Temu is the brainchild of Shanghai-based Pinduoduo and was launched in the US on the 1st of September.
Since then, they have steadily overtaken big ecommerce brands like AliExpress and DHgate with their broad range of carefully curated products and super competitive prices.
However, the one brand that I don’t see Temu defeating anytime soon is Amazon, simply because Amazon currently holds over 41% of all U.S ecommerce sales and is a household name.
But there are some advantages to using one over the other, which i’ll cover in detail below.
For now, let’s compare Temu vs Amazon and see whether Temu has what it takes to acquire the number 1 spot or if Amazon is still the better shopping destination for Americans.
Temu vs Amazon
Temu vs Amazon : Website / App
To start things off, both Temu and Amazon have websites as well as apps that can be downloaded on various devices including smartphones and tablets.
Both platforms are SSL secure and their apps receive regular updates and bug fixes.
The Amazon app for Android and iOS devices is nearly double the size of the Temu app and is one of the reasons why Temu tends to launch and boot up faster.
Currently, Temu ranks number 2 on the Google Play Store and App Store, whereas Amazon retains the number 1 spot on both fronts.
There is a small difference however between the two apps in terms of how fast pages load and how easy the apps are to navigate. From what I can tell, the Temu app is easier to navigate and Amazon has become complicated to use over the years.
For now, Temu takes the win with their super responsive user friendly interface over Amazon’s slightly hard to navigate platform that comes with longer load times.
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Temu vs Amazon : Prices
I must say, the most noticeable difference between Temu and Amazon is the price of the goods sold.
After going through both sites, it’s pretty evident that Temu offers products that are much cheaper than Amazon and this is attributed to the fact that Temu sources directly from manufacturers based in China and other parts of the world.
Temu is also a platform that cuts out the middleman and conducts their business directly with manufacturers and this is another reason why their prices are so low.
On the business side I got to know that Temu provides “zero entry and commission fees” to merchants so they can afford to run discounts, sales and offer their products at lower prices.
Amazon on the other hand tends to charge a commission of up to 30% on the income merchants make while using their platform and this can eat into the manufacturers profits, thereby making manufacturers increase the overall price of their products.
For example, I came across the Lenovo LP40 TWS earbuds on Amazon for around $23.48 being sold by a third party merchant. However, the same model wasn’t available on Temu, but an upgraded version, the LP40 Pro was available for under $5.
The trend was the same with other products on the sites such as hair clippers like the T9 which cost around $15 on Amazon while the same one is up on Temu for under $6.
Dash cams also are a lot cheaper on Temu and high quality cams that generally cost over $50 were priced at under $20 on the site.
In terms of pricing, I feel that Temu is a better platform than Amazon for both merchants and customers. They don’t collect entry fees or commission from their merchants and in turn buyers get to find quality products at competitive prices.
Temu vs Amazon : Shipping & Delivery
On to shipping and delivery, both websites offer free shipping. However, Amazon only offers free shipping to users who have bought into the Amazon Prime program, whereas regular users are made to pay for shipping within the U.S.
Shipping is normally Amazon Fulfilled, but there are some instances where sellers would ship the order on their own using either USPS or UPS.
Temu on the other hand provided me with two shipping options, Standard and Express. Their Standard shipping option is free on most orders, but it’s a lot slower and orders will take up to 2 weeks to arrive.
Express shipping is free on orders over $99 or if the order is less than the set value, a flat charge of $12.99 will be levied on the order. They provide shipping via carriers like USPS, FedEx and UPS to most addresses within the U.S.
I did also notice a significant difference in the delivery timeline on both sites. Amazon takes around 2-5 days to deliver and their timeline depends primarily on external conditions such as snow or rain.
Sometimes they can deliver on the same day, but only if the products fall under the same-day delivery category which is at present, available only to Prime members.
Temu can not offer same day delivery no matter how hard they try and that’s mainly because they do not have warehouses in the US that they can use to stock up with products.
Since they ship overseas, deliveries can take anywhere from 7 days to 23 days and this time frame depends on the origin and the destination.
From this it’s clear to me that Amazon is a lot quicker and more efficient than Temu when it comes to shipping and delivering orders. I feel that the only way Temu will be able to pick up is when they decide to open warehouses in the U.S. So, until that happens, Amazon is going to hold on to its lead in this race.
Temu vs Amazon : Range and Quality of Products
As of 2022, Amazon has over 12 million products across all its categories and services. Products range from home and kitchen appliances all the way to medicines and even groceries.
There are both, branded as well as unbranded items on Amazon and there’s even a section that showcases some of the most expensive products like jewelry, handbags, perfumes and more.
I only came across a total of 16 categories on Temu and nearly all the products sold on this platform are either made in China or somewhere in Asia. Some of the manufacturers have set up quality checks to help make sure that their products are safe to use and meet the set standards.
While Amazon has dominated the market for several years, Temu is still new and it will take some time for the brand to acquire new sellers to match the number that Amazon currently has.
