Online Sellers Hit Additional Fee Charged By Shopee, Lazada
The additional fee on completed sales transactions is on top of the value-added tax and other transaction fees already charged for each completed sales transaction that goes through the online stores of the two platforms.
Online sellers are restive over a new P5 “order processing fee” that e-commerce giants Shopee and Lazada will charge them starting Sept. 3.
The online-based sellers have been airing their complaints and tagging the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in various Facebook forums over the weekend against the surprise new fee to be charged by the two online e-commerce giants.
The additional fee on completed sales transactions is on top of the value-added tax (VAT) and other transaction fees already charged for each completed sales transaction that goes through the online stores of the two platforms.
Currently, both Shopee and Lazada already impose a “service fee” and a “transaction fee” on all completed sales transactions by a merchant or online seller on their platform. There is also VAT of 10 to 12 percent slapped on each sale transaction, collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Shopee Philippines posted a policy update dated Aug. 20 on its Seller Education Hub regarding the imposition of the P5 order processing fee.
“To support ongoing reinvestments in the platform and deliver long-term value to our seller community, Shopee will introduce a P5 Order Processing Fee starting Sept. 3, 2025,” Shopee Philippines said in their notice.
“A flat P5 fee will apply to every successfully completed order, regardless of order value,” it said, referring to the new fixed fee. “This fee will apply to each successfully completed order and will help fund the continued development and enhancement of Shopee’s infrastructure, including improvement to order management, fulfillment, visibility features, and tools that help sellers operate more efficiently and grow their business,” it added.
On the other hand, Lazada emailed their registered sellers of the new P5 order processing fee also starting on Sept. 3 last Aug. 22.
“Dear Lazada Seller,” the email said. “Lazada is committed to making ongoing investments in the platform to drive better traffic and conversion to boost your sales. We are continuously developing tools, services, and programs to improve the overall shopping experience. To further support this, we will be introducing a P5 (VAT-included) Order Processing Fee starting on Sept. 3, 2025 applicable to each successfully completed order.”
Aside from the service fee and transaction fee currently charged by Lazada and Shopee on their sellers, they also charge on the buyers’ side a shipping fee that is different from the shipping fee charged for the account of the logistics partner who does the actual delivery fulfillment to the doorstep of the buyer.
Online sellers have expressed relief that TikTok Shop, the other e-commerce giant operating in the Philippines, has not announced imposition of a similar new “order processing fee.”
Statista said the Philippines’ e-commerce market has grown by about 400 percent in the past five years, making it the second fastest growing e-commerce market worldwide. Based on their 2024 estimates, Statista said Shopee was the largest e-commerce platform in the country, with TikTok Shop a fast-rising second.
Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said he will have his policy team in the department look into the matter, and will also coordinate with the DTI.
