Shopee has announced another increase in marketplace fees effective August 4, 2026. Following last month’s adjustment, this latest update has become part of what many merchants now see as a recurring trend. As marketplace operating costs continue to rise, businesses should expect further fee increases in the future rather than treating them as one-time events.
Latest Fee Changes
The latest adjustment increases seller costs by 3.21%, consisting of two major changes:
- Marketplace fees increase by 2.14% across most product categories.
- The 1.07% Prime Seller fee discount has been removed, meaning sellers no longer receive this benefit.
As a result, the total fees become:
- Regular Sellers participating in Free Shipping and Discount Programs: 27.82% + THB 1.07 per order
- Official Shops participating in Free Shipping and Discount Programs: 31.03% + THB 1.07 per order
Is Raising Product Prices the Only Solution?
As marketplace fees continue to increase, brands should ask themselves an important question:
Is continuously increasing product prices really a sustainable strategy?
Passing higher costs directly to customers every time marketplace fees increase may protect short-term margins, but it also reduces price competitiveness and can negatively affect customer loyalty over time.
Instead of simply reacting to marketplace policies, businesses should start thinking about building greater control over their own sales channels.
Visionary Brands Treat D2C as an Asset, Not Just Another Sales Channel
The most sustainable long-term strategy is investing in Direct-to-Consumer (D2C).
Many fast-growing brands recognized this trend years ago. They didn’t wait until marketplace commissions exceeded 30% before taking action.
Today, many businesses spend hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of baht every month on marketplace fees. From a financial perspective, these payments are simply expenses. They’re similar to paying rent for a retail space where the landlord can raise prices whenever they choose.
In contrast, investing in a D2C platform—including an eCommerce website, customer database, and loyalty program—creates a business asset.
Unlike marketplace fees, these investments continue generating value over time by giving brands complete ownership of customer relationships, marketing channels, and business data.
What Makes a Successful D2C Platform?
Launching a website alone is not enough. A competitive D2C strategy requires the right technology foundation.
Collect First-Party Customer Data
Your platform should enable you to collect valuable First-Party Data, allowing your business to understand customer behavior, create personalized marketing campaigns, and build high-performing Lookalike Audiences for customer acquisition.
Seamless System Integration
A modern D2C platform should integrate with inventory management, fulfillment, payment gateways, accounting systems, and Loyalty CRM to provide smooth business operations.
Excellent User Experience
Every stage of the customer journey—from product discovery to checkout—should be fast, intuitive, and frictionless. A poor shopping experience often results in abandoned carts and lower repeat purchases.
Mobile-First Design
Most online purchases now happen on smartphones. Your website should be fully responsive, load quickly, and provide an outstanding mobile shopping experience.
Invest in SEO
Owning your own website allows your brand to build long-term organic traffic through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Unlike paid advertising, SEO continues generating qualified visitors without depending entirely on advertising budgets.
Stop Renting. Start Building Your Own Asset.
Brands that delay building their own sales channels risk becoming increasingly dependent on marketplace platforms and their changing fee structures.
Transitioning from paying ongoing marketplace “rent” to building your own digital asset provides long-term control, customer ownership, and sustainable business growth.
If your business is ready to accelerate its D2C journey, PRIMO provides Loyalty CRM, Customer Data Platform (CDP), and Marketing Automation solutions that help brands build stronger customer relationships, integrate business systems, and create a scalable D2C ecosystem for long-term success.
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