Auto-Cancellation Policy Change

The Customer Order Cancellation, Return, and Refund Policy has been updated with changes to auto-cancellation rules for delayed orders.
Currently, TikTok Shop automatically cancels orders that are not delivered within 30 calendar days after the Estimated Delivery Time (EDT). In an effort to improve user experience—seller and customer—and encourage timely fulfillment, the auto-cancellation rules for delayed orders have been updated to:

• For US-based sellers, orders will be auto-canceled within seven (7) business days from when the order was placed if the order is not updated to "Ready to Ship" (RTS) status.
• For cross-border sellers, orders will be auto-canceled within seven (7) business days from when the order was placed if the order is not updated to "Shipped" status.

In the event of a delayed order, customers receive an email and in-app message two (2) business days before the auto-cancellation takes place.* The message will provide customers with an order update and let them know that they can go to the order detail page and choose to wait for the order or cancel it.
Customers must receive a full refund within five (5) calendar days after an order is canceled.
*Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) orders will be auto-cancelled at 7 business days. No communication will be sent to the customer.

Updates to Refund Request and Speedy Refund Appeals Process

You can now assess the condition of returned products for ordinary return requests and speedy refund appeals. The process will start the same way as before — go to your Manage Return/Refund page in Seller Center and click "Respond" or "Appeal" — depending on whether it's a return request or a speedy refund appeal.
If you select either of the "Yes" options* when asked if the returned product was received, you'll be prompted to assess its condition using the new Grading Framework:

• Original
• Minor damage/Functional
• Severe damage/Unsellable
• Buyer shipped the wrong item

To document the condition of the return, you will need to submit images of the product.

• Images must be submitted in JPG or PNG format (no videos)
• No larger than 5 MB
• Maximum of 6 image uploads

Finally, there will be an "Additional comments" section where you can provide more details or information about the product's condition.
For more information, refer to our Guide to Managing Returns, Refunds, and Replacements.

The Shoppable Video Precheck Tool

The video precheck tool is designed to help you identify critical violation risks before publishing a short video. By enabling early issue detection, this tool gives sellers confidence in posting shoppable videos and enhances the overall video quality by allowing timely adjustments which reduces the likelihood of violations or penalties. To learn more about the video precheck tool, check out The Shoppable Video Precheck Tool article.

How to Keep Your Account Status Active

We've updated how we monitor dormant accounts. If you plan on taking an extended break, check out ways to keep your account status active in our article, Dormant Accounts—What You Need to Do.

New FBT Product Packaging Policy

TikTok Shop has introduced a new policy for products shipped via Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT). FBT sellers must ensure all items are securely packaged, properly labeled, and meet requirements for expiration dates and lot codes. Reference tables and visual examples are included to help sellers package products correctly and avoid delays or rejected shipments. For more details, refer to the FBT Product Packaging Policy.

Resources To Support Your Violation Appeals

Appeals are scary, but we have your back! We are adding resources to Academy that cover what you need to do when appealing specific violations. We have started with the most frequent violations, and will add more over time! Check out our intellectual property appeal guide and identity verification appeal guide.

New Category Qualification Guide

You now have guidance on category qualification, the approval process required before listing certain regulated or high-risk products. The article, Your Guide to Category Qualification, explains which product types need approval, the policies associated with those product types, and how to submit or resubmit applications.

Co-Branding and Licensing RightsYou can now submit brand authorization applications using:

• Licensee Agreements
• Co-Branding Documentation

This new submission path is available in Seller Center and allows you to become authorized to sell licensed or co-branded products. All submissions are subject to TikTok Shop’s review and approval.
For more information, refer to our Guide to Obtaining Brand Authorization and Intellectual Property Policy.
New Service Providers NetworkA Service Providers Network is now available in Seller Center. This directory features vendors specializing in compliance, documentation, and regulatory support.

• In the Product Compliance section of the Qualification Center, you’ll see a banner: "Connect with service providers for compliance support now."
• Click Explore Providers to visit the Service Providers page and find the support you need.

Resources To Support Your Violation AppealsAppeals are scary, but we have your back! We are adding resources to Academy that cover what you need to do when appealing specific violations. We have started with the most frequent violations, and will add more over time! Check out our intellectual property appeal guide and identity verification appeal guide.
Money-Back GuaranteeWe added additional information regarding Money-Back-Guarantee (previously the Buyer Protection Program) into the Customer Order Cancellation, Return, and Refund Policy. This 90-day limited refund coverage is offered free to customers and is automatically applied to eligible items.
Phone Number Binding and Two-Step VerificationFor account protection, you are required to have a phone number linked to your account and two-step verification set up with your shop.
For more information, refer to our Securing your Account with Two-Step Verification article.
30-Day Validity for Return Labels and QR CodesReturn labels and QR codes are now valid for up to 30 days. Customers can use them at any time within the standard 30-day return window or within the approved timeframe for customized return cases.
Misleading Functionality and/or EffectWe’ve added new prohibited listing behaviors to the Product Listing Policy that address misleading claims about a product’s functionality or effects. This includes false, exaggerated, or unproven claims—such as misleading “before and after” images, unverified performance claims, or statements that lack appropriate evidence or violate local advertising laws.
Restricted Products PolicyWe’ve revamped the Restricted Products Policy with a clearer structure that outlines which products require:

