Cross-Border Logistics: Key Differences Between Shopee, TikTok Shop & Lazada

As Southeast Asia’s e-commerce boom accelerates, platforms like Shopee, TikTok Shop, and Lazada are driving a wave of cross-border sales from China. But while many exporters treat these platforms as interchangeable sales channels, their logistics requirements are far from the same — and failing to adapt can cost sellers visibility, customer trust, and profitability.

Here’s what sellers need to understand — and how tailored logistics can unlock growth across Southeast Asia.

Each e-commerce platform sets its own expectations for order fulfillment speed.

Shopee

Shopee is known for its early-day shipping deadlines, especially in high-volume markets like Singapore and Malaysia, where buyers expect next-day or even same-day delivery.

​Lazada​

Lazada, while offering a bit more flexibility, still enforces service level agreements (SLAs) that are monitored daily. Sellers who fail to meet them risk penalties that can affect store performance.

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop operates differently. With a strong focus on live commerce, TikTok sellers experience rapid spikes in orders during livestreams or promotions — and fulfillment must happen almost immediately after those sales. Delays of even a few hours can lead to cancellations or poor buyer feedback.

Understanding and aligning with each platform’s fulfillment timelines is essential. Sellers need to plan for different cutoff points, adjust warehouse operations accordingly, and anticipate surges linked to livestreams or regional sales events.

Cash-on-Delivery (COD) is still widely used in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Vietnam and The Philippines.

The platforms handle COD differently:

• Shopee partners with local last-mile couriers for COD
• Lazada processes COD through seller centers
• TikTok Shop often places the financial risk on sellers

Returns are part of the game — but in Southeast Asia, the rules vary by platform and market:

Shopee:

7–15 day return windows, depending on category

Lazada:

“Change of Mind” returns allowed in many countries

TikTok Shop:

Cross-border sellers often bear full return cost

Most platforms enforce strict performance rules, and logistics failures are one of the fastest ways to trigger penalties. Late dispatch, missed SLA targets, and incomplete deliveries don’t just affect the customer — they reduce your store’s ranking, visibility, and sales potential.

Trying to apply the same logistics model across all platforms is a common mistake. It leads to service failures, higher return costs, and missed participation in key sales events in Southeast Asia, like "9.9", "11.11" or "12.12". On the other hand, adapting your logistics to match each platform’s operational model puts you in control — and ahead of the competition.

Cross-border success in Southeast Asia depends on more than just great products or competitive pricing. It depends on logistics precision, platform compliance, and the ability to meet customer expectations across multiple e-commerce ecosystems.