Temu is an online marketplace with headquarters in Boston. It was founded in July 2022, making it a fairly new e-commerce site.
The platform is best known for offering heavily discounted goods. Things offered on the site range from clothes, house appliances, toys, and more. But what many people don’t know is that individuals can sell stuff on Temu.
Temu is unique because it allows China-based vendors to sell and ship products directly to customers. They don’t have to go through intermediaries, and this reduces the final cost significantly.
If you want to sell things on Temu but don’t know how to go about it, this is for you.
Before we begin, here’s a brief summary.
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Quick Summary
- Temu offers business opportunities to people who want to sell.
- The platform has a separate account creation process for sellers, which can be done either through Pinduoduo or by sending a request to seller@temu.com.
- Sellers are supposed to provide all information that makes it easy to be identified. This includes profile images, brand details, and a physical address for returns.
- Not all products can be listed on Temu for sale. Prohibited items include weapons, hazardous materials, and drugs.
- Selling on Temu can be a lucrative opportunity but only when done seriously.
How To Start Selling On Temu?
Opening a store in Temu has certain requirements.
I’ll take you through the process step by step.
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1. Create an Account
The first thing you need to do is sign up for a Temu Seller Account.
There used to be a button for “Become a Seller” where you could register directly. But Temu changed that a few months back. If you sign up the regular way on Temu, you’ll only be creating a buyer account, and that won’t help you.
You need to go to Pinduoduo and create an account there. The site requires you to enter your phone number and set the password. A verification code will be sent to your phone number.
Alternatively, you can sign up as a seller directly by sending mail to seller@temu.com. They will send you an invite code.
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2. Set Up a Store
Next, you need to set up your store by completing your seller profile. This process must be done before you’re allowed to add any product listings. A complete seller profile adds credibility and makes buyers trust you more.
You need to provide the following to complete the store setup.
- Shop Name: You need to choose a name that’s unique to the nature of the products you intend to sell. You can’t give your shop a name that sounds like a boutique when you intend to sell office supplies or electronics.
- Shop Description: A shop description tells your potential buyers what you’re selling. This can be a short sentence listing the nature of the products.
- Profile Picture: This doesn’t have to be your personal picture. It could be a brand image of your business logo. It should be something that quickly identifies your services with a single look.
- Payment Account: Temu allows buyers to pay through Temu Credit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and major credit/debit cards. Ensure your shop allows as many of these payments as possible, although that may vary based on your location.
- Return Address: You need to list a physical return address where buyers can send back damaged goods for exchange.
- Tax Information: Depending on the country you reside in, you’ll have to provide your tax information. But this won’t be public to your buyers.
It usually takes between three to five days for a seller account to be approved.
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3. Create Product Listings
Once the store approval comes through, it’s time to create your product listings. Tap on “Add Products,” which is available on your seller dashboard. For every product you list, you’re required to add the following information.
- Title & Description: The name and description have to capture the product as clearly as possible. They have to be eye-catching with the specs, materials, uses, and dimensions, among other details.
- Photos: This is one of the most necessary parts of product listings. The first thing buyers look at, even before the price, is the product image. So ensure it’s clear and includes as many angles as possible.
- Categories: The products have to be uploaded to their appropriate categories. That makes finding them much easier.
- Stock Quantity: Temu mandates sellers to display the exact number of products left in stock. It wouldn’t be good for your store to have an active listing for products that don’t exist anymore.
- Price: You need to have the price displayed clearly where it can be seen on the website and the app.
- Shipping Information: You need to specify where you are able to ship to and the cost. If you have free shipping, include that too.
Temu doesn’t charge any fees for listing products. However, there’s a commission it takes for every sale you make, which ranges between 2%-5%. So consider that when pricing your products. We talk about that in the next section.
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4. Set the Price
Setting the price on Temu is a little challenging. Temu is known for huge discounts, so they’re likely to go with sellers who set the lowest price. Research your competitors to know the ballpark figure to go with.
When setting the price, consider your profit margins. Find a balance between your costs and affordability. A tip to keep in mind is that you profit more by selling large volumes on Temu at lower margins.
However, don’t limit yourself too much to avoid losses.
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5. Manage Inventory
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Keep a close eye on your inventory when you start selling. Running out of stock could lose you a lot of potential sales. There are some tips you can use to make sure you stay on top of things.
- Set inventory alerts that notify you when a product stock starts to run low. You can set it to alert you when the remaining inventory drops below ten.
- Always update the number of products left as you procure new ones. Avoid giving buyers the wrong information, as that could lead to trust issues, which is bad for business.
