Online shops

Buying an online shop in the Philippines: fees and what to check

Updated 4 November 2026

The sources we checked give no peso price for buying an existing online shop, so this article cannot quote a sale price; each shop is priced per deal. What it costs to run one is mostly registration and permit fees: about ₱200 to ₱2,000 plus a ₱30 documentary stamp tax for registration, with barangay and city fees on top. The quickest way to see what sellers offer is to describe the shop in a request on BlaBlaPrice.

Permits and registration

A business selling online needs several registrations, according to a local guide: DTI or SEC registration, a barangay clearance, a Mayor's Permit and a BIR certificate. Mayor's permit fees vary by business type, size and location. Once annual gross sales go above ₱3,000,000, the seller must register for the 12% tax with the BIR. Check these steps with the city before you pay for a shop whose papers are missing.

Season and sale peaks

The climate is tropical: hot all year, with a wet season and a dry season. The calendar matters more for online shops, because local shoppers follow mega sales on 9.9, 10.10, 11.11 and 12.12. The 11.11 sale falls on 11 November, a week after this month starts. Ask the seller to show sales for the months of these events, so you can see whether the shop depends on them.

How a shop is valued and what to check

Ask for the niche, the monthly profit and the traffic over the last twelve months, the platform the shop runs on, and the business model. Check the business age and what is included: domain, stock, product photos, customer lists and any accounts. A short history, or sales that depend on one single product, carries more risk. Write these points into the request so that sellers answer with the same facts.

What to write in the request

State the niche, your budget in pesos, the business model you want (for example a store that ships nationwide with cash on delivery), and the city where you will run it: Manila, Quezon City, Cebu City, Davao City or Makati. Say whether you want the shop with stock or without, and whether you need help after the sale. The more precise the request, the clearer the offers.

BlaBlaPrice is free for buyers. You write the request in your own words in a chat, and the AI asks for missing details, then looks through sellers' websites and price lists in the Philippines before it shows the prices and businesses it found. Sellers registered on BlaBlaPrice receive the request and reply in the chat with their own offer, and your contacts stay hidden until you decide. Start with businesses for sale or go to the home page, and read how BlaBlaPrice works.