Temu has quickly become a go-to sourcing hub for online resellers. The ecommerce marketplace offers ultra-low factory-direct prices, frequent discounts, and generous return policies — all of which make it an attractive option for entrepreneurs looking to flip products for profit.
Reselling Temu products can be a lucrative side hustle or full-fledged business, but success depends on more than just finding cheap items. You’ll need to choose the right sales channels, research profitable products, price them strategically, and navigate new trade policies that could impact your margins.
This guide walks you through every step of the process, from sourcing and pricing to setting up listings and marketing your products effectively.
Key Takeaways:
- Temu is making waves because of its competitive factory pricing, generous 90-day free returns, and marketing efforts, including multiple Super Bowl ads.
- Temu has a wide range of low-cost products that can potentially be resold for a profit.
- Note that some items may be counterfeit and/or low quality; diligent research is required.
- Market research and competitive pricing are key to a successful reselling venture.
Legal considerations for reselling Temu products
Reselling Temu products is generally legal in the US, but it’s essential to understand the risks. Temu does not prohibit resale, but sellers should be cautious about intellectual property issues. Avoid reselling counterfeit or branded items without authorization to reduce the risk of violating trademark laws.
Ensure you register for a sales tax ID or reseller’s permit, depending on your state. This is often required for legally reselling goods and can help you buy items tax-free from suppliers.
Step 1: Decide where to sell your products
The first step in reselling items on Temu is to decide where to sell your products. Whether you want to sell online or in person, look into the costs involved and research locations and platforms.
Ensure you set up your business properly, with all the legal requirements and licenses needed. Learn more in our guide on how to start your own business. Once you have the legalities in place, learn how to start a retail business or your own online store.
There are plenty of channels to sell your items from Temu. Consider the following:
- Your own online store: To start your online store, you need an ecommerce platform. It is recommended to have your own store when selling online, as it gives you full control over how your shop looks. You can also integrate other selling platforms into your chosen platform. Learn more about the costs involved in building your online store and read our top picks for best ecommerce platforms.
- Online marketplaces: While marketplaces don’t give you much room for customizing your store, you have access to a built-in audience that gives you an advantage, especially when you are a new seller. Amazon is a popular marketplace for reselling Temu products.
- Social media: Social commerce is trending these days, and TikTok is at the forefront of it all, especially with the launch of TikTok Shop in the US. Also, consider selling Temu items on Facebook and Facebook Marketplace.
- Local in-person, kiosks, and pop-up shops: Brick-and-mortar stores require more investment upfront, but can be a great way to build your brand’s credibility. Also consider opening shoppable kiosks or test the waters by opening a pop-up shop.
Step 2: Find products to resell
Once you decide where to sell products, the next step is to find quality products on Temu fit for reselling. There are a couple of ways to do this, but be ready to do plenty of research.
Best products to resell from Temu
Based on competitor research and trending product data, here are the top categories and types of products with high resale potential:
- Electronics:Â Mobile accessories, Bluetooth speakers, smartwatches, and creator gear.
- Home and kitchen:Â Unique gadgets, organizers, and decor items.
- Beauty and health:Â Makeup tools, nail accessories, and hair styling items.
- Fashion:Â Jewelry, trendy clothing, and handbags.
- Toys and baby products:Â Educational toys and baby accessories.
- Fitness:Â Resistance bands, yoga mats, and portable exercise gear.
Check Temu’s Best Sellers and 5-Star Rated filters to find what’s currently trending. These tools, along with Temu’s “HOT!” tags, are good indicators of product popularity.
Use Temu’s built-in filters
Temu’s built-in filters make product search and discovery more efficient. You can identify which items are the best-sellers in a product category.
From the homepage, you can click on the Best Sellers and 5-Star Rated options on the navigation menu to see the most popular products. Alternatively, you can click on the Categories dropdown menu, choose a product category, and scroll through some of the featured products. Best-selling items are labeled “HOT!” and “Popular gift”.
After scrolling through products you are interested in, gather a shortlist for the next step.
Analyze your shortlisted products in detail
Assess them based on selling metrics and trends. There are a few ways to check this on the Temu platform.
Look for a product’s details, like:
- Number of buyer reviews:Â This number indicates interest and sales, and consistently high numbers suggest that a product is evergreen.
- Buyer ratings:Â High average ratings coupled with a high number of reviews confirm popular and high-quality products.
- Number of orders:Â This number indicates strong consumer demand.
You can check for the number of buyer reviews and buyer ratings by going to the product page and scrolling down, like how it looks below.
You can check for the number of orders beside a product’s price on the product search page, like those highlighted in the image below.
Check the seller, too. Look at the following:
- Number of followers:Â Popular (and reliable) sellers usually have a high following. This speaks of their quality of service and products.
- Seller Details:Â Do the top sellers have Best Seller badges? This demonstrates their success with the product.
Take a look at this Temu seller below. You can check its follower count, the number of repeat customers, and read buyer reviews.
