Ecommerce platforms in Southeast Asia take between 2.7% and 20%+ of every transaction — and that’s before advertising, logistics, and mandatory promotional programmes. In 2025–2026, effective take rates for sellers across the region have climbed as high as 20–25% of post-discount sales (Cube Asia). Shopee introduced a 5% technical support fee across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam in February 2026. TikTok Shop raised commission rates in Vietnam to 12.5% for marketplace sellers and 14.5% for mall sellers from March 2026. Lazada remains the cheapest platform by commission, but it’s also the smallest of the big three and losing share.
The fee structures are complex and vary by country, category, seller tier, and optional programme participation. But the direction across every platform is the same: fees are rising. The market is shifting from growth to monetisation. And sellers who don’t understand the full cost stack are operating on margins that may not actually exist.
How much do Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop charge per ecommerce transaction?
Here’s how the base fee structures compare across the region’s six major markets as of Q2 2026:
Platform fees by country (commission range, Q2 2026)
| Country | Shopee | Lazada | TikTok Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 4–18% | 4–8% | 6–10% |
| Malaysia | 17–20% | 5–8.5% | 10–18% |
| Indonesia | 7–15% | 2.7–7.7% | 6–12% |
| Thailand | 8–15% | 10–18% | 6–10% |
| Vietnam | 4–16% | 5–7% | 8–17% |
| Philippines | 7–14% | 4–10% | 5–10% |
Ranges reflect variation by category, seller tier (marketplace vs mall), and optional programme participation. Figures include commission and core platform/service fees but exclude advertising, logistics, and promotional programme costs. Sources: Shopee Seller Centre, TikTok Shop Seller Centre, Lazada Seller Centre, Cube Asia, Forest Shipping (Q1 2026).
The headline commission is just one component. Total seller costs include commission fees, transaction/payment processing fees, service fees, logistics costs, advertising spend, and mandatory participation in promotional programmes like vouchers, cashback, and free shipping.
Ecommerce platform fees by component
The headline ranges above bundle multiple fee layers together. Here’s what each platform actually charges, component by component:
| Fee component | Shopee | TikTok Shop | Lazada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base commission | 2–6% (by category) | 4–12.5% marketplace / 5.8–14.5% mall (by country & category) | 0.99–3.99% |
| Transaction / payment processing | 2.18% (SG) / 2.12% (MY, inc. SST) | 2.16% (MY, inc. SST) / 3.21% (TH) | 4.99% |
| Technical support / platform fee | 5% (SG, MY, TH, VN — from Feb 2026) | Infrastructure fee (varies) | — |
| Coins Cashback programme | 3–5% (optional) | — | — |
| Free Shipping programme | 3–5% (optional) | Commerce growth fee (varies) | — |
| Order processing fee | — | Varies by market | 5% |
| Total platform fees (excl. ads & logistics) | ~10–20% | ~8–18% | ~11–14% |
Shopee’s optional programmes (Coins Cashback, Free Shipping) are technically voluntary but significantly affect search ranking and visibility. Most established sellers participate, making the “optional” label somewhat misleading. TikTok Shop’s fee names and structures differ by market — Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia each have distinct fee architectures. Lazada’s 5% order processing fee effectively replaces the multiple service fees that Shopee and TikTok Shop charge separately.
The component breakdown reveals something the headline ranges obscure: Lazada’s total platform fees are actually comparable to TikTok Shop’s and not dramatically cheaper than Shopee’s once you stack all the layers. The difference is that Lazada charges fewer, larger fees while Shopee and TikTok Shop spread costs across more line items — making the real total harder for sellers to track.
What is the difference in ecommerce commission by product category?
| Category | Shopee | Lazada | TikTok Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronics | 5–13% | 2–5% | 3–10% |
| Fashion | 6–12% | 3–6% | 2–5% |
| Beauty & Skincare | 8–15% | 4–7% | 3–6% |
| Home & Living | 5–10% | 3–6% | 2–5% |
| FMCG | 8–14% | 4–7% | 4–10% |
Commission rates vary by market. Ranges represent typical rates across Southeast Asia’s six major markets. Higher rates generally apply to Shopee Mall and TikTok Shop Mall sellers.
