Temu is one of the many sites where you can do some online shopping at affordable prices. This online marketplace belongs to the Chinese company PDD Holdings and was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2022. The Temu platform was launched first in the United States on that same year and spread quite fast to other markets, such as Australia and New Zealand, then some countries in Europe, followed by Latin America and Africa.

The app gained surprising popularity after the company displayed a commercial during the 2023 Superbowl. In a nutshell, Temu is an e-commerce platform where users from all over the world can purchase goods produced mainly in China.

Temu's affordable prices

On the Temu app, users can find goods at really low prices. Like, really low. So, the question that comes up the most is: how can they afford those prices? According to the company, the prices offered on their website are cheap because they provide the products directly from the manufacturer, without third-party intermediaries. The main claim behind Temu's prices is that it allows Chinese vendors to sell and ship their products directly to buyers from the US and all over the world, without a middleman. There have been, however, several concerns regarding the ethics and prices behind this business model.

Temu vs. Shein

Shein is one of the most popular apps when it comes to buying Chinese products at affordable prices, and Temu is one of their most recent competitors. One of the main differences between the two companies is that Temu is an online platform where third-party suppliers sell their products. On Shein, however, most of the products in the clothes, fashion, and accessories section are sold by Shein. They do have third-party sellers as well, who sell their products along with products sold by Shein. Moreover, although both apps offer a wide variety of products, Shein's strong suit is fashion.

What you can buy in Temu

Temu offers plenty of products, from clothes and shoes to electronics and home decor. These are some of the categories of products you can find on the Temu app:

Product reviews

Just like many other e-commerce platforms, Temu allows its users to rate the products they have purchased and leave reviews for future buyers. This is a great feature since it allows users to corroborate the quality of the product they are interested in before making the purchase. It also prevents users from being scammed by sellers.

Payment methods

Temu accepts a wide variety of payment methods on its app. These are some of the options available: 

• Major credit/debit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, Maestro, Postepay
• Temu Credit
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay
• PayPal
• You can also use Klarna or Scalapay to enjoy pay-in-3 service

Overall, these are all safe payment methods, and buying through the Temu app is safe.

Return and Refund Policy

If the products you receive are not what you expected, do not fit the description, or are defective, you can ask for a refund. To do so, you will need to follow some steps detailed on their website, and you may need to send the products back. If you have to return the products, bear in mind that the shipping is free as long as you send it back within 90 days from the day of the purchase. You will receive a refund only after the Temu team inspects and approves the return.