Validate your product research
Product validation is an integral part of doing product research because this is where you can confirm if the product will be profitable or not. You can use external tools for insight into competition, pricing, and demand, and look into popular marketplaces for comparison.
Using External Tools:
To validate your product choices, you can use the following external tools:
- Confirm search volume and product demand using keyword research tools, such as Google Trends, Keyword Planner, and SEMRush. High numbers indicate strong consumer interest.
- Use ecommerce market intelligence tools like Google Shopping Insights and Jungle Scout. These tools give insights into competition, average pricing, and more.
Product Research for Amazon
Amazon is a popular choice for reselling Temu items, so it’s best to know more details about pricing items on Amazon. To validate products for selling on Amazon, we recommend doing the following:
- Go to the Amazon Best Sellers list. It is an excellent place to start product research. Browse per category and explore rising trends and new releases. Keep an eye out for generic items that are popular but not tied to a specific brand.
- As you look at possible products to resell, take note of details like ship weight, sturdiness, category popularity, competition, wholesale price, and shipping costs. These help gauge your profit since you will also know the overhead costs you will be incurring.
- Read Amazon reviews. These are helpful resources for gauging consumer interest and identifying market gaps.
- Utilize several tools to determine a product’s profitability. For example, we used Salecalc to calculate potential net profit and margin on our article on recommended products to sell on Amazon — it’s free. Other paid tools like Jungle Scout and Sellics have additional features that help calculate and manage Amazon sales.
Product Research on TikTok
TikTok is another popular selling platform for Temu resell items. TikTok heavily relies on virality, so validate your product research by checking the platform’s data from the TikTok Creative Center. To check on trending products, spend some time going through your For You Page feeds. Learn more about finding trending items to sell on TikTok.
Step 3: Determine pricing
After you have decided which products to resell, the next step would be to determine pricing. A big advantage of finding resell items on Temu is their incredibly low pricing. This sets you up for a sizable profit if you plan strategically.
- Compare product pricing variation on the Temu platform. Popular items are usually offered by multiple sellers, so analyze pricing between sellers, their offered discounts, and get the ideal price range to maximize profits.
- Compare prices against other retailers outside Temu. Utilize price comparison sites to know the typical pricing ranges for online and retail stores of your chosen product. A wider price gap means you have more room for profit on resale.
The following guides have pricing calculators and strategies that can help you set pricing for your products:
- How to Price a ProductÂ
- Profit Margin & Retail Markup Calculator: How to Use Pricing Tools
- Pricing Strategies (+ Examples)
- What Is Dynamic Pricing? Types, Examples & Benefits
Step 4: Purchase inventory
The next step is purchasing your initial inventory for selling. Ideally, you should order sample quantities to be able to check the products in person. If this is not possible, set an initial inventory that will allow you to get your return on investment in the quickest possible time with the lowest risk of loss.
Before ordering, make sure to:
- Factor in your shipping costs. Bulky, heavy, or fragile items have higher shipping expenses and reduce profit margins. Make sure to add up your total landed costs before purchasing inventory.
- Verify the seller’s return policy and warranty. Temu has a generous return policy — up to 90 days. Also, there’s buyer protection in place that lets you secure the sale price for an item you previously purchased before a sale, as long as it’s within a 30-day window. Simply put, if a seller decides to reduce product prices within a month of your purchase, you can recoup a portion of your money based on the sale difference. It is best to confirm these with the seller before placing an order.
Fortunately, there are also some tips to be able to further save on purchasing your items for reselling on Temu. You can order items using coupons and bulk discounts to maximize profit margins.
- Check Flash Deals. There are daily flash sales called Lightning Deals that offer special discounts on select items for 24 hours.
- Use Coupons. Temu provides sitewide and category-specific promo codes, along with new user coupons for extra savings to maximize margins.
Keep an eye out for lightning deals on Temu to maximize profit margins when purchasing items for reselling.
Inventory can be tricky, but you can learn more by reading our following guides:
- Retail Inventory Management: Definition & Best Practices
- Free Inventory Templates + Instructions
- Safety Stock Definition & Calculator for Retailers
- Inventory Carrying Cost: Calculator, Formula & Reduction Tips
Step 5: Set up product listings
Once you receive your products, it’s time to create your product listings so you can get started on selling. Before doing so, carefully inspect all items. Clean, replace packaging if necessary, and photograph your products.
This goes without saying, but write compelling product descriptions, use captivating images, and upload product videos if you can. If you are a small business owner, these tasks can be daunting, especially if you are a one-man or small team. Consider using AI to write product descriptions to save time and money.
See more:
- How to Write a Product Description [+ Template & Examples]
- How to Take Product Photos at HomeÂ
- How to Create a Product Video Shoppers Will Love (for Free)
Step 6: Sell and promote
After you have created your product listings and, assuming you are done setting up your store, it is time to sell!
Promotion can be done in a variety of ways, but if it’s your first time selling online, it is crucial to get the word out and let people know that your store is open. I recommend crafting your marketing strategy based on the platform you choose to sell on. Then employ the following strategies I list below.
