[Seller’s Guide] How to Start Selling on Shopee: Key Requirements, Steps and Pitfalls to Avoid

Shopee, Southeast Asia’s Leading Cross-Border E-Commerce Platform, Is Ideal for Businesses Looking to:

• Expand into fast-growing Southeast Asian markets

• Open new international sales channels from Japan

• Conduct test marketing for new products abroad

In this article, our team at The Digital X — backed by over 18 years of experience in cross-border e-commerce support and digital marketing — explains everything you need to know about getting started on Shopee.

If you’re considering expanding your sales channels through Shopee, this guide will provide valuable insights to help you get started.

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Why Choose Shopee for Southeast Asia Cross-Border E-Commerce?

Shopee, launched in 2015, is one of the fastest-growing cross-border e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia. With operations in 7 core countries and a user base of over 600 million, Shopee offers Japanese businesses a high-potential entry point into emerging markets.

With over 80 million app downloads and an average of 1.4 million daily transactions, Shopee is a powerful gateway to expand your international sales. Below, we explore the key benefits of using Shopee for your Southeast Asia cross-border e-commerce strategy.

Access to Multiple Southeast Asian Markets

Shopee operates across 11 regions, primarily in:

• Singapore

• Taiwan

• Thailand

• Malaysia

• Vietnam

• Philippines

• Latin America (select markets)

By listing on Shopee, sellers can easily reach customers across multiple Southeast Asian markets. This is especially advantageous for businesses offering products with broad regional appeal, as the same listing can be promoted across several countries simultaneously.

Unlike traditional cross-border e-commerce platforms that require significant localization, Shopee offers robust multilingual support to simplify content adaptation for each target market.

Available languages include:

• English

• Chinese

• Vietnamese

• Thai

• Indonesian

Zero Setup Fees and Easy Onboarding

Shopee offers a low-risk entry model with:

• No initial setup fees

• No monthly maintenance charges

• Only a small commission and payment processing fee per transaction

In addition, Shopee provides free seller tools that streamline product uploads, order tracking, and sales performance monitoring.

Their platform also includes full Japanese language support, making it accessible even for first-time exporters.

Reference: Shopee Official

Minimize Initial Risk and Overhead

One of Shopee’s biggest advantages is the ability to start selling overseas without holding inventory abroad or setting up a local office.

From product listing to shipping, all operations can be managed directly from Japan. This minimizes investment and operational risk while allowing businesses to test new markets with low overhead.

Reliable Logistics and Delivery Support

Shopee’s logistics ecosystem ensures secure and timely shipping. The platform partners with trusted local carriers to optimize delivery efficiency and reliability.

Sellers benefit from:

• Partial shipping cost subsidies

• End-to-end shipping support

• Simplified international logistics

Buyers also enjoy low delivery costs, and in some cases, free shipping — boosting purchase intent and order volume.

Advanced Analytics and Performance Insights

Shopee equips sellers with powerful analytics tools to monitor performance and optimize strategy.

Key data includes:

• Product page views

• Store visitor counts

• Repeat purchase rate

By analyzing this data, businesses can refine product listings, adjust visuals, run promotions, and tailor strategies to maximize conversions and avoid overstocking or stockouts.

Built-in Promotional Tools to Boost Sales

In Southeast Asia — where Shopee operates — online shopping is deeply embedded in everyday consumer behavior. As a result, simply listing your products is not enough; businesses must actively promote to stand out and drive conversions.

Shopee offers a suite of powerful, built-in promotional tools to help sellers enhance visibility and increase sales performance.

Shopee Promotional Features

Most Effective Promotional Tool: Discount Promotions

Among Shopee’s built-in marketing tools, “Discount Promotions” is the most frequently used and user-friendly. This tool allows sellers to apply straightforward product discounts, making it easy to attract price-sensitive buyers.

However, since the majority of sellers already use this feature, its effectiveness diminishes unless a substantial discount is offered. To truly stand out, sellers should combine Discount Promotions with other Shopee promotional tools.

How to Build an Effective Promotion Strategy on Shopee

A proven promotion flow includes:

• Start with product-level incentives like Discount Promotions, Add-on Deals, or Bundle Deals to drive initial purchases.

• Once users are engaged, encourage store follows.

• Follow up by using Vouchers and Follow Prize features to build a loyal customer base and boost repeat purchases.

By combining these tools strategically, you can not only drive traffic but also enhance sales conversion and customer retention — ultimately maximizing your profit.

Dedicated Localized Support for Japanese Sellers

Shopee provides robust support for Japanese businesses entering the Southeast Asian market. In 2022, Shopee launched a dedicated Japanese help page and began offering customer support in Japanese to assist with onboarding and operations.

In addition, Shopee offers comprehensive learning content (“Lessons”) tailored for Japanese sellers. These resources cover everything from product listing to customer service — all in Japanese — making the platform highly accessible and manageable even for first-time cross-border sellers.

How to Start Selling on Shopee: Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Thinking of expanding your e-commerce business into Southeast Asia through Shopee? This section breaks down the step-by-step process — from account creation to product listing — so you can simulate your entry and ensure a smooth setup.

Step 1: Review Shopee’s Seller Requirements

To register as a cross-border seller on Shopee, you must meet the following criteria:

• List at least 5 products within 30 days of account creation

• Ship only from Japan (no overseas warehouses or fulfillment centers)

• Dispatch orders within 2 business days

• Provide customer support in English

Failing to meet these requirements may result in penalties or account suspension. It’s advisable to have your product lineup and logistics plan ready before applying.