What sellers actually keep on a $100 sale
This is the table most sellers need. It shows the full cost stack — not just commission, but every deduction between the buyer’s payment and the seller’s bank account.
Example: Skincare product, $100 sale price, Singapore market, established seller
| Cost component | Shopee | TikTok Shop | Lazada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $100 | $100 | $100 |
| Commission | –$7.63 | –$8.00 | –$3.99 |
| Transaction / payment fee | –$2.18 | –$3.21 | –$4.99 |
| Technical support / platform fee | –$5.00 | –$1.50 (infra fee) | –$5.00 (order processing) |
| Service fees (cashback, shipping progs) | –$3.00 to $5.00 | –$2.00 (commerce growth) | — |
| Subtotal: platform fees | –$17.81 to $19.81 | –$14.71 | –$13.98 |
| Advertising spend | –$8.00 to $10.00 | –$10.00 to $12.00 | –$5.00 to $6.00 |
| Logistics / fulfilment | –$5.00 to $8.00 | –$5.00 to $7.00 | –$5.00 to $8.00 |
| Seller-funded vouchers / discounts | –$3.00 to $5.00 | –$2.00 to $3.00 | –$2.00 to $3.00 |
| Total deductions | –$33.81 to $42.81 | –$31.71 to $36.71 | –$25.98 to $30.98 |
| Net to seller | $57–66 | $63–68 | $69–74 |
Based on published fee schedules (Shopee Seller Centre, TikTok Shop Seller Centre, Lazada Seller Centre) and seller-reported cost data (Cube Asia, OneCart, SGPayNowQR). Advertising and voucher costs are estimates based on typical mid-tier seller spend patterns. Actual costs vary by seller tier, campaign participation, and fulfilment method.
The skincare example is deliberately chosen because it’s one of the highest-commission categories. An electronics seller would face lower commissions (2–5% on Lazada, 5–10% on Shopee) but thinner product margins. The net result is often similar: the platform takes roughly a third of the sale price across all cost layers, regardless of category.
What jumps out from the full breakdown: Shopee is the most expensive platform for an established seller when all fees are stacked, but it also generates the most traffic. TikTok Shop’s advertising costs are higher than its commission — sellers report ad cost ratios of around 30%, making paid promotion the single largest expense. Lazada leaves sellers with the most per transaction but generates significantly less volume. The cheapest platform per order isn’t necessarily the most profitable platform per month.
What stands out: Shopee has the widest fee range, reflecting aggressive monetisation and category variation. Lazada is generally cheaper but commands far less traffic. TikTok Shop is increasing fees rapidly as it scales — Vietnam commissions jumped from 2–3% to 12.5% in under two years.
Here’s how each platform’s fee structure actually works:
Shopee charges commission rates of 2–6% by category, plus a 2.18% transaction fee on every sale, plus the new 5% technical support fee introduced in February 2026 for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Shopee Mall sellers pay higher rates — skincare products, for example, attract 15.26% commission in Singapore. Optional programmes (Coins Cashback, Free Shipping) add 3–5% each. New sellers receive a 3-month commission waiver (up to 500 orders/month), but the transaction fee and service fees still apply from day one. Cross-border seller commissions in Singapore hit a flat 14%. In Malaysia, cross-border commissions rose from 16.2% to 18.36% in 2025.
TikTok Shop commissions vary by country and seller type. In Vietnam, the default rate is 12.5% for marketplace sellers and 14.5% for mall sellers from March 2026 — up from 2–3% for standard stores and 4.5–5.8% for mall stores a year earlier. Transaction fees vary by market: 2.16% (including SST) in Malaysia, 3.21% in Thailand. From March 2026, Thailand’s transaction fee calculation expanded to include platform subsidies in the fee base — meaning sellers pay fees on amounts the platform itself contributes. Additional costs include a commerce growth fee, order processing fee, and infrastructure fee. Since TikTok Shop entered Indonesia in 2021, overall commission rates in Southeast Asia have risen by more than 10 percentage points.
