The Complete Guide to E-Commerce on Douyin (TikTok China) 

Douyin has emerged as China’s most powerful short-video commerce platform, blending entertainment with e-commerce. With over 800 million active users spending an average of 100 minutes daily on the platform, and generating approximately CNY 3.5 trillion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2024, Douyin represents the third-largest e-commerce platform in China, behind only Taobao and Pinduoduo. This guide covers everything you need to know about selling on Douyin, detailing step-by-step exactly how to open a store and promote your products.

What is Douyin?

Douyin, known as 抖音 in Chinese, is China’s dominant short-video platform owned by ByteDance. Launched in 2016 before its international counterpart TikTok, the platform began as an entertainment-focused app for 15-second music and dance videos. It has since transformed into a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates content creation, social interaction, and e-commerce functionality.

Douyin prioritises algorithm-powered content delivery through its “For You” (推荐) page, keeping users engaged for extended periods. The platform’s recommendation algorithm, powered by ByteDance’s Volcano Engine (火山引擎), analyses user behaviour, including watch time, likes, comments, shares, and completion rates to deliver personalised content.

Users follow a “Discover, Engage, Purchase” journey where they discover products through entertaining videos, engage with content and creators, then make purchases either on Douyin’s integrated e-commerce platform (抖音电商/Douyin Mall) or through external platforms. This unique approach allows brands to build awareness and drive conversions through creative, engaging content that doesn’t feel like traditional advertising.

Who Uses Douyin?

Douyin’s user demographics make it particularly valuable for brands targeting young, digitally-native consumers:

• Approximately 35% of users are aged 16 to 24, 27% are ages 25 to 30 and 16% are ages 31 to 35.
• 53.8% female users, 46.2% male users
• Majority of users are concentrated in urban areas, with strong penetration in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
• Average daily usage: 100 minutes per platform session

This demographic concentration makes Douyin particularly effective for fashion and beauty brands targeting young consumers, as well as consumer electronics and tech products, food and beverage brands with visual appeal, entertainment and lifestyle services, and affordable luxury brands.

What Do I Need to Sell on Douyin?

To sell on Douyin, you need create a Douyin Account and open a store. While not mandatory, establishing a Douyin Business Account (企业号) and obtaining Blue V verification (蓝V认证) is also strongly recommended to sell on Douyin due to enhanced visibility and intellectual property protection, ensuring no one else can use your brand name on the platform. 

Can I Sell on Douyin as a Foreign Company?

Yes, foreign companies can choose from three options to sell on Douyin:

1. Open a Cross-Border Store with Joint-Liability Partner (全球购)

Register as a cross-border merchant under your overseas entity by partnering with a qualified Chinese company to serve as your joint-liability entity (连带责任人). This option allows you to enter the Chinese market without establishing your own Chinese legal entity.

2. Open a Domestic Store via a WFOE (企业店)

Establish a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in China or use an existing one to register as a domestic merchant. This provides access to domestic store features with broader operational flexibility and lower transaction fees.

3. Open a Store with a Local Partner

Work with a local partner such AppInChina that can handle registration, store setup, marketing campaign management, and e-commerce operations on your behalf. This approach is ideal for brands seeking to minimise operational complexity while leveraging local expertise in navigating Douyin’s Chinese-only platforms, regulatory requirements, and unique social commerce ecosystem.

How to Open a Douyin Store

Selling your products on Douyin (抖音) involves following an onboarding process through the Douyin E-Commerce Merchant Center (抖音电商后台). Below is a step-by-step guide to opening your store as a cross-border merchant or a domestic entity.

1. Download Douyin

Firstly, you will need to download the Douyin app from the Apple App Store China or equivalent Android app store. Note that for the Apple App Store China, you will need to have a Mainland China region account in order to download Douyin, which typically requires a Chinese phone number. To learn more about how to access the Apple App Store China, read our full guide. 

2.  Create Your Douyin Account

Once you have downloaded the app, you can start creating a Douyin account:

• Navigate to the profile section (”我“)

• Then choose a method to sign up. Sign up can be completed with a phone number (choose drop-down for different regions) or via Weibo, WeChat, QQ, Toutiao and email accounts. 

Note that this personal account will become the account linked to the store. This account can later be verified via Business Verification (企业认证) to become a Business Account (企业号). This Business Account can then apply for a Blue V verification (蓝V标识). 

2. Log in to the Merchant Portal

Once your Douyin account is ready, log in to the Douyin E-commerce Merchant Center. This is where you’ll apply, upload documents, manage your store, and monitor performance.

3. Choose Your Merchant Type

In the portal, you’ll select whether you’re applying as a cross-border merchant or a domestic merchant. Your choice here determines the documentation, rules, and store functionality you’ll need to comply with.

