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TikTok Shop is raising its sales commission for merchants across five active EU markets, marking its first major fee adjustment since entering the region. Starting 8th January 2026, sellers in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Ireland will see their commission rate jump from 5% to 9% per sale—a change that aligns Europe with the United Kingdom’s fee structure following its introductory phase.

TikTok confirmed the update directly to sellers this week, positioning the move as part of its roadmap to build what it calls the “marketplace of the future”—a platform where commerce, content, and creators converge to power real-time product discovery.

A Strategic Shift Toward Platform Maturity

In its announcement, TikTok framed the fee increase as essential to strengthening its broader ecommerce ecosystem:

“This change forms part of TikTok Shop’s ambitious growth plans to develop the marketplace of the future, leading content-driven ecommerce. We are committed to enhancing user, seller, creator, and partner experience with platform improvements and added functionalities.”

The company has continued to invest in new tooling, operations infrastructure, and fulfillment capabilities across Europe. Fulfillment services, which currently operate in the UK, are expected to expand to markets such as Germany, France, and Italy, signaling deeper operational integration.

Despite the fee hike to 9%, TikTok is introducing category-specific relief and incentives for new sellers:

  • Certain sub-categories will see a slightly reduced 7% commission
  • New merchants joining from 8 January will pay just 4% commission for their first two months 

This structure mirrors TikTok’s strategy in the UK, where the platform moved from low introductory fees to long-term monetization after achieving seller adoption and consumer traction.

The UK as a Blueprint: Rapid Growth Despite Higher Fees 

TikTok Shop’s UK performance offers insight into why the company is confident about sustaining momentum even with higher fees in Europe.

After an initially slow rollout, TikTok Shop has seen explosive growth in the UK over the past year:

  • Black Friday sales were 50% higher YoY
  • The platform onboarded 85% more sellers during the same period
  • Major brands—including Samsung, Marks & Spencer, Clarks, and Sainsbury’s—have recently joined 

These signals suggest that TikTok’s commerce engine, driven heavily by creators and short-form content, is gaining legitimacy among both consumers and large retailers.

TikTok Shop’s Rising Dominance: Poised to Surpass Shein, Temu, AliExpress, and Even eBay 

While platforms like Shein and Temu have seen their European expansion slow, TikTok Shop’s trajectory continues moving sharply upward.

According to ECDB (eCommerceDB) projections:

  • TikTok Shop’s global GMV is expected to surpass Shein, Temu, AliExpress, and eBay next year
  • This would position TikTok Shop as one of the fastest-growing commerce ecosystems globally, backed by an unprecedented fusion of entertainment and shopping 

Content-powered commerce—where creators trigger real-time product demand—has become TikTok’s defining competitive edge, and the platform is doubling down on this model as it scales across Europe.

Expanding Presence in Europe 

TikTok Shop’s timeline in the region underscores intentional, accelerated expansion:

  • United Kingdom — Live for four years, now the testing ground for innovations
  • Spain & Ireland — Launched late last year
  • Germany, France & Italy — Rolled out earlier this spring, with fulfillment capabilities on the way 

More European countries are expected to be added in 2026, potentially broadening TikTok Shop’s reach ahead of intensified competition in the cross-border landscape.

What the Fee Increase Means for Sellers 

While the commission hike may reduce margins for some merchants, TikTok Shop is signaling a shift from introductory pricing to long-term sustainability. With marketplace infrastructure, creator incentives, advertising tools, and fulfillment services expanding rapidly, the platform appears focused on building an end-to-end commerce ecosystem that rivals traditional marketplaces.

For sellers, the coming year will likely hinge on:

  • Evaluating profitability under the new fee structure
  • Leveraging creators and content to offset commission costs
  • Utilizing new TikTok Shop operational features to scale across regions 

As TikTok positions itself as the next major global marketplace, Europe is becoming central to its expansion story—and the latest fee changes reflect a platform transitioning from experiment to full-scale ecommerce engine.

Source: https://ecommercenews.eu/tiktok-shop-raises-seller-fees-in-europe/

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