[2025 Proven] Full Guide to Dropshipping with Temu

Since Temu launched in 2022, its users have quickly increased thanks to low prices and fast shipping. The affordable prices and wide variety of products also helped attract more customers. Temu dropshipping has also become a topic of concern for many dropshippers. So how to let Temu participate in our dropshipping journey. Dropshipping is Temu’s official support?

This article will talk about Temu‘s business model, and the attitude of Temu officials toward dropshipping, and provide feasible ways to connect Temu with our dropshipping store.

What is Temu and its business model?

Temu is an online marketplace launched in 2022 by PDD, the parent company of Pinduoduo. In 2024, Temu offered 10 million SKUs worldwide. About 20% (2 million) of the SKUs were in the United States. And this number will grow to 4 million. In addition to volume, Temu also plans to expand its product categories..

Temu’s business model: Semi-managed vs Fully-manage

Responsibilities	Temu Semi-managed	Temu Fully-managed
Product pricing	Seller controls	Platform controls and offers discounts
Product selection	Seller decides	Platform assists
Shipping	Seller manages	Platform manages
Marketing activities	Seller handles promotion, advertising, etc.	Platform handles all sales-related activities
Services Provided
Product upload	Platform assists	Platform handles
Inventory	Seller manages	Platform manages
Shipping	Seller manages	Platform handles
Storefront management	Seller manages	Platform manages
Product selection	No platform intervention	Platform assists
Advantages
Pricing control	Seller has independence	Controlled by platform
Product selection & marketing	Direct seller control	Managed by platform
Inventory & sales management	Managed in real-time by seller	Managed by platform
Design
Store interface	Seller designs	Platform designs
Branding and packaging	Seller is responsible	Platform handles
Support
Listing on international platforms	Supported by platform (excluding ads)	Full advertising support
Technical support	For store operation	Comprehensive
Customer service	Provided (excluding returns/exchanges)	Full support
Returns and exchanges	Managed by seller	Managed by platform

Does Temu support dropshipping?

No, Temu does not support dropshipping. Their platform is designed for direct consumer purchases, not as a supplier for other businesses.

So, it can be said that Temu dropshipping is technically possible, but not officially allowed and comes with significant risks. Here are some challenges and risks you may have to face when choosing TEMU dropshipping:

• Account suspension: Since dropshipping violates Temu’s terms, your account could be suspended if they discover your activity.
• Handle after-sales & returns by yourself: You’ll be solely responsible for handling customer returns and after-sales service, which can be complex due to potential language barriers and geographical distances.
• Temu branding: Products arrive in Temu’s orange packaging, undermining your brand identity and potentially raising customer concerns about product origin.
• Quality control: Temu’s focus on low prices might lead to inconsistent product quality. Implementing quality control is crucial, but challenging without direct access to suppliers.

Is Temu useful for dropshipping?

YES! Although Temu has some challenges and risks. However, TEMU has a huge user base and consumption data. These very valuable data can help us run our direct sales store better in terms of product selection. In Temu, we can find “Best Sellers” and “5-star Rated”.

Best Sellers: These are the products that are very popular and have sold the most on Temu. Many people buy them because they are in high demand.

5-star rated: These are products that customers like and give the highest rating to. A 5-star rating means the product is excellent in quality and meets the customers’ expectations.

By using these two channels, we can get a first look at the popular products and the ones buyers like in the lower price range.

How to start Temu dropshipping?

Even though Temu does not support dropshipping. There are still ways we can involve TEMU in our dropshipping business. Let’s see how to do it.

Step 1: Setting up your online store

We recommend starting with Shopify. In the U.S., 32% of people use Shopify to build their online stores. WooCommerce comes next with 22%. Shopify is great because it has lots of apps that help you meet different needs, and it’s super easy to use, making it perfect for beginners.

Step 2: Research your products

Instead of running a general store, we suggest having a niche store, which means picking a specific category of products to sell. Let’s check out how to find products on Temu.

Temu has 15 different product categories. Here’s an overview:

1. Daily Household Items: Prices range from $0.23 to $32.49, with most under $10.
2. Women’s Clothing: Prices range from $0.99 to $32.99.
3. Jewelry & Accessories: Prices range from $0.14 to $32.49, with watches being the priciest items.
4. Beauty & Health: Nail care and beauty products are popular and priced between $0.28 and $53.99.
5. Electronics: Prices range from $0.49 to $76.49.
6. Men’s Clothing: Prices range from $2.30 to $39.99.
7. Children’s Products: Prices range from $0.49 to $3.
8. Shoes & Bags: Shoes range from $3.99 to $25.49, while bags range from $0.89 to $47.89.
9. Pet Supplies: Prices range from $0.19 to $50.49.
10. Baby Products: Prices range from $0.49 to $48.99.
11. Sports & Outdoors: Prices range from $0.49 to $102.99.

