Key Points:

• Always ensure your account balance is above zero! Optimize your shop operations to ensure an overall positive cash flow to achieve this.
• You can add a payment method to automatically resolve any negative balances that may arise. Please note that we currently only accept credit cards as a payment method.

This policy outlines TikTok Shop's account balance requirements for our sellers.

Account Balance Requirements

A negative account balance occurs when your account balance falls below zero. This means that your platform expenses, such as refunds and referral fees, exceed your platform revenue. You must maintain an account balance above zero at all times.

Payment Methods

In accordance with our Seller Terms of Service, you may be required to provide a valid payment method to meet our platform operating requirements. We may use this payment method at any time to settle any outstanding balances or platform expenses, such as referral fees. We reserve the right to charge the payment method you provide in accordance with our Terms of Service. We may check the validity of your payment method from time to time.

Types Of Payment Methods

We currently only accept credit cards with valid billing addresses located in the United States.

Enforcement Actions

We regularly review your shop’s compliance with this policy and may take enforcement action if any violations are identified. Negative balances will result in the following enforcement actions:
We may take additional enforcement actions as well, which include:

💡 You can revoke these enforcement actions by resolving your negative balance!

For more information on enforcement actions, refer to our Seller Enforcement Policy.
If you want to appeal an enforcement action, visit the Appeals section of our Seller Enforcement Policy for guidance on how to proceed.

---

How To Add Your Payment Method

To add your payment method, follow these steps:

Step 1: Access your payment setting

Go to Finances > Overview > Payment setting.

Step 2: Add your bank card

Click on To pay > Add bank card.
Click on + Add credit card and enter your credit card details.Enter the verification code sent to your mobile number or email address.
If you want to use your newly added credit card to offset your negative balance, select it and click Set as primary.

💡 Tip: You can add up to 10 valid credit cards and your primary payment method is the default method used to pay any sums you owe.

• You can turn off the auto-payment function at any time. If it is turned off, we will not charge any amount to that credit card. You can re-enable it whenever you want.
  

How to Check The Charges Applied To Your Payment Method

• Go to Finances > Statements > View by orders, filter type as Adjustment. You'll see your adjustment records. Click View details for more information.
  
• Click View violation record, and you'll be redirected to your Shop Health page to view the relevant negative balance violation.
  

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I know I have a negative balance?

• Go to Finances > Overview. If you have a negative balance, it will be displayed at the top of the page.
  

How can I avoid a negative balance?

• Set accurate prices: Make sure your product prices account for the cost of making or purchasing them. Setting prices too low just to attract more customers may result in your shop operating at a loss and incurring a negative balance.
• Set accurate estimated package weight and dimensions: Ensure you set accurate estimates for the weight and dimensions of packages, as this affects the calculation of the shipping fee. If there is a difference between the weight and dimensions you entered and the actual weight and dimensions, you may be required to pay the difference in fees.
• Keep track of your inventory and fulfill orders promptly: Make sure your inventory is up-to-date. If you oversell a product or are late in fulfilling an order, you may need to issue refunds.

I've added my credit card as a payment method. How do I use it to resolve my negative balance?

• You don't need to do anything once you've added a credit card. We will automatically charge your credit card the amount required to resolve your negative balance. All you need to do is ensure your credit card remains valid at all times and your credit line can cover the amount of negative balance. Once we've charged your credit card, we'll remove any enforcement actions taken and restore any privileges withdrawn, unless there are other reasons to keep them.