On September 15th, Douyin Shop implemented significant adjustments to its platform rules, introducing stricter requirements for category access, enhanced penalties for violations, and upgraded service quality metrics. These changes could determine whether merchants survive or get removed from the platform.
1. Restricted Categories: Meet Standards or Lose Access
The core update establishes more rigorous access requirements for specific product categories. Merchants operating in designated "restricted categories" must now meet strict qualification standards or face removal from selling in those categories.
The affected categories include:
- Jewelry
- Apparel and lingerie
- Food products
- Alcoholic beverages
- Fresh produce
- Personal care and household cleaning items
These categories require merchants to submit formal applications ("BaiBiao") for platform approval before gaining selling privileges. However, maintaining these privileges demands ongoing compliance:
Critical Warning: Even approved merchants risk removal from restricted categories for:
- Non-compliant credentials: Expired licenses or inaccurate qualification information
- Product quality issues: Significant customer complaints or regulatory failures
- Policy violations: False advertising, counterfeit goods, or unfair competition
- Poor service metrics: Consistently failing Feige service standards
Category removal results in immediate product delistings, though merchants may reapply after 60 days if they rectify compliance issues.
2. Fake Registration Crackdown: Bulk Store Creation Banned
The updated rules now explicitly prohibit "fake registration" - the practice of mass-creating Douyin Shop accounts through automated tools or manual batch processes. This policy aims to maintain platform integrity.
Violators face severe penalties including:
- Account freezing
- Restrictions on authorized account bindings
- Security deposit deductions
Additional penalties for platform disruption may include order limitations, restricted store privileges, frozen funds, fines, or complete store removal based on violation severity.
3. Feige Service Upgrades: Stricter Performance Metrics
Douyin's merchant-customer communication system (Feige) now implements enhanced quality assessments with new "core service indicators":
- Response rate: Speed and frequency of merchant replies
- Non-service rate: Unanswered or rejected inquiries
- Dissatisfaction rate: Customer satisfaction metrics
Substandard performance triggers warnings, penalty points, or deposit deductions. Notably, low-volume stores previously assessed weekly now undergo monthly evaluations, preventing service quality neglect during slow periods.
These comprehensive updates reflect Douyin's commitment to platform standardization. Merchants must adapt operations to comply with the stricter requirements or risk losing their store privileges in China's competitive e-commerce landscape.