✨Policy Pulse (May 2026)✨ Snapshot - TikTok Shop Policy Monitor

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✨Welcome to Policy Pulse, your monthly roundup of the latest TikTok Shop policy updates.✨Catch up on all the highlights! Scroll to the end to revisit updates from earlier months and see what you’ve missed.We're sharing key policy updates that went into effect in May. Below is a quick overview of what's changed and where to find more guidance.

Seller Updates

📡 FCC Requirements for Routers: Compliance Update

TikTok Shop has implemented updated controls for certain router listings to align with recent US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements. Effective March 23, 2026, the FCC restricted new equipment authorizations for certain foreign-made consumer-grade routers. This update restricts unauthorized devices from being marketed or sold while allowing compliant, previously authorized products to remain available.
Routers must have valid FCC authorization and an FCC ID that corresponds to the exact product listed before they can be marketed or sold. Listings without valid FCC authorization, newly listed routers under restricted foreign-made device categories, or listings that bypass controls through miscategorization may be subject to enforcement.
Sellers should ensure router listings have valid FCC authorization and accurate product information. For more information, see our Electronic Products Requirements.

🔗 Affiliate Product Quality Threshold Update

TikTok Shop has adjusted the affiliate product quality disqualification threshold to better reflect seller performance expectations. Effective May 7, affiliate product eligibility is evaluated using the Voice of Customer (VoC) Index as the primary metric.
Under the updated thresholds, products must maintain a VoC Index below 1.5 to qualify for affiliate programs. Products with a VoC Index greater than 3 will be disqualified from affiliate eligibility. The VoC Index represents how many times higher a product's VoC rate is compared to its overall category average — for example, a product with a 4% VoC rate in a category averaging 1% would have a VoC Index of 4.
Sellers can track their VoC Index performance directly in Seller Center through the Voice of customer page in the seller center. For more information, see our Affiliate Marketing Policy.

🧴 EPA Documentation Requirements for Pesticide Listings

TikTok Shop now requires sellers listing pesticide products to provide valid US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration documentation. Going forward, impacted products must include EPA registration details at listing creation, and sellers with existing pesticide listings will need to submit compliant documentation to keep those listings active.
Sellers may be asked to provide an EPA registration number or certificate, EPA establishment number or certificate, and/or an EPA‑approved product label; submitted documents must be clear, authentic, and aligned with EPA requirements. For detailed guidance on exemptions and full compliance requirements, refer to our Pesticides Requirements and related EPA resources.

🪪 Enhanced Identity Verification for New Seller Onboarding

TikTok Shop is strengthening identity verification standards for new seller onboarding in order to protect buyers and legitimate shops from fraudulent account creation and unauthorized access. New sellers will now complete an enhanced Persona-powered facial scan as part of the signup flow, using secure, industry-standard video and ID checks on both desktop and mobile.
Persona’s real-time, automated verification is designed to speed up onboarding and reduce manual back-and-forth, while advanced facial and ID comparison improves account protection and lowers the risk of identity theft or shop takeovers. These updates aim to deliver a more accurate and modern verification experience for new sellers, maintaining strong security standards while improving overall onboarding efficiency.
Sellers and account managers can refer to Requirements for Seller Identity Verification and the Beginner’s Guide: Individual Seller Documentation for detailed documentation and process expectations.

💡 AI-Powered Fulfillment Quality Warnings

To help sellers identify and address fulfillment quality issues earlier, TikTok Shop is introducing AI-generated warning messages that use customer reviews, product information, and product images to detect potential issues and provide more specific guidance on likely root causes. Warnings may be issued for issues such as missing items, wrong items, damaged products, empty packages, or thank-you card only shipments. Sellers can view warnings in Seller Center under Account Health Rating (AHR) > Warning Records. This launch is warning-only and does not result in penalties, traffic controls, deboosting, or other enforcement actions.

🔄 Simplified Returns and Refunds Review (Effective May 12, 2026)

TikTok Shop is unifying return and refund review workflows, so all aftersales requests follow the same standard 2‑step review process sellers already use for regular returns. This change removes the separate Speedy Refund appeals queue and routes all return and refund requests through a single, consistent flow in Seller Center.
Under the updated model, all aftersales requests will have a 4 business day review window, and sellers can begin reviewing undelivered return packages from Day 10 after customer drop‑off, with automatic approval at Day 30 if no action is taken. These reviews will continue to impact After‑Sales Handling Time (AHT) and Invalid Seller Rejection Rate (ISRR) metrics.
The unified workflow is designed to centralize returns management, reduce confusion, and streamline arbitration and tracking so sellers can handle all returns and refunds in one place. For more details, see Requirements for Managing Returns, Refunds, and Replacements

📢 Strengthened Enforcement for Inaccurate Tracking Information

To better protect compliant sellers and improve customer experience, TikTok Shop is strengthening enforcement against inaccurate or abusive tracking behavior. These updates improve our ability to identify fulfillment activity that does not reflect actual package movement, including the use of phantom warehouses or misleading shipment activity.

Sellers with serious or repeated violations may face stricter penalties, including extended settlement periods.
These updates help create a fair marketplace by reducing unfair advantages from deceptive shipping practices.

For more information, refer to our Fraudulent Order Prevention Requirements.

🚚 OTDR Updates for TikTok Shipping, CBT, and Upgraded Shipping (June 2026)

TikTok Shop is updating how On-time Delivery Rate (OTDR) is calculated for Collection by TikTok (CBT) and Upgraded TikTok Shipping. Previously, these options were fully exempt from OTDR, but going forward they will be counted as on-time as long as the seller dispatches orders within the required dispatch SLA, even if downstream carrier delays occur.
For sellers using Upgraded TikTok Shipping or CBT, OTDR will now be protected when orders are handed over on time; carrier-related delays after dispatch will not negatively impact OTDR. Seller Shipping orders will continue to be evaluated based on actual delivery timeliness against the delivery-by SLA, while Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) orders remain excluded from OTDR calculations.
When orders are both dispatched late and delivered late, impacts to Late Dispatch Rate (LDR) and OTDR depend on the shipping option used. For TikTok Shipping only, late orders may affect both metrics but will only generate an LDR violation. For Seller Shipping (alone or combined with TikTok Shipping), late orders can impact both LDR and OTDR and may result in violations for each metric if minimum fulfillment requirements are not met. Here are a few related resources; On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) Requirements , On-Time Delivery Rate Best Practices and FAQs, Upgraded Tiktok Shipping & Collections by TikTik Shop, and Fulfillment Policy.