- Delete products that you no longer sell or have no intention of restocking. Leaving products inactive is frustrating to customers. Don’t give them false hope.
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6. Optimize Product SEO
Listing your products and sitting back won’t get you the sales you need. Temu is a highly competitive site with tens of thousands of sellers. This is where SEO techniques come in handy.
You need to use keywords in your description, things that buyers frequently use to search for specific products. Add tags to make it easy for product names to appear whenever someone tries to type a product name. Much like autocomplete.
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7. Be Responsive
Photo by Yan Krukau/Pexels
Having excellent customer service will take your Temu online store further than paid promotions. One of the things online transactions have given buyers is the power to get in touch with sellers quickly.
As a seller, you can take advantage of different tools like mail and live chat. Always respond to your customers as fast as possible.
Always answer any question seeking clarification on your listings. Handle returns, refunds, and exchanges as professionally as you can by listening to the customer’s complaints.
Follow up with the customer to make sure that your responses were helpful and that they were satisfied. That’s how you get positive reviews.
To add to this, you need to provide clear information on returns, exchanges, and refunds. Customers love dealing with sellers who don’t use vague language. No one wants to haggle over small details like that when there are so many alternative stores to go to.
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8. Ship Orders Promptly
Photo by Norma Mortenson/Pexels
Another way to ensure you continue selling on Temu is to ship products as fast as you can. As much as getting new customers is important, retaining your repeat customers brings in more.
Late shipments are one of the reasons many sellers in Temu are unable to maintain consistency.
You need to check pending orders at least once a day and process them immediately. Don’t simply rely on app notifications, as they may not show up due to glitches.
Ensure you attractively pack your products. Fragile shipments need to be labeled clearly for the shipping carriers to avoid damage.
You should use verified and reliable carriers. Avoid out-of-pocket companies, as that will cost you more and eat into your profits. Fortunately for most sellers, Temu has partnered up with various shipping companies like USPS, FedEx, and DHL with cheaper rates.
Therefore, find the one that works best for you and maintain their services for consistency. Also, if you ship internationally, make sure your customers know that in advance.
Display all the shipping costs so they can see everything on checkout instead of being surprised with extra charges.
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What Are the Selling Restrictions on Temu?
Temu has a strict code of conducting business that every seller wishing to sell products there has to adhere to.
Here are some requirements that sellers essentially need to meet to start selling.
1. Prohibited Products
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You can’t list products that are illicit or counterfeit. Other products you cannot display on Temu include weapons, hazardous materials like poisons, and drugs. Medical drugs, for instance, require a doctor’s prescription first.
Furthermore, you need to be aware of the laws within the country you reside in regarding what you can sell online. Prohibited products are immediately declined by Temu when you add them to your listing.
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2. Restricted Categories
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There are certain products and categories that have to undergo more scrutiny before they’re approved for listing.
For example, electronic products, cosmetics, and health supplements have to meet compliance. They have to be examined by relevant authorities to reduce potential harm to the buyers.
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3. Intellectual Property Rights
Photo by Sora Shimazaki/Pexels
You may get yourself and Temu into trouble if you display products that infringe on intellectual copyright. Using other people’s trademarks, logos, and patents is against the law.
For example, if you don’t have direct permission to sell branded products, you can’t present yourself as the owner. That’s the fastest way to get your seller account banned.
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How Do I Get Paid for Sales on Temu?
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You’ve done everything right. You’ve listed your products, done the marketing, and have some buyers. But how do you get paid and withdraw the cash?
That’s the question on every new seller’s mind. Here’s how you go about it.
As we mentioned earlier in the section about setting up a store, Temu supports a wide range of payment options. The first thing you need to do to get paid is to set up a payment method for your store.
It can be bank transfers or online payment options like PayPal. The more you add, the higher the chances of getting more buyers.
Here’s a guide on how to withdraw your earnings via PayPal.
Second, you need to provide Temu with your payment details. Most times, this is your bank account, which is then tied to all the payment options. When someone buys from you, Temu gets their cut and deposits the rest to your wallet. You can then withdraw the money, based on the rules set by Temu, directly to your bank account.
Finally, Temu allows you to monitor sales and track your payment activity. You can see the exact amount the customer pays and the cut Temu gets. That lets you keep a clean record of all the transactions so you can know when you’re making profits or losses.
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Conclusion
Selling on Temu is easy if you follow the rules.
It’s a good option for budding entrepreneurs looking to venture into e-commerce. They can easily set up an online shop without spending a dime.
The commission that Temu takes isn’t that high either, and that favors sellers.
So, create an account today and start selling using this quick guide.