Temu Is Taking Over, But Is the Shopping App Legit?
The internet can connect us with excellent shopping deals, but sometimes they can seem too good to be true. You may have seen a few of those “How is this so cheap?” deals on the online marketplace Temu. It’s largely what skyrocketed its popularity. In fact, it was at one point the most downloaded app in the U.S. It appears to offer everything at meager prices, but is Temu legit?
We’ll talk about how its prices are so low, if it’s a scam, and tips and tricks for shopping with it.
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What Is Temu?
Let’s start with the basics: What is Temu? Temu is an online marketplace that ships products directly from China to consumers in order to keep prices low. Although it’s based out of Boston, its parent company, PDD Holdings, is a China-based organization. Temu’s sister company is the shipping app Pinduoduo and is aimed at the Chinese market.
Similar online marketplaces, such as Wish.com, have also cut out middleman retailers to deliver the lowest prices possible. Rather than third-party sellers purchasing the products and reselling them on Amazon, you can obtain them directly.
The Temu website offers a wide breadth of products, including appliances, smart home gadgets, clothing, lawn and garden supplies, health and household, beauty, musical instruments, toys and games, electronics and pet supplies.
Is Temu a Scam?
Temu is a legitimate e-commerce retailer that sells real products. The prices are also real. It was, however, hit with a lawsuit in 2023 alleging it takes more data from its customers than it discloses and is necessary. The complaint also claimed the company does not do enough to protect customer data. It has since been hit with several other lawsuits, including one in Nebraska alleging consumer protection violations.
And while we did find that the Temu app provides free returns within 90 days on some items, there have been negative reviews on the site claiming that packages arrived damaged or delayed. Temu counters these claims by offering purchase protection for if you receive an order that isn’t as described, arrives damaged or is lost in the mail.
Temu does have multiple payment options. One option you may want to consider when checking out with Temu is PayPal, as the company offers buyer protection for items that arrive damaged or not as described (or don’t show up at all). You can also use a buy now, pay later service such as Afterpay or Klarna.
Impact of Tariffs on Temu Pricing
Throughout 2025, the Trump Administration has lodged a trade war with China, primarily through tariffs. It also closed the de minimis loophole that allowed Temu to skip storage at U.S. warehouses and ship directly to consumers if the merchandise was worth less than $800.
This had a big impact on Temu’s business model. At certain points throughout the year, there were ways to still order products directly from Chinese sellers. However, prices more than doubled with Temu outlining tariffs and logistics as additional line items. At other points, you might be able to order the product without the additional fees from Temu themselves. But you personally would incur fees from USPS that would be about the same amount, anyways. The tariff bill just shifted from the company to the consumer.
At other times, you couldn’t order cheap products from Chinese sellers on Temu at all. You could still order from Temu, but you’d often be buying from a seller in the U.S. where manufacturing costs were not as low. As a result, you’d see more expensive products.
There are still some tariffs on China, but they’re not as large as they were earlier in the year. For now, you can buy cheap products on Temu directly from Chinese sellers. They’re more expensive than they were before the Trump tariffs, but they’re not as expensive as they were several months ago before Temu temporarily removed the option to purchase from many of these sellers altogether. Whether or not tariffs (and prices) change during the holiday season is yet to be seen. It could get better, get worse or stay the same as it is right now.
How Do I Shop on Temu?
If you choose to use Temu, visit Temu’s website or download the Temu app to your iOS or Android device. Once on the site or app, you can begin shopping.
If you see an item you like, add it to your cart. However, many things available on Temu are limited, either in stock or in time, so check out when you are ready.
At checkout, you can use a payment service, such as PayPal, which will provide you with an additional layer of buyer protection if anything goes awry. If you wish to pay directly using a credit card, we recommend using a virtual card. Services such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are also available.
Temu Tricks and Tips
While browsing Temu, you’ll find that the app attempts to play some of its own tricks to get you to make additional purchases. When you open the app, you may be presented with a “bargain,” such as four items for free if you buy eight items. Or, you may be asked to share the app with friends for low prices.
While these offerings may be alluring if you were planning on purchasing several items, they can also quickly get you to spend more than you would have originally — not every deal is good, especially if you spend more.
Temu may try to pressure you into buying a product by saying it is available for only a limited time or that there are just a few items left in stock. So take a moment and consider if you really need that item before you hit the “Buy” button.
Michael Archambault is a senior writer with The Penny Hoarder specializing in technology.
