TikTok Shop UK policy changes: a year in review
TikTok Shop guide · October 2026
By Sweet Gen Media, TikTok Shop agency in Bournemouth
Every month, TikTok Shop publishes a Seller Policy Pulse: a roundup of the policy changes UK sellers need to know about. We've read every edition from October 2025 to September 2026 and pulled the main changes into one place, with the rules that changed again later in the year flagged.
The short version: the latest thresholds are a 90% On-Time Delivery Rate (up from 70%), a 2.5% cap on seller-fault cancellations and a Shop Performance Score of 3.5 to join affiliate marketing and campaigns. More categories now need compliance documents, TikTok has updated its brand authorisation and intellectual property guidance, sellers now get 4 business days instead of 2 to review returned parcels, and inactive shops face set stages at 120, 180 and 365 days.
The latest thresholds TikTok has announced
These are the most recent figures in the Policy Pulse editions we read. TikTok can change them at any time, so check Seller Center for the current numbers.
| Rule | Latest figure | Announced in |
|---|---|---|
| Shop Performance Score for affiliate marketing and campaigns | 3.5 or above | June 2026 (affiliate entry rose from 2.5 to 3.5 in March 2026) |
| Shop Performance Score for auctions | 3 or above | June 2026 |
| On-Time Delivery Rate | 90% or above counts as healthy | May 2026 |
| Seller-Fault Cancellation Rate | 2.5% or lower | May 2026 |
| Dispatching Ship by TikTok orders | Within 2 business days | May 2026 |
| Reviewing a returned parcel | 4 business days | May 2026 |
| UK targeted checks | 14 calendar days to make the updates | April 2026 |
| Inactive shops | Reduced visibility after 120 days, dormant after 180, possible deactivation after 365 | June 2026 |
| Negative balance | Over US$250 for more than 10 days in a row can suspend seller benefits; over US$500 for more than 30 days in a row can lead to permanent termination | October 2025 |
Month by month
| Pulse edition | What changed |
|---|---|
| October 2025 | Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns ran 21 November to 1 December 2025, open to shops with a Shop Performance Score of 3.9 or above, among other criteria. All orders to be delivered within 4 working days of order creation. Higher negative balance limits. A 90% target for replying to customer chats within 24 hours. Ship by TikTok orders to be shipped within 3 business days. Sellers allowed to incentivise reviews from verified buyers and import reviews of the same product from other platforms. TikTok may appeal chargebacks for sellers who don't respond. A probation programme for new shops, plus new guidelines on duplicate listings and on adult nudity in listing images, aimed at fashion sellers. |
| November 2025 | The UK ban on paid advertising of "less healthy" food and drink, from 5 January 2026, covers affiliate videos and livestreams, and compliance rests with the seller. Partial refunds allowed after inspecting a returned item. Realistic dolls modelled on infants, children and teenagers and several substances, including SARMs and DMAA, prohibited. Guidance on choosing the right category, with no cross-category bundles. Longer holiday returns for most categories: purchases from 21 November to 24 December 2025 returnable until 31 January 2026. |
| December 2025 and January 2026 | A dedicated category for electric hot water bottles from 14 January, with compliance documents required. |
| February 2026 | Photos of the ingredient list required when listing or editing cosmetics, from 14 March 2026. Fund freezes and late delivery fees for sellers who repeatedly miss delivery standards. Late Dispatch Rate of 4% or lower for Shipped by Platform orders, while Ship by Seller orders followed a 70% On-Time Delivery Rate. |
| March 2026 | Affiliate marketing entry raised to a Shop Performance Score of 3.5, from 23 March. Return shipping costs on non-seller-fault returns shared between TikTok and the seller from 8 April, with TikTok's share depending on return rate and score. Updated guidance on brand authorisation and on counterfeits, knockoffs and trademarks. New unfair trading guidelines from 24 March. |
| April 2026 | Mandatory compliance attributes and documents, including Safety Data Sheets, for dangerous goods, on new and existing listings. An updated guide to intellectual property appeals, noting sellers get two chances to appeal. UK targeted checks from 20 April: 14 calendar days to update your details, or withdrawals are blocked. |
