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How to sell on TikTok Shop

Short answer

Sell on TikTok Shop when your product shows well in a short video and costs little enough for an impulse buy, because buyers check out without leaving the app. Run your own site alongside it, so viewers who look up your brand later find a store you control.

Two ways to sell, and which is yours

Sell inside TikTok Shop

Buyers tap a product in a video or live stream and pay in the app. It's the shortest path from a video that takes off to a sale, but TikTok runs the checkout and the buyer stays a TikTok customer.

Best for

Impulse-priced products that demo well on camera

Send viewers to your own site

Your own site keeps your full catalog, your prices and the customer's email. Link it from your profile and your packaging. Replo builds the site; it doesn't sync your products or inventory into TikTok Shop.

Best for

Brands building repeat customers beyond one app

Where to sell on TikTok Shop and what each platform charges

Fees for selling on TikTok Shop
TikTok ShopNothing until you sell6% referral fee, processing includedThe fee also applies to buyer-paid shipping, and pre-owned items pay 5%.
Your own site (Replo checkout)Your Replo plan2.9% + $0.30 card processingReplo checkout runs on Stripe, and Replo's docs list no extra per-sale fee.
Your own store on Shopify$39 a month, or $29 billed yearly2.9% + $0.30 with Shopify PaymentsUsing another payment provider on Basic adds a 2% third-party transaction fee.
InstagramFreeNo in-app checkout; buyers pay on your siteInstagram shops send buyers to your website, so your own checkout fees apply.

TikTok Shop takes its cut from each sale and brings buyers who'd never search for you. Your own site keeps more per order, but you pay to bring the visitors.

What you keep on a $30 scented candle

Each platform's fees on one $30 sale, before shipping, taxes, monthly plans and any ads you choose to buy.

  1. Your own site (Replo checkout)$28.83 kept, $1.17 in fees
  2. Your own store on Shopify$28.83 kept, $1.17 in fees
  3. TikTok Shop$28.20 kept, $1.80 in fees

Launch checklist

  • Check that you qualify: US applicants must be at least 18 years old and live in the USA.
  • Have an accepted ID ready: a US passport or passport card, driver's license, state ID or permanent resident card.
  • Pick your business type carefully, because TikTok won't let you change it after the account is registered.
  • Find out whether your category needs approval before listing; most applications are reviewed within 6 days.
  • Add your bank account details and a W-9 so payouts and tax reporting work from your first order.
  • Show the product in use within the first seconds of each video, since the demo does the selling.

Build the site behind your TikTok

Replo builds a brand site on your own domain for viewers who leave TikTok to look you up.

The prompt Replo starts from

Build a site for my brand, [brand name], which I also sell on TikTok Shop. Make a homepage with our best-selling product and a short video, product pages with ingredients or materials, a reviews section, an about page with our story, and an email signup with a first-order offer for people who found us on TikTok.
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Frequently asked questions

How do I set up a TikTok Shop?
Sign up in TikTok Shop Seller Center with your TikTok account, email or phone number, then choose a business type. Upload your ID, proof of address and tax details, fix anything that doesn't verify, and submit. Once approved, add your products.
What are the requirements for TikTok Shop?
In the US, you must be at least 18, live in the USA, and use a phone number and email not already tied to another shop. You'll need an accepted US ID, an SSN or ITIN, bank account details, proof of address and a W-9.
Why is my TikTok Shop not showing up?
Check registration first: Seller Center marks any field it can't verify with a yellow caution symbol, and you must fix it before submitting. Then check your products. Items in restricted categories need category approval before they can be listed.
Do I need a website if I sell on TikTok Shop?
No, but it helps. A site gives viewers who search your brand a place you control, builds an email list you own, and keeps you selling if a product or your account gets restricted on TikTok.

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