Cross‑border Deep Dive | Payment & Clearing Association of China Issues Self‑discipline Convention for Agent‑based Payment Applications

The Payment & Clearing Association of China has issued the Self‑discipline Convention for Agent‑based Payment Applications.

The Payment & Clearing Association of China has promulgated the Self‑discipline Convention for Agent‑based Payment Applications (hereinafter referred to as the Convention).

This marks the first special self‑regulatory document released by the payment industry targeting the emerging form of “agent‑based payment”. It covers member entities of the Association engaged in agent‑based payment applications, including institutions offering services such as account management, transaction processing, acquiring, switching and clearing.

Source: Payment & Clearing Association of China

Shopee Brazil Livestreaming Generates R$1.33 Million in Sales Within Two Days

At the 2nd Shopee Trends event held in São Paulo on August 18‑19, 52 local partner sellers achieved over R$1.33 million in sales via livestream commerce across the two‑day period, clocking 22,400 orders and attracting 303,000 new followers.

The platform hosts more than 10,000 livestreams per day. Since its launch in 2022, total livestream views have exceeded 8 billion. Livestreaming can boost sellers’ sales by up to 10 times compared with regular days.

eBay France Waives Final‑value Fees for European Private Sellers

eBay France has updated its fee rules: private sellers registered within the European Economic Area (EEA) are exempt from final‑value commissions and regulatory operating fees for sales on ebay.fr. They receive 150 free listings per month, with each additional listing charged at €0.35.

Subscribing to the Classic Shop (monthly fee: €19.94) unlocks a 250‑free‑listing allowance. Cross‑border shipments to destinations outside the Eurozone incur international selling fees: 1.44% for the US and Canada, 3.96% for the UK, and 1.92% for other European regions.

Additional listing features (reserve price, subtitle, etc.) and currency conversion (3% rate) remain separately chargeable.

Mercado Libre Launches Livestream Shopping Feature to Improve Social‑commerce Ecosystem

Latin‑American e‑commerce platform Mercado Libre rolled out Mercado Libre Live, its livestream‑shopping feature, on September 1. Sellers can showcase products in real‑time and interact with viewers via livestreams, while users can complete purchases directly within the live stream.

This feature forms a closed loop with the platform’s existing short‑video offerings and creator programs, building out a complete social‑commerce ecosystem.

Ozon Opens FBO Warehouses in Kazakhstan; Sellers Can Ship to Russia and Central Asia

Ozon has announced that sellers can now store goods in its FBO warehouses located in Almaty and Astana. Orders will be delivered to Russia, and local fulfillment is expected to drive sales growth in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan thanks to faster delivery.

Cross‑border transit fees are offered with a 100% discount from now until September 30. Delivery lead times to Russia remain reasonable; for instance, Yekaterinburg averages 4‑5 days.

Costco Shuts Down Costco Next, Its Online Platform Operated for Nearly Nine Years, Abruptly

Costco abruptly closed Costco Next on September 2, an online platform that had been in operation for almost nine years, with no prior notice given to its members.

Launched in 2017, the platform adopted a vendor‑direct‑fulfillment model. Costco vetted partner vendors, who shipped goods directly to consumers. The initiative was designed to expand product assortments without adding inventory pressure to Costco itself.。

Star‑shaped Mat Goes Viral on TikTok with Monthly Sales of $330,000

A star‑shaped cat activity mat priced at $12.99‑$23.62 is selling hot on TikTok US. It has recorded 22,800 units sold and a GMV of $333,400. Built‑in with a moving mechanism that pops out feathers automatically, the product can entertain cats without owner involvement.

Creators posted raw short‑form videos of pets chasing the toy. One single video surpassed 3.6 million views and triggered organic user‑generated content showcasing the same product.

Philippine Retailers Association Pushes for Repeal of ₱10,000 Parcel Duty‑exemption Policy

The Philippine Retailers Association is urging the government to scrap the duty‑exemption rule for import parcels with a declared value below ₱10,000 (approximately US$170). According to the association, around ₱57.4 billion worth of e‑commerce goods entered the country duty‑free under this policy in 2023, dealing a severe blow to local brick‑and‑mortar retailers and resulting in unfair competition as well as some store closures.

The association has hardened its stance from “lowering the threshold” to “completely removing duty exemptions for commercial import parcels”, and has submitted its proposals to the Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry and Congress.

Singaporean Seller Loses Defamation Suit Over Negative Review, Ordered to Pay S$4,000

A Singapore‑based e‑commerce seller filed a defamation lawsuit against a consumer for criticizing its delivery and return‑exchange policies in a Shopee review. The court recently dismissed the seller’s claim and ordered the seller to pay S$4,000 in legal costs.

The court ruled that the consumer’s review was largely consistent with the seller’s previously communicated policies, including “signature acceptance at a specified time”, “report cosmetic damage upon receipt”, and “S$35 redelivery fee for rescheduling”, and therefore did not constitute defamation.