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Key Points:
Three shipping options are available: Seller Shipping (Logistics Service Provider chosen by seller), TikTok Shipping (use Logistics Service Provider listed by TikTok Shop), and Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) where TikTok handles all fulfillment.
Sellers must adhere to the Service Level Agreements (SLA) in the Fulfillment Policy to avoid late dispatch, auto-cancellation, or late deliveries
Sellers must provide adequate protection, use proper packaging materials, and comply with LSP guidelines for certain items
Prohibited shipping behaviors include shipping empty packages, incorrect products, unpaid postage, or counterfeit labels

The Customer Order Shipping Requirements covers shipping requirements for sellers on TikTok Shop, from the time orders are created until they are delivered to customers. Following these requirements helps to avoid late dispatch, auto-cancellation, or late deliveries. These requirements apply to all sellers selling physical products in the US. Sellers must comply with this document and the Fulfillment Policy when fulfilling physical products on our platform.
Virtual goods are exempt from these shipping requirements and must instead meet the fulfillment requirements in our Virtual Goods Requirements.

Customer Order Shipping

There are 3 different shipping types available to sellers.

Seller Shipping: Sellers choose their own Logistics Service Provider (LSP) to ship orders as long as they are supported by TikTok Shop as mentioned in Seller Shipping: Overview and Services. This option may only be available to select sellers.
TikTok Shipping: Sellers choose a Logistics Service Provider (LSP) listed by TikTok Shop in Seller Center to ship orders. Learn more in the TikTok Shipping: Overview guide.
Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT): TikTok warehouses handle the storing, picking, packing, and shipping of orders, as outlined in the Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) article.

It is important to note that sellers are subject to different responsibilities when selecting Seller Shipping, TikTok Shipping, or Fulfilled by TikTok options.

Requirements for Customer Order Shipping

Shipping Process

Below are the steps and requirements involved in shipping an order on TikTok Shop. Sellers must also refer to the Fulfillment Policy to adhere to the mentioned Service Level Agreements (SLA) to avoid late dispatch, auto-cancellation of orders, or late deliveries.

Confirming an Order

As soon as an order payment is confirmed, the status of the order changes to Awaiting Shipment. Sellers must review the order and check if the ordered products are available to be shipped to customers.
We recommend printing or downloading the packing list from Seller Center for each order. This helps ensure you pick the correct products from your storage or warehouse location.
If sellers are unable to fulfill an order, they must cancel it before the order status changes to In Transit. For more information, refer to our Customer Order Cancellation, Return, and Refund Policy.
Sellers using TikTok Shipping should print only the packing list while preparing the order. Do not print the shipping label unless you are ready to hand the package to the carrier immediately. Avoid printing the shipping label too early. This lengthens the time between the 'Awaiting Collection' and 'In Transit' statuses, which can lead to customer complaints and enforcement actions.

Packing

Sellers must comply with all applicable laws and regulations related to product packaging materials. Sellers must also comply with any additional obligations required by their Logistics Service Provider (LSP) to ensure that the proper packaging is used for specific products.

Product Packaging

Sellers must provide enough protection to the product to avoid the risk of damage during shipping.
Sellers must choose the right size and type of packaging for their products.
Sellers must only ship products that are permitted by their LSP.
Sellers must check the LSP's latest terms, conditions, and policies to confirm that the product can be shipped.
Sellers may use third-party fulfillment providers to pack and ship their items, provided they maintain ownership of the inventory.
Sellers must not purchase products from another online retailer and have the order shipped directly to a TikTok Shop customer.
Sellers must not enclose any messages asking for and incentivizing positive customer reviews.
Sellers must not include any products or content other than what is included with the ordered product, intended to draw or incentivize positive reviews from a customer.
Sellers must not include unauthorized marketing or promotional materials, such as pamphlets, display materials, or other irrelevant material.
In the case of special packaging requirements for liquids and sharp items (such as cutlery, breakables, fragile, perishables, textiles, hazardous materials, batteries, and other similar items), sellers must follow the instructions of their LSP.
Sellers must use proper packaging and insulation to maintain optimal temperatures during shipping.
Packages containing perishable goods must be clearly labeled to indicate their contents and handling instructions.
If any products require special handling, sellers are advised to notify their LSP before shipping.

Carton Packaging

Sellers must pack their products in cartons if their preferred alternative packing option provides lesser protection, or when ordered by their LSP.
Sellers may use third-party fulfillment providers to pack and ship their items, provided they maintain ownership of the inventory.
Sellers must not purchase products from another online retailer and have the order shipped directly to a TikTok Shop customer.
Sellers must ensure that the cartons and packing materials (such as dunnage—filler material used to protect goods—or void fill) used offer sufficient protection for the products while in transit. The use of inappropriate packaging materials may result in customer rejections and chargebacks.
Sellers must choose a carton size that ensures minimal space is left over after products are placed inside it.
Sellers can also maximize space by packing multiple units in a single carton whenever possible without damaging the products.
Sellers must ensure that cartons are taped and sealed properly to avoid loss or damage to the product while in transit.
Sellers may not use loose-fill of any kind, such as Styrofoam peanuts or shredded paper as dunnage.
Sellers are instead recommended to use large-sized dunnage, such as air pillows, whole sheets of paper, sheet foam, or bubble wrap.
Sellers may not bundle multiple cartons together using bagging, elastic, tape, or extra straps.
Sellers must avoid using large staple pins or nylon fiber-based tapes as they are a potential safety hazard.

