Conclusion first: opening brand stores (flagship, exclusive, or specialty stores) on the three major platforms all requires a trademark, but thresholds differ significantly — Tmall is the strictest, flagship stores in principle require an R mark, and categories such as cosmetics, food, and mother & baby accept only R marks; JD.com and Pinduoduo accept TM marks (acceptance notices) for onboarding, but the trademark application must be at least 6 months old; none of the three accepts purely graphical trademarks, and all require the authorization chain to run from the trademark owner all the way to the store-opening company. Clarifying "R mark or TM mark, owned or authorized" keeps your onboarding materials from being repeatedly rejected.
1. Tmall: R Marks Primary, Categories Controlled Most Tightly
- Basic requirements: provide the trademark registration certificate (R mark) or trademark application acceptance notice (TM mark) issued by the national trademark authority; where the trademark has undergone change, assignment, or renewal, the corresponding certificates or acceptance notices must also be provided;
- Category differences: some categories such as cosmetics, 3C, and mother & baby accept only R marks; for some categories admitting TM marks, the acceptance must be over 6 months old and the mark must convert to an R mark within a set period after onboarding;
- Trademark form: purely graphical trademarks are not accepted (they cannot be used for store naming); the mark must be a word mark or a combined word-and-design mark; the approved scope of use must cover the goods the store sells;
- Store types and authorization: a flagship store is opened by the trademark owner, or by a non-owner holding the trademark owner's exclusive authorization letter (where the owner is a natural person, attach a copy of their personally signed ID); an exclusive store needs an authorization letter issued by the trademark owner; a specialty store needs a complete authorization chain meeting the category's tier requirements; a mall-type flagship store must hold a Class 35 service trademark;
- Deposit linked to trademark status: deposits for R-mark flagship/exclusive stores are RMB 50,000 and RMB 100,000 for specialty stores; the corresponding TM-mark figures are RMB 100,000 and RMB 150,000 — TM-mark onboarding costs more and carries weaker rights stability.
2. JD.com: R Marks or TM Marks Over 6 Months Old
- Basic requirements: brands without a trademark registration certificate (R) or acceptance notice (TM) are not accepted; purely graphical trademarks are not accepted; where the trademark has undergone change, assignment, or renewal, the corresponding proofs must also be provided;
- TM threshold: where an acceptance notice is provided, the trademark application must be at least 6 months old; the brand management rule is that trademarks in the application process may be used within 2 years of the filing date;
- Trademark form: the platform accepts only word marks; graphical, sound, and scent marks are not accepted for now; the brand name must equal the trademark name and may not be modified or supplemented with an English name on your own;
- Authorization requirements: where the store-opening entity is not the trademark holder, brand authorization documents must be uploaded; multi-tier authorizations must be added tier by tier with a clear, complete chain; flagship stores generally require a first-tier exclusive authorization stating exclusivity and irrevocability;
- Mall-type flagship stores: additionally require a Class 35 trademark covering similar group 3503.
3. Pinduoduo: TM Marks Accepted, Authorization Tiers Stratified
- Basic requirements: flagship, exclusive, and specialty stores must upload trademark registration proof (registration certificate or acceptance notice) and brand authorization proof; TM-mark applications must be at least 6 months old; the trademark must have more than 3 months remaining before its validity expires;
- Store types and authorization tiers: flagship store — owned brand, or first-tier authorization from the brand party (the letter must state exclusivity and irrevocability, and revocation requires 30 days' advance notice to the platform); exclusive store — no more than 2 authorization tiers; specialty store — no more than 4 tiers;
- Authorization letter requirements: state the brand name or trademark registration number, the authorized company's full name, and bear the brand party's seal; where the trademark is personally owned, the letter must be signed by the trademark owner with a copy of their personally signed ID attached;
- Ordinary and individual stores: ordinary enterprise stores are not required to upload trademark information, but selling others' branded goods still requires authorization, otherwise the goods face infringement removal.
4. Quick Comparison of the Three Platforms
| Dimension | Tmall | JD.com | Pinduoduo |
|---|---|---|---|
| TM-mark onboarding | Accepted in some categories; high-risk categories accept only R marks | Accepted, application must be 6+ months old | Accepted, application must be 6+ months old |
| Purely graphical marks | Not accepted | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| Flagship store authorization | Exclusive authorization | First-tier exclusive authorization | First-tier authorization, exclusive and irrevocable |
| Authorization chain tiers | Per category requirements | Complete tier-by-tier authorization | Exclusive ≤2 tiers, specialty ≤4 tiers |
| Trademark status impact | TM-mark deposits double | — | — |
5. Common Requirements for Brand Authorization Chains
Whichever the platform, the authorization chain must satisfy the same logic: starting from the trademark owner, it connects to the store-opening company without a missing link.
- Each tier's authorization letter states the authorizer, the authorized party's full name (consistent with the business license), the brand name or trademark registration number, the scope and term of authorization, and bears the company seal;
- The authorization must be unbroken; expired authorizations are invalid; where an authorized party sub-licenses, the basis for sub-licensing permitted by the previous tier must exist;
- Where the trademark owner is a natural person, all authorization documents attach a copy of their personally signed ID;
- Where the trademark has been assigned, first complete the Approval of Trademark Assignment, then use the current rights holder as the authorization source.
6. Practical Recommendations
- Planning to enter a Tmall high-risk category: plan directly around an R mark — from application to approval typically takes about 7–9 months, so back-calculate from the store opening date; if timing does not allow, consider assigning an existing R mark with stable rights status, which can equally be used for onboarding, but ensure the assignment approval proof is complete and the classes match;
- With only a TM mark: first verify the acceptance is over 6 months old, then start with JD.com or Pinduoduo, while closely tracking examination progress to avoid final rejection invalidating the store's qualifications;
- Before settling on a brand name, get a trademark registrability assessment to confirm it can be registered before investing, avoiding the scenario where an acceptance notice arrives but the application is later rejected for similarity, dragging the store down with it;
- Organize the registration certificate, assignment/change/renewal proofs, tier-by-tier authorization letters, and authorizers' business licenses into a materials package with sealed copies, ready for use anytime;
- Opening stores on multiple platforms: note each platform's limits on store count and naming rules for the same brand, and plan entities and authorization structures in advance.
7. Summary
The three platforms' investment rules are essentially the same logic: the platform must confirm "this trademark is real, you are qualified to use it, and the authorization chain is unbroken." An R mark is a pass, a TM mark is a temporary pass, and authorization letters are the toll — only with all three in place can onboarding review go smoothly. The platform rules cited in this article are current as of 2026; platform review standards change frequently, so always defer to the platforms' latest official rules before proceeding.