Guide
TikTok Shop Pricing Rules: What You Can and Can't Say
Pricing language is the most enforced category on TikTok Shop. Strike-through prices, “was/now” claims, urgency copy, and BOGO offers all have specific rules — and violations here move fast to enforcement.
Why pricing violations are the #1 enforcement action
Of all the things TikTok Shop enforces against creators, misleading pricing is the most common. The reason is structural: sellers control the product listings and often set inflated compare-at prices to make discounts look bigger. When creators repeat those numbers in their videos, they inherit the liability.
TikTok's Fair Pricing Policy sits on top of the FTC's deceptive pricing rules (16 CFR Part 233). A pricing claim that violates federal law automatically violates TikTok's policy too — but TikTok's own rules are stricter in some areas. You can get a Creator Health Rating (CHR) deduction from a pricing violation even when no one has filed a complaint.
The creator is responsible. If you say “this was $80, now only $29” in your video, you own that claim — even if it came directly from the seller's listing. Verify pricing claims before you repeat them. Sellers have their own violation track; you have yours.
Fair Pricing Policy — what it actually says
TikTok's Fair Pricing Policy applies to both sellers and the creators promoting their products. The core rule is simple: prices shown or claimed in content must be genuine and must not be manipulated to create a false impression of value or urgency.
What the policy prohibits
- •Inflated reference prices— a “regular” or “original” price that was never genuinely charged at that level
- •Fake discounts— marking a product up, then immediately “discounting” it to a normal price
- •Misleading compare-at prices — comparing to a competitor price that isn't real, current, or for the same product
- •False scarcity or urgency — claiming limited stock or a time-limited price when neither is true
- •Prices or discounts that change after checkout (bait-and-switch)
What the policy allows
- •Genuine sale prices with accurate original prices
- •Time-limited promotions when the time limit is real
- •Legitimate BOGO and percentage-off offers (see rules below)
- •Honest price comparisons to competitor products at their actual current price
Strike-through pricing — rules for compare-at prices
Strike-through pricing (showing a higher price crossed out next to the current price) is the most common pricing format on TikTok Shop — and the most commonly misused. When you show $79.99 $34.99, TikTok and the FTC both require that $79.99 to be a real price.
What makes a compare-at price valid
- •The struck-through price must have been the actual selling price for a substantial, recent period — not a list price that was never actually charged
- •“Substantial period” under FTC guidance generally means the product was offered at that price for at least 28 consecutive days in the preceding 90 days — though TikTok doesn't publish a specific threshold
- •If you're comparing to a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), that must be clearly labeled as such — and the MSRP must be genuine
- •Comparing to a competitor's price requires that the competitor's price is real, current, and for the same or substantially similar product
Red flags in seller listings
- •Strike-through price that was only ever a launch placeholder, never actually sold
- •Discount percentage that implies a reference price much higher than any real sale
- •A “compare at” price from a different seller for a different product variant
“Was $50, now $25” — when reference pricing is allowed
“Was/now” pricing in video scripts is common in TikTok Shop content. Used correctly, it's perfectly legal and effective. Used incorrectly, it's one of the faster paths to a misleading promotion violation.
When “was/now” is allowed
- ✓The “was” price was the genuine selling price for a meaningful period
- ✓The price reduction is real — not a markup followed immediately by a “discount”
- ✓The current price is what customers actually pay at checkout
- ✓You can verify the pricing history if challenged
When “was/now” is a violation
- ✗The “was” price was inflated specifically to make the discount look bigger
- ✗The original price was only ever listed briefly before being “discounted”
- ✗The product has always effectively been at the “now” price
- ✗You took the numbers from the seller listing without verifying them
Practical check: Before saying “was $X” on camera, ask the seller for evidence that $X was the actual sale price for at least a month. If they can't provide it, don't say it. Use language like “currently $25” or “on sale now for $25” instead.
Expired promotions — what happens when the sale ends
A video promoting a sale price doesn't expire when the sale does. If you post content saying “get this for $19 today only” and that video is still live after the promotion ends, you have a problem — and TikTok can apply a violation retroactively.
Why this happens more than you'd expect
- •Sellers run promotions through TikTok campaigns with defined end dates. The campaign ends; the creator's video stays up, still quoting the sale price.
- •Evergreen-style content often includes specific price claims that become incorrect as sellers adjust pricing over time.
- •Viral videos that resurface weeks after posting can get reviewed when the product price has changed.
How to protect yourself
- •Avoid quoting specific prices in video scripts for short-term promotions — direct viewers to the link in bio instead of stating a dollar amount
- •If you do quote a price, set a calendar reminder to review the video when the promotion ends and update or remove it if the price has changed
- •Use relative language that ages better: “check the current price in my link” rather than “only $X today”
Urgency and scarcity language — “limited time,” “selling fast,” “only X left”
Urgency copy is high-conversion and high-risk. TikTok's policy and the FTC both treat false urgency as a form of deceptive pricing — creating artificial pressure to buy by implying scarcity or time limits that don't actually exist.