💄 Beauty & Personal Care Expiration and Shelf Life Requirements

TikTok Shop is reinforcing expiration and shelf life rules for Beauty and Personal Care (BPC) products to address customer complaints about expired or aged items. Sellers must not list or ship products past the labeled expiration or “best before” date, and may not sell BPC products that are more than 3 years old even if no printed expiry appears on the packaging.
Before listing and again before shipping, sellers should confirm that products have at least 365 days of remaining shelf life when delivered to customers; if the remaining shelf life is under 365 days, this must be clearly disclosed in the product listing and before purchase. These requirements are reflected in the updated Expiration Date Labeling and Shelf Life Requirements and Beauty and Personal Care Products Requirements, and are intended to reduce avoidable safety and quality issues while improving buyer trust.

💳 Chargeback Policy Auto‑Contest Support for Eligible Orders

TikTok Shop updated the Chargeback Policy to introduce auto‑contest support for certain eligible merchandise chargebacks, including auction orders and select orders in the Collectibles and Pre‑owned categories. For these orders, TikTok Shop may automatically contest chargebacks on behalf of eligible sellers using available order information.
When a chargeback is auto‑contested, sellers do not need to submit an appeal unless TikTok Shop specifically requests additional details, and they will not be charged the standard $10 appeal fee. Sellers can see auto‑contested cases at the order level in Seller Center and will receive outcome notifications by email and in their Seller Center inbox. This update is intended to simplify the chargeback experience, reduce unnecessary appeal steps, and support faster, more consistent responses for eligible chargebacks. For more information, see Chargeback Policy.

Creator Updates

🎯 Posting Limits for Shoppable Content (US)

To strengthen content governance and improve user experience, TikTok Shop is introducing daily posting limits for shoppable content in the US market. These limits apply to all US merchants and creators unless otherwise exempt.
Eligible accounts may publish up to 30 shoppable short videos and 60 shoppable photo posts per day.
This update is intended to reduce content saturation, improve content discoverability, and encourage more intentional, higher-quality content creation. AMs should proactively communicate these limits to new merchants and creators, reinforce best practices focused on quality over quantity, and direct creators to Featured Shop Creator guidance for exemption eligibility and detailed posting requirements. For more information, see Posting Limits for Shoppable Content

⭐ Creator Pilot Program & Binding Requirements Update

TikTok Shop is updating creator binding requirements and enhancing the Creator Pilot Program to strengthen long-term content quality and promote early compliance. Newly onboarded Official and Marketing Creators may now enter an Early-Stage Control Pilot Program after binding to a seller, where capabilities such as shoppable video posting may be limited (for example, up to 3 e‑commerce videos per day) until they remain bound for at least 30 days, reach 1,000 followers, and pass platform compliance and security checks.
New Affiliate Creators with fewer than 5,000 followers will automatically enter the Affiliate Creator Pilot Program for at least 30 days, with some limits on product access, posting frequency, and campaign participation. Graduation paths are now clearer and more structured, with creators able to unlock full capabilities based on follower growth, program duration, performance, compliance standing, Creator Health Rating, and content activity, while the existing rule that no minimum follower count is required to bind as an Official or Marketing Account remains unchanged.
For more information on eligibility, tiering, and progression, see the Creator Eligibility Policy, Early-Stage Control Pilot Program guidance, and Affiliate Creator Pilot Program resources.

🌐 Geo‑Blocking for Special‑Category LIVEs

TikTok Shop is introducing a new geo‑blocking capability for selecting LIVE categories to better align with market availability and policy controls. Under this update, users located in countries where TikTok Shop is not available may be restricted from accessing certain LIVEs through specific entry points.
The initial rollout applies to select invite‑only livestream activities governed by the Gambling Policy, with access controls tailored to high‑risk categories and regions. This capability is designed to strengthen governance of special‑category content, support policy compliance, and provide clearer guardrails around who can view and participate in impacted LIVEs. View Related Academy Article here

✨Policy Pulse (April 2026)✨

Seller Updates

🪪 Updated Seller Onboarding ID Verification Requirements

We updated US seller onboarding requirements to strengthen platform security, support compliance with US regulations, and improve fraudulent document detection.
Individual sellers are now required to upload both the front and back of their government-issued ID during onboarding, while still providing their SSN. For corporate sellers, the Primary Representative must also upload both sides of their government-issued ID. As part of this update, the requirement for Corporate/Business sellers to provide the Primary Representative’s SSN or ITIN has been removed.
For more information, see our guides for registering as an Individual, Sole Proprietorship, and Corporation or Partnership.

🔗 Updates to Affiliate Permissions & Product Quality Thresholds

TikTok Shop has updated affiliate permissions for Official Accounts and introduced new affiliate product quality thresholds based on Voice of Customer (VoC) performance.
Official Accounts will no longer support affiliate creator permissions. Sellers and creators who want to continue promoting affiliate products may need to unbind and transition accounts based on current follower thresholds and account type eligibility.
Additionally, affiliate product eligibility is now evaluated using the VoC Index instead of Negative Review Rate (NRR). Products must maintain a VoC Index below 1.5 to qualify for affiliate programs, while products with a VoC Index above 2.5 may become disqualified from affiliate eligibility.
Sellers can monitor VoC Index performance directly in Seller Center through the Voice of the Customer page.
For more information, see our Affiliate Marketing Policy.

📊 Invalid Seller Rejection Rate (ISRR) Enforcement Begins

We have launched the Invalid Seller Rejection Rate (ISRR) tracking to measure aftersales rejection accuracy across refund, return/refund, replacement, and exchange requests.
Sellers with an ISRR above the current 30% threshold may receive warning notifications or temporary platform-managed review support for refund-only requests. ISRR performance refreshes weekly.
Sellers are encouraged to carefully review aftersales requests before rejecting them and monitor ISRR performance in Seller Center under Analytics > Post Purchase > Aftersales Governance.
See our Requirements for Invalid Seller Rejection Rate (ISRR) Metric for more information.

📥 Perfect Order List Download Launch

TikTok Shop has launched a new Perfect Order List download feature in Seller Center to improve visibility into qualifying Perfect Orders and Account Health Rating (AHR) performance.
Sellers can now view and download qualifying Perfect Orders directly from the Account Health Rating page in Seller Center. A Perfect Order remains a completed order without violations, returns, refunds, cancellations, defects, or similar issues.
This update is intended to improve transparency around how Perfect Orders contribute to Account Health Rating (AHR) performance. For more information, see our AHR Requirements.

