Filipino online sellers and buyers lamented reports of an upcoming additional fee that two major e-commerce platforms will impose in the first week of September.
E-commerce giants Shopee and Lazada are set to charge a new P5 “order processing fee” to sellers starting Sept. 3, 2025, according to reports.
The charge will be added on top of the existing deductions such as value-added tax (VAT) and other transaction fees already imposed on every completed sale.
Currently, both platforms collect a “service fee” and a “transaction fee” from merchants, on top of the 10% to 12% VAT remitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Shopee explained that the new order processing fee will be implemented “to support ongoing reinvestments in the platform and deliver long-term value” to its seller community.
“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.
Lazada, meanwhile, said it is “continuously developing tools, services, and programs to improve the overall shopping experience.”
“Lazada is committed to making ongoing investments in the platform to drive better traffic and conversion to boost your sales,” it said in an email to its sellers.
Aside from the service and transaction fees currently charged by the platforms to their sellers, buyers are also charged a separate shipping fee, different from the shipping fee paid to the logistics partner responsible for the actual delivery.
The new policy did not sit well with Filipino sellers, who expressed concern over the additional fee on top of their other business costs.
“Di lang ito laban ng sellers. Kung buyer ka, affected ka rin kasi tataas ang presyo ng bibilhin mo. Sa bawat P100, kailangan naming gawing P107 para sa processing fee na ‘yan. Tapos ang babalik na lang sa amin, P80 na lang,” a Facebook user wrote.
“That’s what most people say. But if you’re a seller, you know that Shopee’s new P5 processing fee per order ay ‘di lang barya. Sobra sakit nito. Imagine, if you sell 100 orders a day, that’s P500 gone daily. In a month, that’s P15,000 straight off your margins,” online seller Jungie Gumiran wrote.
“And that’s before you even pay for ads, packaging, or supplier costs. Or may binabayaran ka pang experts to run campaigns for you,” he added.
“At iba pa to sa iba pang cost sa platform like: 2%– 5% commission fee (mas tataas pa rito ‘pag Shopee Mall and mas tataas pa depending on the product category up to 13%), 2% transaction fee, penalty fees, mga return and refund cost (yes, sagot din ng seller ‘yan. Kaya ‘wag order [nang] order kung wala magre-receive), 12% VAT (kaya ‘pag kinumpute mo, mas malapit siya sa 20–25% total deductions overall),” Gumiran said.
“Kung nagbebenta ka sa Shopee, at ‘di ka pa aware, it means: Liliit pa lalo kita mo as you absorb the cost. Or kung taasan mo naman price mo to cover the cost, liliit pa rin kita mo kasi mas mahal na product mo,” he added.
Buyers also expressed concerns that the additional fee could drive up the product prices, making them more expensive for consumers.
“Mga buyers din tatamaan na gusto sanang mas makatipid. Andaming fees na not working best for buyers and sellers, but only works for this online selling platforms, [hindi rin naman] nagbabago ang service nila,” a Facebook user said.
“Kawawa consumer. Konsumer din naman sasalo ng additional fee na ‘yan,” another commented.
“Grabe na kayo. Sa mga ganyang apps lang kami nakakamura sana,” a different Pinoy said.
“Tama ‘yan para kung pareho na lang price sa online at physical stores, bakit pa mag-shop online. Ta’s bagal pa ng shipping. Ang dating [four] days, inaabot na [one] week,” another commented.
Online shopping gained popularity among Filipinos during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns were imposed and travel was restricted. As a result, many transactions, including shopping, shifted to digital platforms.
Since then, online shopping has become a preferred option for Filipinos seeking to save on travel and other expenses associated with visiting physical stores.
Through online shopping, customers can often find products at lower prices and avoid the costs of fuel or commuting to malls or retail outlets. — with reports from The STAR/Rainier Allan Ronda
