Learn how sellers on Lazada Singapore can expand into other Southeast Asian markets, and how to handle the payments side of running a cross-border e-commerce business
Key takeaways
- Lazada is one of the leading e-commerce marketplaces in Southeast Asia, serving buyers across six markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam
- Sellers on Lazada Singapore pay commission, payment and (for some services) service fees per successful order, with no fee to open a seller account
- LazGlobal is Lazada’s cross-border programme that lets Singapore sellers list on Lazada Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam from one seller account
- A multi-currency account like the World Account can help sellers manage the operating-cost side of cross-border selling, particularly for suppliers in China and overseas SaaS or logistics providers
Lazada is one of the two dominant e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia, operating across six countries.
For sellers based in Singapore, Lazada offers a relatively straightforward path from local selling to regional selling. The domestic seller sign-up is quick, and LazGlobal, Lazada’s cross-border programme, opens up a route for sellers in Singapore to list their products in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam without needing separate seller accounts in each market.
This guide covers the basics of selling on Lazada Singapore, how LazGlobal works for cross-border expansion, and how to manage the payments and currencies that come with running a regional e-commerce business.
What is Lazada?
Lazada is one of the leading e-commerce marketplaces in Southeast Asia, operating dedicated country platforms in six markets: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Singapore, Lazada was acquired by Alibaba Group in 2016 and has since become one of Alibaba’s key international e-commerce platforms.
The platform offers a broad product range across categories including electronics, fashion, health and beauty, home and living, and groceries. Buyers can shop through the website or the Lazada app, with payment options that vary by country and typically include credit and debit cards, bank transfers, local wallets and cash on delivery.
For sellers, Lazada offers three distinct account types (Lazada Marketplace, LazMall and LazGlobal) and a range of tools for logistics, advertising, promotions and analytics through the Lazada Seller Centre.
Sellers can list products, manage orders, respond to buyers, and track performance from a single dashboard, with country-specific dashboards for those selling across multiple markets.
Selling on Lazada Singapore: The basics
Here’s everything you need to know about registering on Lazada and listing your products:
Registering as a seller
Sellers can sign up through the Lazada Seller Centre or the Lazada Seller Centre app. The registration requires:
- A valid email address and Singapore mobile number
- Identity verification (NRIC or FIN for individuals, ACRA business registration details for companies)
- A Singapore bank account for receiving payouts
- Basic shop information such as shop name, category and product details
Types of Lazada seller accounts
Lazada offers three seller account types, each aimed at a different kind of business:
- Lazada Marketplace: For individual sellers or small businesses selling products directly to Lazada buyers. The lowest-barrier option and the default starting point for most Singapore sellers.
- LazMall: A premium tier for brand owners and authorised distributors. Sellers on LazMall carry a badge that signals authenticity to buyers, and typically see higher conversion rates. Eligibility is based on brand ownership or authorisation, not just sales volume.
- LazGlobal: For sellers based outside a specific Lazada market who want to sell into that market. This is the programme Singapore sellers use to reach Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Sellers can hold more than one account type. For example, a LazMall seller in Singapore can also run LazGlobal to sell into other regional markets.
Lazada seller fees
Lazada charges Singapore sellers across three main fee categories, all triggered when an order completes rather than at listing time.
- Commission fees: A percentage of the final product price, varying by category and account type (LazMall generally has higher commissions than Marketplace).
- Payment fees: A per-transaction fee that covers payment processing across all payment methods including credit cards, debit cards, and locally supported wallets.
- Service fees: Charged for sellers who opt into specific Lazada programmes such as Free Shipping Max or advertising campaigns. Not universal — only applies if you’re enrolled.
- Shipping fees: Sellers can either pay Lazada’s supported logistics providers directly for fulfilment, or use their own logistics arrangement. Rates vary by weight, dimensions and delivery zone.
The exact commission percentages, payment fee amounts and category-specific rates are set by Lazada and updated periodically. Check the current rates in the Lazada Seller Centre before setting prices.