Lazada remains the cheapest of the three by commission alone. Standard store platform fees range from 0.99–3.99%, with additional transaction and processing fees of 4.99% and 5% respectively. But Lazada’s lower fees come with lower traffic. In Vietnam, Shopee and TikTok Shop together account for 97% of online platform GMV (Metric, 2025). Lazada and Tiki hold a combined 3%. Lazada achieved its first positive EBITDA in 2024 by repositioning toward premium sellers and high-quality assortment rather than competing on volume.
How do fees vary by product category?
Commission isn’t flat. It scales with product margins.
Low-margin categories like electronics carry lower commission rates — typically 2–5% on Lazada, 5–10% on Shopee, 3–8% on TikTok Shop. High-margin categories like beauty and skincare attract higher commissions — 8–15% on Shopee, 4–7% on Lazada, 6–12% on TikTok Shop. FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sits in the middle but trends upward as platforms recognise the repeat-purchase economics.
The logic is straightforward: platforms optimise for the maximum fee they can extract without killing seller economics. Beauty sellers can absorb 15% because product margins are 60–70%. Electronics sellers can’t, because margins are 10–20%. The result is a fee structure that subsidises low-margin traffic-driving categories with revenue from high-margin ones.
What do sellers actually pay in total?
The headline commission is the number every platform leads with. It’s also misleading, because it represents perhaps half of the total cost a seller faces.
A realistic breakdown for a $100 sale on each platform in 2026:
On Shopee, a seller might pay roughly 6% commission, 2% transaction fee, 5% technical support fee, 8–10% on advertising (increasingly non-optional if you want visibility), and cover logistics costs of 8–12% depending on product weight and delivery zone. Total platform-related deductions: $29–35. Net to seller: $65–71.
On TikTok Shop, commission runs 8–12%, transaction fees 2–3%, with advertising costs often higher than Shopee — sellers report ad cost ratios around 30%, plus live-streaming fees that exceed competitor platforms. Logistics costs of 6–10%. Total deductions: $28–37. Net to seller: $63–72.
On Lazada, commission sits at 4–6%, with transaction and processing fees adding roughly 10%. Advertising spend tends to be lower because traffic is lower. Logistics costs comparable to Shopee. Total deductions: $22–28. Net to seller: $72–78.
The key insight: Lazada sellers keep the most per transaction, but generate less volume. Shopee and TikTok Shop sellers pay more per order but access larger audiences. The question for every seller is whether the higher take rate is offset by sufficient scale to make the unit economics work — and that calculation is getting harder as fees rise.
What changed in 2026?
Three structural shifts define the current fee environment.
Shopee’s 5% technical support fee is the most significant single fee change. Announced in December 2025 and effective from February 2026, it applies to all seller types across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam — local sellers, cross-border sellers, direct shipping, warehouse, and third-party fulfilment. Shopee described the fee as covering “continuous development, provision, maintenance, upgrade, and enhancement” of the platform, including AI-generated content tools and a Shop AI Assistant. To offset seller backlash, Shopee offered advertising credits of up to 5% of order value — effectively recycling the fee into the platform’s ad business.
TikTok Shop’s commission ratchet has been aggressive. In Vietnam, standard store commissions rose from 2–3% to 3–4% in April 2025, then jumped to 12.5% for marketplace sellers from March 2026. Mall store commissions climbed from 4.5–5.8% to 5.8–7.7%, then to 14.5%. The Thailand transaction fee calculation change in March 2026 — incorporating platform subsidies into the fee base — is the kind of subtle adjustment that barely makes headlines but erodes margins on every subsidised order.
All platforms are extending new-seller incentives while raising rates for established sellers. The pattern is consistent: acquire sellers with commission-free periods (typically 3 months), build their dependency on the platform’s traffic, then increase monetisation once they’re locked in. It’s the same playbook ride-hailing ran with drivers five years ago.
How does market share affect fee power?
Fees don’t exist in isolation. They’re a function of platform power — and in Southeast Asia, that power is consolidating fast.
Shopee controls 52% of the region’s platform ecommerce GMV, totalling $66.8 billion in 2024 (Momentum Works). TikTok Shop holds 18% with $22.6 billion in GMV and growth rates of 40–55% year-on-year. Lazada sits at roughly 14–15% with flat to modest growth. Together, the top three platforms control over 84% of regional GMV. Bukalapak exited physical goods in February 2025. Tokopedia was absorbed into TikTok Shop via the Tokopedia merger. The mid-tier has been cleared.
