Cost calculator
What a cross-border Douyin channel really costs.
Model the full first-year cost of selling on Douyin through a Douyin Partner (DP), on the cross-border bonded model (抖音全球购). It works for any product category.
Start calculatingHow the model works
Four moving parts, one first-year number.
You fund
Platform and bonded deposits, trademark, launch content. The one-time money that gets the store live.
The DP runs
A Douyin Partner (DP) owns the team and runs the storefront and livestreams day to day.
Creators sell
KOLs move the volume on commission. Paid media on 千川 warms the algorithm and fills the room.
You measure
The calculator totals every line, splits setup from running cost, and flags what comes back on exit.
What you get
- Two ROAS scenarios, side by side
- Full cost stack in RMB and USD
- Cost per order vs your AOV
- Refundable deposits vs real burn
- Breakeven GMV from your margin
The calculator
Set your assumptions
The defaults describe a RMB 2M first-year run for a honey brand. Drag the sliders or type your own figures. Fine-tune the detail below.
Your estimate
First-year cost breakdown
Total Year 1 costRMB 0$0
Net sunk costRMB 0after refundable deposits
Cost per orderRMB 0vs your AOV
Cost as % of GMV0%burn against revenue
Breakeven GMVAdd marginto cover the full year
Where the money goes
See the full line-by-line breakdown
| Cost item | Scenario AROAS 1.5x | Scenario BROAS 3.0x |
|---|
Reading the numbers
- Honey sits on the CBEC Positive List but bonded-warehouse only. Direct mail is not allowed, so the warehouse deposit and tax prepayment are unavoidable. Source: 国务院 正面清单, 2022.
- The distributor partner runs Douyin only. Their team cost comes out of the wholesale margin they take on your product, so it is not in this model. The marketing co-fund is the usual brand-side cash contribution.
- Scenario A at ROAS 1.5x is the realistic number for months one to six on a fresh Douyin account. Scenario B at ROAS 3.0x is where a warmed-up account tends to land later in the year.
- The platform deposit of RMB 50,000 is the food and health flagship base. Under the February 2025 reform, qualified merchants can enter at RMB 500. Worth asking your DP about.
- Year 1 runs at a loss in every scenario at RMB 2M GMV. Use breakeven GMV to see the scale needed for gross profit to cover the full first-year bill.
Want us to pressure-test these assumptions against your own brief?
Talk to our China team