How to Sell on TikTok Shop: Step-by-Step Guide

A feature integrated directly into the TikTok app, TikTok Shop is an e-commerce platform where creators, brands, and small businesses display and sell their products directly to viewers. Everything from product discovery to checkout and payment can be done within the app, simplifying the buying process for viewers while helping creators reach a wide audience using TikTok’s recommendation algorithm.

If you’re a creative and social media-savvy entrepreneur who knows how to connect with audiences through short-form content, comfortably appear on camera, and tell engaging stories, showcasing your products on TikTok Shop can help grow your brand organically.

This article will help you learn how to sell on TikTok Shop as a beginner. We’ll also mention how using a Wise Business Account can simplify receiving international payments from customers globally so you can scale your e-commerce business confidently.

Table of contents
Why selling on TikTok Shop is worth it How TikTok Shop works for sellers Key shopping touchpoints for customers Essential tools for TikTok Shop sellers How to set up your TikTok Shop account

Why selling on TikTok Shop is worth it

TikTok Shop offers a unique and powerful opportunity for creative entrepreneurs and brands to connect with an audience and transform engaging short-form content into meaningful sales. With 135 million active users¹ in the United States, TikTok provides one of the largest and most dynamic markets for online sellers. The Philippines has 62.3 million active users².

What makes TikTok Shop more appealing is its rapid growth. TikTok Shop achieved a gross merchandise value of $33.2 billion in 2024 and has already reached $26 billion in the first half of 2025³. In 2024 alone, creators and brands in the US hosted over 8 million hours of LIVE shopping streams, in which 76% of the viewers made a purchase⁴. This proves one thing: social commerce is not just a trend but could be the future of online retail.

Compared to conventional e-commerce platforms, TikTok excels in product discovery due to its short-form format and algorithm, making it convenient for users to discover new products and brands they never knew they wanted in the first place. According to research, 83% of shoppers discovered a new product on TikTok Shop, while 70% discovered a new brand⁴.

How TikTok Shop works for sellers

At its core, TikTok Shop serves as an online storefront embedded within TikTok itself, the video-sharing platform. Creators and brands can list their products, demonstrate them through videos, and link directly to the in-app store. All the product listings appear in the For You Page, where millions of viewers spend their time scrolling and discovering new content every day.

As a discovery-driven platform, TikTok’s algorithm brings out the products relevant to the viewer depending on their behavior, interests, and engagement patterns. This helps even small or new sellers reach highly targeted customers.

TikTok thrives on authenticity. Actual people using and reviewing products on videos or livestreams build trust quicker than traditional ads with celebrities or hired models. During a livestream, sellers can answer questions users post right away, converting them from passive viewers to active buyers in real time.

Key shopping touchpoints for customers

TikTok Shop offers several touchpoints to make product discovery, exploration, and purchase seamless directly within the app.

Live shopping leads to real-time product discovery

The viewer can see the products pinned on-screen and add items to their cart without leaving the livestream. They can check out immediately or continue to browse and purchase everything later. During one of these sessions, sellers can answer questions that users post in real time, converting them from passive viewers to active buyers right there and then.

Shoppable videos transform content into profitable sales

Creators and brands can tag products directly in their short-form videos, allowing users to buy them while scrolling through their feed. Sellers can simply click ‘Add Link’ and attach the link to the product when creating a video.

Product showcase acts as the seller’s mini storefront

Every user on TikTok Shop has access to their own Product Showcase page, representing a mini storefront. When a viewer selects the shopping bag icon, they can explore the seller’s full range of products all in one place. The product listing contains detailed descriptions and reviews, blending brand visibility for sellers and increased transparency for customers.

TikTok marketplace as the central hub for shopping

TikTok has a dedicated Shop tab, which serves as a centralized marketplace where viewers can search for products, discover new or trending items, and read recommendations from different creators and brands. Customers have the freedom to sort and filter categories, compare prices, and search for creators and brands whose products align with their interests.

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Essential tools for TikTok Shop sellers

Besides the seamless in-app buying experience and access to a global audience, TikTok offers essential tools to help sellers grow their business, market products effectively, and manage the overall operations smoothly.