📄 Listing-Level Documentation Requirements for Certain Product Categories

TikTok Shop is introducing listing-level compliance documentation requirements for certain baby, children’s, health, and device products. After a 45-day preparation period from notice receipt, sellers must submit required compliance documents for every individual product listing before listings can go live.
Impacted categories include select baby care, children’s safety, travel gear, supplements, and medical device products. Required documentation may include Children’s Product Certificates (CPCs), CPSC-approved lab reports, FDA 510(k) documentation, FURLS registration, and other product-specific compliance records.
Sellers received communications regarding this update on April 21.
Check out the following product requirements for more information: Baby and Maternity Products, Sports and Outdoor Recreation Products, and Medical Devices and Medical Supplies.

🎥 LIVE Selling Warning Updates

TikTok Shop has introduced new warning messages during LIVE setup to help sellers identify products with violations that may negatively impact livestream performance.
Sellers may now see pop-up warnings and ongoing LIVE console alerts when adding products with violations to a livestream. These messages will identify impacted products, explain potential traffic impacts, and provide sellers the option to review violation details or remove affected products from the LIVE setup.
This update improves visibility for sellers and does not introduce new enforcement rules.

⚽ FIFA World Cup 26™ IP Protection Guidance

TikTok Shop has released updated intellectual property (IP) guidance ahead of the FIFA World Cup 26™ to help sellers and creators avoid trademark, copyright, counterfeit, and false association violations.
Official FIFA World Cup 26™ marks, logos, slogans, and related assets are protected and may only be used by authorized rights holders and licensees. Sellers and creators must not imply official affiliation, use protected FIFA IP on products, or run unauthorized promotions, giveaways, or commercial campaigns involving FIFA branding or tournament tickets.
Sellers and creators are encouraged to proactively review listings, storefronts, hashtags, and promotional materials for unauthorized FIFA references, logos, slogans, or “official/licensed” claims.

↩️ Buyer-Fault Return Cost Responsibility Updates

TikTok Shop is updating return cost responsibilities so sellers will assume full cost control for buyer-fault returns, including eligible return shipping fees and platform-mandated returnless refunds.
This update is intended to provide sellers with greater visibility and control over return-related operational costs while encouraging improvements to listing accuracy, fulfillment quality, and customer experience. TikTok Shop also plans to introduce an optional seller insurance tool to help manage unexpected return cost increases.
Sellers are encouraged to review return settings, identify common buyer-fault return reasons, and optimize product listings to help reduce avoidable returns. Check out our Requirements for Managing Returns, Refunds, and Replacements for more details.

🚚 In-Transit Order Management Updates for Enforced Sellers

TikTok Shop has updated how in-transit orders are managed for sellers deactivated due to severe violations, including counterfeit, prohibited product, and Significantly Not as Described (SNAD) violations.
Orders marked as “In Transit” may now be automatically canceled after the estimated delivery timeline passes. Customers may also receive instant refund approvals for eligible orders from deactivated sellers.
Sellers will not be compensated for canceled orders, and all associated refund costs remain the seller’s responsibility. For more information, refer to our Order Auto-Cancellation Policy.

⭐ Seller Review Report Tool (SRRT) Expansion

TikTok Shop is transitioning eligible sellers to the Seller Review Report Tool (SRRT) to streamline reporting and review removal for invalid or malicious feedback.
Eligible sellers can now report reviews directly through Seller Center by submitting appeals and supporting evidence within the SRRT workflow. This update is intended to reduce resolution times, improve seller access to review reporting, and help protect Shop Performance Score (SPS) metrics from unfair reviews.
For more details, check out our guide on How To Remove Invalid Or Incorrect Customer Reviews.

🪙 Coins & Money Collectibles Expansion

TikTok Shop expanding the Coins & Money Collectibles category, allowing additional product types within this invite-only category.
Newly permitted products include graded circulating US coins and currency, ungraded non-circulating US coins and currency, bullion, non-circulating foreign coins and currency, as well as related publications and supplies.
Sellers and creators must accurately represent collectible items, provide full visual disclosure, and avoid investment-related or financial gain claims, including guarantees of future value or appreciation.
Check out our Collectibles Requirements for more details.

Creator Updates

💰 Commission Settlement Timeline Adjustment

To support a safe and compliant marketplace, TikTok Shop may conduct additional security or policy-related reviews for creator accounts. As part of this update, some creators may experience a temporary extension to their commission settlement timeline.
Commission settlement timelines may be extended from 15 days to 31 days after order delivery. Creator commissions are only paid after the related seller order is successfully settled, meaning commission payouts will follow the seller’s settlement timeline. Commission payouts may also be delayed until any disputes, refunds, or return requests are fully resolved.
For more information, refer to our Creator Enforcement Policy.

⚖️ Update on Prohibited Weight Management Claims

We have updated our policy guidance with new examples clarifying prohibited weight loss and health-related claims involving GLP-1 references.
Creators must not claim or imply that a product contains GLP-1, is “activated by GLP-1,” or works like prescription GLP-1 medications. Products also must not be positioned as alternatives or equivalents to prescription medications through direct or implied comparisons.
Creators and sellers are encouraged to review existing product claims and content to remove or avoid GLP-1 related references where applicable. For more information, refer to our Requirements for Responsible Health-Related Content.

✨Policy Pulse (March 2026)✨

Seller Updates📈 Update: Understanding Order Volume Limit (OVL) for probation sellers

Order Volume Limit (OVL) for some sellers in probation is now dynamic, ranging from OVL 1 to 10 instead of having a fixed OVL of 10. This does not include sellers in the Beginner tier or above. Sellers with an OVL between 1 and 10 are encouraged to review Order Volume Limit (OVL) in Policy Center.
For more information about Shop Probation Program, refer to our policy here.

🍎 Food & Beverage Listing Update: Ingredient Disclosure (New Listings Only)

We are introducing a new listing requirement for Food & Beverage products. For new product listings only, sellers must clearly disclose complete and accurate ingredient information in the Product Detail page (PDP). The ingredient list must be complete and accurate, listed in descending order by weight, displayed in clear text on the PDP (not only in images), and must match the physical product label. This requirement applies to all new Food & Beverage listings (existing listings are not impacted at this time).
For more information, refer to our Product Listing Policy.

⚖️ Fair Pricing: Increased Transparency on Listing Requirements

We're strengthening transparency around pricing expectations on TikTok Shop to help ensure a consistent and trustworthy shopping experience. Sellers are expected to align with our Fair Pricing Policy when creating and managing listings. This includes accurate SKU pricing, no misleading price structuring, and accurate & transparent pricing.

