Since TikTok Southeast Asia adopted a targeted invitation system in the early stages of its launch, merchants need TikTok invitation codes to complete their registration. All Southeast Asian countries only need 1 invitation code. Sellers have three ways to obtain TikTok invitations. Let’s take a look at them next.
Method 1: The seller first completes the entry into tiktok shop (currently a tiktok UK cross-border store). TikTok official will release questionnaire QR codes in batches based on the seller’s operating conditions, such as store opening time, GMV, violation records, etc. For sellers who meet the requirements of the platform, the sellers can complete the registration by themselves according to the QR code of the questionnaire in the email. The standards for the first 2 weeks before going online are as follows:
1. Have been in TikTok Shop (tiktok UK) for more than 30 days and have an account manager to manage it
2. The GMV of existing cross-border UK stores in the past 30 days is 2100 USD
3. No high-risk violations
Method 2: Sellers who do not have a TikTok Shop cross-border store and are unwilling to set up a cross-border store in the UK first can contact the TikTok account manager to obtain the questionnaire QR code. However, the platform will also have an assessment standard for this part of sellers. The general indicators are as follows:
1. The merchant already has the Southeast Asian market capabilities of the cross-border e-commerce platform Shopee/Lazada/Shopify, and needs to provide screenshots of the GMV of the merchant’s back-end store in the past three months of 25,000 USD.
2. Comprehensive performance index>4.5 stars>=95%.
For tiktok sellers who meet the entry requirements, the platform will successively send invitation codes to the email address provided by the seller. If you submit the application but do not receive any notification, it means that the conditions are not met.
Method 3: Sellers can also open stores through tiktok cooperation channels, which is currently the main entry method for tiktok sellers. It should be noted that everyone must judge the reliability of the channel and the safety of the store by themselves.
1. After entering tiktok Southeast Asia, sellers can enable the "one store to sell globally" function. The seller publishes the product in English in the backend, and after the product is priced and published in US dollars, the TikTok Shop backend will intelligently translate the product into the local language and put the product on the shelves in the five new countries of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Philippines in the local currency.
2. Southeast Asia is recognized as a blue ocean market for cross-border e-commerce. Local consumers have a high affinity for Chinese brands. First- and second-tier cities have high population density and strong spending power, which means they have strong online shopping potential. According to the "2020 Southeast Asia Internet Economy Report" jointly released by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company, the value of Southeast Asia's e-commerce market is expected to reach US$172 billion in 2025, accounting for more than half of the total value of Southeast Asia's Internet economy.
Currently, TikTok Shop has 7 sites around the world, 6 of which are in Southeast Asian countries, which shows the development trend of e-commerce in Southeast Asia.