Mainstream B2C cross-border e-commerce platforms include Amazon, eBay, Wish, and AliExpress.
(1) Amazon
Founded in 1995, Amazon is one of the largest online e-commerce companies in the United States and one of the earliest companies to start e-commerce on the Internet. Amazon initially only sold books online, but now its sales have expanded to millions of unique new, refurbished, and second-hand products, making it an online retailer with a wide variety of products in the world.
①Basic requirements for Amazon entry
Chinese sellers who want to enter the Amazon platform need to have a physical company registered in China and can provide relevant corporate qualifications and corporate bills.
②Amazon entry fees
Amazon’s platform usage fees vary depending on the country it targets. For example, the fee for Japan is 4,900 yen/month (about US$45), while the fee for the UK is 25 pounds/month (about US$33). For the sale of goods, Amazon will charge different commissions based on different categories, generally 8% to 15% of the product price.
(2) eBay
eBay was founded in September 1995. Its business purpose is to provide a trading platform for individuals and small companies from all walks of life to buy and sell goods. To date, eBay has more than 100 million registered members around the world. There are many types of goods on the eBay platform, including various collectibles such as celebrity glitter, antiques, dolls or tableware sets, as well as practical items such as second-hand cars, clothing, books, CDs or electronic products. Buyers can shop through auctions, fixed prices, etc.
①Basic requirements for eBay entry
Enterprise sellers who want to enter the eBay platform must be registered companies with industrial and commercial tax information and no abnormalities. The registration method for individual sellers is relatively simple. The account applied for by the seller must be certified by eBay and connected to a third-party payment account that cooperates with eBay, such as a PayPal account. In addition, if sellers want to sell on the eBay platform, they also need to undergo cross-border certification. The materials to be prepared include ID cards, recent personal photos, proof of address, etc.
②eBay entry fees
Registering for eBay is free, and after the seller completes the registration, he will have a certain number of free product listings. For example, if you sell in the United States, you will get at least 50 free listings every month. If you exceed this number, you will need to pay a certain amount of money. The number of free listings and the fees for additional listings vary depending on the type of store the seller is in.
eBay sellers can subscribe to the corresponding store type on a monthly or annual basis according to their services and functions, but the fees are settled monthly.
Depending on the store type and category, the transaction commission on the eBay platform ranges from 0 to 12%. For example, the transaction commission for books, DVDs, movies, and music in a beginner store is 12% (up to $750), while the transaction commission for men’s and women’s sports shoes with a sales price of less than $100 is 10%, and the transaction commission for sales of $100 or more is 0.
(3) Wish
Founded in Silicon Valley in 2011, Wish is a high-tech unicorn company with 90% of its sellers from China. It is also the largest mobile e-commerce platform in North America and Europe.
① Basic requirements for Wish registration
Sellers who want to register on the Wish platform must be corporate sellers on a domestic mainstream platform or a cross-border third-party platform. It is worth mentioning that if a seller has not registered on any e-commerce platform, but is a large-scale factory or offline well-known brand that can provide high-quality goods, it can also register on the Wish platform.
② Fees for Wish registration
Registration on Wish is free, but after successful registration, a deposit of US$2,000 is required, and the transaction commission for each order is 15%.
(4) AliExpress
AliExpress was officially launched in April 2010. It is a B2C cross-border export platform in China. It is also the number one e-commerce website in Russia and Spain. It is called the “International Version of Taobao” by many sellers. AliExpress is aimed at overseas buyers, uses Alipay international accounts for guaranteed transactions and uses international express delivery for delivery. It is the world’s third largest English online shopping website.
① Basic requirements for entering AliExpress
Enterprise sellers can open stores on the AliExpress platform. They must complete corporate identity authentication on AliExpress through their corporate Alipay account or corporate legal person Alipay account. It is worth mentioning that even if the seller does not have his own brand or agent brand, he can still open a store.
② Costs of entering AliExpress
After entering AliExpress, when applying for the entry category, the seller should specify the Alipay account for the deposit and ensure that it has sufficient balance. The platform will freeze the relevant amount through Alipay after the seller’s entry application is approved. If the amount in Alipay is insufficient, the authority will not be opened. The deposit is charged according to the category of the seller’s store entry, such as 10,000 yuan for the clothing and apparel category and 30,000 yuan for the mobile phone category. If the seller violates the rules when operating the store, the AliExpress platform will impose penalties, and the penalty will be deducted from the deposit, and the seller will be permanently cleared if the assessment fails to meet the standards three times.
AliExpress’s commodity transaction commission is 5% to 10%, for example, 5% for furniture, 8% for men’s clothing, and 10% for hair products.
Note: The entry requirements and fees of the B2C cross-border e-commerce platform are applicable before December 31, 2019. Please refer to the platform’s official website or the seller’s backend for specific details.