<b>Q: TikTok keeps asking me to send free samples to creators. Is that money I'll get back?</b>

<b>Q: TikTok keeps asking me to send free samples to creators. Is that money I'll get back?</b>

A: Treat samples as a marketing cost, not an investment you recover. When you run Target Collaboration or open your catalog in the Affiliate marketplace, creators request product to film with. You eat the unit cost plus shipping, and most of those videos will flop — that's normal. The math only works if you price the commission and your margin so that one breakout video covers the 20 that went nowhere.

Protect yourself: cap how many free units go out per week, prioritize creators who've already posted in your category, and tag sample orders so you can measure return separately from organic sales.

Also worth knowing: a creator keeping the product but never posting isn't fraud — there's no contract forcing a video. Budget for that leakage.

Got a question? Drop it in the comments.