TikTok Shop SEA “Zero-Cost Trial”: How New Sellers Grab the Opportunity?

TikTok Shop Southeast Asia will launch the “Zero-Cost Trial Operation” policy for new sellers on December 15th. The platform offers deposit exemption (up to 90 days) for eligible new stores, aiming to lower entry barriers and attract more overseas sellers to test the Southeast Asian market.

For new sellers, this is an excellent opportunity for low-cost trial and error, and rapid validation of products and traffic strategies. However, it also brings issues that need advance preparation, such as settlement cycles, logistics, and compliance. Below is a detailed breakdown of actionable insights.

I. What is the “Zero-Cost Trial Operation”? Key Platform Policies & Benefits for Sellers

1. Key Policy Details

The relevant exemption will be fully available starting December 15th. Eligible new sellers can enjoy store deposit exemption for up to 90 days. During the exemption period, the platform will adjust the store’s settlement cycle (extended from the original 7 days to 30 days). If sellers wish to restore the shorter settlement cycle, they can proactively recharge the deposit in the backend to switch back to 7 days at any time.

2. Direct Benefits for Sellers

• Reduce startup costs: No immediate capital occupation for deposits, allowing startup budgets to be prioritized for inventory, advertising, and traffic testing.
• Easier approval/faster launch: The platform’s green channel accelerates the onboarding process, enabling new sellers to list products quickly and gain access to traffic (ideal for sellers looking to validate SKUs rapidly).
• Low trial-and-error costs: The 90-day exemption period allows for a complete product-traffic-conversion cycle test to determine long-term investment feasibility.

3. Risks to Note

• Capital turnover: The extended settlement cycle (from 7 to 30 days) means slower fund recovery. Cash flow planning for promotion and inventory is essential. Recharging the deposit is required to restore the short settlement cycle.
• Risk control and compliance: The platform will still strictly review store performance, fulfillment rates, and after-sales complaints. Zero-cost entry does not equal zero risk.
• Lack of logistics and after-sales experience: Logistics timeliness and return costs directly impact store ratings and advertising effectiveness.

II. How Can New Sellers Seize the “Zero-Cost Trial” Opportunity?

1. Account & Environment Setup

Store operations involve multiple national sites and logins across various terminals (operation backend, influencer management, advertising accounts, etc.). TikTok’s risk control has significantly tightened in 2024–2025:

• Frequent cross-border login switches are deemed “abnormal operations”;
• Multiple accounts sharing the same IP/browser fingerprint are prone to automatic system association;
• “Environment inconsistencies” detected in live streaming or advertising will trigger immediate restrictions.

Many new stores fail within the first week of the “Zero-Cost Trial” not due to violations, but because login triggers abnormalities—store functions are locked, orders cannot be processed, or the store is even permanently banned.

This is why each store requires an independent, stable, and clean proxy IP + fingerprint browser environment for Southeast Asian operations.

To solve this, most mature teams use exclusive, high-quality proxy IP services. We recommend IPFoxy:

• IPFoxy provides exclusive proxies, assigning each store an independent, clean, and stable network environment to avoid cross-store association.
• It supports major Southeast Asian nodes (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.), making it ideal for TikTok Shop stores.
• Most importantly, it seamlessly integrates with mainstream fingerprint browsers like AdsPower with one click, standardizing the “one store = one environment” process and reducing 90% of new sellers’ risk control issues.

2. Rapidly Validate Potential Bestsellers

The greatest value of the “Zero-Cost Trial” lies not in saving money, but in providing a 90-day low-cost window to test SKUs.

Three-Step Implementation Method:

1. Select 3–8 high-repeat-purchase, high-demand SKUs (preferably light and small items: easy to ship, low return costs).
2. Test each SKU’s “first-order conversion + review rate + return rate” via live streaming/short videos/influencers.
3. Scale only the top 1–2 SKUs with the best data and discontinue the rest.

Key Metrics to Track:

• CTR (Click-Through Rate) > 2.5%
• Completion Rate > 25%
• Conversion Rate > 1.5%
• Return Rate < 8%
• Review Rate > 3%

This data set helps you quickly identify “long-term scalable SKUs” without wasting budget blindly.

3. Use “Deposit Exemption” to Validate Logistics

Logistics is where most new sellers stumble. The deposit exemption window allows for more aggressive supply chain validation:

Three Recommended Tests:

1. Test different logistics solutions: DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), official warehouses, third-party warehouses.
2. Packaging tests: Reduce damage rate (a rate < 2% boosts store ratings).
3. Timeliness verification: Aim for 4–7 day delivery in Vietnam/Malaysia.

Better logistics metrics during the deposit exemption period will accelerate store weight growth.

4. Prioritize the “Influencer Distribution + Short Video Marketing” Dual Track

Common New Seller Mistake: Starting with advertising (high cost, quick failure, inaccurate data).

Correct Approach:

(1) Influencer Distribution

• First collaborate with 20–50 micro-influencers (500–5,000 followers).
• Track real user purchases and returns.
• Scale only the influencers contributing the highest GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume).

Influencer testing helps you quickly verify if local users are willing to buy.

(2) Short Video Marketing

• Publish 5–10 short videos daily.
• Analyze data every 3 days: Retention → Completion → Click → Conversion.
• Create matrix content once the most effective content template is identified.

Short videos are the most critical segment for new TikTok Shop sellers.

5. Rapidly Boost Store Ratings During the Deposit Exemption Period

Ratings are the lifeline of TikTok Shop’s store weight.

Three Must-Do Actions:

1. Boost “Seller Service Score” with the first 100 orders:
   1. Ship quickly.
   2. Respond to customer inquiries promptly.
   3. Resolve disputes fast.
2. Control return rates:
   1. Provide accurate product descriptions.
   2. Clarify sizes/specifications.
   3. Show real product effects in videos.
3. Proactively reduce negative reviews:
   1. Send logistics updates to new buyers.
   2. Offer compensation coupons for non-quality issues.
   3. Immediately take down problematic SKUs for inspection.

Hidden Value of the Deposit Exemption Period: It allows you to boldly adjust “quality strategies” and leverage system tolerance to boost store weight.

6. Launch Live Streaming Only When Prepared

Live streaming has the highest costs and labor requirements, but it’s the fastest way to scale when properly prepared. When should new sellers start live streaming? Only when these three conditions are met:

• Short video content is validated (≥3 super product-seeding content models).
• Influencer channels are proven (with real repeat purchases).
• SKU data is stable (return rate consistently < 8%).

Live streaming will be more stable at this stage because:

• The platform provides traffic support.
• Conversion rates are higher.
• Average order value is higher.
• User trust is stronger.

Summary

The core of seizing TikTok Shop’s “Zero-Cost Trial” opportunity lies in: building a stable account environment as the foundation, rapidly validating SKUs with a small budget, optimizing conversion via influencers and short videos, and stabilizing store ratings and supply chains within 90 days.