Besides these categories, you can also check out:

• 5-Star Rated Products
• Best Sellers
• Holiday Deals

Also, look at the sales volume, number of reviews, and star ratings—these can help you choose the best products to sell.

Step 3: Linking Shopify and Temu

Take Shopify for example, once you’ve picked your favorite products, you can list them in your store. Simply copy or download the title, details, and images of the products, then sync them to your Shopify store. You can change the information to match your store’s style and make it more appealing. After that, promote your products and wait for your customers to start ordering.

Step 4: Import Product from Temu with Dropshipman

Firstly, please refer to List Products > “Import products from Temu “. There is a guide for importing Products from Temu.

Secondly, please click Dropshipman Google Extension on the Google Extension installation page, and click “Add to Chrome”.

Thirdly, please enter the email address of your Dropshipman account and the password to log in to Dropshipman Google Extension.

Lastly, enter the Temu product details page, and click “Add to my product list“. There will be a success prompt if you list it to your Dropshipman account successfully.

Now you can click the “+List product” button to import the products to your store so that you can start selling!

Step 5: Order fulfillment

After you get the order, you need to complete the dropshipping order fulfillment. This means you should place the customer’s order in Temu order with the correct items and the customer’s address. (Don’t accidentally put your own home address!) Once Temu processes the order, you need to update the order status in your store and sync the shipping time and tracking info.

Step 6: Dealing with after-sales service

We all know that not every order goes smoothly. Sometimes customers want a refund or return. When this happens, you need to go to TEMU and handle it based on the customer’s feedback. The tricky part is that, as the middleman, you have to pass the customer’s request to TEMU and wait for their response. Then, you have to tell the customer what Temu said. If TEMU takes a little longer to reply, it can slow down your after-sales service and hurt your store’s reputation. So, make sure to pay close attention to this!

Well, these are the 5 regular yet mandatory steps of Temu dropshipping. It is also very important to know how to expand your orders and boost the traffic to your store.

Opportunities of dropshipping with Temu

Dropshipping with Temu offers a broad product selection and competitive pricing, but also presents challenges like longer shipping times and limited inventory control. Below, we’ll outline the key opportunities for your consideration.

1. Cost advantage

Temu is known for offering products at highly competitive price points. This plays to the strength of dropshipping by allowing sellers to offer goods at low margins while still being cost-effective for buyers. Temu’s affordable prices open the door to a broader customer base.

2. Fast delivery

Shipping speeds in Temu have improved dramatically in recent years. Sellers report many standard shipments arriving within 2-4 weeks internationally. This is comparable to other large marketplaces and meets most customer expectations. Fast shipping helps boost repeat purchases and loyalty for dropshipping businesses.

3. Product variety

Browse sections cover a wide spectrum from home goods and clothing to electronics and toys. This diverse catalog gives dropshippers many product categories to identify opportunities. There is less risk of relying on only a narrow niche.

4. Product novelty and interesting finds

Temu is known for surfacing unique and interesting products not readily found elsewhere, from creative gadgets to novelty snacks. This attracts customers eager to discover the next new thing and be the first to share on social media.

5. Large customer base

As Temu expands into new global regions and demographics, the potential customer base and order volume for sellers grows steadily. Staying ahead of this growth curve positions dropshippers for increasing sales in 2024 and beyond.

Challenges of Temu Dropshipping

While this method might seem like a way to leverage Temu’s low prices, it comes with significant downsides:

1. Temu parcels are visibly marked as coming from Temu, which may confuse customers expecting Shopify branding. This damages the customer experience.
2. If Temu identifies high order volume from one account for dropshipping purposes, they may block the account for violating policies.
3. Return/exchange processes are lengthy and complicated, requiring the Shopify store to collect customer issues and liaise with Temu support on behalf of customers. Poor after-sales service damages trust.
4. Tracking order statuses and providing updates to customers in real time becomes challenging since the Shopify merchant relies on the dropshipper’s account for order visibility.
5. Responsibility for any supply chain issues, customs delays, or other order fulfillment problems falls entirely on the dropshipper and Temu. The Shopify merchant has little control over order fulfillment quality.
6. Temu may change order submission policies or account privileges in the future, disrupting this workflow without warning and damaging the Shopify store’s operations and customer experience.

Temu’s low prices and fast shipping make it an intriguing option for dropshipping, but there are significant considerations before diving in. Here are the key factors to keep in mind:

1. Stable Prices

Temu could offer stable supply prices due to its direct connection with manufacturers and suppliers in China. This allows dropshippers to set pricing and profit margins accurately. However, Temu’s frequent promotions and discounts might create price fluctuations, impacting your profit margins.