It’s quite possible that since Temu is growing at an exponential rate, they just may surpass Amazon in the future. But this can only happen if Temu opens warehouses within the U.S as it will then make it easier for them to move into adding perishable goods like medicines, food and groceries in their inventory.
While they don’t necessarily have bad quality products, I did notice that some lack reviews and it can get difficult trying to pick something that’s good quality simply as no one has bought that item before.
So, in terms of the overall range and quality of products, my opinion is that Amazon dominates the space with high quality goods that have passed a barrage of quality tests. The collection on Amazon is vast and growing at a steady rate, so there’s a lot more to find on Amazon than there is on Temu.
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Temu vs Amazon : Returns and Refund Policy
With regards to the returns and refund policy, both platforms offer refunds on orders, but it is Temu that provides a better refund/returns policy and is the one that caught my attention.
Temu grants users with a 90-day returns window and refunds on all orders, barring a couple of exceptions such as worn clothes, damaged goods and non-returnable products.
But, when it comes to Amazon, only Amazon branded products are eligible for free returns and refunds will be processed within a period of 30-90 days from the date the return was initiated.
On the other hand, products which are sold by third-party sellers would require the authorization of the seller to have the item returned and a refund issued.
Apart from the near-identical refund policy, both Temu and Amazon also provide purchase guarantees/protection on all orders in the event of a mishap.
For example, Amazon has the A to Z guarantee that provides an option to receive a refund if the order is damaged, lost or delayed. There are again some exceptions such as this guarantee doesn’t apply to digital merchandise or to orders where a chargeback has been initiated on the credit card.
Temu also has a similar policy, but their guarantee is applicable to all products listed on their site except gift cards. Here, I was given the option to raise a refund request if the order is lost, damaged or doesn’t match the item photos/description.
While processing refunds, both Amazon and Temu provide credit as well as direct payment options. On Amazon I was able to choose between having the refund sent back to my Amazon Pay account or to the source of the payment.
Temu also offers credits where I was able to opt for my refund to be sent into my Temu account and not the original mode of payment making it easier for me to place the next order.
The best part about the credit system is that it doesn’t take more than 24 hours to have the amount processed into the account, unlike having it sent back to the source account where it may take up to 30 days for the refund to reflect.
So, from the refund and returns policy as well as the buyer protection plan both sites have going, I find them both to be quite buyer friendly and refunds can be obtained for nearly all products as long as they are damaged, lost or misrepresented.
Temu vs Amazon : Customer Support
One of the most important aspects to consider when choosing an ecommerce platform to buy from is the level of support the site offers.
Temu and Amazon both offer customer support to their users and both platforms deliver 24/7 service.
Chat options are available on both websites and apps and the only difference between the two is that Amazon doesn’t provide a number to contact their support team on the website or app, but there is a call back button where an Amazon representative reaches out over the phone within a couple of minutes.
You can also Google the support number for Amazon and will be presented with 022 3043 0101 which is Amazon’s Support line.
While using Temu, I did find a 1-800 number as well as an email address to contact their support team. The wait time is quite low on Temu, but that’s expected to pick up over the next few months as sales and subscribers increase.
Overall, I did not find much of a difference between the level of support offered on both platforms.
Temu and Amazon also have useful help sections dedicated to answering questions to a wide range of problems making it easier to get answers to how things work without having to reach out to a member of their support team.
Temu vs Amazon : Summary
| Temu | Amazon | |
| Overall App Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Website & App | Website is SSL secure and easy to navigate;Available on Android and iOS;21 MB file size | Website is secure and was easy to navigate before the update;Available on Android and iOS;71 MB file size |
| Prices | Cheap and Affordable;Merchants don’t have to pay commission | Lower than MSRP; Merchants pay up to 30% commission |
| Shipping & Deliveries | Free shipping on almost all orders;Standard and Express delivery | Free shipping only for Prime members;Multiple delivery choices available including 1-day |
| Range & Quality of Products | Few branded, most unbranded items;Good quality Chinese goods | More branded and expensive products;Top quality, better than Temu |
| Returns and Refunds | Returns on all orders;Timeline is 90 days | Refund on some orders;Timeline is 30 days |
| Buyer Protection | Temu Purchase Protection Program | A to Z Guarantee |
| Customer Service | 24/7 Live Support;Chat, Email & Phone Support | 247/ Live Support;Chat, Email, Callback Support |
| Best For | Cheap Chinese Products and Impulsive Buying | Wide Variety of High Quality Branded Products |
Overall Verdict
From my experience using both platforms, Temu provided me with a rather positive experience. Their app was easy to use and prices were amazing to say the least.
Temu also has better offers, policies and buyer protection than Amazon and the only thing I feel that Amazon did better was the range and quality of the goods.
But since that’s the most important thing, Amazon definitely has my vote for better quality of goods than Temu and though they do have discounts, coupons and sales from time to time, they could do a better job with the prices of the products.
So, if you’re looking for a site that delivers good quality products and have no worries about the prices then stick with Amazon, it’s your safest bet. However, if you’re someone who wishes to have a little fun and do some impulsive thrift shopping then Temu is the app for you.
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