Affiliate commission rates by category (2026): Shopify brands and TikTok Shop
Last updated: 9 November 2026
Original data: 400 Shopify brand affiliate programs read from each brand's public signup page on UpPromote (289) or GoAffPro (111) on 24 September 2026, the same data as our affiliate program directory. TikTok Shop facts from its seller university, read on 9 November 2026. Cite as: CartViral, "Affiliate commission rates by category", https://cartviral.com/affiliate-commission-rates-by-category.
Shopify affiliate commission rates by category
| Category | Programs | Lowest | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Highest | Pay 20% or more | Median cookie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skincare | 40 | 5% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 35% | 11 (28%) | 30 days |
| Pets | 27 | 5% | 10% | 10% | 20% | 30% | 7 (26%) | 30 days |
| Supplements and wellness | 39 | 1% | 10% | 10% | 18% | 30% | 9 (23%) | 30 days |
| Baby and kids | 19 | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 30% | 3 (16%) | 30 days |
| Beauty and makeup | 40 | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 25% | 6 (15%) | 30 days |
| Haircare | 20 | 2% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 25% | 3 (15%) | 30 days |
| Food and drink | 19 | 10% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 1 (5%) | 30 days |
| Home and living | 38 | 4% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 4 (11%) | 30 days |
| Jewelry and accessories | 19 | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 2 (11%) | 30 days |
| Outdoor and travel | 19 | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 20% | 3 (16%) | 30 days |
| Fashion and apparel | 40 | 4% | 10% | 10% | 12% | 25% | 4 (10%) | 30 days |
| Fitness and sports | 24 | 5% | 8.5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 0 (0%) | 30 days |
| Kitchen | 8 | 5% | 7.75% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 0 (0%) | too few state one |
| Gadgets and tech accessories | 38 | 3% | 5% | 8% | 10% | 15% | 0 (0%) | 30 days |
| All categories | 390 | 1% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 35% | 53 (14%) | 30 days |
Sorted by median, then by the 75th percentile. Categories with fewer than 5 percentage programs are left out. The median cookie counts only programs that state a cookie length.
Which product categories pay affiliates the most?
- Skincare has the highest median (15%) and 11 of its 40 programs pay 20% or more.
- Most categories sit at a 10% median; the difference is at the top: skincare, pets and supplements and wellness have a 75th percentile of 18% or more.
- Gadgets and tech accessories pays the least: a median of 8% and no program above 15%.
Affiliate commission rates by country: US, UK, Canada and Australia
| Brand's country | Programs | Median | Middle half | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 61 | 10% | 10% to 15% | 30% |
| United Kingdom | 11 | 10% | 10% to 18% | 20% |
| Canada | 6 | 5% | 5% to 11.25% | 15% |
| Australia | 7 | 10% | 5% to 10% | 15% |
Country is the shop's own country code where its signup page states one; 275 programs don't state it and are left out of this table. Canada and Australia have few programs in the sample, so read their medians as indications, not benchmarks.
Commission by affiliate app
| Affiliate app | Programs | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| UpPromote | 281 | 10% | 10% to 15% |
| GoAffPro | 109 | 10% | 10% to 15% |
Affiliate cookie length: how long do programs credit a sale?
| Cookie | Programs | Share of programs that state one |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 246 | 88% |
| 90 days | 9 | 3% |
| 45 days | 4 | 1% |
| 14 days | 3 | 1% |
| 60 days | 3 | 1% |
| 7 days | 2 | 1% |
280 programs state a cookie length (UpPromote pages show it; GoAffPro pages in this sample did not).
TikTok Shop affiliate commission rates: how they are set
- Each seller sets the rate per product. In the US, Open Collaboration and Target Collaboration rates can be set per product, per group of products or for all products, from 1% to 80% (TikTok Shop US, updated 16 July 2026).
- Target beats open. A Target Collaboration rate always supersedes the Open Collaboration rate for that creator, so TikTok recommends setting it higher.
- Ads can pay a different rate. A seller can set a separate Shop Ads commission rate for sales from boosted creator videos; without one, the standard rate applies.
- UK: sellers define each product's rate in Seller Center, with recommended commission guidance (TikTok Shop UK).
TikTok Shop does not publish average commission by category, and we have no TikTok Shop rate data of our own, so we don't print a TikTok Shop median: any figure you see without a source is a guess.
Method
- Source: each brand's public affiliate signup page, read on 24 September 2026. Percentage programs count at their highest stated rate; 13 programs state a range. 10 programs pay a flat amount per order and are left out of the percentages.
- The sample holds up to about 40 programs per category by design, so the program counts are not market shares; and brands on UpPromote or GoAffPro are a sample, not every Shopify store.
- Terms change. Every brand page in the directory shows the date it was checked. The overall benchmarks: Shopify affiliate commission benchmarks.
Earning from these programs with short product videos: faceless product videos by niche · creator earnings calculator · start a Shopify affiliate program.
FAQ
What is a typical affiliate commission rate by category?
In our sample of 390 Shopify brand programs the median is 10% in most categories; skincare is highest at 15% and gadgets and tech accessories lowest at 8% (checked 24 September 2026).
Which niche has the highest affiliate commission?
Skincare: a median of 15%, with 11 of 40 programs paying 20% or more. The highest single rate in the sample is 35%.
What is the TikTok Shop affiliate commission rate?
Each seller sets it per product. In the US the Open and Target Collaboration rates range from 1% to 80%, and a Target rate supersedes the Open rate. TikTok Shop does not publish averages by category.
Do UK brands pay affiliates less than US brands?
Not in our sample: UK brand programs have a 10% median and US programs 10%. The UK sample is small (11 programs), so treat it as an indication.
What cookie length do affiliate programs use?
30 days is by far the most common: 246 of the 280 programs that state a cookie length use it.
Where does this data come from?
From each brand's public affiliate signup page on UpPromote or GoAffPro, read on 24 September 2026, the same data as the CartViral affiliate program directory.
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