Affiliate program

The TikTok Shop Affiliate Program is a feature that connects content creators, brands, and sellers, forming a mutually beneficial partnership⁵. Creators earn commissions from the successful sale of the products they promote on TikTok Shop, and the seller gains sales and exposure.

Here’s the basic idea:

• sellers opt into the Affiliate Program when they list their products on TikTok Shop
• creators visit the TikTok Affiliate Hub and choose the products they want to promote
• creators add links to the products and talk about them on their video and livestream
• viewers purchase an item directly within the app

Shop Ads

TikTok features Shop Ads, which provide sellers the ability to amplify reach, drive clicks, and boost conversions through paid promotions. These paid advertisements appear on the seller’s For You Pages, product listings, and live streams⁶. This tool is extremely valuable if a seller is launching a new product.

Fulfilled by TikTok (FBT)

Fulfilled by TikTok is an end-to-end logistics solution that allows creators and brands to store their products in TikTok warehouses. When viewers complete a purchase, TikTok handles the packaging, shipping and delivery⁷.

This service makes it easier for sellers to streamline the fulfillment process of their orders, ensuring quicker shipping times. They can focus on what they do best – creating engaging content for their trusted audience.

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• Obtain account details to receive payments in USD, EUR, GBP, SGD, HKD and more for a one-time fee of 1,400 PHP.
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How to set up your TikTok Shop account

The first step to turning your creativity into successful sales is to set up your TikTok Shop account. Available in select markets, including the Philippines, TikTok Shop has transformed online retail by seamlessly converging entertainment and e-commerce to create an influencer-driven, immersive shopping experience.

If you already have an online store on other e-commerce platforms like Shopify, getting started on TikTok Shop is simple. To qualify, you must be at least 18 years old, hold a valid business license, and operate within a supported region.

Step 1: Connect to an e-commerce platform

It is important to connect an existing e-commerce store to TikTok before you can start selling and advertising on TikTok Shop. If you have a Shopify account, use the integration app TikTok for Shopify⁸ to link your products and manage orders directly from the Shopify dashboard.

Other online stores also work, but the setup process may differ depending on the integration tools that you use.

Once connected, the products will appear on TikTok Shop, making them discoverable to new audiences and millions of potential customers.

Step 2: Register for a TikTok Business account

Compared to a personal TikTok account, a business account offers sellers access to advanced tools to manage sales effectively, monitor performance, and reach more customers. Here’s how it works:

• go to the Seller Registration Portal and provide basic details (business name, region, contact information, and type of products you plan to sell)
• use an existing TikTok Business account (if you have it already) to log in to the TikTok Shop Seller Center

Step 3: Complete verification and account information

Verifying your business information is the next step to establishing legitimacy and trust with TikTok Shop and your potential customers. Here’s the basic idea:

• verify business information by uploading relevant documents like ID, business license, tax ID, and bank account details
• input the shop details like registered name, type of business, and product category
• once verified (which takes 1-2 days), you can customize your TikTok Shop storefront and logo, and start listing products
• link the bank account to receive payments from orders

Step 4: Add your product catalogue

A well-organized and visually appealing product catalogue serves as the foundation of your online store.

• Import products directly from an existing online store or manually upload each item using a spreadsheet template that you can download from Seller Center.
• Fill in the key product details like name, description, price, and quantity.
• Upload high-quality images of the products in different angles.
• Wait for TikTok to review the product listings, which can take up to 24 hours.

Step 5: Link the TikTok Shop to your business account

Linking your TikTok Shop to your business account is the next key step to ensure that your content, ads, and other features are integrated seamlessly. Here’s what you can do:

• go to the Seller Center’s dashboard and click ‘Connect your shop to a TikTok account’ to get the QR code prompt
• open the TikTok app on your mobile device, tap on the three-line menu at the top right corner, and scan the code to initiate the linking process
• note that if you are using a personal account, the system will convert it to a Business Account automatically during the linking process

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Best practices for increasing TikTok Shop sales

The most successful sellers combine their TikTok Shop with a robust marketing strategy that attracts, engages, and converts viewers into repeat customers. Focus on posting consistently, trying trending formats, and using creative storytelling to connect with your audience.

