The TikTok Shop profit checklist.
20 checks to run before you spend another dollar on samples, creators or GMV Max. Updated for the 2026 fee, policy and enforcement changes.
- Margin, account health, creators, ads and stock
- Built from the shops we run, not from blog posts
- Takes about 20 minutes to work through
Margin
- 1Know your contribution margin per SKU
After referral fee, creator commission, shipping, returns and promotions. If you cannot say it per SKU, you cannot scale safely.
- 2Model the all-in cost of selling
Realistic all-in costs on TikTok Shop run 35 to 55% of revenue. Build your price around that, not around the referral fee alone.
- 3Check whether Smart Promotion is on
Since March 2026 it charges a share of total store GMV, higher during campaigns, with no budget cap. It is often on by default.
- 4Plan commission changes 45 days ahead
Raising a rate applies instantly. Lowering one gives enrolled creators a 30-day grace period, so you cannot cut rates right before a peak.
- 5Match settlements to your bank every week
Payouts, holds and deductions should reconcile with what actually lands in your account.
Account and listings
- 6Track Shop Performance Score weekly
- 7Know your Account Health Rating thresholds
- 8Check every claim against the 2026 listing rules
- 9Write titles for TikTok search
- 10Get 30+ reviews on your hero SKU before scaling
Creators
- 11Count creators who posted, not creators who enrolled
- 12Sample only creators with a sales record
- 13Give every creator a tested script and a claim bank
- 14Plan the second and third video
- 15Set up your official and marketing creator accounts
Ads
- 16Wait for converting creative before GMV Max
- 17Run a holdout test
- 18Move budgets on margin, not reported ROI
Stock and halo
- 19Plan stock cover before every push
- 20Track the halo on Amazon and Shopify
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