Misleading Price Claims and Expired Pricing
Why is Accurate Pricing Important?
Creators must avoid misleading viewers with inflated prices or false claims. All price information, including promotions and discounts, should match the actual product listing. Inconsistent pricing harms sales, erodes customer trust, and creates a poor shopping experience.What are some forms of Misleading or Expired Pricing?
Misleading Pricing Claims
Bait-and-Switch Pricing
Expired Pricing
- Expired discounts or events: Platform promotions have ended.
- Updated product pricing: Prices changed after the video was uploaded.
Tips and Tricks to Avoid Pricing Violations
- Match the listing price: Make sure the price shown in your content matches the price on the product listing at the time of posting.
- Be specific about promos: Clearly state if the price can only be achieved with discounts (e.g with vouchers or a minimum spend) or bundle purchases (e.g as a bundle of 6).
- Avoid misleading claims: Don’t exaggerate discounts or imply a price is guaranteed if it may change.
- Use simple price disclaimers (when needed): If pricing can vary, add a short note like “Price may change after the promo” or “Price subject to change.”
- If a price is only valid during a campaign, add a note like "Only valid during the 11.11 campaign!".
What do we consider "Misleading Pricing Claims"?
❌ Mismatched Content & Product Prices
❌ DON'T: Promote a product at a different price than the product listing.
✅ DO: If the promoted prices can only be achieved with discounts, mention applicable discounts explicitly
Example: "This product is $15 after discounts!" or "This is $20 before vouchers!".What do we consider "Bait-and-Switch Pricing
"?The platform takes stricter enforcement against Bait-and-Switch pricing practices
❌ Promoting Unit-Prices without mentioning the Bundle Pricing.
❌ DON'T: Reference the per-unit price when the product can only be purchased as part of a set/bundle.
✅ DO: Break down the effective unit priceYou can mention the per-unit price, but make sure it's clear that this price only applies if the full bundle is purchased.Example: "Purchase this bundle of 6 for $12! That's an effective price of $2 per carton!"❌ Using the Prices of Related Products for Promotional Purposes
✅ DO: Ensure that you reference the main product to avoid misleading buyers. If you mention an accessory/related item’s price, clearly label it as the accessory/related item (not the main product).
❌ Using the Prices of "Dummy" Product Variations for Promotional Purposes.
✅ DO: Ensure that you reference the main product to avoid misleading buyers.
❌ Conducting LIVE Flash Sales without using the Flash Sale Tool
❌ DON'T: Promote “limited-time” LIVE flash sale prices without using the Flash Sale tool. This may mislead buyers about whether the promotion is genuine or officially supported.✅ DO: Use the Flash Sale tool when conducting LIVE flash sales. This allows buyers to clearly view the promotion details and duration, helping assure them that the discounted prices are genuine limited-time offers.
❌ Making Inaccurate Claims about Vouchers
❌ DON'T: Promote vouchers that are unavailable or make inaccurate claims about how buyers can obtain vouchers. For example, claiming that viewers will receive a voucher by following the creator when no Seller Live Coupon is available. Note: Seller Live Coupon can only be used by TikTok Shop Official or Marketing accounts.✅ DO: Only promote vouchers that are currently available and accurately explain any conditions required to obtain them.
✅ DO: Pin voucher cards during LIVE sessions so viewers can clearly identify which voucher is being referenced.
❌ Creating Fraudulent Storylines about Low Prices
❌ DON'T: Create fake or misleading storylines to explain low prices, such as claiming there is a “system bug”, “pricing error”, or “accidental price drop” when this is not true.✅ DO: Accurately represent the reason for discounts or promotions without fabricating stories that may mislead buyers.
Examples: "This item is part of today's limited-time LIVE promotion", or "You can apply the platform voucher shown on the checkout page for additional savings"
❌ Making Deceptive Claims about COD or Free Shipping
❌ DON'T: Make false or misleading claims about how buyers can obtain Cash on Delivery (COD) or shipping fee discounts. For example, falsely claiming that performing certain actions will automatically enable COD eligibility.✅ DO: Only share accurate information about COD availability, shipping fee discounts, and any applicable eligibility conditions.
Examples: "COD availability depends on your location and eligibility shown at checkout", or "Please check the checkout page for the latest shipping fee discounts"
What do we consider "Expired Pricing"?
❌ An old Short Video promoting a price that is no longer applicable
In the example above, a customer who watches the video in Dec 2025 may be misled if the listing price has changed.✅ DO: Add a simple disclaimer if the price may change over time.
Example: “Price may vary.” / “Price subject to change.”✅ DO: If the price is tied to a campaign or limited-time promotion, state the validity period.
Example: “6.6 event only.” / “Valid during 6.6 only.”
What happens if I breach these guidelines?
If you are found to violate these guidelines, you may have enforcement actions taken against your account. You should note that repeated offenses will result in more significant penalties.Please see the Creator Enforcement Policy and Creator Terms of Service for more information. If you think an enforcement action has been taken against you in error, appeal via the TikTok App. Please read our Creator Appeal Guidelines article for more information.
Please read our TikTok Shop Content Guidelines to learn more.