Utilize social media for product promotion
Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are key for building your brand and driving traffic to your listings:
- TikTok: Promotion and marketing will need to be catered to creating unique, authentic, and entertaining content to ensure your videos gain traction and get featured more on For You page feeds. Staying on top of TikTok trends and leveraging user-generated content are also crucial marketing tactics. Read more about our recommended TikTok ecommerce strategy guide.
- Instagram:Â Use Reels and Stories to showcase products. Maintain a consistent aesthetic and interact with your followers.
- Facebook Marketplace:Â Great for local sales. Join relevant groups to tap into niche communities.
Post consistently and align your content with trending topics. Use relevant hashtags and engage with your followers to increase reach. Read our ecommerce marketing strategy guide for more ideas.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Optimizing your listings for search engines ensures your products are discoverable by potential buyers. Incorporate relevant keywords in product titles, descriptions, and metadata. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find high-volume, low-competition keywords. Learn more about SEO for ecommerce.
For marketplaces like Amazon, follow their SEO best practices—optimize bullet points, backend keywords, and images to improve ranking and conversions. Learn more about how to rank well on Amazon with Amazon SEO. On your own website, use structured data and optimize page load speed for better visibility.
Email marketing
Make a concentrated effort to build your store’s email list, too. Email marketing is still one of the best and proven ways to nurture customer relationships — letting you retain more of them and increase sales. Use pop-ups, lead magnets, and special discounts to encourage sign-ups. Send regular newsletters with product updates, promotions, and restock alerts.
Segment your list based on purchase behavior to personalize emails. Use automation tools to create abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups, and win-back campaigns.
Paid advertising
Running paid ads can help scale your reselling business quickly:
- Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram):Â Target specific demographics and behaviors. Great for visual products.
- Google Ads:Â Use Shopping Ads to display your products directly in search results. Ideal for high-intent buyers.
- TikTok Ads:Â Best for viral products and targeting younger audiences. Test Spark Ads and creator partnerships.
Start with a small daily budget and A/B test ad creatives. Track performance metrics like click-through rate (CTR), return on ad spend (ROAS), and customer acquisition cost (CAC).
Reselling Temu products and navigating recent US tariff changes
Understanding the evolution of US-China tariffs is crucial for resellers sourcing products from platforms like Temu. Here’s a brief timeline highlighting significant events:
- 2016:Â The US raised the de minimis threshold from $200 to $800, allowing duty-free imports for packages valued under $800.
- May 2025:Â The Trump administration eliminated the de minimis exemption for Chinese imports, imposing a 120% tariff or a $100 fee on low-value packages. This move significantly impacted platforms like Temu and Shein, which relied on this exemption to offer low-cost goods to US consumers.
- Mid-May 2025:Â Following trade negotiations, the US reduced tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, and on low-value packages, the tariff was adjusted to 54%. A $100 flat fee per package remained in place.
The recent adjustments in US trade policy have direct implications for resellers of Temu products:
- Increased costs:Â The removal of the de minimis exemption means that low-value imports from China are now subject to significant tariffs, increasing the cost of goods for resellers.
- Operational shifts: In response to these changes, Temu has halted direct shipments from China and is now fulfilling US orders from domestic warehouses. This shift aims to mitigate the impact of tariffs but may affect product availability and pricing.
As resellers, it’s crucial to consider the following:
- Cost analysis:Â Reevaluate your pricing strategies to account for increased import costs.
- Alternative sourcing:Â Consider sourcing products from domestic suppliers or other international markets less affected by US tariffs.
- Stay informed:Â Keep abreast of ongoing trade negotiations and policy changes that may further impact import costs and regulations.
By understanding these developments and adjusting your business strategies accordingly, you can better navigate the complexities of reselling Temu products in the current trade environment.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Expand the sections below to get answers to the most frequently asked questions about reselling Temu products.
Yes, you can buy products on Temu and resell them for profit.
Yes, it is generally legal to resell products purchased from Temu in the US. However, you must ensure the items are not counterfeit and do not infringe on any trademarks or copyrights. Avoid branded merchandise unless you have explicit permission from the rights holder. For added protection, it’s also recommended to get a reseller’s permit, which some states require for collecting and remitting sales tax. Always review Temu’s terms of service and consult a legal expert if you’re unsure about specific products.
Yes, it is possible to earn profit from reselling Temu products, especially if you are strategic when it comes to pricing and marketing. Market research, competitive pricing, and effective marketing are needed to ensure profitability.
It is easy to become a Temu reseller. Temu doesn’t require accreditation. You can just buy items in bulk and resell them on your chosen platform.
Bottom line
Reselling Temu products is a great entry point into online selling because of the platform’s low prices and buyer-friendly policies. However, to succeed, you must conduct thorough product research, ensure legal compliance, understand import duties, and build a strong promotional strategy — especially via social media.
For best results, follow the steps in this guide and use our tips to maximize profitability and avoid pitfalls.
