How To Be A Crossborder Shopee Seller

If you think you’ve reached the climax of your Shopee business, maybe it’s time to expand, join the Shopee International Platform program, and become a crossborder seller. We’ll tell you what this all means for you as a Shopee seller in a little while. 

What Does It Mean To Be A Crossborder Seller?

When you sign up as a Shopee seller, you only do so per market that you reside in. For instance, if you are from the Philippines, you sign up for Shopee PH and if you are from Singapore, you can sign up as a seller at Shopee SG. 

But even when you go to Shopee to fulfill our own buying needs, we notice that some products have to ship overseas. 

Sellers from one region that can sell their products from any Shopee-supported country is called a Shopee crossborder seller. 

This means if you are a Shopee seller from China, potential buyers from the Philippines or Indonesia could order your products. 

Lazada has its own version of the crossborder seller program. On their platform, they call it being a Lazada Global Seller. Meanwhile, Shopee refers to it as the Shopee International Platform. 

The Shopee International Platform (SIP)

SIP is Shopee’s very own cross-border program that lets sellers do the following:

• Expand their consumer outreach
• Free logistics and customer service arrangements
• Expand business overseas without the need for additional effort or costs

There are two business models being followed in the SIP program. These are the Managed By Seller and Managed By Shopee models. 

Choosing Managed by Seller means that when you receive an order you will arrange shipment of the products towards Shopee’s warehouse. Going for the Managed by Shopee model means that Shopee personnel will pick up the package and then will ship it to the customer. The successful delivery of the package will take 7 to 14 days. 

Benefits Of Being A SIP Seller

The aim of SIP is to help businesses grow and expand internally with zero cost. When you join this program, you will reap the following benefits:

• Boost in cash flow
• Minimize business risks through market diversification
• Expansion in customer base
• Amplify your brand (since cross-border sellers have more exposure in campaigns)
• Grow your business using only local business experience
• Access to free SIP customer service

How To Join SIP

The SIP program isn’t for everyone. The Shopee team pre-selects qualified sellers to invite into the program. 

For the time being, there is no option for sellers to proactively ask to become a part of SIP. 

If you are qualified, you will receive a notification in your Shopee app under Shopee updates. Simply click the notification, click Yes and then agree to the SIP terms and conditions. In two weeks, someone will contact you for the onboarding process. 

SIP Best Practices

Here are some pointers to help you get the most out of your SIP program experience:

• Product names and product descriptions should be written in English
• Make sure that the product weight is accurate and updated
• See to it that SIP_shopee_agent  and commerce trading is not blocked from both your emails and Shopee messaging function.  (The first one is the Shopee customer service team that will contact you in case issues arise with your orders. The second one is the SIP buyer account)

FAQs

Do We Need To Pay Additional Charges To Join The Program?

No. The aim of the program is to help sellers expand without having to make further investments. 

How Long Will It Take For The Parcel To Arrive To The Overseas Buyer?

This can vary greatly on the destination. The length bracket would be 5 to 10 days. 

Do We Need To Respond To Overseas Buyers?

Part of the program’s offerings is the free assistance of Shopee’s customer service. Therefore, you no longer have to participate in the chat. 

The SIP program is a promising opportunity for all sellers who means to grow their business beyond their current reach. 

If you’ve ever been a Shopee crossborder seller or if you have had the opportunity, please share your experience with us in the comment section.