• Category-level qualification
• Product-level qualification
• Invite-only qualification

Review the latest version of the policy to determine if any restricted products you’d like to sell are eligible for qualification—and refer to the corresponding policy to begin your application.
New Categories For You!Each month, we’ll highlight newly added category requirements right here—no digging needed! If you plan to sell any of the products listed below, be sure to complete the category qualification process and submit the required documentation before listing.
Newly supported product types include:

• Smart Earphones & Headphones

→ Refer to the Electronic Products Policy

• Automotive Parts: Lighting and Gas Supply

→ Refer to the Automotive Parts Policy

• Entertainment Collectibles

→ Refer to the Collectibles Policy

• Mystery Boxes

→ Refer to the Surprise-Based Products PolicyMake sure to follow the @TikTokShopAcademy channel for tips and tricks on staying up to date!

Phone Number and Two-Step VerificationWe now require all shops to provide a phone number and set up two-step verification for your TikTok Shop accounts. This mandatory security measure helps protect your account and enhances your overall security on the platform. For more information, please refer to the Securing your Account with Two-Step Verification article.
Fair Pricing PolicyCheck out our new Fair Pricing Policy for guidance on setting the right product prices and shipping fees. It outlines prohibited practices, including misleading pricing and excessive shipping costs, and introduces tools to help you stay compliant. Review now to see the latest tips!
Product Listing Policy UpdateWe have added a new prohibited product listing behavior in our Product Listing Policy. Specifically, the prohibited behavior updates relate to claims intended to mislead customers.
Misleading functionality and/or effect: Sellers are prohibited from making false, exaggerated, or unproven claims about a product’s functionality or effects. This includes:

• Misleading “before and after” images
• Unverified performance claims
• Any statements that lack appropriate evidence or violate local advertising laws

NEW 24-Hour Response Rate Now, only manual responses will count toward the number of customer chats you respond to in a 24-hour period. You will still be required to maintain a 24-hour response rate of 90% or more, but automated responses will no longer be included in the 24-hour response rate calculation.
To learn more, please refer to our Guide to 24-Hour Response Rate.**The NEW 24-hour response rate criteria will not impact your Shop Performance Score (SPS) in any way.Brand AuthorizationWe've updated our Guide to Obtaining Brand Authorization to provide clearer, step-by-step guidance tailored to your seller type. Whether you're a trademark owner or an authorized reseller, the updated guide explains what documents you’ll need and how to apply through the Qualification Center.
Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC)If you are a trademark owner, we recommend using TikTok Shop's Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC). Through IPPC, rights owners can submit their IPR details, detect infringing products, file infringement notices, and track the progress of their notices on the IPPC.
To create an account, go to the IPPC site. On the sign-in page, click the Log in with Seller Center Account button.
For more information, refer to our Intellectual Property Policy.New Categories For You!We know you sometimes get updates from different departments at TikTok—maybe a few too many. We’re working on keeping policy updates to those with immediate impact or time-sensitive information.
Starting now, you’ll find all newly added category requirements right here, each month, so you can stay informed without the noise.
If you plan to sell any of the products listed below, make sure to follow the category qualification process and submit the required documentation. Once approved, you’ll be ready to list them on TikTok Shop!
Newly supported product types include:

• Herbal and Maternity Supplements
  • Refer to the Dietary Supplements Policy
• Breast Pumps, Health Monitors, and Home Test Kits
  • Refer to the Documents Required to Sell Medical Devices and Medical Supplies
• Baby Furniture
  • Refer to the Documents Required to Sell Baby and Maternity Products
• Sports and Safety Helmets
  • Refer to the Helmets Requirements
  • Refer to the Children's Helmets Requirements
• Motorcycle Helmets
  • Refer to the Automotive Parts Policy
• Weed Control Products, Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Insecticides
  • Refer to the Products that Require an EPA Label
• Washer Pumps and Wiper Motors (Automotive)
  • Refer to the Electronic Products Requirements
  • Check out our best practices for Creating Effective Auto Parts Listing Titles

Make sure to follow the @TikTokShopAcademy channel for tips and tricks on staying up to date!

