Selling medicines overseas through cross-border e-commerce platforms involves a range of additional payment collection and foreign exchange conversion costs not found in traditional trade. These costs mainly include: 1. ‘Payment gateway fees’: international payment services such as Stripe and PayPal charge a percentage of the transaction amount (typically around 2.9% plus a fixed fee). 2. ‘Platform commission’: if you sell through a third-party e-commerce platform such as Amazon or Tmall Global, the platform takes 5% to 15% of sales as commission. 3. ‘Currency conversion fees’: banks or payment platforms charge a conversion spread or fee when converting foreign currency sales proceeds into Hong Kong dollars. 4. ‘Withdrawal fees’: a fixed fee may apply when withdrawing funds from a payment platform account to your Hong Kong bank account.
HONG KONG DRUG LICENSING
What additional fees may arise from receiving payments and settling foreign currency in my cross-border e-commerce pharmaceutical business?
A complete explanation of the regulatory basis, Drew Tang’s recommendations and risk alerts. The original material dates from 2025; read it alongside the latest official requirements.
Original guide, 2025 edition: These FAQs are provided for topic-based reference and have not all been individually checked against current rules. Please confirm fees, personnel, renewal, changes and product requirements against the professional in-depth guide for the relevant licence type and the official requirements in force at the time.
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