Online sellers decry DTI's mandatory P1,130 'Philippine Trustmark' fee

E-commerce sellers slammed DTI's imposed P1,130 fee for a mandatory digital badge certifying their businesses as legitimate.

The Philippine STAR reported that sellers have to apply for the Philippine Trustmark, which recognizes “online merchants and platforms that demonstrate a commitment to trustworthiness, safety, and adherence to fair e-commerce practices.”

According to the DTI E-Commerce Bureau, the P1,130 fee comprises a P1,000 application or renewal fee, P100 web admin fee, and P30 documentary stamp tax fee.

The Philippine Trustmark has a one-year validity from the date of issue, and sellers have to renew it upon expiry.

Sellers are still reeling from e-commerce giants Shopee and Lazada's recently imposed P5 additional order processing fee, effective Sept. 3.

Moreover, there's still a 10% to 12% value-added tax and other transaction fees being charged per completed sales transaction that goes through the two giants' stores.

The DTI extended its original Sept. 30 deadline to December amid the outrage.

Nevertheless, sellers took to social media to air their frustrations, questioning the haste with which the DTI’s E-Commerce Bureau was instituting the trustmark requirement despite the apparent lack of readiness of their systems to implement the program.

Some of them trooped to the comments sections of the DTI and Sec. Cristina Roque's Facebook pages.

Roque had to turn off the comments section of past posts amid the public anger.

But in a Sept. 20 post, the comments section is open, and commenters seized the opportunity to call her out.

"Bumaba ka na sa pwesto mo. Sayang lang tax namin na pasahod sa 'yo. Wala kang magandang dulot sa DTI. 'Yung trustmark na pinupush n'yo, basura," a part of a user's comment read.

"Transaction fees are at an all-time high," a part of another user's comment read. "Nadagdagan pa ng panibagong fee na P5 per successful transaction/delivery, pero di kami kaya ipagtanggol ng platforms!"

"We do not need extension! Alisin nyo yan! Make it voluntary again! Hindi Mandatory! Money scheme nyo na naman yan! may maisingil lang!" another user said.

Roque’s mall-based clothing line business, Kamiseta, has also been a target of the rants of online sellers, saying the trustmark requirement was anti-online seller and favors mall-based businesses.