How to sell on WeChat: a step-by-step guide (2026)
TL; DR: Quick Summary
- To sell on WeChat, you need a verified Service Account first, then a WeChat Store or chat-based checkout to take payment.
- Tencent's second quarter 2026 results counted 1,439 million Weixin and WeChat monthly active users as of 30 Jun 2026.
- A WeChat Store application requires a business license, so brands without one can sell through chat with payment links instead.
- WeChat lets a business reply only within 48 hours of the customer's last message, with at most 5 messages per window.
- If your team can't answer WeChat chats within 48 hours, fix that before opening a store, because late replies are blocked.
You want to sell on WeChat, but the setup looks like a maze of account types, stores, and rules. The short version is that you need three things:
A verified WeChat Official Account (a Service Account, not a Subscription Account).
A place to check out, usually a WeChat Store (微信小店) or a Mini Program.
A way to answer customer chats before WeChat's reply window closes.
The first two get you listed. The third decides how many chats turn into orders. Tencent reported 1,439 million combined monthly active users across Weixin and WeChat as of 30 Jun 2026. The steps below cover setup first, then the sales conversations.
What do you need before you start?
Your route depends mostly on where your business is registered. Find your row in the table first, because it decides which account, store, and payment setup you can use in every step below.
Why use WeChat for business?
WeChat is a stack of connected features, and each one plays a different part in a sale. Here are the parts that matter most:
WeChat Official Account. Your brand's home. Customers follow it, message it, and open your store from its menu.
WeChat Pay. The default way people pay inside WeChat.
WeChat Store (微信小店). WeChat's native storefront. Products can appear across Official Accounts, Channels (视频号), Mini Programs, and WeChat Search, according to a Tencent plan reported by Sina Finance on 13 Aug 2024.
Mini Programs. Lightweight apps inside WeChat, for custom stores, loyalty programs, or booking flows.
Moments and Channels. Where discovery happens. Moments is the friends feed, and Channels is the short-video and live-stream space.
Step 1: Set up and verify a WeChat Official Account
Everything starts with an Official Account, and you should pick a Service Account if you plan to sell. SleekFlow's WeChat channel works only with Service Accounts.
The two main types for brands:
Subscription Account. Built for publishing content. SleekFlow doesn't connect to it.
Service Account. Built for customer service. WeChat's developer docs allow four broadcasts per calendar month.
Accounts registered outside mainland China support only the Service Account type, in select regions, and they must be verified before use. Tencent's overseas verification FAQ lists US$99 per verification application, paid to a third-party review agency, and US$99 for each yearly review. It gives 7 to 15 working days for review after you pay and submit complete documents. Mainland China entities should check the fee on the platform.
Want the steps and the document list? Read the setup guide for WeChat Official Accounts.
Step 2: Open a WeChat Store (微信小店)
A WeChat Store application requires a business license. WeChat accepts two applicant types, enterprises (企业) and individual businesses (个体工商户), and no one else can apply. That page does not say whether an overseas company or a foreign license qualifies, so ask WeChat. The older Mini Shop (微信小商店) is no longer the route to take, according to a Chinese tech article dated 24 Mar 2026.
What do you need to prepare?
The review can't start without these:
An ID-verified Channels (视频号) account. One Channels account can open one store.
Business license (营业执照)
ID (front and back) of the legal representative or operator
Details for the super administrator: ID, mobile number, and email
A settlement account. A corporate account name must match the business name on your license, and a personal bank card must match the operator's ID name.
A new WeChat Pay merchant number. WeChat says you can't reuse a Mini Shop merchant number.
Industry qualifications or brand authorization, if your category needs them
How do you open the store?
WeChat's guidance is written for Channels Store (视频号小店), which Sina Finance reported Tencent planned to upgrade to WeChat Store from 25 Aug 2024. Check each screen against what you see.
On desktop, open channels.weixin.qq.com/shop and scan the QR code with WeChat. On mobile, go to Channels, then Creator Center (创作者中心), then 带货中心, then 视频号小店入口, then 开店.
Choose your entity type: enterprise or individual business.
Fill in the shop form with your license details, operator ID, settlement account, and super administrator.
Add a shop avatar, a shop name, and any industry qualifications.
Submit for review. WeChat says review takes 7 to 15 working days after account verification.
Verify the account within 30 days, or WeChat rejects the application. The legal representative scans a QR code, or the company sends a small transfer to the account WeChat names, and the amount is returned.
Have the super administrator scan a QR code to sign the agreement. The back end then shows 开张成功 (store opened).
Upload your products and publish.
WeChat's guidance doesn't state any fees, so check the current fee rules in your store backend before you set prices.
What if you have no business license?
You can't open a WeChat Store directly, because the application requires a business license. That leaves three routes, and each has trade-offs.
Your options:
Sell through chat. Send catalogs and payment links in the conversation. This is the lightest setup.
Build a Mini Program. WeChat's registration page lists a Mini Program type for businesses and organizations with service offerings, so ask WeChat whether your entity qualifies.
Set up a local entity. Some brands register a company in China, such as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE). That's a legal and tax decision with long-term obligations, so talk to a local lawyer and a China market-entry advisor first.
Step 3: Make paying easy
During store setup you add a settlement account for your sales, so check the payment fee for your category in the store backend. If you sell outside the store, you need another way to collect payment.
Payment links in chat. SleekFlow's Help Center says you can send payment links and product messages from your Product Catalogue on WeChat, once the payment feature is enabled. The payment links page lists Stripe and Shopify links.
Tenpay Global. Tencent's Mini Program documentation lists Singapore, Macau (China) and Japan as the places where a merchant must be registered, and says each application is reviewed. Its English page still names only Singapore and Macau, and the Chinese text controls, so confirm with Tenpay Global.
Step 4: Get customers into the conversation
Build entry points in several places:
QR codes. Put your Official Account QR code on packaging, receipts, flyers, in-store displays, and your website.
Official Account menus. Add "Shop", "Ask us", and "Track my order" to the bottom menu.
Channels and Moments. Short videos and live streams can link to WeChat Store products.
Broadcasts. Save your four monthly broadcasts for launches, promotions, and restocks.
Step 5: Answer chats inside the 48-hour window
On a Service Account, the customer has to message you first. You can reply for 48 hours after their last message, and you can send at most 5 messages per window before the customer replies again. Miss the window and you can't follow up.
SleekFlow's omnichannel inbox puts WeChat next to WhatsApp and your other channels. Conversations can be assigned to the right person or team from the first message, so nothing waits in a shared queue.
Step 6: Follow up without breaking WeChat's rules
WeChat restricts outbound messaging, so follow-ups happen while the conversation window is open or through your monthly broadcasts. Plan each follow-up around those two limits.
Inside the window, you can send text, voice notes, product messages, emojis, and payment links. For bigger announcements, use broadcast campaigns to reach your WeChat followers. Broadcasts show a single tick once sent, and WeChat doesn't provide delivery status for individual recipients.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most of these come from skipping a rule covered above, so check them before you launch.
Picking a Subscription Account. SleekFlow connects only to Service Accounts, and they're the type built for customer service.
Letting chats sit. The 48-hour window is strict, and a slow reply can mean you can't reply at all.
Burning your monthly broadcasts. Four a month goes quickly, so save them for launches and restocks.
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This article is for general information and is not legal or tax advice. WeChat's rules, fees, and requirements change and differ by market, so check WeChat's current guidance and ask local counsel before you act. The SleekFlow, Tencent, and WeChat pages cited here were checked on 22 and 23 Oct 2026.
