Start a dropshipping business in Vietnam this weekend. No warehouse, no stock, no upfront capital needed.
The model is simpler than most people assume. You list products. A customer orders. You forward the order to your supplier, who ships directly to the buyer. You keep the margin.
This guide covers every step: which platform to sell on, where to find suppliers in Vietnam, how to set up your account, and what mistakes to avoid in your first month.
What Is Dropshipping and How Does It Work in Vietnam?
Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment model where you sell products without buying inventory upfront. Instead of storing stock, you list supplier products in your own store or marketplace account. When a customer places an order, you purchase the item from your supplier, who ships it directly to the buyer.
Your profit is the difference between what you charge the customer and what you pay the supplier.
In Vietnam, this model maps naturally onto how most new sellers start. You open a free Shopee seller account, list products from a dropshipping supplier like Droppii or Kho Si, and only pay for items when a real order comes in. There is no warehouse to rent and no boxes sitting in your living room.
The trade-off is margin. Because you are not buying in bulk, your per-unit cost is higher than a seller who holds inventory. Most Vietnamese dropshippers work with margins of 10 to 25 percent, compared to 30 to 50 percent for sellers who buy wholesale.
That trade-off is worth it when you are starting out. Lower risk, faster testing, and no upfront capital.
Step 1: Choose Where to Sell
Before finding a supplier, decide where your customers will be.
Shopee VN is the dominant choice for Vietnamese dropshippers. It has the largest buyer base in Vietnam, low barriers to entry for new sellers, and integrated logistics through its courier partners. Per Shopee’s seller documentation, the platform commission ranges from 5 to 8 percent per transaction, depending on the product category.
Lazada VN is the second major option. It tends to attract slightly higher-income buyers and works well for electronics and home goods. Commissions follow a similar structure to Shopee.
TikTok Shop VN is growing fast, especially for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. It is best for sellers who can create short-video content. Without content, the reach is limited.
Your own store through Haravan or Sapo gives you full control over branding, no platform commission, and the ability to build a customer list. The trade-off: you need to drive your own traffic. This is not the right starting point for most beginners. Our Haravan review for Vietnamese sellers covers when your own store makes sense.
Our recommendation for beginners: Start on Shopee VN. Large ready-made audience, free to join, and the easiest platform to get your first sale.
Step 2: Find Your Dropshipping Supplier in Vietnam
This is where most beginners spend the most time. Here are your main options.
Droppii
Droppii is Vietnam’s largest dedicated dropshipping platform. It connects online sellers with Vietnamese suppliers and manufacturers, handling the order forwarding and logistics coordination.
Key facts:
- Free to join. No monthly subscription fee
- Thousands of products across fashion, home, electronics, and beauty
- Direct integration with Shopee and Lazada seller accounts
- Supplier ships to the buyer within 1 to 3 business days for most products
Droppii is the fastest way to start. You browse the catalog, set your selling price (above the listed supplier price), and publish to your Shopee store. When an order arrives, Droppii’s system forwards it to the supplier automatically.
Margins on Droppii products typically range from 15 to 30 percent, though this varies widely by category. Fashion accessories and beauty tend to have higher margins than electronics.
Kho Si
Kho Si is a similar platform, slightly smaller than Droppii, with strong coverage of fashion and clothing. If your niche is apparel, it is worth comparing both before committing.
Domestic suppliers found directly
Some sellers prefer to find suppliers on their own through Facebook groups, Zalo communities, or by visiting wholesale markets like Binh Tay (HCMC) and negotiating a dropship arrangement. This takes more work, but can unlock better margins and products not on the major platforms.
Importing from China via 1688
1688.com is the Chinese domestic wholesale marketplace with prices significantly lower than Vietnamese platforms. You cannot dropship directly from 1688 in the traditional sense, but some sellers work with a Vietnamese ordering agent who handles purchasing, quality inspection, and shipping to local buyers. Costs add 3 to 8 percent on top of product price, per standard agent fee structures in Vietnam.
For beginners, start with Droppii or Kho Si. Once you know what sells, explore direct supplier relationships for the products with the most orders.
Step 3: Set Up Your Seller Account
Opening a Shopee seller account takes about 20 minutes:
- Go to shopee.vn and click “Bán hàng ngay” (Sell now)
- Register with your phone number or email
- Complete your seller profile with your store name and description
- Link your bank account or MoMo wallet for payouts
- Verify your identity with your CCCD (national ID)
Once your account is active, connect it to Droppii or your chosen platform. Droppii provides a direct integration that syncs product listings and auto-forwards orders.
One important note: Shopee requires sellers to maintain a minimum rating and response rate. Set up auto-response messages for common questions before you launch. Poor response times lead to lower search placement on the platform.
Step 4: List Your First Products
Do not list 200 products on day one. List 10 to 20.
The reason is simple: you need to learn what actually sells in your market before scaling. Listing too many products spreads your attention across too many potential issues: wrong photos, poor descriptions, competitor pricing that is already too aggressive.
