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Philippine sellers are calling for regulations on e-commerce platform fees
Reed 19 Nov 2025 12:20ENCopy link & title
Philippine online sellers are reportedly demanding that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) intervene to stop what they call the heavy, cascading fees levied by major e-commerce platforms, warning that these fees are driving small business owners into bankruptcy.
Additionally, sellers are calling on the DTI to halt its proposed Trustmark system, arguing that voluntary certification is redundant and places an additional financial and logistical burden on micro-entrepreneurs.
Anna Magkawas, president of the Online Entrepreneurship Empowerment Community (ONEC), stated that soaring platform fees (including commissions, transaction fees, and promotional charges) have left many merchants with barely any profit, especially after several platforms added a 5-peso processing fee per transaction.
“First Shopee, then Lazada, and now TikTok has announced a similar surcharge,” Magkawas said in a briefing.
Additionally, sellers are calling on the DTI to halt its proposed Trustmark system, arguing that voluntary certification is redundant and places an additional financial and logistical burden on micro-entrepreneurs.
Anna Magkawas, president of the Online Entrepreneurship Empowerment Community (ONEC), stated that soaring platform fees (including commissions, transaction fees, and promotional charges) have left many merchants with barely any profit, especially after several platforms added a 5-peso processing fee per transaction.
“First Shopee, then Lazada, and now TikTok has announced a similar surcharge,” Magkawas said in a briefing.
