Policy Reference
TikTok Shop Metrics Thresholds That Get You Banned (2026)
Four Numbers. That’s All It Takes.
Four fulfillment metrics decide whether your TikTok Shop stays open or gets shut down. Most sellers who get banned don’t see it coming. Here’s every threshold, ranked by how fast each one can kill your account.
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Start 14-day free trialThe Four Metrics TikTok Uses to Score Your Shop
As of March 2026, TikTok Shop US uses the Account Health Rating system (not the 48-point system you might see referenced in older guides). Your AHR runs on a 0-1000 scale. Every seller starts at 200 points and earns more through completed orders and policy quizzes.
What are the TikTok Shop metrics thresholds?
TikTok Shop monitors four core fulfillment metrics with specific thresholds that trigger enforcement actions against your account. According to TikTok’s Seller University documentation (updated March 2026), the thresholds are: Late Dispatch Rate (LDR) must stay at or below 4%, with enforcement actions triggering when LDR exceeds 10%. Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) must be at least 95%. Seller-Fault Cancellation Rate (SFCR) must stay at or below 2.5%. On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) must be at least 80%. As of March 2026, violations against these metrics result in Account Health Rating (AHR) point deductions. Your AHR runs on a 0-1000 scale, starting at 200 points. Enforcement milestones at 150 AHR milestone, 100, 50, and 0 AHR trigger progressively severe restrictions up to permanent deactivation. Sellers should monitor all four metrics daily in Seller Center.
Here’s what matters: violations against these four fulfillment metrics drain your AHR. Repeat violations double the point deduction each time.
Start at 200. Lose points faster than you earn them. Hit 0. Account deactivated. Funds may be withheld for 45, 90, or 365 days depending on violation severity.
For the complete breakdown of how AHR scoring works, see our Account Health Rating guide.
Metric #1: Late Dispatch Rate (LDR) — The #1 Account Killer
LDR Operating Target
Enforcement trigger: >10% LDR | Ban risk: HIGHEST
LDR measures the percentage of orders that fail to reach “In Transit” status (carrier scan) within the dispatch SLA. As of January 2026, that SLA is 2 business days from when the order enters “Awaiting Shipment,” with a cutoff of 11:59 PM PST.
LDR = (Orders not in transit within 2 business days) ÷ (Total dispatched orders) × 100
What is the Late Dispatch Rate threshold on TikTok Shop?
The Late Dispatch Rate (LDR) on TikTok Shop has an operating target of 4% or below, with enforcement actions beginning when LDR exceeds 10%. According to TikTok’s LDR guide (updated March 2026), LDR measures the percentage of orders that fail to reach In Transit status within 2 business days of entering Awaiting Shipment. The cutoff time is 11:59 PM PST. Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding US federal holidays. As of March 2026, LDR is the highest-risk metric for account bans because every order creates a data point, violations compound with repeat deductions doubling each time, and the 2-business-day dispatch window is shorter than most sellers expect. Sellers processing high volumes should prioritize LDR monitoring above all other metrics.
Business days means Monday through Friday only. Weekends and US federal holidays don’t count. An order placed Friday evening? Your SLA clock doesn’t start ticking until Monday.
Why LDR bans more sellers than any other metric
Three reasons:
Every single order you ship is an LDR data point. One bad weekend where 12 orders ship late can spike your rate from 3% to 7%.
Each LDR violation deducts AHR points. Repeat violations in the same category double the deduction. Three LDR strikes in a month can drain 40+ AHR points.
The 2-business-day window is shorter than sellers expect. A Thursday afternoon order during a holiday week might not be due until the following Tuesday, but miss that deadline and it counts against you.
If your LDR is already climbing, see our guide on what happens at 4.8% LDR for the emergency playbook.
Orders placed after business hours Friday don’t need dispatch until Tuesday 11:59 PM PST. But orders placed Thursday at 4 PM? Due Monday. Miss it, and your LDR takes the hit.
According to TikTok’s LDR guide (verified March 2026), the operating target is ≤4% LDR. Enforcement actions, including AHR point deductions and visibility restrictions, kick in when LDR exceeds 10%.
