The news: TikTok Shop is officially testing a paid membership service, TikTok Shop Plus, for its most loyal US customers, Modern Retail reported.

The $9.99 monthly membership includes free shipping on eligible items, extra discounts on select products, and monthly coupons. Members will also get additional discounts during TikTok Shop’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, as well as the ability to receive instant refunds twice per month.

What it means: The membership pilot is part of TikTok Shop’s effort to sustain its influence over US ecommerce. The marketplace’s explosive early growth has largely been driven by its ability to convince shoppers to make impulse purchases—but keeping those customers and luring consumers wary of buying on a social platform requires a more trusted, convenient shopping experience.

TikTok Shop has been investing in those capabilities, including a recent partnership with Happy Returns that allows merchants to offer box-free, label-free returns at nearly 10,000 locations across the US. Not only does that simplify the returns process for both buyers and sellers, but it also helps to increase shopper confidence and limit cart abandonment.

A paid membership program could also help TikTok offset slowing buyer growth. We expect the number of US social buyers on the platform to rise just 8.6% this year—the first time that rate has dipped below 10% in six years—and growth will continue to slow into 2029. TikTok Shop Plus could encourage the platform’s most loyal customers to spend more time and money there, treating it less as an impulse channel and more as their go-to ecommerce destination.

However, TikTok may find that even loyal shoppers are unwilling to fork over around $120 annually—more than the annual cost of a Walmart+ subscription—for a relatively limited array of benefits.

Implications for retail: TikTok Shop’s membership service shows that the marketplace is invested in trying to deliver an experience on par with that of other major retailers, including Amazon and Walmart. By offering similar perks—such as free shipping and returns—TikTok is both trying to narrow the gap with its competitors and make its platform a regular destination, thereby increasing the chances of conversions as well as repeat purchases.

Combined with TikTok’s ability to drive engagement and impulse purchases, these improvements will likely propel TikTok Shop up the retail rankings. We expect the marketplace to be the sixth-largest US ecommerce retailer by 2028, beating out Home Depot, Kroger, and Target. However, with both sales growth and buyer growth set to slow over the next three years, TikTok Shop will be under pressure to deliver incremental improvements to strengthen customer retention and drive purchases.