TikTok Shop UK is part of the popular video-sharing app, TikTok, which is positioning itself at the forefront of the booming social commerce market. TikTok Shop UK enables eCommerce merchants to sell to new audiences via LIVE stream shopping events, short video and in-app store fronts.

There are over 50bn views across TikTok videos tagged #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, demonstrating the mass appeal of TikTok as a commerce channel. If you want to reach new audiences and grow your business with TikTok Shop UK then read on to find out how.  

1. Register your account on TikTok Shop UK

To sell on TikTok you need to register your TikTok Shop account with TikTok. You can do this by visiting the TikTok Shop UK Seller Center. Once signed in, TikTok will take you through a verification process which is how they confirm your details so you can sell on TikTok. When uploading documents make sure to check they are in date, in colour and in focus. It is worth double checking everything because once it’s submitted, it can’t be changed afterwards.

2. Create a shipping fee template

Once you’ve been verified, you need to go to Seller Center > Shipping > Shipping fee template and you can add products ready to sell on TikTok. If you are fulfilling the orders yourself or through a 3pl like Huboo you will then need to set “shipped by seller” as your default shipping method.

3. Link your bank details

Next, link your bank account details so you get paid when orders come through.
Tips:

4. TikTok Shop UK Fulfilment

When it comes to fulfilling orders, you have the option of handling the process yourself or using a third-party fulfilment provider. If you choose to work with a fulfilment provider, you’ll want to make sure that they are experienced in handling eCommerce orders and that they can handle your businesses requirements. To help you pick a third-party fulfilment provider it’s important to consider the following factors:

Location
Their warehouses should be located close to your target market so you can reduce shipping times and costs, as well as decreasing emissions.
Huboo have warehousing operations across the globe and is continuing to expand into new markets, allowing eCommerce businesses to grow and reach new audiences.

Price
Watch out for hidden costs when comparing fulfilment providers. It might seem like you are getting a good deal, until you get billed for not hitting various requirements.
Huboo’s transparent pricing means you won’t get caught out and can plan for business growth.

Services
You need to ensure the provider can handle the specific needs of your business such as customised packaging, returns and shipping.

Scalability
The fulfilment provider should be able to handle your current and future business needs as well as respond to market demands, such as peak season.
Huboo’s hub model can flex in size to respond to increases in demand and forecasts staffing in advance, so you don’t need to.

Integration
Make sure the provider can integrate with your eCommerce platform and other tools you use to manage your business.
At Huboo we have an expansive selection of integrations in place and sync to additional systems for free.

Communication
Ensure the provider is responsive and easy to communicate with in case you have any questions or concerns.
Huboo’s dashboard allows eCommerce business owners to directly contact their warehouse team and get answers quickly.

Reputation
Research the provider’s reputation and read reviews from other businesses they’ve worked with.
Huboo are proud to have an ‘excellent’ Trust Pilot rating and are constantly updating and improving systems to offer the best experience.

By considering these factors, you can find a fulfilment provider that will help you take care of picking, packing, and dispatching your orders, leaving you more time to focus on growing your business to as effectively as possible.

How to make a successful TikTok Shop UK listing

TikTok Shop UK only want authentic products and selling counterfeit products could result in product delisting or even shop removal.

Key things to remember when uploading products:

• It is crucial you list the product/s under the correct category. If it is incorrect, it could lead to the product being removed.
• All product titles must include essential information e.g. materials, characteristics and key features whilst remaining concise and accurate.
• Product titles must not include: emoji’s, symbols, slang or seller names. Be descriptive but truthful. A brand name can only be added if you have the necessary authorisation. If you are unsure, check out the Merchant’s Terms of Service for more information.
• In your product descriptions you need to give all the information you can e.g. size, pattern, colour, material, product safety.
• Product descriptions should be more than 30 words. If this is your first time selling on TikTok make sure you take the time to carry out competitor research on TikTok. This will help you determine your marketing style and pricing strategy.
• Product images and videos need to accurately represent your product at the highest specs possible. When uploading your images and videos there are guidelines you need to follow. Some categories even need approval before appearing on TikTok Shop UK as additional certification is required. These include: personal care products, electronics, jewellery and beauty.
• Violating the product listing guidelines can affect your shop health. Your Shop Health rating can be found in your Seller Center. To see the full list of what is and isn’t allowed on the TikTok Shop UK, visit the Policy Center within the Seller Academy.

How to look after your TikTok Shop UK health

Seller’s performance is assessed in TikTok Shop UK, this is called shop health. When visiting the Shop Health page via the Seller Centre you’ll see a dashboard with a visual overview of your shops risk level against the requirements. This ranges from low risk, which generally means you are meeting the shop requirements, to severe risk where critical violations have been issued. This could mean you are no longer able to participate in promotions, temporary suspension, or are permanently removed.

If you receive any alerts, they will be listed in the violations record page. Here it will detail the type of violation, the reason, and the resulting enforcement. If you feel a violation has been unfairly issued you can appeal it however, it is recommended to avoid this in the first place.