Metric #2: Valid Tracking Rate (VTR) — The Silent Killer
VTR Threshold
Ban risk: HIGH
VTR measures the percentage of orders with accurate, verifiable tracking numbers. When your shop’s VTR drops below 95%, TikTok imposes AHR point deductions, decreased search visibility, and potential restrictions on Seller Shipping privileges.
What counts as an “invalid” tracking number
Why VTR catches sellers off guard
Most sellers assume their tracking is fine because they’re generating labels. The problem: TikTok validates tracking against carrier data, not just whether you uploaded a number.
Common VTR killers:
One wrong digit in a tracking number. Doesn’t match carrier records. Invalid.
TikTok’s VTR evaluation window accounts for normal carrier scan and transit delays, so routine overnight lag alone shouldn’t trigger a flag. The real risk: uploading a tracking number your carrier never actually scans at all, or using a carrier not integrated with TikTok’s validation system.
Your 3PL ships the order but uploads tracking to their system, not yours. TikTok never sees it.
As of March 2026, TikTok’s VTR guide confirms enforcement begins when VTR falls below 95%.
Either your tracking validates or it doesn’t. There’s no “close enough.” A tracking number that’s off by one character counts the same as no tracking at all.
Metric #3: Seller-Fault Cancellation Rate (SFCR) — The Inventory Trap
SFCR Threshold
Ban risk: MODERATE-HIGH
SFCR tracks cancellations that are your fault: out-of-stock items, pricing errors, inability to fulfill. Buyer-initiated cancellations don’t count against you.
What triggers a seller-fault cancellation
Does TikTok Shop auto-cancel orders you don’t ship?
Yes. According to TikTok’s fulfillment policy (updated March 2026), regular orders that are not updated to Awaiting Collection within 5 business days of entering Awaiting Shipment are automatically cancelled. These auto-cancellations count as seller-fault cancellations and are added to your Seller-Fault Cancellation Rate (SFCR). The SFCR threshold is 2.5%, meaning a seller processing 200 orders per month can only afford 5 seller-fault cancellations before breaching the threshold. As of March 2026, exceeding SFCR may result in AHR point deductions, decreased visibility, extended settlement periods, or order volume limits. Sellers should check for pending orders daily and process or cancel them before the 5-business-day auto-cancel window closes.
The 2.5% threshold is tighter than you think
If you process 200 orders per month, you can only have 5 seller-fault cancellations before breaching the threshold. At 500 orders per month, that’s 12 cancellations.
If you forget about an order and it’s not updated to Awaiting Collection within 5 business days of Awaiting Shipment, TikTok auto-cancels it and counts it as seller-fault. That single forgotten order might push you over 2.5%.
According to TikTok’s SFCR guide (verified March 2026), exceeding the 2.5% threshold may result in AHR point deductions, decreased visibility, extended settlement periods, or order volume limits.
Selling on multiple platforms without real-time inventory sync is the #1 cause of SFCR violations. You sell the last unit on Amazon. TikTok order comes in 3 minutes later. Now you’re canceling.
Metric #4: On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) — The Carrier Gamble
OTDR Threshold
Ban risk: MODERATE
OTDR measures whether orders arrive within 6 business days of placement. Unlike LDR, this metric depends heavily on your carrier’s performance, not just yours.
Why OTDR is the “least controllable” metric
You can ship on time every single day and still fail OTDR if your carrier is slow. A regional carrier delay, a weather event, a holiday surge backlog: all of these push deliveries past 6 days and count against your OTDR.
How to protect your OTDR
The 80% threshold is more forgiving than the other three metrics. But combined with a borderline LDR or VTR, a dipping OTDR can accelerate your path to enforcement.
For understanding how business day calculations affect your delivery windows, check our Business Days Calculator.
The Ban Risk Ranking: Which Metric Kills Accounts Fastest
| Rank | Metric | Threshold | Ban Risk | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LDR | ≤ 4% | Highest | Every order is a data point. Violations compound. Repeat deductions double. |
| 2 | VTR | ≥ 95% | High | Binary pass/fail. Integration errors can tank rate overnight. |
| 3 | SFCR | ≤ 2.5% | Moderate-High | Tight threshold. Auto-cancellations catch sellers off guard. |
| 4 | OTDR | ≥ 80% | Moderate | Carrier-dependent. Most forgiving threshold, but still deducts AHR. |
Failing multiple metrics simultaneously accelerates AHR drain. A seller at 4.5% LDR and 93% VTR is losing points from two directions at once. Each repeat violation doubles the deduction. That’s how accounts go from “healthy” to “deactivated” faster than most sellers expect.
