DHgate vs Temu
Temu gives you ninety days and settles EU import charges at checkout. DHgate holds your money in escrow and only pays off at quantity.
DHgate
Real escrow, and a complaint window that closes far earlier than the headline says.
BRecommended with a reservation
Who should pick which
Choose DHgate if
- Buying at quantity, which is what the pricing is built for
- Anyone who wants the money held until the parcel is checked
Choose Temu if
- Household goods, tools and clothing where the risk of a bad order matters more than the item
- Anyone in the EU who does not want to deal with customs
Feature by feature
| Attribute | DHgate | Temu |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Budget prices | Budget prices |
| Ships from | China | China, Local warehouses in some markets |
| Ships to | Most countries | Most of Europe, North America and beyond |
| Avg delivery | Not measured by us | Not measured by us |
| Buyer protection | 30 days | 90 days |
| Return window | 21 days | 90 days |
| Return shipping paid by | varies | varies |
| Customs handling | EU VAT collected under EUR 150. Duties never covered | EU: import charges paid at checkout, customs paid for you by a forwarder Temu appoints. US duties charged separately |
| Seller verification | Feedback percentage and order counts, plus unexplained 5-Star Stores and Source Factory sections | Not published as a badge scheme |
| Mobile app | ||
| Support channels | Dispute centre, Help centre | In-app chat, Help centre |
| Dispute window | 30 days after confirming receipt, 60 for VIP. But 7 or 21 days for a not-as-described claim | 90 days, 45 to 60 on some electronics |
| Dispute clock starts | confirmed receipt | order |
| First return free | ||
| Refund without return | Yes, stated for seller-fault claims within 21 days | Advance and instant refunds, at Temu discretion |
| Payment held in escrow | ||
| Import VAT at checkout | EU: yes, under EUR 150. US: not stated for consumers | EU: shown at checkout as import charges, nothing due later. US: charged separately |
| Duties at checkout | No, and stated as never covered | EU: yes, Temu clears customs for you. US: no, buyer may be importer of record |
| States an IOSS registration | ||
| Customs pages updated for 2026 | ||
| Seller model | Independent wholesale sellers, each with its own return policy | Third-party sellers, largely fulfilled through Temu |
Pricing side by side
DHgate
Price level: Budget
Listings are priced in tiers that fall as the quantity grows, so there is no single figure worth quoting.
EU: DHgate collects VAT itself on goods up to EUR 150, and above that you pay it yourself. Customs duties are "never covered by DHgate", so the carrier collects them on delivery. The guidance still splits at EUR 150, which stopped being the line for duties on 1 July 2026.
US: its tax article is written for resellers and says nothing about sales tax at checkout or about the 2026 changes.
Temu
Price level: Budget
The catalogue is enormous and every listing is discounted against a reference price nobody can check, so no figure is quoted.
EU: the terms, last updated 23 September 2026, say import charges are shown at checkout, cover customs duties, taxes and fees, and nothing more is due after checkout.
US: the terms, last updated 7 November 2025, say the opposite. Prices exclude customs duties and sales tax, and the buyer may act as importer of record.
Strengths and weaknesses
DHgate
What works
- Payment held in escrow and released only when you confirm receipt
- A refund without returning the item, stated for seller-fault claims within 21 days
- Wholesale tier pricing that beats the retail marketplaces at quantity
- Green Shipping Protection covering lost, delayed or damaged parcels in eight named countries
What does not
- The not-as-described window is 7 or 21 days, not the 30 the headline suggests
- One dispute per order, once the seller has shipped
- The category lists that decide which window applies are published as images
- No platform rule on who pays return shipping, so it is set per seller in each listing
Temu
What works
- Ninety days to raise a problem, the longest window in this comparison
- First return of every order is free
- Shows EU import charges at checkout and asks for nothing more after it
- Advance refunds before the goods are returned
What does not
- The interface runs on countdown timers and manufactured scarcity
- Second and later returns from one order cost $7.99 deducted from the refund
- No published seller verification of any kind
- US buyers are told they may be the importer of record, which is the opposite of the EU terms
Try them
Frequently asked questions
Is Temu cheaper than DHgate?
For one item, usually yes. Temu is the cheapest platform in our comparison at the point of sale for most categories, while DHgate prices its listings in tiers that only fall as the order grows. Compare totals rather than list prices: in the EU the Temu checkout includes import charges, and the DHgate checkout leaves customs duties out.
Which one gives me more time to return something?
Temu, by a wide margin. Its EU policy allows returns within 90 days of purchase, on top of the statutory 14 day right of withdrawal. DHgate leads with 30 days after you confirm receipt, but its not-as-described route closes 7 or 21 days after delivery depending on the category. Temu checked on 27 October 2026, DHgate on 30 August 2026.
Will I pay customs on an order to the EU?
On Temu, not after checkout. Its EU terms, last updated 23 September 2026, say import charges are shown at checkout, cover customs duties, taxes and fees, and nothing more is due later. DHgate collects VAT itself on goods up to EUR 150 but states that customs duties are never covered, so the carrier collects them on delivery. The exception is a DHgate seller shipping from a warehouse in your country.
Which one protects my money better?
They protect it in different ways. DHgate holds the payment in escrow and the seller is not paid until you accept the goods. Temu has no escrow, but it gives ninety days, makes the first return of every order free and often refunds before the item is back, at its discretion.
Who pays return shipping?
On Temu, the first return from every order is free and later returns from the same order are at your cost. On DHgate there is no platform rule: each listing sets its own return policy. DHgate does state a refund without returning the item for seller-fault claims raised within 21 days.
Which one should I use?
Temu for one or a few household items, especially in the EU if you want no customs bill at the door. DHgate when you want ten or more of the same item and would rather the money waited in escrow while you check them. On DHgate, open the parcel the day it arrives.