Expanding cross-border with LazGlobal
LazGlobal is Lazada’s programme for sellers who want to list products in Lazada markets other than their home country. For a Singapore seller, that means the ability to sell to buyers on Lazada Malaysia, Lazada Indonesia, Lazada Thailand, Lazada Philippines and Lazada Vietnam without opening a seller account in each country.
How LazGlobal works
Sellers list products in a single seller account, and Lazada handles the mechanics of showing those listings in the overseas markets including translating listing content, converting prices to the buyer’s local currency, and coordinating cross-border logistics.
The typical order flow:
- A buyer in one of the LazGlobal markets places an order
- The seller is notified through Seller Centre
- The seller ships the item to a Lazada consolidation point or uses a Lazada-supported cross-border logistics service
- Lazada handles customs clearance and last-mile delivery in the destination country
- The order value, minus applicable fees, is released to the seller’s account after Lazada confirms delivery
Because Lazada handles the customer-facing side in the buyer’s local market (customer service, returns, refunds), sellers don’t need to hire in-market support or manage overseas returns directly.
Pricing and currency on LazGlobal
Sellers price their products in a single base currency (typically SGD for Singapore sellers). Lazada converts prices to the buyer’s local currency at checkout using its own exchange rate, and the seller receives the payout in their base currency after fee deductions.
The currency conversion at the buyer end is handled by Lazada, so sellers don’t need to worry about setting prices in multiple currencies or receiving multiple currencies into their bank account.
Eligibility and joining LazGlobal
LazGlobal onboarding is done through the Lazada Seller Centre, either through direct application or by invitation. Requirements typically include:
- An established Lazada seller account in the home market
- A track record of order fulfilment (Lazada may look at historical seller performance)
- Products that don’t fall into prohibited or restricted cross-border categories (some categories can’t ship across borders due to local regulations)
- Ability to meet Lazada’s cross-border logistics SLAs
Once accepted, sellers can select which overseas markets to activate. It’s not necessary to sell into all five LazGlobal destinations — sellers can start with one or two.
Handling payments and multiple currencies
Since LazGlobal handles the buyer-side currency conversion, most of the currency management for Lazada sellers happens on the operating expenses side rather than the revenue side.
Many Singapore-based Lazada sellers source products from suppliers in China. Others pay for logistics, warehousing, or SaaS tools in USD. Some rely on international marketing agencies invoiced in EUR or GBP. Each of these transactions involves an SGD-to-foreign-currency conversion, and each conversion typically loses some margin to the exchange rate markup applied by Singapore banks.
WorldFirst helps Shopee sellers in Singapore go global
WorldFirst is an international payments provider that helps Singapore businesses manage cross-border payments. The World Account is a multi-currency business account that lets Singapore sellers hold and send payments across 20+ currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, CNH, HKD, JPY, CAD, MYR and THB (for non-Thailand users).
For Lazada sellers running a regional business through LazGlobal, the World Account is most useful for:
Receiving Lazada payouts in multiple currencies
Lazada payouts from overseas markets can be collected into local currency accounts within the World Account. Instead of every foreign currency payout being converted into SGD on arrival, funds can be held in the original currency and used directly for payments in that currency.
Paying regional suppliers and logistics partners
Payouts held in the World Account can be used to pay overseas suppliers, freight forwarders and local shipping agents in supported currencies, without an additional SGD conversion at the point of payment.
For sellers sourcing from China, World Pay is the authorised international payment provider for 1688.com, letting Singapore sellers pay 1688 suppliers in CNH directly from their World Account without a Chinese bank account.
Paying overseas partners and platforms
Held balances can be used to pay ad platforms, SaaS tools, freelancers and marketing agencies in the currency they invoice in, avoiding conversion on every payment.
Spending from held balances with the World Card
For sellers with regular foreign-currency spending on ad platforms, SaaS tools or fulfilment providers, the World Card is a multi-currency card that draws directly from held balances, which can help avoid foreign transaction fees on each purchase.
Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information.