Tips:

• Visit the Policy Centre in the TikTok Academy to read through the policies and guidelines to educate yourself on the regulations.
• Keep an eye out for policy updates in your Seller Centre homepage

Shop performance criteria

Shop performance is categorised into 4 sections to help you identify where the violations are:

1. Policy compliance
   How well your shop is performing against TikTok Shop policies and guidelines.
2. Order fulfilment
   Whether orders are successfully shipped and received in a timely manner. To help prevent fulfilment violations you can use one of TikTok Shop’s preferred fulfilment providers.
3. Service Metrics
   Rates the number of defective orders
4. Risk Control
   Relates to the number of violations issued which is reflected in your overall risk

You will see a number under each one of these categories that shows how many violations you have accumulated, hopefully they will stay at 0.

As a seller, you want to ensure your shop’s health is in top form as it not only affects your own shop but your customers experience. All new sellers go on probation for a minimum of 60 days when they first join TikTok Shop UK to assist with order fulfilment. Depending on the severity of any policy and guideline breaches you receive, it could result in you not passing probation. As a result, you won’t be able to progress to the dynamic settlement period which means you won’t get paid faster by TikTok.

How to prevent your shop’s health deteriorating

1. Only upload products that are allowed to be sold onto TikTok Shop Uk. A full list of products can be found in the Policy Center which is frequently updated.  
2. Read through the product listing guidelines to see what you should and shouldn’t include in your listings.
3. If you want to send orders using your own carrier make sure they are on the approved carrier list.
4. Maintain good customer service from livestream comments to the communications you have with customers. Don’t respond to trolls, block them instead.  

How to set up TikTok Shop UK shipping

TikTok are passionate about ensuring every customer receives an enjoyable and professional experience so one of the most important aspects of selling is the delivery of your products.
There are 2 shipping options available:

1. Ship via platform – You use TikTok Shop’s logistics service to fulfil orders.
2. Shipped by seller –  You are going to fulfil orders yourself or use a trusted fulfilment partner such as Huboo, and ship orders with an approved courier of your choice.

How do you decide between ship via platform and ship by seller?

Shipped via platform:

• As the default shipping option when you set up your store, this is a great solution for sellers that do the majority of their order volume through TikTok Shop and don’t have an existing contract with a courier or fulfilment provider. It is important to remember that you will still be required to package the orders before arranging collection by TikTok’s courier.
• Shipping subsides are often provided. For example, TikTok Shop UK previously offered a weight dependant shipping subsidy policy for standard shipping. This meant that when the Shipped via Platform option was used and the parcel weight was under 1kg the platform would cover the entire shipping cost. The shipping subsidy policies are updated regularly so contact your account manager for the latest information.
• TikTok Shop UK offer different levels of price protection for your parcel based on your required service. This means they will fully or partially reimburse you for any loss or damage caused by the courier.

Shipped by Seller:

• If you already work with a fulfilment provider that has a TikTok Shop integration, this option will enable you to fulfil these orders in the same way as your other orders with no need for additional contracts or agreements, and completely outsource the picking and packing function.
• If you already sell through other channels such as Shopify or eBay, you can centralise your stock and ensure you have as much inventory available to the channels that are selling well. This is particularly important due to the volatile nature of TikTok Shop orders when you do Live streams. Huboo’s integration with TikTok Shop includes an Inventory Sync workflow that will automatically update the inventory for each listing when stock levels increase or decrease in our warehouses to ensure you never oversell or have excess stock not available on this channel.
• Never miss a deadline – Using a third party fulfilment expert will ensure you are dispatching orders within the timescales set out by TikTok, and in most cases this will be same day. They will also have regular pickup times with the couriers to ensure all parcels are collected within 24hours, whereas this can be up to 48 hours for TikTok’s couriers.
• If you have an existing contract with an approved carrier you can continue to do so with this setting. Remember, if something happens to your package you will need to file a claim with the carrier yourself and any order dispatch notices or tracking numbers may need to be entered manually. This may also give you more bargaining power to negotiate shipping costs down across your other channels as you will have more volume going through one provider.

Tips:

• Make sure your products are in stock at all times so they can be delivered in time
• If a product is no longer available, remove it from your shop.
• Monitor all pending orders through the Seller Center under manage orders
• For Shipped via Platform option the order status needs to be set as ready to ship in 72 hours and shipped within 120 hours after the order is placed.
• In Shipped by Seller option the order status needs to be updates to shipped with 120 hours.
• All customer information must be always kept confidential.

TikTok Shop UK Order Fulfilment

Did you know Huboo are one of very few fulfilment providers to be a certified fulfilment partner of TikTok Shop? With a full integration in place, all orders placed in the app can be automatically fulfilled by our solution. This means speedy delivery to your customers, inventory tracking to keep on top of your stock levels, and quicker payment to you as a merchant. Sound good? Get in touch!