Your customers actually belong to Shopee, not you
You’ve worked hard for your repeat customers. They buy every month, leave 5-star reviews and recommend your shop to friends. But think about this: if you wanted to send them a special offer tomorrow, could you contact them without going through Shopee?
On a marketplace, the platform holds the relationship with buyers: it decides what details you see, how you can contact them, and which competitors are shown next to you. Every repeat order also loses around 20% in fees. Keep using marketplaces for new customers, but build your own brand, website and customer list so repeat customers have somewhere to come back to.
Shopee buyer vs your own website customer
When someone buys on your website, the relationship is yours. When they buy on a marketplace, the platform holds it. The difference is clear side by side:
| Marketplace buyer | Your website customer | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides what buyer details you see | The platform | You (with the customer’s permission) |
| Send promotions to them directly | Only through platform tools | Yes, by WhatsApp or email with permission |
| Competitors’ products shown next to yours | Yes, “similar products” | No |
| Who decides who sees your products | The platform’s algorithm | You |
| Fees on repeat orders | Every time | Payment gateway fee only |
| If the account is frozen | The relationship is cut off | The relationship stays |
The real value of one repeat customer
Repeat customers are the most valuable asset in retail. They don’t need persuading, they don’t need ads, and they tell their friends. But on a marketplace, you keep paying for them every time they buy. An example with assumed numbers:
| One repeat customer | 100 repeat customers | |
|---|---|---|
| Orders a year (RM80 × 6) | RM480 | RM48,000 |
| Platform fees (~20%) | −RM96 | −RM9,600 |
| Payment gateway fees on your own website (approx. 3% + RM1 per order) | −RM20.40 | −RM2,040 |
The ~20% rate comes from our breakdown in how much Shopee and TikTok Shop take from every sale. For 100 repeat customers in this example, the difference is around RM7,500 a year, for customers who already know and trust you.
Beyond fees: who holds the relationship
Fees can be calculated. What’s harder to measure is what happens to the relationship:
- Customers remember the platform, not you. Ask buyers where they bought something and many will say “Shopee”, not your shop’s name.
- Competitors appear at the worst moment. When a repeat customer searches for your product again, the platform can show cheaper alternatives right next to it.
- The rules can change at any time. Fees rise, the algorithm changes, or the account gets frozen. We explain this risk in if your Shopee account got suspended tomorrow, would your business survive?
How to build customers who are really yours
Not by pulling buyers off Shopee; that breaks the platform’s rules. The way to do it is to build a brand people look for themselves:
- A clear, consistent brand name on your products, packaging and social media, so people remember you, not the platform.
- Your own website that shows up when people Google your brand name.
- Active social media, with your website and WhatsApp linked in the bio.
- A WhatsApp or email list from your own channels, with permission and in line with Malaysia’s PDPA.
- A reason to buy direct on your website: exclusive bundles, a loyalty programme or faster delivery.
Keep using marketplaces to find new customers. But give your repeat customers a place to come back to that you own.
Build a place your repeat customers come back to
Shiok Digital e-commerce websites start from RM2,500, one fixed price: your own online store with your products, your prices and your customers. WhatsApp us what you sell now.
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Shopee customers aren’t mine?
They buy your products, but the relationship happens inside the platform. The platform decides what buyer information you see, how you can contact them, and whose products are suggested to them next. That’s what “belonging to the platform” means.
Can I put my website or WhatsApp number in Shopee parcels?
Be careful. Marketplaces generally prohibit sellers from directing buyers off the platform through chat, listings or parcels, and doing so can earn penalties. Build your own customer base through your own channels, and let buyers who know your brand find you themselves.
How much do I pay the platform for one repeat customer?
It depends on order value and frequency. For example, a customer who buys RM80 six times a year spends RM480. At fees of around 20%, about RM96 a year goes to the platform, for a customer who already knows you.
How much does my own online store cost?
At Shiok Digital, e-commerce websites start from RM2,500 with one fixed price agreed before work starts. Ongoing costs are usually hosting, the domain and payment gateway fees.