On-Time Delivery Rate⏰Say hello to your newest performance metric, the On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR)! This metric measures how often your orders are delivered on time to help you turn first-time buyers into repeat customers. OTDR is typically 6 business days — weekends or federal holidays excluded— from the date you receive an order, but varies for special orders which are listed in the policy. You can view your OTDR in Seller Center.
The Order Handling Capacity Tool can help you manage your order volume during busy periods, so you can meet your delivery SLAs! And here's a hot tip — orders that use our Fulfilled By TikTok (FBT) service don't count towards OTDR — so consider joining our FBT program!
Read our OTDR guide for more information.
De Minimis Exemption🚚On May 2, the de minimus exemption ended for all imports shipped from China (including Hong Kong). This means that shipments that were previously eligible for duty-free entry may now be subject to import duties and additional import requirements.
Read the De Minimis Policy for more information.
Policy/Milestone Quiz📃Wondering how to improve your Account Health Rating? Look no further than the new policy/milestone quiz in Seller Center. Take policy quizzes to earn points that you've lost to violations, and milestone quizzes to reduce the duration of milestone enforcement actions.
Read our Policy/Milestone Quiz guide for more information.

Account Health Rating🎉The Account Health Rating (AHR) is now available for all sellers! Visit Seller Center to review your account health. Your new Account Health page also houses your violation and warning records — these explain what went wrong and what steps you can take to undo any enforcement actions issued against your account. Read our Seller Enforcement Policy for more information.
A New Metric - On-Time Delivery Rate⏰On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) is a new metric launching soon to help boost customer satisfaction and turn first-time buyers into repeat customers! OTDR is typically 6 business days from the date an order is created, but varies for special orders like pre-orders. You can review your OTDR in Seller Center.
Worried about your OTDR getting affected when your order volume surges during the holidays? Don't worry, the Order Handling Capacity Tool can help you manage order volume and meet the delivery SLA! And here's a hot tip — orders that use our Fulfilled By TikTok (FBT) service don't count towards OTDR — so do consider signing up!
Read our OTDR guide for more information.
Enabling Partial Refunds, Item Exchanges, and Replacements Without Returns💲We've added new aftersale features to give you even more flexibility for your aftersale services! You can now offer exchanges and replacements instead of refunds for items in select categories like fashion. These updated features are enabled automatically on your account, so if you prefer to continue just refunding your customers, you can switch these features off in Seller Center.
In the same spirit, we've also launched partial refunds, which allows customers to request a partial refund without returning the item.

💡 Tip! You can set your own return and refund rules in Seller Center if you want to automate this process even further. For example, you might prefer setting a limit higher than $10 for refunds without returns to attract more customers. Do take note though — TikTok Shop won't reimburse you for any losses caused by your customized rules!

What's New In April?We're enhancing brand protection by ensuring shop names and avatars respect intellectual property rights. Shops using trademarks or copyrighted materials they don’t own will be updated to a generic name or avatar, requiring sellers to choose a compliant alternative. More details on how to keep your shop compliant can be found in our How to Avoid Trademark Infringements article.

Account Health Rating🚑Starting in March, we’re gradually moving from the current 48-point system to a 0-1000 scale, where a higher score means a healthier account. But why wait? You can preview your new Account Health Rating (AHR) page now in Seller Center! Check out the Seller Enforcement Policy more details and FAQs.
New Custom Handling Time⏰We've added a new Custom Handling Time feature, allowing select qualified sellers to set up to 7 business days for shipping in-stock products. For more details on seller eligibility, check out the Custom Orders Policy.
INFORM Act Updates📨We've made it easier for you to confirm your shop information annually. Simply look out for a notification and task in the Qualification Center when re-verification is needed. We now accept IRS-issued tax documents that display the business name, EIN, and business address. Got questions about the INFORM Act? Check out this FAQ.
New Product Compliance Tool🔎Click into Product Compliance in Qualification Center to review and manage your product qualification status. You will receive a notification to take additional steps if your qualification document was rejected or needs to be uploaded. For more information about product categories and their required qualifications, check out our category guides here.
New Product Categories Launched🛍️We've expanded made-to-order categories to include furniture, home improvement, home supplies, luggage & bags, pet supplies, shoes, and more! Automotive and Motorcycle Electronic Products were also expanded to include audio and video accessories and mobile phone accessories.
March Sneak Peek

• New: How to Avoid Selling Inauthentic and Unoriginal Products🔜

Look out for best practices on what goes into listing products with unique branding, design, and packaging! More details in our guide on How To Avoid Selling Unoriginal And Inauthentic Products.

• Coming Soon: Extended Invoice Validity from 180 days to 365 days🧾

We’re extending the validity period for purchase invoices from 180 days to 365 days! So ensure your invoices align with this policy to avoid any listing issues. If you recently submitted an invoice that was previously invalid due to the 180-day rule, resubmit them in Seller Center to be eligible for use under the new 365-day rule.