🏥 Health Listings: Documentation Requests

Sellers may receive requests to submit documentation for specific Health listings due to customer satisfaction issues. Requests are sent via direct seller notification (email), and sellers are required to submit documentation within 40 business days via a provided form. Submitted documents are reviewed within 7 business days.
For more information, refer to our Dietary Supplements Requirements

🎱 New Requirements for Breaks

We have introduced new requirements for breaks to strengthen platform trust and improve buyer protection. All break purchases must result in a physical product being shipped to the buyer. Each buyer must receive at least one product for every break purchase, and products shipped must match the break category. Sellers must avoid presenting breaks as guaranteed-value opportunities, prizes, or investments.
For more information, refer to our Gambling Policy and Collectibles Requirements

💻 Virtual Goods Category Launch

TikTok Shop is launching the Virtual Goods category, enabling approved sellers to list digital products such as software, games, and digital subscriptions. Examples include software and applications, digital video games, in-game content, game subscriptions, digital service subscriptions, virtual gift cards, and virtual event tickets. Access to sell Virtual Goods is invite-only.
For more information, refer to our Virtual Goods Requirements

📦 Activate Backorder and Custom Handling Time Features in 3 Easy Steps

Eligible sellers can now directly activate Backorder or Custom Handling Time features. Starting March 4, these features can be activated in Seller Center (eligibility required). Backorder requires Shop Performance Score (SPS) ≥ 4.0, while Custom Handling Time requires SPS ≥ 3.5, plus other criteria including minimal negative feedback on timeliness.
For more information, refer to our Custom Orders Policy.

🔊 VoC-Based Fulfillment Quality Control Replaces NBFR Enforcement

To improve the customer experience, we're updating how we enforce fulfillment quality, specifically addressing delivered but not received (DNR), missing, wrong, and damaged item deliveries. Non-Buyer Fault Return and Refund Rate (NBFR) will only be used for Shop Performance Score (SPS) assessment and not product-level enforcements. Voice of Customer (VoC) represents customer feedback regarding a product, service, or overall fulfillment experience.

📊 Introducing ISRR: A New Way to Track Aftersales Quality

The new Invalid Seller Rejection Rate (ISRR) metric measures aftersales request rejection accuracy. ISRR measures the number of unsuccessful aftersales disputes against the number of seller-reviewed aftersales requests. Sellers should aim to maintain an ISRR of 20% or lower, with the threshold initially set at 30% for familiarization.
For more information, refer to our Requirements for Invalid Seller Rejection Rate (ISRR) Metric

💰 Initiate Partial Refunds for Return or Refund Requests

Starting March 24, sellers can issue partial refunds for return or refund requests. This new feature gives sellers more flexibility to offer partial refunds without requiring product returns for minor issues. When sellers receive a return or refund request, they can issue a partial refund offer instead of requiring a full return.

💬 Platform Supported Customer Chat Feature

If a customer inquiry remains unanswered for an extended period of time, we'll give them the option to connect directly with TikTok Shop's support team. This helps resolve issues quickly and keeps customer satisfaction high.
During the initial rollout of this feature, sellers may see temporary inconsistencies in their 24-Hour Response Rate. TikTok Shop is providing an extended grace period for all sellers to adjust to these changes, so no penalties will be applied during this transition period.

Creator Updates🔗 Policy Update: Creator Binding Limits

To improve marketplace compliance, we are introducing updates that clarify how shop and creator account permissions, as well as binding limits, are affected by enforcement actions. If a seller's shop is deactivated, the e-commerce permissions of associated creators are also blocked. Shops whose bound creator accounts have received an e-commerce ban within the last 180 days may have limits on binding additional marketing creator accounts.
For more information, refer to our Creator Bind Eligibility and Requirements.

🎁 Giveaway & Promotions Policy

We have enhanced controls for promotions for Gift with Purchase (GWP) to address emerging risks and strengthen platform trust. GWP involving cash, vehicles, or high-value electronics will be rejected. For low-value GWP or Buy One Get One (BOGO) promotions, creators who don't use TikTok Shop promotion tools must include a fulfillment disclaimer.
For more information, refer to our Giveaway and Promotions Policy.

🛡️ Important Updates to TikTok Shop Community Safety Policy Enforcement

Creators must comply with our Community Guidelines to protect young people and respect diverse cultural norms. We are updating our enforcement to take proactive action against adult-themed content and products. This includes new enforcement for inappropriate sexual content and content restrictions for crude, vulgar, or disturbing products.
For more information, refer to our Content Policy and Prohibited Products Policy.

Coming in April 2026⏰ Late Dispatch Rate (LDR) Enforcement Resumes on April 6 PST

We will restart enforcement for Late Dispatch Rate (LDR) on April 6, 2026. Regular orders must be dispatched within 2 business days of "Awaiting Shipment." If the seller's Late Dispatch Rate is greater than 10%, enforcement actions may be applied. Sellers are evaluated for their LDR over the last 4 weeks.
For more information about fulfillment Service Level Agreements (SLA), refer to our Fulfillment Policy.

🔔 Callout: Prohibited Weight Management Claims (GLP-1 References)

We’ve added new examples to clarify restrictions on weight loss and health-related claims related to GLP-1 medications. Creators must not claim or imply a product "contains GLP-1", is “activated by GLP-1,” or position products as equivalent or comparable to prescription drugs (for example, “works like GLP-1” or similar statements).

✨NEW✨ TikTok Shop Academy Courses

Launched a new "Become a Policy Pro" menu under "Courses" on TikTok Shop Academy that will host policy educational articles.
New launch：

Learn with @tiktokshopacademy about 'How to avoid misleading content': • Your Before & After Looks Too Perfect? That's a Violation • Your Product Attribute vs. Your Video: Match or Get Banned • Which Misleading Claims Will Get Your Shop an MFE Violation?

✨Policy Pulse (February 2026)✨

Seller Updates🎉 One is Better Than Two! Dynamic Settlement and Reserve Policy Launch

The new Dynamic Settlement and Reserve Policy unifies the Dynamic Settlement Policy and Reserve Policy into a single, transparent framework for fund governance. Sellers will now only receive a single, monthly, email that captures both their Settlement Tier and Reserve Level. Shop Performance Score (SPS) will be the only performance metric used to determine a seller's settlement tier and reserve level. Seller Fault Cancellation Rate (SFCR) and Late Delivery Rate (LDR) will no longer be used for this purpose.

💬 Customer Inquiry? Respond Quickly!

Reminder: Sellers should aim to respond to customer-initiated chats within 24 hours. To meet service standards, make sure your seller's 24-Hour Response Rate is at least 90%. Review our Guide To The 24-Hour Response Rate Metric for tips and examples.

🧸 Avoid Misleading Visual Effects in Product Images

Product images and content must accurately represent the actual product being sold. Sellers should ensure that product detail page (PDP) information—including images, descriptions, and key product attributes—is accurate, consistent, and not misleading.
Listings may be flagged if images or descriptions imply dimensional, visual, or material effects (such as a 3D effect) that the actual product does not have. Listings may also be flagged if rendered or AI-generated images do not accurately reflect the product’s real features or appearance.
Review our Product Quality Policy for more information.

