Selling on TikTok can be simple: You set up your TikTok Shop, a customer sees your product, likes it, and clicks purchase—all without leaving the app.
Your next step, of course, is getting that product to your customer, a process known as order fulfillment. Fulfillment involves warehousing products, packing orders, and shipping them. A good or bad process can not only make or break your customer experience but also your internal workflow and long-term profitability.
Here’s how TikTok merchants successfully fulfill orders placed on the app—and how to choose the best TikTok fulfillment strategy for your ecommerce business.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to film and share short-form videos and consume content made by other creators. TikTok launched in China in 2016 and in the US two years later, and is already one of the world’s leading social media platforms.
As of 2024, TikTok has more than one billion monthly active users worldwide and ranks fifth in monthly active user counts. It’s particularly popular with younger demographics: 62% of US adults between 18 and 29 years old are on the app, and more than 70% of the platform’s total adult audience is between 18 and 34 years old.
TikTok is also an emerging player in the ecommerce market. The platform will have an estimated 33.3 million social buyers (users who use social media to inform their purchase decisions) in the US by the end of 2024, placing it right below Facebook and Instagram.
TikTok’s shopping platform, TikTok Shop, allows users to make purchases without leaving the app. Since its September 2023 launch in the US, the platform has already attracted more than 500,000 sellers. TikTok Shop streamlines product discovery and conversion, allowing merchants to sell products through shoppable videos, livestreams, and account pages.
Fulfillment options for TikTok Shop sellers
There’s more than one approach to TikTok fulfillment. You can fulfill orders yourself, use TikTok’s in-house logistics offering, or partner with a third-party service provider that specializes in TikTok fulfillment solutions. Here’s an overview of each option:
Self-fulfillment
Self-fulfillment is exactly what it sounds like: You receive, pack, and ship orders yourself. It’s popular with small businesses and companies that want greater control over packing and shipping processes. For example, you might prefer this option if you sell delicate handmade goods or subscription box services.
TikTok merchants can sign up for TikTok Shipping to purchase discounted shipping labels from the platform or choose Seller Shipping to buy shipping labels on their own.
Fulfilled by TikTok
Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) is TikTok’s in-house fulfillment service for TikTok Shop orders. Here’s how it works:
1. TikTok Shop merchants send inventory to one of TikTok’s own product fulfillment centers.
2. Customers purchase products in the app.
3. The fulfillment center receives and packs the order, a shipper delivers the product to your customer, and TikTok manages returns.
Fulfilled by TikTok offers merchants up to 40% lower shipping rates than the platform’s discounted shipping label service, TikTok Shipping. It also reimburses sellers for lost or damaged orders, protects merchants from negative reviews and logistics-related platform penalties (like late shipping dates or seller cancellation). It handles customer queries via an instant messaging service and encourages sales by allowing shoppers to bundle products from different merchants to meet a $30 free shipping threshold.
FBT can improve customer experience while freeing you up to focus on your company’s growth. Merchants can sign up online with a TikTok seller account.
Third-party logistics providers
Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) are services that specialize in logistics, supply chain management, and fulfillment operations. They handle receiving, packing, and shipping orders, warehousing, inventory management, returns, and logistics-related customer service inquiries.
For TikTok sellers, partnering with a 3PL is like using FBT. The main difference is that a 3PL can take over your entire ecommerce fulfillment process—not just your fulfillment process for orders placed on TikTok. Many ecommerce companies choose this option when they can’t keep up with demand internally or want to focus their time elsewhere in their business. Long shipping lead times or high late dispatch rates are signsthat it might be time to outsource to a reliable fulfillment service provider.
Outsourcing to a 3PL can also streamline inventory management processes and reduce costs, especially for large companies. The pre-order cost of outsourcing decreases as order volumes grow. Many 3PLs use expansive networks of warehouses to reduce shipping costs by storing inventory close to end consumers around the world.
A 3PL also eliminates the need to dedicate inventory to individual sales channels. Your 3PL will maintain a centralized inventory database and allocate inventory based on demand, allowing you to fulfill more orders with less inventory on hand.
If you’re considering a fulfillment solutions provider, look for a partner with TikTok fulfillment experience, expertise in your industry, and the ability to integrate with all of your sales channels—including your online store.
Tips for TikTok Shop sellers
TikTok Shop can be a powerful tool for ecommerce business owners. Here are four tips to help you make the most of it.
Offer free and express shipping options
Online shoppers value free, fast shipping. A 2023 survey found that 70% of online shoppers consider free shipping critical, and 60% say the same about fast shipping. McKinsey & Company also reports that nearly half of online shoppers have abandoned a purchase due to long delivery timelines. And although 90% of US consumers expect items to arrive in three days or fewer, only 20% are willing to pay more for reduced delivery times.
Marcus Milione, founder of Minted New York, discusses the importance of fast shipping on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast.
“Delays are not a good start to your relationship with your customer,” Marcus says, adding that consumers “think products should be delivered at the latest in seven days, generally in two days.”
If you have a high average order value, consider offering express shipping options and offsetting the cost in product prices. If your order values are lower (or if your products are heavy, large, or otherwise expensive to ship), you can offer multiple shipping options in order to provide a satisfying shopping experience that doesn’t threaten your bottom line.
Common shipping options include express, standard, and budget (or free). Customers can then make context-informed decisions, allowing you to serve the customer who really needs those new pumps before their friend’s wedding (and is willing to pay extra to have them in time) and the customer who’s just one free-shipping incentive away from purchasing a pair of novelty socks.
Use TikTok badges
TikTok offers seller badges, which are icons that highlight your shop’s achievements and offers to customers. The Star Shop badge recognizes and promotes high-performing sellers, and the Free 3-Day Delivery badge signals that your products are eligible for FBT’s free express shipping.
If you’re planning on partnering with TikTok influencers or starting an affiliate marketing program, you can attract creators by offering a higher-than-average commission rate, which is signaled by TikTok’s Higher Commission badge.
Partner with influencers
Influencer marketing can help you increase brand awareness, attract new customers, and motivate repeat purchases—and TikTok is well-suited to influencer marketing strategies. A 2021 white paper commissioned by TikTok and Publicis Groupe found 78% of TikTok shoppers have discovered new products from influencer-generated content. It also found that 72% of TikTok users are more interested in posts from “ordinary content creators” than celebrities.
You can design influencer marketing campaigns around your budget and business goals. A personal care brand, for example, might contract a cohort of beauty and travel micro-influencers to create a video series about a new anti-jet lag skin care line. While an up-and-coming apparel company might partner with a fashion trend influencer to boost brand awareness.
Try flash sales
Businesses can use TikTok’s Seller Flash Deal tool to increase visibility and boost sales by showing they offer time-limited discounts or promotions. Flash sales motivate shoppers to browse your online store and can reduce cart abandonment rates by encouraging interested buyers to act on purchases immediately.
TikTok fulfillment FAQ
Does TikTok have fulfillment centers?
Yes. TikTok maintains dedicated TikTok product fulfillment centers as part of its in-house fulfillment logistics solution, Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT).
How does Fulfilled by TikTok work?
Here’s how Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT) works:
1. TikTok Shop merchants send inventory to a TikTok product fulfillment center.
2. Customers purchase products in the TikTok app.
3. The fulfillment center receives and packs the order, a shipper delivers the product to your customer, and TikTok manages returns.
What percentage does TikTok Shop take?
TikTok commission fees depend on the product category, varying between zero and 11.34%. The platform also charges a 3.78% transaction fee on all orders.
