TikTok Shop Updates Policy to Include After-Sales Handling Time in Shop Performance Score
TikTok Shop updated its seller policy to include after-sales handling time in the Shop Performance Score, affecting U.S. and cross-border direct-shipping sellers.
What are the key facts?
- 1After-Sales Handling Time included in Shop Performance Score
- 2Automatically approved requests without seller involvement may not be counted
- 3Change affects U.S. TikTok Shop and cross-border direct-shipping sellers
What happened?
TikTok Shop recently updated its seller policy guidance, further emphasizing that After-Sales Handling Time will be included in the overall Shop Performance Score. This metric generally measures the average time sellers take to process refund, return, cancellation, or exchange requests. However, the platform states that only requests sellers actually review or handle under configured rules will be counted; if a request is automatically approved by the system under established rules without seller involvement, it may not be counted. The change affects U.S. TikTok Shop sellers, cross-border direct-shipping sellers, and stores with smaller after-sales teams. Long delays in handling after-sales tickets may affect shop ratings, traffic, eligibility for campaigns, and certain incentive benefits.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
After-sales handling time for U.S. TikTok Shop and cross-border direct-shipping sellers will be included in the Shop Performance Score. Delays in processing refunds, returns, cancellations, and exchanges may affect shop ratings, traffic, campaign eligibility, and certain incentive benefits. Automatically approved requests without seller involvement may not be counted, but sellers should still actively review and handle key tickets.
What should sellers do now?
- 1This week, create a daily after-sales inspection log for U.S. TikTok Shop and cross-border direct-shipping stores covering refund, return, cancellation, and exchange requests. Have customer service record the review and handling time for each ticket and complete a traceable record.AI Customer Service
- 2This week, establish after-sales task assignments and escalation rules for customer service, warehousing, and refund teams. Prioritize requests requiring actual seller review instead of relying only on automatic approval, sample-check each request type, and retain the handling results.