🎁 Surprise Sets — Maximum Bidding Price Increase, Marketing Requirements, and Prohibited Claims

The maximum bidding price for surprise sets has been increased to $5000. In addition, surprise sets remain invite-only and restricted to eligible Collectibles categories.
For more information, refer to our Collectibles Requirements.

Creator Updates🔗 Seller & Creator Binding Limits Policy

An individual or business seller account that has passed the probation program, and does not have any severe violations, can be bound to up to 1 Official Account and 4 Marketing Accounts. Sellers may send up to 10 Marketing binding invitations within a 180-day period. After linking to an Official or Marketing Account, sellers must wait 24 hours before unbinding. Sellers may unbind from an Official Account up to three times. For more details, please refer to: Guidelines for Creator Binds.

📣 LIVE Giveaways Reminder: Use the Official Giveaway Tool for LIVE Giveaways

To ensure a safe and fair experience for everyone, we want to remind creators that all LIVE giveaways must be conducted using TikTok’s official Giveaway Tool. Offline methods such as lucky spins, wheels, draws, or other game-style winner selection methods are not allowed, even if the giveaway is free.
❗ Important Reminders:
- Giveaways must be completely free to enter.
- If you are offering purchase-based promotions (e.g., BOGO or conditional incentives), these must be clearly listed and compliant with our Promotions Policy.
- Lucky spins, wheels, draws, or similar mechanics, cannot be used outside of the official Giveaway Tool.

Coming in March 2026📦 VoC-Based Fulfillment Quality Control Replaces NBFR Enforcement

Starting March 10, 2026 (PST), Non-Buyer Fault Return and Refund Rate (NBFR) will only be used for Shop Performance Score (SPS) assessment and not product level enforcements.
Voice of Customer (VoC) represents customer feedback regarding a product, service, or overall fulfillment experience. With the use of VoC, we will only track fulfillment issues sellers can control, and use fulfillment quality VoC for product enforcement.
This is to improve how we enforce fulfillment quality, specifically addressing delivered but not received (DNR), missing, wrong, and damaged item deliveries.
- Enforcement criteria: VoC will measure criteria for fulfillment quality enforcements, by tracking product complaints from customers. Products which have twice as many complaints (or more), compared to the average for the product category, will be enforced through a 24-hour period of limited visibility on the platform. The criteria will be monitored daily based on performance for the previous 7 days.

Learn with @tiktokshopacademy

✨NEW✨ TikTok Shop Academy Courses

Launched a new "Become a Policy Pro" menu under "Courses" on TikTok Shop Academy that will host policy educational articles.

External Webinars

Rewatch the recording of a live Q&A on policies and best practices in partnership with Creator LIVE Education and policy experts here: TikTok Shop LIVE Webinar Series: Traffic + Policy & Regulation Debunk
Join our Countdown Bidding (LIVE auction) training in March!
- Session 1, Mar 11 (PST): Register now
- Session 2, Mar 12 (PST): Register now with your TikTok account.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (January 2026)✨

🚚 Fulfillment Updates: What to Know Going Into 2026Several fulfillment updates were made in January to clarify dispatch expectations, order handling, and tracking requirements.
What changed:

Orders must now be updated to "In Transit" within 2 business days
Orders not updated to "Awaiting Collection" within 5 business days will be canceled automatically
Counterfeit tracking details and failure to fulfill orders will be subject to stricter enforcement actions

You can use fulfillment tools such as custom handling time, backorders, or pre-orders to help manage dispatch timelines when needed. For more information, refer to our Fulfillment Policy.Also, The Fulfillment Analytics page has moved within the Seller Center and is now called Fulfillment Performance.🔄 More Flexibility with Partial Refunds on ReturnsYou can now issue partial refunds for eligible returned items after inspection.
This is helpful when:

Items are returned damaged or heavily used
Parts or components are missing
Products cannot be resold in original condition

Partial refunds apply to buyer-fault return reasons and give sellers more control when handling non-sellable returns. Learn more in our Order Cancellation, Return, and Refund Policy.⚙️ Seller-Configured Refunds Just Got SmarterNew tools for returnless refunds and auto-approved refunds are now available.
You can set rules based on:

Refund amount limits
Frequency limits
Return reasons
Product categories
Effective periods

Once enabled, your rules take priority—giving you more flexibility while keeping the customer experience smooth. For more information, refer to our Guide to Managing Returns, Refunds and Replacements.💬 Improve Customer Messaging with Service AnalyticsA new Service Analytics page is now available in Seller Center to help you understand how customer conversations impact performance.
You can:

Track response speed and coverage
Monitor satisfaction trends
See how chats connect to conversions

These insights help sellers respond faster, improve service quality, and drive better outcomes. Refer to our Guide to Service Analytics Page for instructions on how to access this feature.
🖼️ Clearer Guidance on Accurate Product Image SizingWe’ve introduced clearer guidance to ensure product images accurately reflect true size and scale. This is especially important for categories like Home Decor, Toys, and Festive & Party Supplies.
Images should:

Show realistic proportions
Avoid exaggerated dimensions or misleading backgrounds

Listings that don’t meet these standards may receive warnings and, if uncorrected, enforcement actions. For more information, refer to our Product Listing: What You Need to Know.📄 Dynamic Settlement and Reserve PolicyWe launched a Dynamic Settlement and Reserve Policy, combining two policies into one simplified framework.
As part of this update:

Sellers will now receive one monthly email showing both their Settlement Tier and Reserve Level
Monthly performance assessments will be based on Shop Performance Score (SPS) only

This change simplifies how settlement and reserve evaluations are structured and communicated.
🚁 Drone & UAS Sales: FCC Compliance ReminderUnmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) more commonly known as drones and drone parts that use radio technology, must comply with US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.
Effective December 22, 2025, certain foreign-made drones and components are restricted, though previously authorized device models remain permitted. Please accurately categorize and describe these products. TikTok Shop may request additional information to verify compliance. For more details, refer to our Electronic Products Policy.🎬 Creator Corner: Start 2026 StrongThere are no major creator policy updates this month—and that’s a good thing. New Year, Not New Rules! Our main priority is helping you create high-quality, compliant, and effective videos to promote products.
To help with that, check out Your 2026 Content Success Guide for practical tips, such as:

Accurately showcase products so viewers know what to expect
Create original engaging videos and livestreams
Avoid misleading claims, pricing confusion, or unrealistic results promises
Keep content compliant, authentic, and violation-free year-round