Step 2: Apply for a Seller Account

Go to the Shopee Seller Application Form and submit your information. After submitting, you’ll receive an email with a registration link.

• Corporate applicants must provide a business registration number

• Individual applicants may submit a copy of their business registration (optional)

Shopee typically takes 2–4 business days to review your submission. Once approved, you’ll receive an email with instructions to complete your registration.

Step 3: Open a Store and Configure Settings

You’ll need a mobile device to complete account verification via SMS. Once verified:

1. Log in to your Shopee Seller Center

2. Enter your store’s basic profile information

3. Connect your Payoneer account to receive payouts (required before starting sales)

Step 4: List 5 Products Within 30 Days

Your Shopee seller account becomes fully activated after you list at least 5 products within the first 30 days. If you’re unable to meet this requirement due to supply or inventory delays, contact Shopee for support in advance.

Shopee Shipping & Commission Fee Overview

Before launching, it’s important to understand how Shopee handles shipping fees and commissions, as they directly impact profitability.

Shipping Costs

Shipping fees are divided into:

• ESF (End-buyer Shipping Fee) – paid by the customer

• ASF (Additional Shipping Fee) – covered by the seller

Fee structures vary by country:

• For Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan: Shipping is based on actual package weight

• For Malaysia only: Shipping is based on the larger value between actual weight and volumetric weight

Shopee has streamlined its system by standardizing weight brackets to 50g increments (except Singapore). For detailed country-specific rates, refer to Shopee’s official SLS Shipping Rate Table.

Commission Fees

Shopee charges two types of fees:

• Commission Fee (based on product sale price)

• Transaction Fee (applied at checkout)

Exact percentages vary by country and are published on Shopee’s seller support pages. Understanding these rates is key to calculating your net profit margin.

As you can see, total fees in Malaysia can reach up to 14.5%, while in the Philippines it’s as low as 5.6%, highlighting significant differences between countries.

Of course, it’s not advisable to select a target country based solely on fees, but understanding these rates can serve as one of several important criteria when evaluating market entry options.

Key Considerations Before Selling on Shopee: What You Need to Know

While Shopee offers many advantages and user-friendly features, it also comes with several limitations that sellers should be aware of before launching their cross-border eCommerce operations.

Limited Countries Available for Sellers

Although Shopee operates marketplaces in 11 regions, Japanese sellers are currently only allowed to launch stores in six markets:

• Taiwan

• Philippines

• Vietnam

• Malaysia

• Singapore

• Thailand (requires separate application)

Moreover, new Shopee sellers can initially only choose from Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, or the Philippines as their primary launch markets. While expansion into countries like Brazil is planned, the number of accessible markets is still limited for now.

Some Products Cannot Be Sold

Like many cross-border eCommerce platforms, Shopee has product restrictions that vary by country. Certain categories are completely prohibited from international sales, regardless of the destination.

Items commonly restricted across regions include:

• Pharmaceuticals and medical supplies

• Alcohol and tobacco products

• Counterfeit goods or pirated media

• Weapons and hazardous materials

When entering a new market, sellers must ensure compliance with local import laws and Shopee regulations. Below, we’ll break down product restrictions specifically for Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia, the most common entry points for Japanese sellers.

Restricted Product Categories on Shopee (by Country)

In addition to moral or ethical concerns, some countries have surprisingly strict regulations on certain products that may be prohibited from distribution. Be sure to thoroughly check for any overlooked restrictions before entering each market.

Customer Support Must Be Handled in English

One of the key considerations when using Shopee is that customer support must generally be conducted in English.

This includes handling complaints, disputes, and general inquiries — all of which must be managed in English. For those unfamiliar with the language, this can pose a challenge.

However, in many cases, translation tools can help bridge the gap effectively.

Additionally, in countries where English is not the official language (such as Thailand), Shopee offers an automatic translation feature. Still, the accuracy of these translations is not guaranteed, so caution is advised.

For the Taiwanese market, responses must be provided in Traditional Chinese, requiring at least a basic understanding of the target language.

Payouts Are Made in Foreign Currency, Not Japanese Yen

Shopee does not support direct payouts in Japanese yen for cross-border sellers. Instead, earnings are received in foreign currency through Payoneer, an international payment platform.

This means sellers must manage foreign currency transactions, which may require extra consideration and planning.

To receive payments, opening a Payoneer account is mandatory. If you’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable with managing foreign currency, it’s important to assess this aspect carefully.

Reference: Shopee Official

Be Aware of Shopee’s Unique Listing and Sales Rules

To sell on Shopee, sellers must use Payoneer for receiving funds and PayPal for paying advertising costs. Without accounts on these platforms, it is not possible to process payments or run paid ads — so pre-registration is essential.

Moreover, Shopee enforces strict listing and sales regulations, particularly in categories such as cosmetics, skincare, and food products.

Failure to comply with these rules may result in suspended listings or even account termination. Staying up to date with Shopee’s latest policies is critical to maintaining a healthy seller account.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some of the most common questions businesses have about expanding to Southeast Asia via Shopee:

Ready to Succeed with Shopee and Southeast Asia Cross-Border E-Commerce? Let The Digital X Help.

Cross-border e-commerce offers a low-risk way to enter overseas markets without the need to establish a local presence. With platforms like Shopee, businesses can efficiently scale their sales across multiple Southeast Asian countries.

At The Digital X, we specialize in supporting Japanese businesses entering Southeast Asia through cross-border e-commerce and digital marketing. With over 18 years of industry experience, our team — working in collaboration with local native marketers — can help you build and execute effective strategies tailored to each market.

Explore our service catalog or contact us today to discuss how we can support your global expansion.