| May 2026 | Late Dispatch Rate removed; On-Time Delivery Rate became the single delivery metric for Ship by Seller and Ship by TikTok, with 90% now counted as healthy and enforcement from 8 June. A new appeal reason for parcels scanned late by the courier. Four business days to review returned parcels. Three more scenarios count towards the Seller-Fault Cancellation Rate, capped at 2.5%. Limits on unbinding official and marketing account creators. AI-generated content must not exaggerate results or change how the product looks. Prices shown in content must match the listing price when posted, with an approved disclaimer. |
| June 2026 | A new Shop Performance Score from 1 June, with thresholds of 3.5 for affiliates and campaigns and 3 for auctions. An inactive and dormant shop policy from 11 June. Auction aftersales changes from 10 June, including seller approval for cancellations and a 14-day return window. |
| July 2026 | From 22 July, two score metrics look back over 60 days instead of 30. An improved tool for reporting account takeovers. A reminder to upload brand authorisation documents early, and new copyright infringement guidance. |
| August 2026 | A new Voice of Customer tool that brings customer feedback together. Compliance documents required from 30 August for electronics, toys, cosmetics, and baby and maternity listings. Branded products must show the real brand in the brand field. |
| September 2026 | New guidance on product claims in listings, covered in our post on TikTok Shop's product claims rules. |
Rules that changed again during the year
Some rules moved more than once, so an older guide or forum post may quote a figure that no longer applies.
- Late Dispatch Rate: Ship by TikTok orders had 3 business days to ship in October 2025, then 2 business days from February 2026, with the cap still at 4%. In May 2026 the metric was removed and On-Time Delivery Rate took over.
- On-Time Delivery Rate: orders had to arrive within 4 working days from October 2025. Ship by Seller orders needed 70% or above in February 2026. From May 2026 it covers both Ship by Seller and Ship by TikTok, and 90% counts as healthy.
- Shop Performance Score for affiliates: entry rose from 2.5 to 3.5 in March 2026, confirmed in June 2026 for affiliate marketing and campaigns. For comparison, Black Friday 2025 campaigns needed 3.9.
- What the score measures: in June 2026 TikTok added IM Dissatisfaction, On-Time Delivery Rate and Aftersales Handling Time, and removed the 24-hour response rate, Late Dispatch Rate and Complaint Rate. In July 2026 two of those metrics moved to a 60-day lookback.
- Reviewing returns: sellers had 3 working days during the 2025 holiday period, then 4 business days, up from 2, from May 2026.
What to do now
This is our advice for getting your shop in line with the year's changes.
- Check your score. Go to Seller Center > Account Health > Shop Performance Score. Below 3.5 and you can't run affiliate marketing or join campaigns.
- Check delivery and cancellations. Aim for an On-Time Delivery Rate of 90% or more and a Seller-Fault Cancellation Rate of 2.5% or less, and keep proof of every courier handover in case you need to appeal.
- Get your documents ready. Upload brand authorisation before you're asked, and check the documents your categories now need, especially electronics, toys, cosmetics, baby and maternity, and dangerous goods.
- Stay active. Logging in, editing a listing or replying to a customer all count as activity under the inactive shop policy.
- Keep up each month. We'll cover each new Policy Pulse on this blog as it comes out.
Want help keeping your shop healthy?
Sweet Gen Media is a TikTok Shop agency and TikTok Shop Partner based in Bournemouth, working with brands across the UK, US and Europe. Our free TikTok Shop audit checks your shop against the latest TikTok Shop rules and shows you what to fix first.
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- Seller Policy Pulse (September 2026), TikTok Shop Academy, dated 12 October 2026. The page includes every monthly edition back to October 2025.
This post summarises TikTok Shop's published guidance as of 27 October 2026. TikTok updates its policies regularly, so check Seller Center before you act. It isn't legal advice.