4. Fill Out Application

For Cross-Border Merchants

The Cross-Border Merchant (全球购) category is the only option available for international  entities. Note that you need a Mainland Joint-Liability Entity (连带责任人) to apply. If you are applying as a cross-border merchant, you’ll need to submit:

• Dual-entity documentation:
  • Overseas company: business license, legal representative ID, overseas bank account statement
  • Mainland joint-liability entity: Chinese business license (营业执照), legal representative ID (法人代表), and a signed guarantee letter using Douyin’s template
• Brand qualification: Trademark certificate (R-mark or equivalent), or an authorisation letter if you’re reselling
• Security deposit: Usually between CNY 10,000 to CNY 20,000 (higher for certain categories like beauty or supplements)
• Corporate bank account verification: Douyin may send a test amount to confirm your Chinese account if you’re using a local financial partner
• Wait for review which typically takes 1–3 business days

For Domestic Entities

If you have a domestic entity, you can apply for via the Enterprise options (企业), you’ll need:

• Chinese business license (营业执照) , legal representative ID (法人代表), and corporate bank account license
• Trademark certificate (or first-level authorisation letter, depending on brand structure)
• Choose your store type:
  • Domestic Enterprise Stores (普通企业店) : For China-registered companies establishing a commercial presence.
  • Flagship Stores (旗航店): Represent official brand presence with premium features and greater customisation options.
  • Authorised Stores(授权店): For sellers with brand authorisation to resell products.
• Pay your security deposit. Enterprise stores often require at least CNY 4,000. Flagship stores can range much higher depending on the products sold. 
• Wait for review (usually 1–3 business days)

5. Configure Your Store

Once your application is approved and deposit is paid:

• Set up your store profile. Submit the name, logo, and description through the backend platform.
• Upload your product catalog. High-quality images with detailed specifications.
• Configure logistic.If you’re a cross-border merchant, decide between bonded warehouse or overseas shipping. If you are a domestic entity, work with local logistics.
• Set up payment. Integrate with Alipay and WeChat Pay, and ensure proper settlement flow. This is especially important for cross-border merchant.

Once you have completed this step, you store will be functional and can start selling products. 

6. Verify as a Business Account with a Blue V 

This is an optional but recommended step that businesses are advised to take to maximise their chances of success on Douyin. Verifiying a Douyin account to become a Business Account (企业号) allows it to apply for the Blue V verification (蓝V认证), enhancing:

• Trust and credibility with users.
• Protection of brand image and intellectual property. 
• Exposure via algorithmic distribution.
• Access to broader merchant metrics, advanced marketing tools, and smoother integration between your Douyin account and store.

Once operational, you will be able to use Douyin’s merchant backend to track performance, run promotions, and optimise your content strategy based using the backend’s data.

What’s the Difference Between a Cross-Border and Domestic Store?

The choice between a cross-border store (全球购) and domestic store (企业店) impacts your operational requirements, costs, and market entry timeline. Below is a table summarising the key differences:

	Cross-Border Store (全球购)	Domestic Store (企业店)
Entity Required	Overseas company and a joint-liability partner	Chinese-registered company (WFOE) or a local Chinese partner
Setup Complexity	Medium. This requires partner coordination.	Medium/High. This requires WFOE establishment or working with a local partner
Security Deposit	CNY 20,000 – 50,000	CNY 100,000 – 400,000
Transaction Fees	Higher (~0.7% payment fees)	Lower (~0.6% payment fees)
Logistics	Bonded warehouse required	Flexible domestic logistics
Customs Compliance	QR codes and clearance records required	N/a
Long-term Cost	Higher per transaction	Lower operational costs

How Do I Promote My Brand and Products?

Douyin’s marketing ecosystem differs significantly from traditional e-commerce platforms. Success requires understanding and leveraging the platform’s unique combination of organic content, influencer partnerships, and paid advertising.

Douyin offers three integrated marketing platforms that work together to support brand growth:

• Ocean Engine (巨量引擎). Ocean Engine is ByteDance’s advertising platform for creating and managing all paid advertising campaigns across Douyin, Toutiao, Xigua Video, and other apps, reaching 1.9 billion monthly active users across the network.
• Xingtu (巨量星图/Star Map). Xingtu is Douyin’s official influencer collaboration platform connecting brands with over 2.1 million registered KOLs and KOCs, providing AI-powered creator matching, campaign management tools, transparent pricing structures, payment processing, and real-time performance tracking.
• Douyin Analytics Dashboard (抖音商家管理). Douyin’s Analytics Dashboard allows brands to track performance, including video analytics, audience insights, e-commerce metrics, advertising performance, and competitive benchmarking.

To learn more about building a complete Douyin marketing strategy, including best practice tactics for content optimisation, influencer selection, and campaign measurement, refer to our full guide to marketing on Douyin.

How Can AppInChina Help?

Douyin offers real potential for foreign brands to reach Chinese consumers, but navigating its e-commerce, Chinese-only platforms and unique practices requires local expertise.

At AppInChina, we can help by:

• Opening a Douyin Store. Establish and operate the store on your behalf under our Chinese entity. 
• Designing and running a marketing campaign for your brand in China. Maximize return on ad spend through data-driven targeting, high-quality creatives, and ongoing optimisation across Ocean Engine advertising, KOL and KOC partnerships, and live streaming operations.
• Managing e-commerce operations. Setup and management of Douyin stores, including product listings, cross-border logistics coordination, and customer support.

Contact us to set up your Douyin store and begin promoting your brand through Douyin.