LTK commission rates: what creators earn per sale, the cookie window, and cart-wide attribution
Most pages about LTK commission quote a vague "10 to 25 percent" and stop. LTK actually publishes a benchmark, just not on the page creators read: its guidance to brands says what a competitive rate looks like. That number, plus the cookie window and cart-wide attribution, explains why two creators with identical follower counts earn very differently on LTK.
The short answer
LTK commission rates are set by each retailer, not by LTK. In its own guidance to brands, LTK calls rates below 12% low, 13% to 15% reasonable, and 16% to 20% high and competitive, which is the clearest published benchmark of what creators actually earn. Commission is paid on the entire cart a shopper buys during the cookie window, not just the linked item. Most LTK brand cookie windows run 7 to 30 days, commonly 7 to 14. Instagram is the exception: it has no cookie window at all, so the purchase has to happen in-app during that visit.
No follower gate · No commission fee · Last updated July 2026
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Estimated monthly
from monetized favorites
$
Estimated and illustrative, not a guarantee. Real earnings depend on your audience and what fans buy.
■ at a glance
LTK commission rates and attribution rules, in one table.
Platforms publish less than creators assume. Where a number is official we say so, and where it comes from creator reports we label it that way rather than inventing a clean figure.
| Requirement | What applies | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the rate | The retailer | Official. LTK provides the platform, brands choose their own rate |
| Rate LTK calls low | Below 12% | Official, from LTK guidance to brands |
| Rate LTK calls reasonable | 13% to 15% | Official, from LTK guidance to brands |
| Rate LTK calls competitive | 16% to 20% | Official. Described as high and competitive |
| What commission is paid on | The total cart | Official. Not just the item you linked, per retailer terms |
| Cookie window | 7 to 30 days | Official. Most brand partners sit at 7 to 14 days on average |
| Instagram cookie window | None | Official. The purchase must happen in-app, immediately |
| Returns | Deducted | Official. Returned items show as deductions in your earnings |
| Payouts | Weekly | LTK moved to weekly payouts in 2024. A $100 balance threshold is widely reported |
| Cost to creators | Free to join | LTK earns from its share of the retailer commission |
■ the arithmetic
What actually determines your LTK commission.
The retailer sets the rate, and LTK publishes the benchmark
LTK does not set one platform-wide percentage. Each brand chooses. What makes LTK unusually transparent is its guidance to those brands: it tells them rates under 12% are generally viewed as low, 13% to 15% is reasonable, and 16% to 20% is high and competitive. Creators can use that as a yardstick, because it is LTK telling brands what good looks like.
You earn on the whole cart, not just the linked item
This is the most valuable and least understood part of LTK's model. Per retailer terms, you earn from the total cart price of a purchase made after clicking your link during the cookie window. Someone taps a link for a $28 top, then checks out with $300 of unrelated items, and the commission is calculated on the cart. It is why LTK creators in high-basket categories out-earn their follower count.
The cookie window, and the Instagram exception
Most LTK brand partners run cookie windows of 7 to 30 days, generally 7 to 14. Within that window, a later purchase still credits you. Instagram is the real trap: it has no cookie window, so a follower who taps your link and buys tomorrow earns you nothing. If Instagram is your main channel, that single rule shapes your income more than any rate difference.
■ the money path
How an LTK commission is calculated and paid.
A follower clicks your LTK link
A tracking cookie is set in the shopper's browser for that retailer's window, most commonly 7 to 14 days. On Instagram there is no cookie, so only an immediate in-app purchase counts.
They check out, and the whole cart counts
Commission is calculated on the total cart price at the retailer's rate, per that retailer's terms, not only on the item you tagged.
Returns are deducted
Anything sent back is removed from your earnings, which is why the dashboard number moves after the fact. Categories with high return rates, like apparel, feel this most.
LTK pays weekly
LTK moved to weekly payouts in 2024. A $100 balance threshold is widely reported by creators, though LTK does not prominently publish the figure.
■ if it is not a fit
Why a 16% rate on LTK can still be the wrong business
For a fashion or home creator, LTK is a strong deal, and cart-wide attribution is genuinely generous. The math stops working when the thing you recommend is not sold at retail. LTK is built on physical goods: every sale pays once, returns claw money back, and a great month has to be rebuilt from zero the next month. Software works the other way. A recurring commission on a subscription tool pays every month a customer stays, nothing gets returned six weeks later, and the income from work you did in spring is still arriving in autumn. If your audience takes your advice on AI tools and SaaS rather than sweaters, you are running a subscription business on a retail platform that has nothing to sell them.
What Favly does differently
- ✓ No follower gate and no application queue. Claim favly.com/@you and start today.
- ✓ Built for the AI tools, SaaS and tech gear you already recommend.
- ✓ Recurring commissions: subscription tools can pay every month a fan stays subscribed.
- ✓ Affiliate income and brand deals in one storefront, with #ad disclosure by default.
■ side by side
LTK and Favly, honestly compared.
LTK is good at physical retail and cart-wide attribution is a real advantage. This is about which catalog fits your audience.
| Capability | Favly | LTK | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline commission rate | Program dependent | 13% to 20% typical | LTK's own benchmark: 16% to 20% is competitive |
| Paid on the whole cart | × | LTK wins clearly here. A real structural advantage | |
| Cookie window | Program dependent, often 30 to 90 days | 7 to 30 days | Commonly 7 to 14. Instagram has none at all |
| Recurring commission on subscriptions | × | Physical products pay once per sale | |
| Returns clawed back | Rare on software | Yes | Apparel return rates make this material |
| Retailer network depth | × | LTK wins decisively: thousands of retailers | |
| Catalog of AI and SaaS tools | × | LTK does not carry software subscriptions |
■ faq
Questions creators ask about LTK.
What are LTK commission rates?
LTK commission rates are set by each retailer rather than by LTK. In its guidance to brands, LTK describes rates below 12% as low, 13% to 15% as reasonable, and 16% to 20% as high and competitive. Most creators therefore see rates in the low-to-high teens, varying by brand and category.
How much do LTK creators make per sale?
It depends on the retailer rate and the cart, not just the item you linked. At a 15% rate, a $120 order pays about $18. Because LTK credits the total cart price during the cookie window, a single link click that turns into a large basket can pay far more than the tagged product suggests.
What is the LTK cookie window?
Most LTK brand partners use a cookie window between 7 and 30 days, generally 7 to 14 days on average, and it varies by retailer. Within that window, a purchase still credits you even if the shopper does not buy immediately. Instagram is an exception with no cookie window at all.
Does LTK pay commission on the whole cart?
Yes. Per retailer terms, LTK creators earn from the total cart price of a purchase made after a shopper clicks their link within the cookie window, not only from the specific item that was tagged. This is one of the more generous attribution models in creator affiliate.
Does LTK take a commission from creators?
LTK is free for creators to join and earns by taking a share of the commission that retailers pay on the sales you drive. So there is no fee or subscription, but the platform is paid out of the same commission pool your earnings come from.
When does LTK pay creators?
LTK moved to weekly payouts in 2024, which was a meaningful improvement on its previous schedule. Creators widely report a $100 balance threshold before a payout is released, with smaller balances rolling forward, though LTK does not prominently publish that figure.
Why did my LTK earnings go down?
Almost always returns. Returned items are deducted from your earnings and show as deductions in the dashboard, so a strong week can shrink once the retailer processes sends-back. Apparel has high return rates, which makes this a normal part of LTK income rather than an error.
▲ What the other platforms actually pay
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