Late Dispatch Rate Best Practices and FAQs

In this guide, you will learn about:

• Steps to monitor your Late Dispatch Rate
• Best practices to meet the dispatch deadline

For details on related policies, enforcements, and appeal requirements, please refer to:

• Fulfillment Policy

Guide to Late Dispatch Rate

How to See Late Dispatch Rate (LDR)

1. Click on Orders
2. Click on the Fulfillment Performance tab
   

Want to see your shop's LDR? Click here to go straight to your Fulfillment Performance page in Seller Center. To learn more about your Fulfillment Performance page, you can refer to our Guide to the Fulfillment Performance Page article.

Best Practices for Improving Your Late Dispatch Rate (LDR)

1. Closely monitor your order status in Seller Center and regularly check dispatch SLA and delivery SLA for each order.
   1. To monitor, go to your Manage Orders page (Click Here to go there now). And go to the To Ship tab. Click into each order to see the details page.
      
2. Your dispatch responsibility does not end at hand-off to your carrier. Make sure you monitor orders so that they receive their acceptance scan from the carrier within 2 business days.
3. Don't forget about your Seller Center tools!
   1. Holiday Mode
   2. Order Handling Capacity Tool
   3. Custom Handling Time feature
   4. Backorder feature
4. Consider joining upgraded TikTok Shipping or Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT), which provide shipping and delivery guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What's considered a late dispatch?

Starting January 26, 2026, to meet your dispatch SLA for regular orders, you must ensure the order status marked "In Transit" within 2 business days starting from when the order is Awaiting Shipment.
If an order was not scanned by the carrier and the status has not been updated to In Transit within the defined dispatch SLA, it is considered late.

What's the difference between LDR and On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR)?

LDR measures how consistently sellers meet their dispatch SLA for orders, while On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) assesses whether orders are delivered within the expected timeframe.

• For LDR, sellers can meet dispatch timeliness requirements by ensuring regular orders are scanned by the carrier to update the status to In Transit within 2 business days.
• OTDR ensures sellers manage their order volume effectively and collaborate with their chosen carriers to deliver orders within expected timeframes.

What if I believe my LDR is inaccurate?

When you review the ticket for a LDR violation, you will see the option to appeal.
Before submitting the appeal, TikTok Shop will direct you to download a list of all the tracking numbers submitted within the designated time period. Be sure to download the list and identify the orders that were flagged as having tracking number issues.
You will then need to prepare the required evidence (outlined above in the Appeal Requirements section) for each of the tracking numbers that were incorrectly flagged as invalid.

Does LDR affect a shop's Account Health Rating (AHR) or Shop Performance Score (SPS)?

Your LDR does not directly impact your SPS. However, late-dispatched orders are much less likely to be delivered within the deliver-by SLA. Orders not marked as Delivered within this timeframe are included in the OTDR calculation.
As a result, a high LDR can indirectly affect your SPS through the OTDR metric.

Are TikTok Shipping orders exempt from LDR assessments?

No. TikTok Shipping orders are still included in your LDR assessment because you are still responsible for handling the dispatch of orders.
Only orders through the Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) program are exempt because TikTok Shop handles the end-to-end logistics for orders.

What should I do if I can't dispatch a product due to unexpected events, such as weather disruptions?

During widespread disruptions, the standard Service Level Agreements (SLA) in our Fulfillment Policy may be temporarily extended. TikTok Shop is unable to notify sellers in all instances, especially when extensions are localized to specific regions. You can check SLA extensions for your orders by following these steps:
Step 1: See the latest SLA for your order(s):

• Go to the Manage Orders page in Seller Center.
• Click on the To Ship tab. The dispatch deadline for each order is in the Shipping Method column.
  
• Alternatively, select an Order ID to view the Order Details. The dispatch SLA, auto-cancellation SLA, and deliver-by SLA should be visible.
  

Step 2: If you receive an enforcement action for orders delayed due to circumstances beyond your control, please submit an appeal.
You may be asked to include documentation that includes but is not limited to:

• your carrier or logistics service provider's delay notice (with the name, warehouse address, and impact period)
• proof of an attempted pick-up and/or drop-off,
• the impacted order IDs with an enforcement action

🔎 View steps to submit an appeal through your Account Health Rating page here.
You may also submit an appeal for violations, related to impacted orders, through the Shop Performance Score page.
🔎 Refer to our guide on How to Appeal Your Shop Performance Score (SPS) for detailed steps.
Orders that have not been impacted must follow the standard Fulfillment SLA in our Fulfillment Policy.