What changed
Temu local seller program for US-based sellers
When
Updated October 2026
Who it affects
US businesses and individuals with US stock
What to do
Confirm commission and policies inside Seller Center before listing

Key takeaways

  • Since May 2025, Temu says all US sales are handled by local sellers shipping from US stock.
  • Registration needs matching IRS business details, an EIN, ID verification and payout information.
  • Temu does not publish its commission publicly, so confirm fees and channel price impact before listing.
  1. 1Register

    Pick seller type in Seller Center

  2. 2Verify

    EIN, IRS name match, ID check

  3. 3List

    Accurate titles, images, prices

  4. 4Ship

    Own carriers or a logistics partner

  5. 5Protect

    Watch channel prices and metrics

How does selling on Temu work in the US now?

Temu started as a cross-border marketplace that shipped low-priced goods directly from China. That changed when the US ended duty-free de minimis treatment for those parcels on May 2, 2025. NBC News reported that Temu's US site switched to products shipped from US warehouses, items shipped from China were marked out of stock, and a Temu spokesperson said all US sales were now handled by local sellers. Temu also said it was actively recruiting US sellers. For background on the tariff change, see our de minimis suspension update.

In practice this means a US seller on Temu works much like a third-party seller elsewhere: you list products, Temu brings the shoppers and handles checkout, and you ship from stock that is already in the country.

What is the Temu local seller program?

The local seller program lets sellers who hold inventory in a country sell to shoppers in that same country. Temu says the program launched in early 2024 and is active in 37 markets, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the UK, most of the EU, Japan, South Korea and Australia. That figure comes from a sponsored Digital Commerce 360 article written on Temu's behalf, so treat it as Temu's own claim.

The same article says US sellers have been able to sell to shoppers in Canada since December 2025, without a separate Canadian warehouse. Check in Seller Center whether cross-border selling is open for your account and categories.

  • Sell to shoppers in the country where your stock sits
  • Ship yourself or through a logistics partner
  • Temu handles checkout, payments and traffic
  • US sellers can also reach Canada, per Temu

Temu's shift to local sellers

  1. Local seller program launches, per Temu

  2. US de minimis ends; US sales move to local sellers

  3. FTC announces $2M INFORM Act settlement

  4. US sellers can sell into Canada

Who can sell on Temu? Requirements and documents

Temu's seller site asks you to choose the country where your business is registered or where you live. The US sign-up flow, as described in the Digital Commerce 360 piece, accepts sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships and individuals. Business sellers need a legal name that matches the IRS CP 575 notice or beneficial ownership filing, an EIN and a registered address. The account representative verifies identity through Jumio with a valid, unexpired ID photo showing all four corners.

Have these ready before you start, because mismatched names and addresses are the most common reason marketplace applications stall on any platform.

  • Legal business name exactly as on IRS documents
  • EIN, or personal details for an individual account
  • Registered business address
  • Government ID for the account representative
  • US bank account for payouts
  • Product compliance documents for regulated categories

How to sell on Temu, step by step

Temu's seller page estimates about one minute to create an account and ten minutes to complete the application, with applications normally reviewed within one business day. Plan for longer if your category needs extra documents.

  • Create an account at seller.temu.com with email or phone
  • Choose your seller type and enter business details
  • Verify the representative's identity
  • Add payout and tax information
  • Apply for any restricted categories
  • List products with accurate titles, images and prices
  • Connect shipping, either your own carriers or a partner
  • Fulfil orders with valid tracking and watch your metrics

How fulfillment and shipping work

Temu states on its seller site that it does not provide logistics services directly. Instead it offers integrated logistics options, return handling help and dispute support. Sellers ship from local warehouses using their own carriers or Temu-supported providers; USPS, UPS and DHL are named in the Digital Commerce 360 article, along with integrations such as ShipBob, ShipStation, Rithum and Linnworks.

If you already use a 3PL or Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment for other channels, check whether it can meet Temu's handling time and tracking rules before you switch on large catalogs. Temu publishes these rules inside Seller Center rather than on public pages.

How much does it cost to sell on Temu?

Temu's public seller page talks about low costs and no-cost onboarding but does not publish a commission or fee schedule. Third-party guides quote very different rates for different seller models, and none of them are confirmed by Temu publicly, so we do not repeat them here. Ask for the commission for your category during onboarding and build it into a full margin model.

Model every cost before you price: commission, shipping labels, any free-shipping expectation, returns, packaging and payment timing. Temu shoppers are price sensitive, so a product that only just works on Amazon after fees may not work on Temu at all. Our Amazon pricing strategy guide explains a margin-first approach that transfers well to any marketplace.

Risks brands should weigh before listing on Temu

Temu can add a new customer base, but it carries risks that differ from Amazon or Walmart. The biggest is price. Marketplaces and comparison engines watch prices across channels, and a lower Temu price can hurt your Buy Box or featured offer elsewhere. Our Amazon fair pricing policy guide explains how Amazon reacts to cheaper prices off Amazon.

Regulators are also watching. In September 2025 the FTC announced Temu's operator, Whaleco, agreed to a $2 million civil penalty in the first enforcement case under the INFORM Consumers Act, over seller information disclosure and reporting tools. The act applies to high-volume third-party sellers, so expect to provide and keep current your business details.

  • Channel price conflict with Amazon and Walmart
  • Brand perception next to very low-priced goods
  • Counterfeits and unauthorized resellers of your brand
  • Fee terms you only see after onboarding
  • Seller information disclosure under the INFORM Act

Before you list on Temu

  • Commission confirmed for your category
  • Full margin model including shipping
  • Channel price check against Amazon
  • 3PL can meet handling time
  • Brand monitoring for unauthorized sellers

Temu vs Amazon and Walmart for brands

Amazon and Walmart give brands mature advertising, brand registries and detailed reporting. Temu's tools are newer and less documented in public. For most brands Temu works best as an additional channel for a defined set of SKUs, such as value packs, clearance or entry-level items, rather than a replacement. If you have not yet launched on Walmart, our guide to selling on Walmart is a more established next step, and our Walmart vs Amazon comparison explains how the two differ.

Where PPC Spider helps

PPC Spider manages Amazon, Walmart and other marketplaces as one business. Our Walmart marketplace management and full account management teams set channel pricing rules from product margin after fees so a new channel like Temu does not undercut your core one, and SpiderOS watches stock across channels. Start with a free Amazon audit to see which SKUs have the margin to expand.

Sources

  • Temu: Temu Seller Center (seller.temu.com)
  • NBC News: Temu halts shipping direct from China as de minimis tariff loophole is cut off (nbcnews.com/business/business-news/temu-halts-shipping-direct-china-de-minimis-tariff-loophole-cut-rcna204597)
  • Digital Commerce 360 (sponsored): Temu's local seller program explained, 2026 update (digitalcommerce360.com/2026/04/30/sell-locally-and-now-into-regional-markets-temus-local-seller-program-explained-2026-update/)
  • PPC Land: Temu pays $2 million in first INFORM Act enforcement case (ppc.land/temu-pays-2-million-in-first-inform-act-enforcement-case/)
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