TikTok Shop turns "selling branded goods" into a qualification test: brand owners, distributors at all tiers, and sellers with only purchase invoices go through three different channels. If qualifications fail, branded goods cannot be listed; if they pass, note that only one account per brand can be registered as the brand owner. This article explains the qualification types, materials checklist, authorization chain logic, and the boundaries to note on the ads side.
1. Why the Platform Reviews Brand Qualifications
The platform must confirm three things: the goods are genuine, the source is lawful, and you have the right to sell. Passing review does not exempt you from infringement liability — if the goods are counterfeit or sold beyond authorization, the platform will still act, and brand owners can still complain.
2. Six Qualification Types: Find Your Slot First
When submitting in Seller Center you first select your identity:
- Trademark Owner: you are the registrant of the brand's trademark;
- National Exclusive Level 1: the brand party grants you exclusive distribution rights in your country;
- Level 1 Reseller: the brand party directly authorizes you to sell;
- Level 2 / Level 3 Reseller: sub-authorized by the previous tier distributor;
- Proof-of-Purchase seller: no distribution agreement, but you have formal invoices from a lawfully authorized supplier — typically open only to some sellers.
Some protected brands do not accept individual sellers; you need to upgrade the account to an enterprise seller before applying for brand qualifications.
3. The Trademark Owner Channel: What Materials Are Required
- A valid trademark registration certificate (issued by the relevant trademark authority);
- Corporate registration or identity documents consistent with the trademark rights holder entity;
- Product photos showing the brand identifier actually used on the goods or packaging;
- If you have an independent website, the official site URL may be provided to assist verification.
One hard rule that is easily overlooked: for the same brand, only one TikTok Shop account can be registered as the brand owner. Changing the account afterward is costly — decide which entity opens the store before applying.
4. The Distributor Channel: How to Write the Authorization Letter (LOA)
Distributors at all tiers must submit an authorization letter containing:
- The authorizing party's name and the authorized party's name (must exactly match the enterprise name registered in Seller Center);
- The authorized rights (such as trademark use rights, sales rights, or promotion rights for the relevant goods);
- The authorized countries or regions and the authorization term;
- The authorizing party's seal (where the rights holder is a legal entity), and the signature of the rights holder or their representative;
- Documents that are authentic and unaltered.
Level 2 and Level 3 distributors must additionally provide proof that "the previous-tier distributor is entitled to sub-license" (e.g., documents in which the brand party allows it to develop distributors, or the brand party's authorization letter to the Level 1 distributor), connecting the chain from the brand owner all the way to you. Any missing link triggers a supplementation request.
Proof-of-Purchase sellers need: invoices issued within the last 12 months by the brand party or a lawfully sourced internationally recognized supplier (including supplier name, buyer name, brand and product information, quantity, and price; where pricing is confidential, a confidentiality agreement may be attached), plus the supplier's official distributor identity proof, actual product photos, and inventory photos.
5. Common Rejection and Enforcement Situations
- The authorization letter is not issued to the enterprise name you registered — the most frequent cause;
- The authorization letter is expired, altered, missing a seal or signature;
- Only a second-tier authorization without the previous tier's sub-licensing proof;
- The text on the trademark registration certificate does not match the brand name in the product listing;
- Forged or misleading authorization documents: the platform verifies with brand owners, and once confirmed, may result in permanent account suspension;
- Using the brand's logo in the store name, avatar, or product images, or claiming to be "official" or an "authorized store" without the corresponding authorization — even when selling genuine goods, this may be found to mislead consumers.
6. Ads-Side Notes and Order of Operations
TikTok ads and product content are both bound by "no falsehood, no misleading, no infringement of third-party IP": you may not fabricate a relationship with a brand, fabricate qualifications or certifications, or use AI-generated content to exaggerate goods.
One clarification: this article has not verified an advertiser-facing "trademark brand verification" process on the TikTok ads side similar to Google Ads. If your account or ads are asked for brand qualifications, defer to the actual notifications in the TikTok Ads Manager and official policy pages — do not directly transplant other platforms' rules.
Whether ads or product qualifications, the order of operations for Chinese sellers is the same:
- Register the trademark as soon as the brand name is set — prefer a word mark and cover the main classes;
- Decide which entity opens the store and which account is registered as brand owner first;
- Check authorization letters item by item against the six elements: "authorizer — authorized party — rights — territory — term — seal and signature";
- Organize the registration certificate, authorization letters, invoices, and actual product photos into a materials package ready to submit anytime;
- When complained about, first look at the other party's asserted trademark and classes, then check your own authorization chain — do not rush to delist, and do not blindly defend.
TikTok Shop's brand qualification rules update frequently, and requirements differ across country sites; before actually submitting, defer to the latest requirements on the Seller Center "Qualification Center — Brand Qualifications" page and official policy announcements. The rules in this article are current as of 2026.
7. Where to Get It Done
To handle the above matters, you can submit a US trademark registration application through MyTMBee, with a registered trademark agent following up.