Allowed
- ✓“Sale ends Sunday” — if the sale genuinely ends Sunday
- ✓“Limited stock available” — if stock actually is limited
- ✓“This price is for this week only” — if it's a real weekly promotion
- ✓“Only 50 units left” — if that's the actual current inventory count
Prohibited
- ✗“Limited time offer” on an evergreen product with no actual end date
- ✗“Only 3 left in stock” when inventory is unlimited or restocked continuously
- ✗“Selling fast — grab yours before they're gone” without real demand signal
- ✗Countdown timers that reset or are purely decorative
Rule of thumb: If you couldn't defend the claim by pulling up real inventory numbers or a dated promotion schedule, don't say it. Urgency copy that's vague (“don't sleep on this”, “my followers love it”) is almost always safer than urgency copy that's specific but unverifiable.
Superlative pricing language — February 2026 ban
TikTok's February 2026 Policy Pulse update explicitly banned superlative pricing claims — language asserting a product is the cheapest, lowest-priced, or best deal in absolute terms. These terms are now prohibited regardless of whether the claim is accurate.
Banned (February 2026)
- ✗“Lowest price”
- ✗“Cheapest” (as a price claim)
- ✗“Best deal” / “Best price”
- ✗“Unbeatable price”
- ✗“Cheapest you'll find”
- ✗“Can't find it cheaper”
Compliant alternatives
- ✓“Great value” / “Good price”
- ✓“On sale now” / “Discounted this week”
- ✓“Compare the price yourself”
- ✓“Check the current price in my link”
- ✓“I think it's priced well for what it is”
Note: The ban applies regardless of accuracy. You cannot say “lowest price guaranteed” even with market data proving it. TikTok's concern is that absolute superlatives are unverifiable by viewers and create misleading impressions at scale. Use relative or descriptive language instead.
BOGO and percentage-off claims
Buy-one-get-one and percentage discounts are straightforward when executed correctly — but each has a specific failure mode that triggers violations.
BOGO rules
- •The “free” item in a BOGO offer must actually be provided at no additional charge — the price of the purchased item cannot be inflated to cover the cost of the free item
- •Variations like “buy 2 get 1 free” or “buy 1 get 1 50% off” must describe the actual deal accurately — the math must work out at checkout
- •Verify that the BOGO is set up correctly in the seller's TikTok Shop listing before promoting it — seller errors become your liability once you repeat the claim
Percentage-off rules
- •“50% off” must be calculated from the genuine original selling price — not from an inflated reference price created to make the percentage look bigger
- •If you say “up to 70% off”, the 70% figure must be achievable by a real customer on a real product — not the highest possible discount across a sale category that most products don't reach
- •Avoid “up to X% off” language for single-product promotions — reserve it for genuine range promotions where multiple products span the discount range
FTC deceptive pricing rules (16 CFR Part 233)
TikTok's Fair Pricing Policy incorporates the FTC's deceptive pricing guidance. The federal rules (16 CFR Part 233) set the floor — TikTok's own policy can be stricter but cannot be more permissive. Creators who violate the FTC rules automatically violate TikTok's policy.
Former price comparisons (§ 233.1)
When you say a product 'was' a higher price, that price must be a bona fide price — one at which the product was actually offered to the public for a reasonably substantial period. A price offered for only a brief time to establish a reference point is not bona fide.
Retail price comparisons (§ 233.2)
Comparing your price to a 'regular retail price' or 'manufacturer's list price' is only valid if that's what the product genuinely sells for elsewhere. If most retailers sell at or below your 'compare at' price, the comparison is deceptive.
Comparable value comparisons (§ 233.3)
Claims like 'worth $X' or 'value $X' must reflect what similar merchandise sells for in the same market. Comparing to a hypothetical or inflated value is prohibited.
Bargain offers based on purchase condition (§ 233.4)
BOGO and conditional discount offers must not charge a higher price for the required purchase than the seller's regular price. The 'free' item must be genuinely free.
Common mistakes that trigger violations
Reading the seller's listing without verifying it
Sellers set their own compare-at prices. Just because a listing shows '70% off' doesn't mean that's a real or defensible claim. Creators who repeat it verbatim own the liability.
Using a price from a seller sample or gifted product
If you received a product at a discounted or zero cost, the retail price shown in the listing may not reflect current market reality. Verify before quoting.
Not updating content when prices change
A video script that quotes $29.99 stays up even when the seller raises the price to $44.99. Viewers who see $29.99 and pay $44.99 can file complaints that trigger review.
Copying competitor comparison claims from the seller
"Cheaper than [Brand X]" is only valid if you can prove Brand X currently sells the comparable product at a higher price. Sellers often make these claims without documentation.
Using sale language for non-sale products
Scripts that say 'on sale' or 'discounted' for a product that isn't actively discounted — just because it's promoted through an affiliate campaign — are misleading promotion violations.
Catch pricing language before it triggers a violation
Pre-Check flags misleading price claims and urgency copy against TikTok's current Fair Pricing Policy.
How to check your pricing language before posting
Run through this checklist before any video that mentions a price, discount, or deal goes live.
Is the current price what customers actually pay at checkout?
If I say 'was X', can I prove X was genuinely the selling price for a meaningful period?
If I say '% off', is the discount calculated from a real original price?
If I say 'limited time', is there an actual end date I can name?
If I say 'low stock' or 'selling fast', do I have real inventory or sales data to back it?
If the promotion ends, will I update or remove this video?
Am I comparing to a competitor price that I can verify is current and accurate?
Tools for compliant pricing content
Check before you post
Paste your script into Pre-Check to flag pricing language issues before they become violations. Use Script Creator to write compliant promotional copy from scratch.