2. After-sales and Return Policies

Temu handles after-sales service and returns for orders placed directly through their platform. If you choose to dropship from Temu, you’ll be responsible for managing these aspects for your customers. This can become complex, especially considering potential language barriers and geographical distances.

Temu’s return policy might not be ideal for dropshipping. Understanding their return window, restocking fees, and overall process is crucial before listing Temu products in your store. Disgruntled customers who have difficulty returning items could reflect poorly on your dropshipping business.

3. Payment Security

Temu accepts major credit/debit cards and payment apps like PayPal. Fraud protection is provided through partnerships with companies like Mastercard. Funds are securely deposited in a seller’s account.

Temu utilizes secure payment gateways for transactions on its platform. However, when dropshipping, you’ll need to ensure your own store has robust security measures to protect customer financial information.

4. Order Tracking & Fulfillment

Sellers have visibility into order statuses and can provide tracking links to customers. Temu coordinates directly with suppliers/manufacturers/warehouses for fulfillment and shipping. When dropshipping on it, you may need to take responsibility for tracking orders for your customers.

How to Pick Dropshipping Products in Temu?

By using Temu for product research and then finding those products through established dropshipping platforms, you can leverage Temu’s competitive pricing to source potentially profitable items for your Shopify store. Here’s how to pick products on Temu for dropshipping, let’s check it out!

Browse categories: Temu offers a wide range of categories like electronics, fashion, home & garden, and more. Explore these to discover potential product niches.

Utilize filters: Within each category, use filters like “Top Rated,” “Newest Arrivals,” or “Sales” to see popular items.

Check reviews and ratings: Look for products with high star ratings and positive reviews. This indicates customer satisfaction and potential demand.

Identify trends: Look for recurring themes or styles across different categories. This can point towards trending products you can capitalize on.

Part 7: Temu VS AliExpress

Both Temu and AliExpress are popular e-commerce platforms offering a vast selection of products at competitive prices. However, dropshipping has distinct advantages and features.

Criteria	Temu	AliExpress
Customer base	Southeast Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa	Global leader, especially US, Europe, AU
Product selection	Growing catalog of 100k+ items	Large catalog with millions of products over 20+ categories
Pricing	Marginally lower prices from suppliers	Discounted bulk order shipping rates
Shipping speed	Estimated 2-3 weeks internationally	Standard estimated 2-4 weeks internationally
Localization	English focus, expanding local markets	Well-localized sites, languages, payments
Customer service	Adequate response times	24/7 global multi-lingual support
Seller tools	Basic tools improving regularly	Robust analytics, ads, CRM for large sellers
Overall trends	Rapid growth, lower initial costs	Established global scale and selection

Temu offers the allure of lower prices and faster shipping but operates in a gray area regarding dropshipping. AliExpress provides a more established platform with clear dropshipping support but comes with potential drawbacks in shipping times and product quality.

Here’s how to choose based on your needs:

• Prioritize security: If a secure and reliable dropshipping platform with clear policies is your top concern, AliExpress might be a better option.
• Focus on price & speed: If the lowest prices and fastest shipping are your priorities, Temu could be tempting, but be aware of the associated risks.
• Consider your niche: Analyze the product category you target. Does AliExpress or Temu offer a better selection for your niche?

Conclusion

Temu dropshipping remains a promising opportunity for entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize on burgeoning new export markets. The choice ultimately lies with you.  For the risk-tolerant entrepreneur, Temu’s price advantage might be a calculated leap worth taking. However, for those seeking a well-lit path with established guardrails, familiar dropshipping platforms offer a safer route.

FAQs about Temu Dropshipping

Q1. Is dropshipping allowed in Temu?

Temu’s terms of service don’t explicitly endorse dropshipping. There’s a chance your account could be suspended if they discover this activity.

Q2. Why consider Temu for dropshipping?

Temu’s main attractions are its incredibly low prices and surprisingly fast shipping times, potentially leading to higher profit margins and satisfied customers.

Q3. What are the challenges of Temu dropshipping?

Besides the uncertain dropshipping policy, other challenges include managing after-sales service (returns, exchanges), potential language barriers, and Temu branding on the packaging.

Q4. Is AliExpress a better alternative for dropshipping?

AliExpress is a well-established platform with clear dropshipping support and a wider product range. However, shipping times might be slower, and product quality can vary significantly.

Q5. What’s the best approach to dropshipping in 2025?

Focus on established platforms with clear dropshipping policies.  Prioritize quality control measures and conduct thorough research on suppliers to ensure a secure and sustainable dropshipping business.