• Coming Soon: Additional Fulfillment Metrics 📦

You can find these additional fulfillment metrics in Seller Center: Unshipped Order Rate and Out of Stock Cancellation Rate. These metrics provide more information about your late delivery rate and seller-fault cancellation rate.

New MTO Categories 🛒Good news for the artisans among you selling custom-made products! We've expanded the range of products that can be made-to-order. You can now accept custom orders for products from 13 new categories, such as furniture, pet supplies, and books, magazines and audio. Check out our Custom Handling Features Policy for more details!
Third-Party Resources For Product Compliance 💻We know how complex the regulatory landscape is for those of you selling dietary supplements, so we've linked additional resources in our policy guide that you can use to navigate any compliance-related issues that may arise regarding these products. If you don't sell dietary supplements but need help, fret not! We'll be doing the same for other products soon.
Flexible Aftersale Windows 🚚We want you to operate your shops with as much flexibility as possible. We've added several new features in Seller Center, so that you can customize your cancellation and return policies even more. These include options to extend your cancellation window up to 24 hours or your return window up to 90 days, so you can provide the best experience for your customers!

Setting Up Your Seller Account 📖New to TikTok Shop? Fret not, we just released guides to help you as you set up your account! Learn about the different types of business models a shop can take on our platform, find out what documents you need to sign up as an individual seller/sole proprietorship, or a partnership/corporation, and how you can troubleshoot common issues when signing up.
Policy Violation Message Improvements 💻We heard you! We've updated the look and feel of policy violation messages and they are even more specific than before in telling you what went wrong and what you can do to fix it. This will help you better understand our policies and how to avoid violations in future.
Expanded Flash Deal Eligibility⚡Sellers with a Shop Performance Score (SPS) of 2.5 or higher can now participate in Flash Deals! These are limited-time promotions that you can use to encourage your customers to make quick purchases and boost your sales. Check out our SPS guide to learn how to create a flash deal!
Extended Aftersale Review Period ⏰Good news! We've temporarily extended the review period for refunds of small orders. You now have 4 business days, instead of the usual 2, to review refunds for orders worth $100 and less. Take note though - this temporary extension ends on February 24, 2025! Refunds submitted after this date must be reviewed within 2 business days as usual.
Bank Account Verification 🏦We want you to sell with the assurance that any payments made to you will go directly to your authorized bank account. Check out our guide which explains how to add and verify your bank account, and covers the documents you'll need for this entire process.
New Product Quality Guide ✨For those sellers wondering how to boost your sales, we just released a product quality guide! It provides hot tips on what drives great customer experience - from what a high-quality product listing should include to what good quality packaging requires.

Simplified Product Listing Requirements 📝Selling on TikTok Shop just got a lot easier! All you need to do is complete a simple one-time qualification application and you can sell every product under a category. Gone are the days where you have to submit documentation for each product you want to sell, even if they are all under the same category! Check out the new Sell by Category section in our Policy Center for more details. We've added tons of useful resources to help you navigate this new process, such as what you can do if your documentation gets rejected during the application. Related Policy: Restricted Products PolicyLate Dispatch Flexibility 📦Good news! Your orders no longer need to be scanned by the carrier within 3 business day to meet the dispatch SLA. As long as you provide valid tracking information for your orders within the SLA, they won't be marked as late. Check out our guide on order fulfillment for more details plus tips on improving your order fulfillment practices. Related Policy: Fulfillment PolicyRefund Without Return Price Threshold 💰Platform-mandated refund without return is now auto-enabled for products priced up to $10. Previously, it was auto-enabled for products priced up to $25. Check out our aftersales guide for more details plus tips on managing returns and refunds! Related Policy: Customer Order Cancellation, Return, and Refund PolicyMade-to-Order, Pre-Order, and Backorder ProductsExpand your custom product offerings and generate excitement about upcoming product drops! Qualifying sellers can now take orders for out-of-stock products and ship them once stocked. Check out our Custom Handling Features Policy for more details.
INFORM Compliance 🔑INFORM compliance just got easier! High-volume sellers can now submit an authorized representative's photo ID or IRS-issued document to comply with the INFORM Consumers Act. Previously, we only accepted business registration documents. Check out our FAQs: INFORM Consumers Act for more details.
New Product-Specific Policy Guides 💄We heard you! To help you navigate our product listing rules and processes, we've launched customized guides for sellers selling healthcare, beauty and personal care, fashion, and perishable products. These guides provide hot tips to avoid the most common policy violations for these products, such as what documentation you need to submit to sell them. Keep a lookout for the Manage Your Products section in our Policy Center - we'll be adding guides for other products soon!
Seller Features To Protect Your Shop🪄We want you to sell with the assurance that your account is protected from fraud and risk. Learn about the features we've rolled out to help you protect your account (e.g., automated systems to manage refunds, block risky buyers, and ensure fair claim verification) here!