Vouchers, Promo Codes, and Shipping Discounts: Which Tool Fits New Shops?

Quick Comparison of the 3 Tools

Tool	Where customers see it	When is it suitable
Voucher via Chat	Only in IM messages with specific customers	When you want to personalize offers for chatting customers, not public
Promo Code	Customers enter the code at checkout, shared via channels outside TikTok	When you have your own social media/email channels to distribute codes
Shipping Fee Discount	Displays a “Free shipping” label directly on the product	When you want to increase conversion rates without directly discounting products

Shipping Fee Discount — Conditions and Setup

Conditions: the account must maintain a positive balance and have passed the new shop probation period. When creating, select the duration (unlimited or limited), applicable shipping methods, regions, discount level (full or partial free shipping — ensure the subsidy fee does not exceed the order value to avoid a negative balance), and criteria (minimum spend, minimum item quantity).

Promo Code — Only Creatable on Desktop

Creating on mobile apps is not supported. The validity period must be between 10 minutes and 365 days. The first 4 characters of the code are based on the shop name and cannot be customized. Only 1 voucher or 1 seller promo code can be used per order — 2 codes from the same shop cannot be stacked.

Voucher via Chat — A Dedicated Tool for the CS Team

It does not display on the product page or checkout page, only appearing in the chat section of individual customers — CS staff actively send it during chats. It is labeled “Private Chat” to distinguish and display with higher priority than other voucher types.

Risks to Keep in Mind

With Promo Codes, once the usage limit is reached, no one can redeem it anymore, even those who claimed the code earlier but have not used it — you need to carefully estimate the issuance quantity based on your actual budget, avoiding creating a large quantity and running out of budget mid-campaign, which causes disappointment for customers who saved the code.

Sources

TikTok Shop Seller Academy — Seller Shipping Fee Discount; Promo Code; Voucher via Chat