All after-sale concerns raised by customers due to missing products, damaged products, damaged packages, defective products, wrong products, and other similar issues, will be resolved according to the Requirements for Aftersales Dispute Escalation.

Adding and Verifying the Tracking Information

For all shipping types, sellers must ensure that valid tracking is assigned to orders within the dispatch SLA, as outlined in the Fulfillment Policy.
Seller ShippingFor the shipping type Seller Shipping, sellers must add the order's tracking ID, Shipping Provider, and Shipping Service information. The order's tracking ID must also match with information on the shipping label applied to the respective package.
Sellers must enter tracking information carefully. If a mistake is made, sellers are able to make a one-time edit and should try to correct it before seeking help from customer service.To add tracking IDs for orders, select Add tracking info for each order listed under the To ship tab on the Manage Orders page. Providing incorrect tracking information may result in late dispatch and order cancellations.
TikTok ShippingFor the shipping type TikTok Shipping, sellers do not have to add the tracking information for each order.
They can select the Arrange Shipment option under each order listed under the To ship tab on the Manage Orders page.
Once the appropriate options are selected, the corresponding order will be automatically updated with all the tracking information.
Once this step is completed, the status of the shipment changes to Awaiting Collection. Sellers are expected to add tracking information to an order only immediately before or after the orders are handed over to carriers or Logistics Service Providers (LSP). Even if the Dispatch SLA is met, an unusually long delay between Awaiting Collection and In Transit increases the risk of customer complaints and enforcement at the shop or product level.

Shipping Label Application

All packages must have a shipping label securely affixed that includes the following information:

The customer's name and full postal address (including zip code or postal code)
The customer's order number
The address to be used for returns (as entered in Return Warehouse section in Account Settings in Seller Center)

When preparing the labels, sellers must meet the following requirements:

Shipping labels or barcodes provided by LSP must be applied firmly on the package.
Shipping labels must not include hyperlinks, QR codes, contact information from other platforms, or information irrelevant to the order.
Every package must have the correct labeling. LSPs may dispose of or liquidate mislabeled packages if the customer's information is unknown. They may also re-label a product at the seller's expense.
It is the customers' responsibility to ensure that the order delivery information is accurate and complete.
- If any shipping issue arises due to the customer's incorrect or incomplete address, the customer will bear the consequences (such as delivery failure).

Handing Over of Package to Logistics Service Providers (LSP)

Once the LSP has scanned and accepted the package, the order status will be updated from Awaiting Collection to In Transit. Sellers are required to work with their LSP to process the order as soon as possible.
TikTok Shop monitors for unusually long delays between the Awaiting Collection status and the In Transit status.Based on these delays, TikTok Shop may initiate additional enforcement actions at the product or shop level. To learn more, refer to our Metric Calculation Period and Targets in the Fulfillment Policy.
For Seller Shipping, sellers are responsible for providing accurate dispatch information. If the carrier, or partner carrier, fails to provide timely and accurate information regarding the order's actual status (whether due to zone skipping—a shipping method where packages are transported in bulk to a destination region before being handed to a local carrier for final delivery—or any other cause), the seller is responsible for the delays and failure to adhere to the SLA set out in the Fulfillment Policy.For TikTok Shipping, sellers can either drop off packages or request a pickup from the LSP.

If sellers choose the Drop-Off option when completing the Arrange Shipment step, they must drop off the package at the selected location.
If sellers choose the Pickup option when completing the Arrange Shipment step, the LSP will be notified to collect the package within 48 hours.

Checking Delivery Status

Sellers must pay close attention to all shipping processes and the final status of dispatched packages.
An order's status will be updated to Delivered once the LSP makes the final delivery scan and updates the final status.

Final Order Status

For shipping type Seller Shipping, TikTok Shop will use logistics data provided by a third-party company to verify order statuses. This information will be used to automatically update the order status to Delivered.
For shipping type TikTok Shipping, the Seller Center order status will automatically update to Delivered after LSP confirms the delivery of the shipment.

Delivery Timeline

If an order is not delivered within the deliver-by SLA, it will be considered a delayed delivery.

For shipping type Seller Shipping, sellers must have their own contract with their selected LSP and establish the necessary controls to audit their quality of service.
For shipping type TikTok Shipping, sellers can check the logistics status update in Seller Center on the Manage Orders page.

To learn more, refer to our On-Time Delivery Rate Requirements.

Auto-Cancellation of Delayed Orders

Orders that do not meet the auto-cancellation SLA will be automatically canceled by TikTok Shop, as stated in the Fulfillment Policy.Sellers are required to comply with our fulfillment requirements. If over a period of 30 or more days, a seller has a cancellation rate of 90% or over due to seller-fault reasons (with no delivery), the enforcement action taken for failing to fulfill orders may include, but is not limited to, temporary shop suspension or permanent shop deactivation.
To learn more, refer to our Seller-Fault Cancellation Rate Requirements.