Think like a creator, not a traditional brand: Traditional marketing tones generally fall flat on TikTok. Sellers and brands that embrace authenticity, humor, and trends perform better. Showing some behind-the-scenes moments and demonstrating how you use the product in your everyday life are effective ways to demonstrate your products naturally.

Leverage creator and influencer partnerships: Creators have loyal viewers who trust their suggestions. Using the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program, sellers can find creators or influencers who publish content that aligns with their brand’s tone and overall identity

Create engaging content with product links

Make shoppable videos linked with product tags more entertaining and informative by experimenting with:

• “how-to” or tutorials to show how a product works
• user-generated content or reactions from satisfied customers
• before and after photos or clips to highlight the result of using the product
• live selling sessions to hype the product and entertain potential customers

Promote with TikTok Shop Ads strategically: TikTok offers various ad formats to increase visibility for the products. Product and video shopping ads promote your products using images and TikTok videos, respectively. Live shopping ads show products during a live selling session.

TikTok Shops also run Spark Ads to boost existing content⁹.

💡Running TikTok ads while paying for foreign transaction fees on a typical corporate bank card when dealing with international orders can add up. That’s where the Wise Business Card comes in. Wise Business helps you save on foreign currency costs by offering affordable conversion rates and transparent fees. There are no foreign transaction fees charged, and you'll always get the mid-market rate if there are any conversions.

Build customer loyalty for long-term growth: Customer retention is key to gaining sustainable success on TikTok. Follow up after a purchase, share ‘thank you’ messages to your customers, and respond to inquiries promptly. You can also offer early access to new products and exclusive discounts to loyal viewers.

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Financial and performance management

Keep track of costs to sell on TikTok Shop

Opening a TikTok Shop account is free, but as the shop grows, sellers will surely incur additional operational expenses to fulfill orders, market products, and work with creators.

Advertising and promotional costs help boost visibility and increase sales. Set a monthly advertising budget, use performance tracking tools to measure return on investment, and identify which campaigns drive the highest conversion and eliminate those that don’t.

Since TikTok Shop processes payments within the app, transaction fees apply in the form of a small percentage per sale. Sellers also cover the shipping fees, which can vary depending on the courier. Fulfilled by TikTok is convenient but also costs money.

Sellers pay creators and influencers to promote their products, and the fees can vary depending on follower count and engagement, and the type of collaboration (product review, video, or livestream).

Monitor key business metrics

Responsiveness and reliability are everything in e-commerce. Sellers can track response time and order defect rate using TikTok’s Seller Center. Maintaining fast response times and a low order defect rate is important to avoid penalty flags from TikTok.

TikTok’s algorithm favors short-form videos that viewers watch until the end. Improve your content by capturing attention in the first 2-3 seconds, keeping it dynamic and visually appealing, and using call-to-action like ‘click the bag icon to buy it now!’.

The Audience Insights tab shows when followers are most active, which dictates the prime posting window. Posting during peak activity times means higher chances of engagement and conversions.

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Expand your reach globally with Wise

Setting up a TikTok Shop is an effective way for a new or existing business to reach a global audience. At the same time, it provides customers with an easy and seamless way to discover and buy products without ever leaving the app, removing the usual friction of online shopping.

With just a few clicks, viewers can switch from watching a video to checking out a product. Also, brands can promote products organically within engaging content, blending storytelling with modern commerce.

This authentic approach boosts visibility and builds stronger connections with potential customers worldwide. A Wise Business account is a great way to manage and grow international sales without the hassle of having to deal with legacy corporate banking requirements, and excessive fees eating into profits.

➡️Get started with Wise Business today

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Sources:

1.Statista
2.World Population Review
3.TikTok Shop Global Merchandise Value 2025
4.TikTok Shop is where shoppers come to discover
5.TikTok Shop Affiliate
6.TikTok Shop Shop Ads
7.TikTok Shop Fulfilled by TikTok
8.TikTok Shopify Set Up Guide
9.TikTok Shop Spark Ads

Sources checked on 2nd November 2025