This concentration gives Shopee and TikTok Shop pricing power that Lazada doesn’t have. When Shopee raises fees, sellers can protest — but they can’t leave. Shopee accounts for more than 50% of platform ecommerce in every Southeast Asian market except Indonesia, where TikTok Shop’s Tokopedia merger complicates the picture. For most sellers, Shopee isn’t a choice. It’s the default cost of doing business.
TikTok Shop’s fee increases are the more interesting strategic signal. The platform is moving from buyer acquisition (subsidies, low fees, viral growth) to seller monetisation while it’s still growing at 40%+ annually. That’s earlier in the growth curve than Shopee made the same move, suggesting TikTok Shop is either more confident in its lock-in or more pressured by ByteDance to demonstrate unit economics.
What should sellers actually do about this?
The strategic response isn’t to pick the cheapest platform. It’s to understand the full margin stack across platforms and categories, then allocate inventory and advertising spend accordingly.
Multi-platform is now mandatory, not optional. Depending on a single platform when fees can increase 5–10 percentage points in a year is a business risk, not a strategy. Sellers reporting the healthiest economics in 2026 are running Shopee for volume, TikTok Shop for discovery-driven categories (beauty, fashion, lifestyle), and either Lazada or their own DTC channel for margin protection.
Advertising is no longer optional on Shopee. The platform’s algorithm increasingly favours paid visibility. Sellers who don’t spend on ads find their organic reach declining. Shopee’s ad revenue has grown significantly as a proportion of total take — the 5% ad credit rebate on the new technical support fee is an explicit move to push more sellers into the advertising flywheel.
Category matters more than platform. A beauty seller on Shopee might pay 20%+ in total fees but achieve margins that make it sustainable. The same seller selling electronics on Shopee might face total costs that exceed their product margin. Fee sensitivity should drive category-platform matching, not brand loyalty to a particular marketplace.
Track net margin per order, not gross sales. With effective take rates climbing toward 25% on Shopee for some categories — before logistics and advertising — many sellers are generating GMV that looks like growth but is actually running below break-even on a per-order basis. The platforms don’t surface this data helpfully. Build your own unit economics model and update it every time fees change. In 2026, that means updating it quarterly.
Where is this heading?
Southeast Asian ecommerce has passed the inflection point from growth-at-all-costs to margin extraction. The subsidies, free shipping, and rock-bottom commissions that built the market are being unwound systematically. Shopee’s revenue growth is now partly driven by monetising its sellers through escalating fee structures (Bloomberg). TikTok Shop’s commission trajectory in Vietnam — from 2% to 12.5% in under two years — illustrates the speed at which this transition happens.
For the platforms, this is rational. Shopee and Lazada are both pursuing profitability after years of losses. TikTok Shop needs to demonstrate commercial viability to justify ByteDance’s $8.8 billion regional infrastructure spend. Investors are rewarding margin improvement over GMV growth — Sea Group posted positive EBITDA for two consecutive years, and the market noticed.
For sellers, the implication is that ecommerce in Southeast Asia is becoming a cost-of-doing-business channel rather than a high-margin opportunity. The window where a small seller could list products on Shopee, spend nothing on advertising, pay minimal commission, and build a profitable business is closed. What’s replacing it is a margin-compressed environment where platform fees, advertising costs, logistics, and promotional obligations consume 25–35% of the sale price before the seller touches their own product costs.
For the market, value is consolidating inside the platforms themselves. The platforms control demand, capture margin, and increasingly own the logistics infrastructure that delivers the product. Sellers provide the inventory. That’s a supply chain relationship, not a partnership — and the fee trajectory reflects it.
Related reading on Digital in Asia:
- Shopee vs TikTok Shop: The Platform Wars Reshaping Southeast Asia’s $100B Market
- Southeast Asia’s $159B Ecommerce Market: How Shopee, TikTok Shop and Lazada Shape 2026
- The Social Commerce Revolution Reshaping Southeast Asia
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