For each product you list:
- Write a product title with the actual search term buyers use (check Shopee’s search suggest for terms with high autocomplete volume)
- Use the supplier’s photos, but add at least one extra angle or a lifestyle image if possible
- Price 15 to 25 percent above your supplier cost, accounting for Shopee’s commission
Track which listings get views and which convert. Within two to three weeks, you will have real data on which products have traction.
Step 5: Handle Orders and Customer Service
When a customer orders from your Shopee store:
- Shopee notifies you via the seller app
- You (or Droppii’s auto-system, if connected) place the order with your supplier
- The supplier ships the parcel using GHN, GHTK, or ViettelPost
- You update the tracking number in Shopee’s system
The most important thing: communicate quickly when anything goes wrong. If a parcel is delayed, message the customer before they message you. A proactive message about a 2-day delay often saves a 1-star review.
COD (cash on delivery) is still the dominant payment method in Vietnam, per data from the Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency. This means some orders will be refused on delivery. Build this into your pricing expectations: Vietnamese seller community reports indicate refusal rates for fashion and accessories typically range from 5 to 15 percent.
Step 6: Grow Beyond Your First 10 Sales
Once you have your first 10 sales and know which products are working, here is what comes next:
Double down on what sells. Find more products in the same category or from the same supplier. Do not pivot to an entirely different niche after your first few wins.
Test your own store. Once you have a product with consistent demand, consider building a standalone store on Haravan to own the customer relationship and avoid platform fees. Our guide to starting an online business in Vietnam covers the full business setup path.
Negotiate directly with suppliers. If you are consistently ordering 20 or more units of the same product per month, contact the supplier directly to negotiate a lower wholesale price. Even a 10 percent reduction in cost can meaningfully increase your margin.
Read the platform data. Shopee Seller Centre shows your traffic sources, conversion rate, and which listings get views but no orders. Use that data to improve listings before adding more products.
For a broader look at sourcing beyond dropshipping, including importing from China and finding local manufacturers, see our complete product sourcing guide for Vietnam.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Choosing products without checking competition first. Before listing any product, search for it on Shopee VN. If the top listings are from established shops with 10,000 reviews selling at your intended price, you will not compete on that product as a new seller. Look for products where the top sellers have under 500 reviews.
Ignoring platform fees when pricing. New sellers frequently price products without accounting for Shopee’s full fee structure: commission (5 to 8 percent per Shopee’s documentation), payment processing fee, and any promotional discounts the platform requires. Price products to maintain a minimum 15 percent margin after all platform fees are deducted.
Listing too many products too fast. It feels productive to list 100 products in a week. It is not. Shopee’s algorithm favors listings with engagement. Twenty focused listings that get click-throughs outperform 100 ignored ones.
Not reading the return policy from your supplier. If a customer receives a defective product and returns it, who pays? Confirm your supplier’s defect rate and return policy before going live. Ask for a sample of your top 3 products before listing them.
Relying on a single supplier. Suppliers can go out of stock, raise prices, or disappear. Always have a backup supplier identified for your top-selling products.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do I need to start dropshipping in Vietnam?
You can start dropshipping in Vietnam with almost no upfront capital. Shopee and Lazada seller accounts are free to open. Platforms like Droppii charge no monthly fees. You only pay your supplier after a customer orders from you, so your main cost is time, not money.
Is dropshipping legal in Vietnam?
Yes, dropshipping is legal in Vietnam. Individual sellers can operate on Shopee and Lazada without a business license. Under Vietnamese tax law (Decree 126/2020/ND-CP), if your annual revenue exceeds 100 million VND, you are required to register a business entity and pay tax.
Which dropshipping platform is best for Vietnam beginners?
Droppii is the most beginner-friendly option in Vietnam. It has thousands of products ready to list, integrates directly with Shopee and Lazada, and requires no upfront inventory purchase. Most new sellers can list their first products within an hour of signing up for free.
What products sell best for Vietnamese dropshippers?
Based on Shopee VN bestseller data, top categories for Vietnamese dropshippers include fashion accessories, phone cases and electronics, home storage, beauty and skincare, and kitchen items. Products priced under 150,000 VND with strong photos tend to sell fastest on Shopee VN.
How do I handle shipping when dropshipping in Vietnam?
You do not handle shipping yourself when dropshipping. Your supplier ships directly to the customer. On platforms like Shopee VN, sellers can use integrated courier partners including Giao Hang Nhanh (GHN) and Giao Hang Tiet Kiem (GHTK). Shipping costs are typically 20,000 to 35,000 VND per parcel within Vietnam.
You Are Ready to Start
You now have everything you need to open your first dropshipping store in Vietnam. Pick Shopee as your platform, sign up on Droppii, list 10 products in a niche you understand, and wait for your first order.
Your first sale is the real milestone. After that, you will know what to do next.
Next steps:
- Compare ecommerce platforms in Vietnam to choose the right one for your products
- Read the full product sourcing guide to understand all your supplier options beyond dropshipping
- Learn how to start an online business in Vietnam for the complete step-by-step setup guide