Bukalapak stands firm on zero service fees for users

Photo credit: Bukalapak

Bukalapak confirmed that it has no plans to introduce transaction and app service fees for users.

“Our buyers only pay the price of the goods and the shipping cost,” Dessy Kadriyani, the firm’s vice president of marketplace, told Tech in Asia Indonesia.

“Bukalapak only charges platform fees to sellers who have Super Seller status, BukaMall [sellers], and regular sellers who have successfully completed more than 100 transactions,” she added.

Similarly, Lazada doesn’t require customers to pay service fees, but it’s unknown whether there are such plans for the future.

The firm “continues to adapt to the dynamic industry developments” in Indonesia, executive director Ferry Kusnowo told Bisnis.

Recently, several ecommerce companies in Indonesia have adjusted their transaction and app fees for users.

On May 2, Tokopedia started collecting 1,000 rupiah (US$0.07) for every purchase using virtual payment. The firm also increased its app service fee from 1,000 rupiah (US$0.07) to 2,000 rupiah (US$0.14) or 3,000 rupiah (US$0.2) upon checkout, depending on the total transaction amount.

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This adjustment is expected to have long-term positive impacts for the company, Tokopedia spokesperson Ekhel Chandra Wijaya said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Shopee customers must pay a service fee of 1,000 rupiah (US$0.07) for every transaction, except for zakat, donations, and financial products.

Since October 2022, the fee has been charged to every buyer who has made four transactions – without minimum purchase and regardless of the payment method – since opening an account, according to the company’s website.

Implementing transaction and app fees is normal as long as they are still in a reasonable range, said Bhima Laga, chair of the Indonesian Ecommerce Association.

Currency converted from Indonesian rupiah to US dollar: US$1 = 14,721 rupiah.