“Small Businesses Speak Out: “With Infrastructure Costs, Shopee is No Longer a Viable Platform for Us””

A recent announcement by Shopee regarding the implementation of an additional “infrastructure fee” of 3,000 VND for every successful delivery from July 1, 2025, has sparked controversy among sellers. Some are concerned that the total operating costs on the platform have become too high, significantly narrowing profit margins. While some sellers worry about the impact of this new fee, others see it as an opportunity to adjust their business models or focus on off-platform sales channels.

Slimming Profits

Many sellers shared that their expenses on the platform are already substantial, while their ability to increase prices is limited due to competitive pressures from other shops and consumers’ expectations for low prices.

“With platform fees exceeding 15%, the PiShip package costing 1,650 VND per order, a 1.5% personal income tax, and now an additional 3,000 VND infrastructure fee, how can we make a profit? I sell small household items, so my profit margin is already very thin,” said Mr. Nguyen Huan, a home appliance seller, as he listed the various deductions on each order.

Ms. Thu Hang, the owner of a shop with a large number of monthly orders, shared a similar concern. While an additional 3,000 VND per order may seem like a small amount, it adds up to a significant sum for shops with a high volume of orders. In her case, with an average of 1,000 orders per month, the new fee would result in an extra expense of 6 million VND per month.

“I predict that due to this fee increase, online shops will be forced to raise their product prices, passing on the additional cost to customers. As a long-time seller of fashion items, I already have a stable customer base, but for new shops, even a small price difference could drive customers to their competitors,” Ms. Hang stated.

Le Quoc Bao, the owner of a small stationery and grocery shop in Binh Duong, expressed his concern that the new policy might push small-scale sellers out of the market.

“I sell many items for as low as 1,000 VND to attract customers to my shop and hopefully purchase other products. With the introduction of the platform fee and other fixed or payment-related fees, I will incur losses if I continue with this business strategy. On top of that, I also have to cover employee salaries and warehouse expenses. Shopee is no longer a viable platform for small startups like mine,” said Bao.

Navigating the Challenges: Exploring Alternatives

However, not everyone shares the same pessimism. Some sellers view the fee increase as an inevitable part of the e-commerce platform’s professionalization.

“It’s understandable that platforms need to charge fees to maintain their infrastructure. The question is how we can optimize our sales strategy. I still get consistent orders from other channels like Facebook and Zalo, so if sellers find Shopee ineffective, they should consider building their own sales funnels and focusing on retaining customers,” said Dinh Loc, a phone accessory seller in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vu Minh Chau, a cosmetics seller in Hanoi, also took the announcement in stride. She believes that those who run their businesses professionally will survive. “Shopee is simply filtering out the less committed sellers. Those who are professional, adaptable, and customer-focused will continue to thrive,” she said. Chau is investing more in livestreaming and nurturing her VIP customer groups on social media to gain more control over her sales.

Some sellers even view the fee increase as an opportunity to adjust their operating models, optimize costs, and re-evaluate their business strategies.