Shipping Costs

Sellers can only include shipping charges that are related to the cost of shipping and handling of the items being delivered, including but not limited to:

Cost of shipping service
Costs related to handling, including the cost of packaging materials and insurance
Cost of delivery confirmation or extra services, such as certificate of mailing, certified mail, and other similar services.
Any additional fees for handling and packaging

Prohibited Shipping Behaviors

The following is a non-exhaustive list of shipping behaviors that are prohibited on TikTok Shop.
Sellers must not dishonestly or fraudulently change order statuses. We will monitor and audit order statuses and take action against the seller's account if any fraudulent behavior is identified.

Misuse of Customer Information

Sellers are required to comply with TikTok's Privacy Policy and are strictly prohibited from misusing sensitive customer contact information (such as full names and addresses) under any circumstances.
Sellers must only communicate with customers through TikTok Shop's Chat with TikTok in Seller Center. Any other forms of communication outside of Chat with TikTok are prohibited. Learn about Chat with TikTok usage policies in the Customer Service Policy.
Sellers are obligated to keep records of all communications with customers confidential at all times.

Shipping Hazardous or Dangerous Products

Sellers must not sell or ship any prohibited product or products recalled by manufacturers or governmental, national, or international agencies. They must comply with the Prohibited Products Policy at all times.
It is the seller's responsibility to comply with all local laws and regulations. Sellers must abide by their LSP's requirements concerning hazardous goods (or other products with shipping restrictions).

Shipping Postage Fraud

TikTok Shop strictly prohibits Unpaid Postage Orders (UPO) and counterfeit shipping labels. This behavior is fraudulent and can negatively impact the customer experience on TikTok Shop.
Sellers that are identified as having UPO or using counterfeit shipping labels may be subject to enforcement actions including, but not limited to:

Limitations or restrictions on Seller Shipping (90-365 days)
Order volume limit
Fund withholding
Settlement period extension
Account re-verification
Order closure
Shop closure

Fraudulent Shipping Behavior

Typical fraudulent shipping behavior includes but is not limited to:

Shipping empty packages
Shipping incomplete ordered units
Shipping products that do not comply with the product detail page or order details
Forging shipping label information such as warehouse addresses, routes, receiver information, and delivery addresses
Listing products that are fulfilled, bought, and arranged from another retailer or e-commerce marketplace
Purchasing products from another online retailer and having the order shipped directly to a TikTok Shop customer
Tracking misrepresentation (for example, invalid shipping tracking numbers, duplicated tracking numbers), and unusually long delays between the Awaiting Collection status and the In Transit status (for example, no updated logistics information after the tracking ID has been added to the order in Seller Center for more than 2 business days)
Having a high rate of orders being flagged as potential fraud (for example, a high rate of Delivered but not received complaints from customers)
Orders that have been In Transit for an unusually long time without being marked Delivered (for example, exceeding 10 calendar days since being updated to In Transit)
Inconsistency between a customer's delivery address and the logistics route
Not paying for postage, or declaring incorrect weight and/or dimensions for packages
Unauthorized or improper use of logistics equipment
All other inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete shipping information

*For instructions on how to view orders that were flagged for abnormal tracking behavior, please refer to the instructions provided here. Sellers who are found engaging in fraudulent shipping behavior may have enforcement actions taken against their account, including but not limited to shop closure, restrictions on shop fulfillment options, or account re-verification. This is in accordance with our Fraudulent Order Policy and Seller Terms of Service.
All after-sale concerns raised by customers due to fraudulent shipping will be resolved according to our Requirements for Aftersales Dispute Escalation.

Force Majeure

If there are events of force majeure that prevent sellers from dispatching a product to customers, they must report details of the event and its impact (with necessary supporting documents) by raising a ticket in Seller Center.
Force majeure events include, but are not limited to:

Natural disasters
Extreme weather events
Pandemic outbreaks
Government restrictions
Other extreme events outside of the seller's control

Enforcement Actions and Appeals

We regularly review shops for compliance with this document and our Fulfillment Policy. If any violations are identified, TikTok Shop may take enforcement action at our sole discretion. This may include, but is not limited to:

Deducting points from the seller’s Account Health Rating
Removing product listings
Removing content
Formal warning messages
Setting an Order Volume Limit (OVL) that limits the amount of orders a seller may receive
Cancellation (both at buyer request and automatically) of orders marked as In Transit
Suspension of seller permissions
Receiving settlements after the standard settlement period
Temporary or permanent withdrawal of seller benefits
Temporary or permanent suspension of access to TikTok Shop
Termination of one's status as a seller
Reporting the seller to the relevant regulatory authorities for prosecution
Removing product listings
Revoking access to offer products for sale
Issuing refunds to customers

For more information on enforcement actions, refer to our Seller Enforcement Policy. To appeal an enforcement action, visit the Appeals section for guidance.

Customer Order Shipping Requirements

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