Online Selling on Shopee and Lazada: A Beginner's Guide for Filipinos

Shopee and Lazada are not just the biggest e-commerce platforms in the Philippines — they are the dominant online shopping destinations for most Filipinos. Millions of buyers log in daily, logistics infrastructure is established nationwide, and the barrier to becoming a seller is low. No warehouse. No complex setup. No USD-denominated accounts.

Bago ka magtayo ng shop, mag-research ka muna ng mga best-selling items sa iyong niche — tingnan mo kung ano ang mabenta, at sa anong presyo. Starting without this research is the number one mistake new sellers make.

Shopee vs. Lazada: Which Should You Start With?

Factor	Shopee	Lazada
Market share in PH	Larger	Significant but smaller
Seller commission	2–3% (category-dependent)	2–4% (category-dependent)
Logistics partners	ShopeeXpress, J&T, LBC, Ninjavan	LEX, J&T, Ninjavan
COD availability	Yes	Yes
Seller dashboard	Shopee Seller Centre	Lazada Seller Center
Major campaigns	11.11, 12.12, Payday Sales, Flash Deals	Same major campaign dates
Best for	Mass market, competitive pricing, volume	Higher-ticket items, branded goods

For most Filipino beginners, Shopee is the better starting point. It has higher traffic, a more active community of small sellers, and the Shopee Seller Centre is relatively straightforward to navigate. Lazada’s platform tends to favor more established sellers and brands. Start with Shopee, learn the mechanics, then expand to Lazada.

Setting Up Your Shopee Shop

The process is free and takes about 30–60 minutes:

1. Go to seller.shopee.ph and sign up with your Philippine mobile number
2. Set up your shop profile: shop name, description, logo image, and banner. These matter — a professional-looking shop earns more trust than a blank one.
3. Link your payment method: Shopee Wallet connected to your bank account or GCash. This is where your earnings will go.
4. Set up logistics: select your courier partners (ShopeeXpress is default; J&T and LBC are widely preferred for reliability)
5. Configure your shop’s return policy and operating hours
6. List your first products

There is no registration fee. You only pay Shopee when you make a sale (commission + transaction fee).

What to Sell: Product Ideas for Filipino Beginners

The best product category depends on your starting capital and sourcing access.

Ukay-ukay and thrift resell — low capital, potentially high margins if you have good sourcing. Find ukay hubs in your area (Divisoria, Baclaran, local ukay warehouses), photograph items well, and list them on Shopee. This requires time for sourcing and photography but minimal cash upfront.

Handmade or regional products — local crafts, woven items, specialty kakanin, dried goods, regional pasalubong. Shopee works well for unique local products because buyers who can’t find them locally will search online.

Dropshipping from local suppliers — you list products at markup without holding inventory. When an order comes in, you buy from your supplier and ship to the buyer. Sources: Divisoria wholesale stalls, Quiapo, Binondo merchants, or supplier directories in Facebook groups. Higher risk of delays but zero inventory cost.

Phone accessories, fashion items, home goods — high competition and price wars, but enormous buyer volume. Only viable if you can source cheaply enough to price competitively.

Food items — dried goods, homemade jams, local treats. High demand. Note: processed food for sale requires FDA registration for many categories. Check current FDA guidelines before listing food products commercially.

The Listing Quality Principle

Maraming successful Shopee sellers na nagsimula sa maliliit na produkto lang — yung iba, ukay-ukay pa sinimulan. Yung importante ay consistent kang mag-improve ng iyong listings at customer service.

The sellers who grow consistently have better listings than their competitors — not necessarily better products. Here’s what separates a converting listing from one that gets ignored:

Photos

• White or clean background for main product photo
• Minimum three photos: front, back, close-up detail
• Lifestyle shot if relevant (e.g., clothing worn, food styled)
• No watermarks on main photo
• Natural lighting — a ₱500 ring light makes a visible difference

Title

Include the keyword buyers search for, brand (if applicable), and key attributes. Compare:

• Weak: “Dress for Sale”
• Strong: “Women’s Korean Summer Dress Casual Floral Loose Fit S–XL”

Think about what your buyer types into the search bar. That’s your title.

Description

Cover: materials or ingredients, size chart (for fashion), care instructions, quantity per listing, shipping estimate from your location, and return/refund policy. Buyers who have questions and can’t find the answer in your description often just close the tab.

Pricing

Research competitors before setting your price. Search your product, sort by “Most Relevant” or “Top Sales,” and see where the market sits. Price at or slightly below market rate when starting to build your first reviews. Don’t undercut so aggressively that you can’t cover costs and fees.

Understanding Shopee Fees

New sellers often miscalculate profit because they don’t account for all fees:

Fee	Typical Rate	Notes
Commission fee	2–3% of sale price	Varies by category; check Shopee Seller Centre
Transaction fee	2% (approx.)	Applies to most payment methods
Free shipping subsidy	Shared between seller and Shopee	If you offer free shipping
Voucher discounts	From your margin	Optional; use during campaign periods

A simple example: you sell a product for ₱500. Commission (~2.5%) = ₱12.50. Transaction fee (~2%) = ₱10. After these fees, before shipping cost, you net ₱477.50. Factor shipping into your pricing or offer free shipping only when your margin allows it.

Building Seller Reputation

Your first 10–20 reviews are the hardest to get and the most important. A shop with zero reviews converts at a much lower rate than one with even five positive ratings.

Strategies to build early reviews:

• Include a thank-you insert card in every package asking for a review (this is allowed and widely done)
• Respond to all chat inquiries within 1 hour during operating hours — Shopee tracks your response rate and shows it on your profile
• Ship orders quickly — Shopee Seller Rating includes shipping speed
• Respond professionally to all reviews, including negative ones. A gracious response to a critical review signals professionalism to future buyers.

Running During Campaign Periods

Shopee’s 11.11 (November 11), 12.12 (December 12), Payday Sales (end and middle of month), and Flash Deals are when buyer intent peaks. Prepare for these:

• Stock up on inventory at least a week before
• Offer campaign-specific vouchers to boost search visibility
• Enroll in Flash Deals early (via Shopee Seller Centre’s Flash Deals application)
• Prepare packaging materials so you’re not scrambling when orders spike

Sellers who capitalize on campaign days can earn 5–10x their normal daily volume. It’s also when most new buyers discover your shop.

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