketing campaigns for a business, you’ll know what a pain paid marketing can be. You have to pay large sums of money upfront, with no guarantee of a return on the investment.

Most paid marketing campaigns follow this trend. You pay, send your campaigns out, and hope something good happens. When these campaigns fail, there is no way of getting this money back.

Fortunately, there is an alternative that won’t lose you money: Affiliate marketing.

When done right, affiliate marketing refers to a sales program that earns money and hardly costs you a cent if it does not generate sales.

With an affiliate program on TikTok, you can go all out on influencer marketing without worrying about the money you put into it.

The best part is that your revenue stream is mostly passive, which means less effort for more reward.

What Is a TikTok Shop Affiliate?

So, what does it mean to be a TikTok shop affiliate? Essentially, you join the TikTok Shop program and sign up to get paid a commission.

Whenever you get a sale, you get paid a percentage of money (commission). Affiliate marketing also means you sell products from other brands using specific branded content.

You may remember reading blogs a couple of years ago where the writer stated at the top, ‘I may get paid if you click on the links in this article.’ This is known as old-school affiliate marketing.

Fewer people choose this route in 2025. Instead, they sell affiliate products on social media platforms such as TikTok.

You can add a clickable link to any product video you make and direct customers to the TikTok Shop. Whenever someone buys something after following the link, you make some money.

Setting Up (TikTok) Shop

If you want to try your hand at TikTok affiliate marketing, follow these steps.

• Go to TikTok’s Seller Center to sign up to use TikTok Shop.
• Look for products in TikTok Shop that are easy to promote. (This is the non-passive part of affiliate marketing).
• When you decide on a product range or brand, contact the seller first. You must get their permission to be an affiliate for their products.
• A seller will not work with you if they can’t contact you when needed. Therefore, you must add your contact information when signing up for TikTok Shop.
• You must have an existing audience on TikTok to become an affiliate marketer. When you choose products to promote, ensure these products appeal to your audience.

What Are the Requirements to Become a TikTok Shop Affiliate?

You can only become a TikTok Shop affiliate if you are over 18 and have 5,000 or more followers. (You may be able to get into the program if you have 1,000 followers with TikTok’s pilot program).

If you are affiliated with the government or a political party, you cannot sign up for affiliate marketing.

Moreover, you must always comply with TikTok’s rules and policies.

Getting Started as a TikTok Shop Affiliate

When you have the basics down regarding applying to join TikTok Shop, you can go full steam ahead with product promotion.

The best place to find products to promote is in the Product Marketplace. You will find this under the TikTok Shop Creator Center.

When you browse for products, always look for sellers who get good reviews and ratings.

You also want to ensure that the seller you choose has enough stock to meet a sudden spike in demand. It will not bode well for you if you cannot provide a product you constantly promote.

Be Obvious With Your Product Selection

When you choose products to market, you don’t want to be vague or subtle about it. Instead, you want to choose products that are already popular and potentially find a cheaper alternative.

For instance, slingback heels are still all the rage in fashion. However, not everyone can afford the Chanel version of these shoes.

If you promote a good-quality, affordable alternative, your promotions are more likely to go viral.

When your promotions go viral, you get more sales, which is exactly what you and the seller want.

This is why you want to promote products already trending on TikTok. Filter your initial search by Best Sellers to find the best products to promote.

Promoting products you have at home is also a good idea. Using a product means you already know everything there is to know about it. It gives you the first-hand experience you can share while you promote it.

For example, you may use a popular eye cream that works. Create promotional videos (before and after) that demonstrate how well it works.

Making Money as a TikTok Shop Affiliate

Being a TikTok Shop affiliate doesn’t mean you will get rich overnight.

The commissions you earn typically range between 10% to 20% of a product’s sale price. For expensive items, you may earn a bit more.

Some sellers offer a flat rate of up to $20 per product, and you may earn up to 25% per item for high-value products. These include items like fashion or electronics.

How much you earn directly depends on how many sales you generate.

You must create promotional content to help generate said sales. If you regularly create viral TikTok videos, you can generally bank on more or higher sales.

The size of your audience also makes a difference in your earnings.

For example, if you have up to 10,000 followers, you can earn around $150 for each video (maximum). If you have up to 500,000 followers, there is a good chance you could make more than $1,500 per video.

The TikTok Shop Affiliate Program Is Straightforward

There is nothing too complicated about being a TikTok Shop Affiliate. You sign up for TikTok Shop, choose products, make videos, and earn commissions on sales.

If you follow the steps outlined here, creating a profitable marketing channel on TikTok is possible.

Remember to stay on top of new guidelines as TikTok releases them. The last thing you want to be penalized for is not following the rules.

Aside from this, the rest should come easy over time as you get the hang of affiliate marketing.