In addition, check out the Video Pre-Check Tool Guide to scan shoppable videos for potential policy risks and get suggestions before publishing.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (December 2025)✨

🔋Safety First! Don't Let These Battery-Related Listing Issues Slow you DownWe launched not one, but two, new Dangerous Goods articles to help you avoid two common causes of listing delays and rejections. One article explains how to identify battery types and understand when additional declarations or documentation may be required. The other explains when a SDS is needed and highlights common issues that can lead to rejections. Please take a look at the published articles here: Guidelines for Listing Products Containing Batteries and Guide to Obtaining a Data Safety Sheet (SDS).
💬 Level-Up Customer Communication with New Tools!We’re introducing new features to help you manage customer communication more efficiently during the after-sales process. These tools support one of the most common requests from both customers and sellers: clearer, faster, and more proactive messaging.
These new tools can help:

Improve customer satisfaction
Increase 24-hour response rate
Strengthen overall after-sales communication and shop credibility

Learn about these tools in our helpful guide, How to Use Customer Messages.
🎉 Product Safety and Recall Notice Page LaunchTo further support TikTok Shop's Product Recall Policy we recently launched the
Product Safety Compliance and Recall Notices page to increase customer awareness of recalled products. Be sure to check the page regularly to ensure your products are safe.
❌ Keep Track of Your Seller-Fault Cancellation RateIf your 30-day Seller-Fault Cancellation rate reaches 90% or above during the evaluation period (T-45 to T-15), sellers are at risk for Order Volume Limits (OVL). Please ensure your shipments aren't late, your products are in stock and your prices are accurate. Learn more about our Fulfillment Policy on TikTok Shop Academy!
🔆 The Shop Performance Score (SPS) Appeal Feature Has Launched The Shop Performance Score (SPS) Appeal feature allows sellers to directly submit appeals for SPS-related metrics in Seller Center. If you believe a metric was impacted by an issue outside of your control—or you have evidence to prove the responsibility is not yours—you can now start an appeal directly in Seller Center without help from the support team.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (2025 Wrapped)✨

✨Special Edition✨

Account Health Rating (AHR): We introduced you to a more intuitive 0-1000 scale to track your shop health easier—the higher your AHR, the more compliant and healthy your shop is!
Video Precheck Tool: A handy tool that helps you identify violation risks before publishing shoppable videos. It also enhances the overall video quality by allowing you time to make adjustments which reduces the likelihood of violations or penalties.
Order Handling Capacity Tool: Helps you manage your order volume during busy periods, so you can meet your delivery SLAs! And don't sleep on Fulfilled by TikTok(FBT) — 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.
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.
Improved Chatbot Calculations: We’ve updated how response times are measured for sellers using Chatbot. Weekend messages are now excluded from the 24-hour response window, but they must still be answered by Monday 12 PM local time to avoid impact to your 24-hour response rate.
Countdown Bidding tool: Available to sellers with a Shop Performance Score (SPS) of 2.5 or higher.
Protection for Small Order-Volume Sellers: We're helping more shops maintain healthy scores and remain eligible for benefits like campaigns and affiliate programs.
Guide to Product Detail Page (PDP) Compliance: We're here to support you in making bulk updates to existing listings. It provides clear, step-by-step instructions for meeting CA Proposition 65 and CPSC Choking Hazard requirements, including bulk edit methods.
Customer Order Replacement Policy: We've updated it to help you offer replacements for eligible non-returnable items without requiring the customer to return the original item. We also streamlined after-sale disputes by issuing refunds on your behalf for supported claims.
Understanding Your OVL: We published a fresh guide that's all about Order Volume Limits (OVL)! This guide helps answer common questions about Order Volume Limits (OVL), like “Why is my product showing out of stock?” and “How can I increase my OVL?”—check it out!
Prohibited Products Guide: We published a helpful resource that outlines our Prohibited Products Policy and clarifies the difference between prohibited and restricted products, and introduces best practices and FAQs for sellers.
Guidelines for Listing Products Containing Batteries and Guide to Obtaining a Data Safety Sheet (SDS): We launched not one, but two, new Dangerous Goods articles to help you avoid two common causes of listing delays and rejections. One article explains how to identify battery types and understand when additional declarations or documentation may be required. The other explains when an SDS is needed and highlights common issues that can lead to rejections.
Guide on Customer Messages: We launched three new features in Shop Chat to help you respond to customers more efficiently! Shop Chat now includes an AI agent that will recommend replies to customer queries in real-time. The new Customer Insights comes with useful filters (like frequent customer) so you can prioritize your chats. The new urgent folder leverages Customer Insights to organize and flag the ones that require immediate attention.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (November 2025)✨

💰Policy Update: Customer Order Replacement We've updated the Customer Order Replacement Policy to help you offer replacements for eligible non-returnable items without requiring the customer to return the original item. We also streamlined after-sale disputes by issuing refunds on your behalf for supported claims. Our goal is to make things easier for you and help customers get faster resolutions.
📣 New! Protection for Small Order-Volume SellersCheck out the new small-volume protection in the Guide to Shop Performance Score (SPS). This update adjusts how negative reviews and delivery issues impact your key SPS metrics, helping more shops maintain healthy scores and remain eligible for benefits like campaigns and affiliate programs.
✅ Product Detail Page (PDP) Compliance GuideWe've launched a Guide to Product Detail Page (PDP) Compliance to support you in making bulk updates to existing listings. It provides clear, step-by-step instructions for meeting CA Proposition 65 and CPSC Choking Hazard requirements, including bulk edit methods.
🌟New! Violation Correction Guide A Correction gives you a crucial opportunity to fix listing issues that violate policies before any enforcement action is taken. During this limited Correction window, you can update your listings without resubmitting, pausing enforcement while your changes are reviewed. Understanding how this process works can help you protect your operations and avoid further violations. Read on to learn how to make the most of it: How to Correct Seller Violations.
🔑 Policy Update: Shop Tab Eligibility StandardsThe Shop Tab Eligibility Standards Policy, gives you tips on how to avoid violations and provides clear correction paths. Some violation examples include, but are not limited to, Crude, Vulgar, and Disturbing (CVD) content, Global Content Assurance (GCA) standards, and Pricing Accuracy.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (October 2025)✨

💰 Black Friday and Cyber Monday are finally here! This year, the peak buying season and campaign benefits run from November 12 to December 1, 2025. If you're signed up, welcome and happy selling! If you haven't registered yet, check out the criteria below and don't miss this epic campaign!
📣 Seller Campaign EligibilityTo participate in campaigns, shops must meet the following criteria:
Shop Performance Score (SPS): 3.5 or higher, or null with no violations. When SPS is null (e.g., new seller, insufficient data, or temporary processing), the shop is still eligible as long as no violations are recorded.

