If you sell on Tes, you've probably looked at a sale and wondered why the number in your balance is so much smaller than the price. It isn't a mistake. Tes pays authors a royalty rather than passing on the sale price, and three things decide how big that royalty is: your tier, VAT, and whether the resource costs under £3.
Everything here comes from the Tes author FAQ and its royalty levels page, as of October 2026.
1. The Tes royalty tiers: Bronze, Silver and Gold
Tes uses three tiers. The more you've sold, the bigger your share.
| Tier | Sales in the previous 12 complete months | Your royalty |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | £0 to £999.99 | 60% |
| Silver | £1,000 to £5,999.99 | 70% |
| Gold | £6,000 and above | 80% |
Your tier is set at the start of every month, looking back over the previous 12 complete months. That makes it a rolling window. A strong September will lift you for a year, but a quiet year can drop you back down a tier, so it's worth keeping an eye on it rather than assuming Gold is for good.
2. VAT comes off before your Tes royalty
Tes is the seller. It charges the buyer, collects the VAT, and pays it to the tax authorities. Your royalty is then worked out on the VAT-exclusive price, so the percentage applies to less than the price the buyer sees.
The VAT rate depends on where the buyer is. For a UK buyer, standard VAT is 20%, so a £5 resource is £4.17 before VAT, and that's the figure your royalty comes from.
If you're VAT-registered yourself, Tes asks you to send it a tax invoice for your royalty income. Whether you need to register is your responsibility, and an accountant is the best person to ask.
3. The 20p fee on resources under £3
Resources priced under £3 (or $3) carry a 20p (or 20c) transaction fee on each sale. This includes resources you've discounted below £3, which matters if you run sales.
On a cheap resource, 20p is a big slice. It's the single biggest reason to think twice before pricing at £2.50 rather than £3.
4. How much Tes authors keep: worked examples
Here's what you'd keep from one sale to a UK buyer at each tier. We've assumed the price includes 20% VAT and that the 20p fee comes off your royalty.
| Price | Before VAT | Bronze (60%) | Silver (70%) | Gold (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £2.50 | £2.08 | £1.05 | £1.26 | £1.47 |
| £3.00 | £2.50 | £1.50 | £1.75 | £2.00 |
| £5.00 | £4.17 | £2.50 | £2.92 | £3.33 |
| £10.00 | £8.33 | £5.00 | £5.83 | £6.67 |
Two things stand out. First, moving a resource from £2.50 to £3 adds 45p to every Bronze sale, an increase of over 40% for a 50p price change. Second, even at Gold, you keep two-thirds of what the buyer pays. That's the cost of Tes's audience, and for many authors it's worth it.
As for how much Tes authors earn overall, Tes doesn't publish averages, and we won't guess. Your own dashboard, over 12 months, is the only figure that counts.
So, is selling on Tes worth it?
For many authors, yes, especially early on. Tes brings you buyers you'd struggle to reach on your own, and it handles payments, VAT, downloads and refunds. A royalty of 60% to 80% is a fair price for that when most of your sales start with a teacher searching Tes.
It becomes less of a bargain once your buyers find you some other way: through your Instagram, your newsletter, a Facebook group or word of mouth in the staffroom. Those buyers would have bought from you anyway, and on Tes you're still sharing every sale with the platform. That's the point to think about selling some things elsewhere.
5. Ways to keep more of each sale
Price at £3 or above
If a resource sells well at £2.50, try it at £3. You lose the 20p fee and gain a bigger royalty base. Bundles work well here, as a few small resources together easily clear £3.
Watch your tier
If you're close to £1,000 or £6,000 in rolling sales, a well-timed bundle or back-to-school push can lift you into the next tier for the next 12 months.
Build your own list alongside Tes
Tes buyers are Tes's customers, so you can't email them about your next resource. Free samples with a sign-up, a newsletter, or a membership on your own site let you build a list you own, while Tes carries on as a shop window. Our Tes vs Payhip fee comparison shows how much more you keep on those sales.
Sell your most loyal buyers a membership
Your repeat buyers are the ones who'd pay monthly for everything you make. A membership on your own site turns them into steady income with no royalty to share. See Memberships or one-off sales? Why not both for how to price it, and Moving from Tes to your own website for how to start.
6. Quick answers
What royalty do Tes authors get?
As of October 2026: 60% at Bronze, 70% at Silver and 80% at Gold, worked out on the VAT-exclusive price.
How often does Tes change my royalty tier?
At the start of each month, based on your sales over the previous 12 complete months. It can go down as well as up.
When can I withdraw my Tes earnings?
Once your balance is over £10 (or $10), up to once a week.
Tes is a brilliant shop window. It just shouldn't be the only one you have.
