Affiliate Collaboration on TikTok Shop empowers sellers to scale their sales through strategic partnerships with content creators. Whether you’re new to affiliate marketing or looking to build long-term creator relationships, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to succeed with Affiliate Collaboration.
 

What Is Affiliate Collaboration?

Affiliate Collaboration is a way for sellers on TikTok Shop to get creators (influencers) to help promote and sell their products.

• Sellers list products they want to promote and set a commission rate (a percentage of the sale price).

• Creators choose those products and promote them through their TikTok content like videos or live streams.

• When someone buys a product through the creator's promotion, the creator earns a commission. The seller gets the sale.

Two Ways to Collaborate:

1. Open Collaboration

• Think of it like a product catalog open to all approved TikTok creators.

• Any creator who sees your product and likes it can request to promote it.

• It's useful for reaching a wide range of creators quickly.

2. Target Collaboration

• You, the seller, choose specific creators to work with.

• You send them a direct invitation to promote selected products.

• Best for building long-term partnerships or working with creators who align with your brand.

Why Use Both?

• Open Collaboration helps you scale and find new creators you may not know yet.

• Target Collaboration lets you focus on quality control and brand fit.

Both methods can run at the same time so you can get the best of both worlds: broad exposure and strategic partnerships.
 

Requirements to Join TikTok Shop Affiliate Collaboration

TikTok wants to ensure that only reliable shops with good product quality can collaborate with creators. That’s why they have set daily performance benchmarks for both your shop and your products.

Shop Requirements

1. No Counterfeit Violations

• Your shop must not have been flagged for selling fake or counterfeit goods in the past 60 days.

2. Store Rating Must Be 2.5 or Higher

• This rating reflects customer satisfaction. A low score suggests poor service or product quality, which can discourage creators from working with you.

Product Quality Requirements

These are based on customer feedback and refund data. TikTok looks at how often customers leave bad reviews or return items due to seller fault.

1. Negative Review Rate

Applies only to products with at least 5 reviews.

• Electronics: Less than 1% of orders should have negative product reviews

• Fashion & Lifestyle: Less than 0.7%

• FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods): Less than 0.6%

2. Return & Refund Rate (Seller’s Fault)

Also applies only if there are at least 5 return/refund cases.

• Electronics: Below 2%

• Fashion & Lifestyle: Below 1.8%

• FMCG: Below 1.5%

These thresholds ensure creators are promoting products that are likely to satisfy buyers, protecting both their reputation and the buyer’s experience.

If You Get Disqualified

• Temporary Disqualification: If your shop’s metrics fall below the required standards, your access to Affiliate Collaboration will be paused. You can requalify after your performance improves and meets the criteria again.

• Permanent Disqualification: If your seller account is deactivated or your product is frozen or delisted due to policy violations (e.g., serious misconduct or prohibited products), you will be permanently banned from participating in Affiliate Collaboration.

How to Start Using TikTok Shop Affiliate Collaboration

If you're ready to let creators help promote your products, here's how you find the tools to set it all up:

1. Log In to Seller Center

• Go to TikTok Shop Seller Center and sign in using your seller credentials.

2. Go to Affiliate Marketing

• Once logged in, look at the main navigation menu.

• Click on Affiliate Marketing to enter TikTok’s affiliate program dashboard.

3. Open the Affiliate Center

• This is where you manage all your affiliate campaigns, products, commissions, and collaborations.

4. Choose Your Collaboration Type

On the left-hand side menu, you’ll see two options:

• Open Collaboration: for letting any eligible creator find and promote your products

• Target Collaboration: for inviting specific creators you choose
   

Best Practices for TikTok Shop Affiliate Collaboration Success

1. Start with Open Collaboration to test the waters

If you're new to affiliate marketing, begin with Open Collaboration. It’s:

• Easy to set up

• Low-risk

• Helps you see which products attract creators and how they perform

This allows you to learn how the system works before moving into more hands-on, strategic campaigns.
 

2. Use competitive commissions to attract high-performing creators

Creators are more likely to promote your products if the commission rates are attractive.

• TikTok provides suggested rates based on category standards

• Offering a higher-than-average commission helps you stand out and motivate better creators to promote your items

• The more appealing the payout, the more content and effort you’ll get in return

3. Offer free samples to increase your content visibility

Letting creators request free product samples helps them create:

• Better, more authentic content

• Product reviews and demonstrations that boost buyer trust

This often leads to higher engagement and conversion rates. You can manually approve requests for control or auto-approve to scale faster.

And to help you manage and fulfill these sample orders with ease, you can try using BigSeller. If a creator applies for a sample through TikTok Shop, and you approve it, BigSeller automatically syncs eligible sample orders into your dashboard. You’ll be able to:

• Identify sample orders clearly (they’re marked “sample order”)

• Pack and ship them just like regular customer orders using BigSeller’s WMS (Warehouse Management System)

• Keep your fulfillment process organised and efficient
   

4. Scale with Target Collaboration by building long-term creator relationships

Once you're comfortable and see which creators are performing well:

• Start using Target Collaboration

• Invite specific creators who fit your brand and audience

• Build stronger partnerships for consistent, high-quality promotion

This is more strategic and allows for long-term campaign planning with proven creators.
 

5. Monitor performance frequently to optimise listings and commission structures

Don’t set it and forget it, keep an eye on:

• Which products are getting promoted

• Which creators are driving sales

• How commission rates affect performance

Use this data to:

• Adjust commission rates

• Remove underperforming products

• Double down on top performers

Regular optimisation helps maximise your ROI and ensures you're working with the most effective creators and offers.

Support Your Affiliate Efforts with the Right Tools

Affiliate Collaboration offers a practical way for TikTok Shop sellers to expand their reach through creator partnerships. Whether you choose Open or Target Collaboration, or both, the key to making it work efficiently lies in how well you manage your shop’s operations behind the scenes.

BigSeller helps simplify the backend, so you don’t have to juggle between tracking orders, managing stock, or updating product listings manually. It’s built for sellers who want to stay focused on growth, not logistics.

Sign up for BigSeller for free now and explore how our tools fit into your workflow.

For more seller-focused tips and updates, join our WhatsApp Channel and get insights delivered directly to you.