If you sell on TikTok Shop in Malaysia, the way you price your products may need a second look this week. TikTok Shop has announced higher commission rates for many categories, effective 00:00 Malaysia time on 31 October 2026.
This article sets out what TikTok's own page says, works through a real example of what an order costs, and gives an honest answer to the question many sellers are now asking: is it time to build your own website? The short answer is that a website can help, but it is an addition, not a replacement.
What is changing
TikTok Shop's official seller page on commission fees, dated 16 October 2026, says the new rates take effect at 00:00 Malaysia time on 31 October 2026. Orders placed before that time keep the current rates. News site Newswav reported the change on 19 October and said it applies to both Marketplace and Mall sellers.
According to the official page, commission is calculated on the item price after the seller's own discount, so shipping and platform-funded discounts are not included. The rates include SST. Sellers pay different rates depending on whether they are Marketplace or Mall sellers, and whether they are in TikTok's BXP group or not. Please check TikTok's own definition of BXP in your Seller Centre, because it affects which column applies to you.
The numbers: examples from TikTok's page
The page shows example categories and says a full sub-category table exists, so please look up your exact category in Seller Centre. The examples below are for non-BXP sellers.
| Category | Marketplace, before | Marketplace, from 31 Oct | Mall, before | Mall, from 31 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's tops | 14.58% | 14.91% | 17.82% | 18.15% |
| Phones and tablets | 9.72% | 9.72% (unchanged) | 12.96% | 12.96% (unchanged) |
| Desktops and laptops | 9.72% | 10.04% | 12.96% | 13.28% |
| Bath and body | 15.12% | 16.74% | 18.36% | 19.98% |
| Gold jewellery | 12.42% | 14.04% | 15.66% | 17.28% |
| Magazines and newspapers | 11.88% | 13.50% | 15.12% | 16.74% |
| Feminine care (cut) | 14.58% | 12.10% | 17.82% | 15.34% |
| Feeding and nutrition (cut) | 9.72% | 6.80% | 12.96% | 10.04% |
| Instant food (unchanged) | 6.48% | 6.48% | 9.72% | 9.72% |
Three things stand out:
- It is not a flat rise. Some categories go up noticeably, such as bath and body, gold jewellery and magazines. Some stay the same, and a few health and care categories are cut.
- BXP sellers also see changes. For example, the page shows Marketplace women's tops for BXP sellers moving from 10.26% to 12.74%.
- Some categories remain at 0%, including baking, fresh and frozen food, dairy and staples, according to the page.
Commission is also not the only fee. The same page's examples include a transaction fee of 3.78% including SST. Third-party seller guides also report a Platform Support Fee of RM0US$50.50 per delivered order since 15 February 2026, and Lowyat reported that 6% SST has been charged on seller shipping fees since 7 September 2026. Check the current terms in Seller Centre before relying on any of these.
What an order really costs
Newswav's worked example shows the point well. It uses a RM1,000US$200 item with a RM100US$50 seller discount, sold by a non-BXP Marketplace seller in a category with a 12.96% commission:
- Subtotal after discount: RM900US$200.
- Commission at 12.96%: RM116US$50.64.
- Transaction fee at 3.78%: RM34US$50.02.
- Platform Support Fee: RM0US$50.50.
- Total fees: RM151US$50.16.
That is about 16.8% of the RM900US$200 subtotal. The percentage is our own arithmetic, and it is an illustration, not a statement about every seller. Your own category, tier, discounts and shipping all change the result.
TikTok Shop describes the increase as reinvestment. Newswav also reports platform-funded shipping vouchers, free economy shipping to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, and co-funded mega-sale discounts. Newswav and PriceShop both say this is the second major revision in a little over a year, after one reported on 13 September 2025. These details come from news reports, so check Seller Centre for the current position.
What about Shopee and Lazada?
Both have also changed their commission structures this year, according to third-party seller guides. Shopee Malaysia's revision is reported as effective 1 February 2026, and Lazada Malaysia's new Marketplace and LazMall rates as effective 14 August 2026. I could not verify their rates from the platforms' own pages, so I have not quoted any. If you are comparing marketplaces, check each Seller Centre directly. The real comparison is the total cost per order after every fee, not the headline commission.
Does your own website make sense?
The temptation is to compare 16.8% with a payment gateway fee of a few percent and conclude that a website is far more profitable. That is not a fair comparison. On a marketplace, a share of the fee pays for traffic, trust, vouchers and shipping programmes. On your own site, you pay for those things separately.
For reference, here is what some Malaysian payment gateways publish. These are published list prices checked on 29 October 2026, so confirm SST treatment and current terms before you quote them.
- Billplz: the Basic plan lists FPX at RM1US$50.25 per transaction and local cards at 1.8%. The Standard plan lists FPX at RM0US$50.75 and cards at 1.5%, with an annual plan fee.
- toyyibPay: lists FPX at RM1US$50.00 and local cards at 1.50%, with a card onboarding fee and annual fee.
- Stripe Malaysia: lists 3% plus RM1US$50.00 for local cards and FPX.
A website also has costs that do not appear on a gateway's price list: building it, hosting, maintenance, product photography, advertising or SEO to bring visitors, and your own customer service and delivery. So the honest summary is that payment fees on your own site can be much lower, and the total cost of acquiring customers is a different question.
When your own website makes sense
- You already have an audience on WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or from repeat customers.
- Your category now carries a higher commission, or your margins are thin.
- You sell higher-value, custom or bundled products, bookings or subscriptions.
- You want to own your customer list, your brand and your data.
- You are happy to keep selling on marketplaces as well.
When it is too early
- Most of your orders come from TikTok or Shopee discovery. A new website starts with no visitors.
- Your buyers trust marketplace checkout and buyer protection more than an unknown store.
- You have no capacity for shipping, returns and customer service.
- Your volume is small enough that build and running costs outweigh the saving.
- Your category is unchanged or cheaper after 31 October.
I did not find any published seller reaction or margin analysis when researching this, so I will not guess at how sellers feel. What the sources support is simple: the fees changed, they vary by category and seller type, and the maths is worth redoing for your own products.
A practical plan for sellers
- Look up your exact category in TikTok Seller Centre and note the new rate for your seller type.
- Recalculate your margin per product. Include commission, transaction fee, platform fee, shipping and discounts.
- Reprice or reshape your offer where needed, for example bundles or higher-value variants.
- Collect customers you can reach directly, such as a WhatsApp list, with their permission.
- Test a simple store first. A focused online shop for your repeat customers is a safer start than a big launch.
Where I can help
If you are weighing up whether a website would work for your business, I can help you think it through before you spend anything. The free Digital Business Audit looks at how you currently sell and where manual work or marketplace dependence is costing you. If you decide to build, my website work can include online store options, with the scope and price agreed after a short discovery, and every project includes 12-Month Post-Launch Support.