AHR Enforcement: What Happens When You Hit the Thresholds
Your Account Health Rating determines the consequences. As of March 2026, the AHR enforcement milestones are:
What happens when your TikTok Shop AHR reaches zero?
When your TikTok Shop Account Health Rating (AHR) reaches 0, your account is permanently deactivated. According to TikTok’s seller enforcement documentation (updated March 2026), funds may be withheld for 45, 90, or 365 days depending on the nature and severity of the violations that caused the deactivation. The AHR enforcement milestones leading to deactivation are: at 150 AHR, you lose the ability to create new listings or join campaigns for 7 days; at 100 AHR, the same restrictions extend to 14 days; at 50 AHR, restrictions last 28 days; at 0 AHR, deactivation is permanent. As of March 2026, all sellers start at 200 AHR and earn points through completed orders (+4 points per 200 orders, capped at 20/week). Sellers should treat any AHR below 200 as a warning sign requiring immediate metric correction.
| AHR Score | What Happens | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 150 | Can’t create new listings or join campaigns | 7 days |
| ≤ 100 | Same restrictions, extended | 14 days |
| ≤ 50 | Same restrictions, extended further | 28 days |
| 0 | Permanent deactivation. Funds may be withheld for 45, 90, or 365 days depending on violation severity. | Permanent |
Every seller starts at 200 AHR. You earn points back through completed orders (+4 points per 200 orders, capped at 20/week) and policy quizzes. But if your metrics are bleeding AHR faster than you’re earning it, you’re on a countdown.
For the complete AHR scoring mechanics, emergency protocols at each threshold, and the appeal process, see our comprehensive Account Health guide.
The 5-Minute Self-Audit Checklist
Open your Seller Center right now. Check these numbers:
Treat it as a crisis. One bad day can push you over.
One bad weekend can spike your LDR from safe to suspended
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Start 14-day free trialFAQ
Can I get banned for failing just one metric?
Not immediately. Failing one metric triggers AHR point deductions, not instant bans. But if you started at 200 AHR and a single metric drains you to 0, that’s permanent deactivation. It’s a math problem: how fast are you losing points versus earning them. Most bans happen when sellers fail 2+ metrics simultaneously.
How quickly can my account go from healthy to banned?
It depends on the specific violation deductions, which vary by severity and frequency. A seller processing 300 orders/month with an 8% LDR and 92% VTR is losing points from two directions simultaneously, and each repeat violation doubles the deduction. The decline accelerates fast. TikTok does not publish a public point-deduction schedule, so the exact timeline varies.
Do these thresholds apply to all fulfillment methods (FBT, Seller Shipping)?
Not equally. As of March 2026, TikTok’s official documentation distinguishes between fulfillment methods: FBT (Fulfilled by TikTok) orders are exempt from VTR and SFCR calculations. LDR exemptions for FBT apply to the fulfillment portion TikTok controls. TikTok Shipping orders have their own VTR exemption. OTDR treatment varies by shipping program, with policy-defined conditional relief for upgraded methods. Check your Seller Center dashboard for the specific metric treatment applied to each of your active fulfillment methods.
What’s the fastest way to recover AHR points after a metric violation?
Ship more orders on time. You earn +4 AHR points per 200 completed orders (capped at 20 points/week). Complete policy quizzes in Seller Center for additional points. Successfully appealed violations restore points immediately. At 400 orders/month with zero new violations, you recover approximately 8 AHR points monthly. See our Account Health guide for the full recovery timeline.
Does TikTok warn me before enforcement actions?
TikTok sends email and Seller Center notifications when your AHR drops to enforcement milestones, including a warning when you’re within 10 points of the next threshold. But sellers frequently report these warnings arriving late or getting lost in notification volume. Don’t rely on TikTok’s alerts as your only safety net.
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