Questions to ask before joining a brand's affiliate program

The checklist

Here are the questions to ask before joining an affiliate program, why each one matters, and where to check, including asking the brand itself.

Check the commission terms

Start with the rate, because sellers set the affiliate commission per product, anywhere from 1% to 80% of GMV per order. The same product can have two rates: an open rate anyone in the affiliate program gets, and a targeted rate offered to specific creators. A target collaboration rate always overrides the open collaboration rate for the same product.¹

So before you accept an open program, message the seller and ask about a target collaboration. The worst they say is no.

Two things change what you actually earn. First, your commission comes from what the buyer actually paid, after platform and seller coupons and tax, times your commission rate.² A high rate on a product that always sells with a coupon is not that share of the sticker price.

Second, rates can change. Commission changes take effect 5 days after edits for target collaborations, and 30 for open collaborations.⁷ That means the open rate on a product can change 30 days after a seller edits it.

Timing matters too, and since April 15, 2025, creators typically receive commission on the 15th day after delivery, and up to 31 days after delivery when seller settlement is longer. Canceled or fully refunded orders earn no commission at all.³ If you need cash flow, plan around that gap.

Before you commit to a product, run the math with our TikTok Shop commission calculator. It works out your commission on what buyers actually pay, so you know what a video is actually worth to you.

Check the sample terms

Free samples come with obligations. Once your free sample arrives, you have 14 days to post promotional content for it.⁴ If life gets in the way, you can request one 7-day extension per sample before the 14-day window ends.⁸

Miss the deadline and it follows you. Not posting lowers your sample fulfillment rate. Sellers can see that rate, and it may lead them to reject your requests.⁸ An overdue sample also keeps counting against your limit until you post.⁴

Refundable samples work differently, because you buy the product yourself and get fully refunded, including shipping and tax, once sales goals are met within 120 days of receipt. The refund only starts after each qualifying order's 30-day return period.⁴

Before you accept a refundable sample, ask what the sales goal is and decide if your audience can hit it. Treat a vague goal as a purchase, not a freebie.

For the full breakdown of deadlines, extensions, and fulfillment rate, read our guide on how free samples work on TikTok Shop.

Check what they can do with your videos

Your authorization settings decide whether sellers can turn your videos into ads, and you control them.

The broadest option is mass authorization. Affiliates can turn on mass authorization in Creator Center, which lets all sellers feature all of their affiliate posts as Shop Ads. As of March 2026, your posts can be used by all the sellers you are an affiliate of. Also as of March 2026, a post linked to a product can only be run as an ad by the seller who lists that product.⁵ If you turn this on, you have effectively given every seller in the program ad rights to every affiliate video you post. Check this setting before you join anything.

The controlled option is Spark Ads codes. Each post needs its own authorization video code, and ads keep running until that video code expires.⁵ You pick the authorization period, 7, 30, 60, or 365 days, when you generate the code.⁹

That is the version you want. One video, one code, and a clearly defined window.

So ask any brand: "Do you plan to run my posts as ads, and for how long?" If they want ad usage beyond the commission arrangement, that's a separate deal and you should price it as one. Our usage rights and whitelisting guide covers what to charge and what to put in writing.

Red flags

Walk away if you see any of these:

• They ask you to pay to join. Be wary of any brand that charges you for access. Paying for a refundable sample is normal. Paying for access is not.
• They won't give you written terms. Rate, payment timing, sample obligations, ad usage. If it only exists in a voice note, it doesn't exist.
• They want exclusivity for commission only. "Don't post our competitors" is a real ask that costs you real money. If they want exclusivity, it should come with a flat fee on top of commission, and it should name a time period and a product category.
• They want unlimited ad use. "We can use your content forever, anywhere" buried in a message thread is how your face ends up in ads you never agreed to. Cap it: specific posts, specific platforms, specific length of time.
• They push you to skip disclosure. Under the FTC's Guides, affiliate links are an example of a material connection: when a reviewer earns a portion of each sale made through their link, the reviews should clearly and conspicuously disclose that compensation.⁶

Find brands that already work with creators

The easiest programs to verify are the ones with a track record. We keep a list of TikTok Shop brands that work with creators so you can start with brands that already understand how collaborations run.

If you'd rather have the pitching done for you, that's part of what Sam, Rateful's AI manager, does. Every creator gets 10 free brand pitches, and the Scale plan has unlimited pitches. Sam negotiates to the rate card you set, sends the brand a written agreement, and the brand pays through Rateful before you film. Accepting any deal always needs your OK, and every Rateful plan includes a scam check on brand emails.