Account Health Rating (AHR): greater than 150
On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR): 80% or higher in the last 30 days
Seller Fault Cancellation Rate (SFCR): 5.0% or lower in the last 30 days
Shop visibility: must not be limited due to excessive violations
Free shipping: required (shop or products must offer free shipping with a threshold of $30 or below)

Product eligibility is based on sellers meeting SPS requirements and basic risk control standards.
To register for campaigns: Go to Seller Center > Marketing > Campaigns. From there, locate an eligible campaign you want to participate in and click Register.
🏋️ A Fresh Guide All About Order Volume Limits (OVL)! To help answer common questions about Order Volume Limits (OVL), like “Why is my product showing out of stock?” and “How can I increase my OVL?”, we’ve published a helpful guide: Understanding Your OVL.
👀 Watch Out For Prohibited ProductsTo help you steer clear of prohibited products, we’ve launched the Prohibited Products Guide. It outlines our Prohibited Products Policy, clarifies the difference between prohibited and restricted products, and introduces best practices and FAQs for sellers.
🌟 Shop Probation Program Got A Glow UpWe've made some updates to the Shop Probation Program to help new sellers level up with confidence. We've increased the Shop Performance Score (SPS) criteria for tier upgrading and graduation and reduced the total listing limits. These changes will ensure a smooth transition from tier to tier until graduation.
😤 Manage Your Orders Like A BossDuring this exciting, high-selling season, don't sleep on the Order Handling Capacity tool to help manage your daily order volume. Daily order capacity refers to the volume of orders a shop can efficiently dispatch in accordance with our Customer Order Shipping Policy.🎬 3...2...1...Sold!Selling via LIVE? Fun! Have you tried the Countdown Bidding tool? Auctions (Countdown Bidding) is now available to sellers with a Shop Performance Score (SPS) of 2.5 or higher are automatically granted access. If SPS drops below 2.5, access is removed.
⏱ How it Works: Auctions run through TikTok Shop’s Countdown Bidding feature:

A built-in timer shows customers how much time is left to bid.
The highest bid is automatically locked in when the countdown ends.
Ensures a smooth, fair, and fully monitored auction experience.

Check out our Gambling Policy for more information.
✅ Check Before You PostOMG, have you used the Video Pre-Check tool yet? The Video Pre-Check tool, available in Creator Center, allows you to review your videos for potential content issues before posting. Upload a video and receive alerts within minutes on possible risks, plus tips to fix and optimize your content—how cool is that?! This tool checks for violations such as Unoriginal Content and Low Quality Content (this includes Irrelevant Promotion and Still Frame policies). Ready to access? Seller entrance:
Seller Center > LIVE & Video > Shoppable videos > Create content > Quality check
📦 Updates To Backorder and Custom Handling Time Features We've made updates to the eligibility requirements for Backorder and Custom Handling time features in the Custom Orders Policy.
Backorder eligibility criteria:✅ Maintain an "Active" shop status
✅ Have an active Account Manager
✅ Graduated from the Shop Probation program
✅ Achieve and maintain a Shop Performance Score (SPS) ≥ 4
Custom Handling Time eligibility criteria:✅ Maintain an "Active" shop status
✅ Have an active Account Manager
✅ Graduated from the Shop Probation program
✅ Achieve and maintain a Shop Performance Score (SPS) ≥ 3.5

✨Seller Policy Pulse (September 2025)✨

✨Welcome to Policy Pulse, your monthly roundup of the latest TikTok Shop policy updates.✨Catch up on all the highlights! Scroll to the end to revisit updates from earlier months and see what you’ve missed.💰 Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner! This year, the peak buying season and campaign benefits run from November 12 to December 1, 2025. You can get a head start by reviewing the campaign eligibility requirements below and enrolling if you qualify!
📣 Seller Campaign EligibilityTo participate in campaigns, shops must meet the following criteria:
Shop Performance Score (SPS): 3.5 or higher, or null with no violations. When SPS is null (e.g., new seller, insufficient data, or temporary processing), the shop is still eligible as long as no violations are recorded.

Account Health Rating (AHR): greater than 150
On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR): 80% or higher in the last 30 days
Seller Fault Cancellation Rate (SFCR): 5.0% or lower in the last 30 days
Shop visibility: must not be limited due to excessive violations
Free shipping: required (shop or products must offer free shipping with a threshold of $30 or below)

Product eligibility is based on sellers meeting SPS requirements and basic risk control standards.
To register for campaigns Go to Seller Center > Marketing > Campaigns. On the Campaigns page, locate an eligible Campaign you want to participate in and click "Register".
🏝️ Chatbot Calculations Just Got a Weekend Break! We’ve updated how response times are measured for sellers using Chatbot. Weekend messages are now excluded from the 24-hour response window, but they must still be answered by Monday 12 PM local time to avoid impact to your 24-hour response rate.
Please remember—casual replies like “Hi” or “Hello” don’t count as valid responses. You’ll need to provide a meaningful reply that addresses the customer’s question or concern.
For more information, refer to Your Guide To The 24-Hour Response Rate Metric.
📫 Upgrades to TikTok Shop Customer Messages We launched three new features in Shop Chat to help you respond to customers more efficiently!
Shop Chat now includes an AI agent that will recommend replies to customer queries in real-time.
The new Customer Insights comes with useful filters (like frequent customer) so you can prioritize your chats.
The new urgent folder leverages Customer Insights to organize and flag the ones that require immediate attention.
For more information, check out our Guide on Customer Messages.
💸 Updates to Return and Refund Policy We’ve updated how return and refund costs are handled for the following reasons:

Item no longer needed
Item doesn't fit/too small/too big

The shipping cost for these returns, as well as the cost of returnless refunds, will now be shared equally between TikTok Shop and the seller. But fret not! You may be eligible for higher subsidies from us (where we cover up to 80%) depending on your Shop Performance Score.
For more information, check out our Guide to Managing Returns, Refunds, and Replacements.
🧾 Non-Buyer Fault Return and Refund Rate (NBFR) TikTok Shop tracks returns and refunds based on seller or fulfillment issues through the Non-Buyer Fault Return and Refund Rate (NBFR). Issues that commonly fall into this category include missing or wrong items, damaged products, and packages marked as delivered but not received.
A high NBFR can lower your Shop Performance Score (SPS), reduce product visibility, and affect eligibility for SPS benefits. Monitoring fulfillment quality and keeping NBFR low helps maintain customer satisfaction and repeat business. Products fulfilled via Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) are excluded from NBFR.
For more information, check out our Guide to Non-Buyer Fault Return & Refund Rate.
🕹️ Grow Your Collectibles Business with Breaks Sellers with a Shop Performance Score (SPS) ≥ 2.5 can now offer Card Breaks and Memorabilia Breaks through TikTok Shop’s Category Qualification page. Breaks let sellers turn sealed packs, boxes, or cases into an engaging live experience where content is distributed to paying customers.
Eligible Categories:

Collectibles > Trading Cards and Accessories
Collectibles > Memorabilia Breaks

For more information, review our Collectibles Policy!
🍋 Selling Pesticides on TikTok Shop Are you selling pesticides? Make sure your listings follow EPA rules! Provide proper registration numbers, labels, and safety warnings. Depending on your seller type, you may need product images, compliance certificates, or invoices. Indicate if your product is a pesticide when listing to stay compliant and keep your shop safe. For more details, check out our Sports and Outdoor Recreation Policy.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (August 2025)✨

Ready to Ship Cut-Off DatesNOTE: Backorder, Pre-order, Made-to-Order, and Custom Handling Time orders are all expected to be updated to Transit to Ship within seven (7) business days from Ready to Ship.
Customer Refund Options(edited for corrections Sept. 15) All orders (including Regular Order, Backorder, Pre-order, Made-to-Order and Custom Handling) are expected to be updated to "In transit" as soon as they are handed to the Logistics Service Provider (LSP).To protect the customer experience, please dispatch orders as quickly as possible. If an order has not been marked "In transit" customers will be given the option to request a refund after 7 business days from when the order is marked "Awaiting collection"
If an order marked Transit to Ship is not updated as Delivered by the deliver-by date due to abnormal delivery issues*, the customer will be given the option to refund their order.

*Abnormal delivery issues include damaged, lost, or delayed packages.

For more information, please refer to our Customer Order Cancellation, Return, and Refund Policy.
UPO (Unpaid Postage Orders) Policy and Enforcement UpdateFor sellers using the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver packages within the United States (US), TikTok Shop strictly prohibits Unpaid Postage Orders (UPO) and counterfeit shipping labels. This behavior is not only fraudulent, but it undermines customer trust and the overall customer experience within TikTok Shop. For more information, refer to our Seller Enforcement Policy and Customer Order Shipping Policy.
Money-Back Guarantee (previously Buyer Protection Program)To increase shopper trust and simplify the process of filing a claim, we've revamped the Buyer Protection Program with a new name and easier, more customer-friendly, navigation. The new program is called Money-Back Guarantee. Shoppers and sellers will now see Money-Back Guarantee, instead of the Buyer Protection Program icons and messaging.
Unauthorized Use of the Global Pick TagGlobal Pick is an official platform tag for products that meet TikTok Shop’s high standards of manufacturing, cost, and quality. Unauthorized use of the tag is prohibited on TikTok Shop. Sellers may only use the Global Pick tag when it has been officially assigned by the platform. For more information, refer to our Product Listing Policy.
Best Practices for SKUsHere's a quick reminder—please avoid listing duplicate SKUs, as well as inaccurate and inconsistent variations. We encourage you to review our helpful Product Listing article and learn about why individual SKUs matter. Clear and Accurate Product Listings MatterMake sure all product listing content, including titles, images, and descriptions, accurately reflects the product’s appearance, functionality, and effect.
And please avoid sharing misleading functionality and effect claims in product information or images, such as showing before-and-after comparisons or using false advertising or exaggerated descriptions.
Some products on TikTok Shop require approval before they can be listed. This process, called category qualification, ensures that regulated or high-risk products meet quality and safety standards. Our new article helps sellers understand common documentation that is requested, where to find the relevant policy, and what to check before reapplying. For more information, refer to Your Guide to Category Qualification.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (July 2025)✨

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-canceled at 7 business days. No communication will be sent to the customer.Updates to Refund Request and Speedy Refund Appeals ProcessYou 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 ToolThe 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 ActiveWe'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 PolicyTikTok 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 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.
New Category Qualification GuideYou 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.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (June 2025)✨

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!

✨Seller Policy Pulse (May 2025)✨

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!

✨Seller Policy Pulse (April 2025)✨

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 minimis 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.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (March 2025)✨

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 Requirements for Brand Authorization article.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (February 2025)✨

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 for 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.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (January 2025)✨

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!

✨Seller Policy Pulse (December 2024)✨

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.

✨Seller Policy Pulse (November 2024)✨

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 days 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 medical devices and medical supplies, beauty and personal care, kids' 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!

✨Policy Pulse (May 2026)✨

Creator TL;DR

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Readable Policy Copy

Seller Updates

📡 FCC Requirements for Routers: Compliance Update

🔗 Affiliate Product Quality Threshold Update

🧴 EPA Documentation Requirements for Pesticide Listings

🪪 Enhanced Identity Verification for New Seller Onboarding

💡 AI-Powered Fulfillment Quality Warnings

🔄 Simplified Returns and Refunds Review (Effective May 12, 2026)

📢 Strengthened Enforcement for Inaccurate Tracking Information

🚚 OTDR Updates for TikTok Shipping, CBT, and Upgraded Shipping (June 2026)

💄 Beauty & Personal Care Expiration and Shelf Life Requirements

💳 Chargeback Policy Auto‑Contest Support for Eligible Orders

Creator Updates

🎯 Posting Limits for Shoppable Content (US)

⭐ Creator Pilot Program & Binding Requirements Update

🌐 Geo‑Blocking for Special‑Category LIVEs

✨Policy Pulse (April 2026)✨

Seller Updates

🪪 Updated Seller Onboarding ID Verification Requirements

🔗 Updates to Affiliate Permissions & Product Quality Thresholds

📊 Invalid Seller Rejection Rate (ISRR) Enforcement Begins

📥 Perfect Order List Download Launch

📄 Listing-Level Documentation Requirements for Certain Product Categories

🎥 LIVE Selling Warning Updates

⚽ FIFA World Cup 26™ IP Protection Guidance

↩️ Buyer-Fault Return Cost Responsibility Updates

🚚 In-Transit Order Management Updates for Enforced Sellers

⭐ Seller Review Report Tool (SRRT) Expansion

🪙 Coins & Money Collectibles Expansion

Creator Updates

💰 Commission Settlement Timeline Adjustment

⚖️ Update on Prohibited Weight Management Claims

✨Policy Pulse (March 2026)✨

✨Policy Pulse (February 2026)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (January 2026)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (December 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (2025 Wrapped)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (November 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (October 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (September 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (August 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (July 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (June 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (May 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (April 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (March 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (February 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (January 2025)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (December 2024)✨

✨Seller Policy Pulse (November 2024)✨