Couldn’t find the English version of Shopee Taiwan? Unfortunately, there isn’t an English one…it’s all in Chinese only. But don’t let the language barrier stop you from shopping on Taiwanese Shopee!

Here is how to set up a Shopee account and purchase any item on the platform if you live in Taiwan (don’t live in Taiwan? Check out our Shopping Service!). Note that this guide explains how to do it on the desktop site of Shopee, not on the mobile site or app.

Fun fact: In Taiwan, Shopee is called Xiapi (蝦皮) because of the similar pronunciation. Literally, it means “shrimp skin!

How to Create a Shopee Taiwan Account

Before you start, make sure to have your own local Taiwanese mobile number ready. Foreign numbers might not work, and you shouldn’t use someone else’s number because you will receive verification SMS’. Also, a cell phone number can be used to create only one account.

Once you are ready, go to the front page of Shopee Taiwan and click on the button “註冊” to start the process of registering a Shopee Taiwan account.

In the next step, you have four different options for creating an account:

• Taiwanese cell phone number (default)
• Email (this option has been removed)
• Facebook account
• Google account

Registering With Phone Number

If you choose to register with your Taiwanese mobile number, you will need to request a verification code in the next step. If you receive a call after pressing the button, answer it and listen to the robot voice, which will tell you the code in Chinese.
I’ve heard of people who also had the option shown to receive a text message (SMS) with the code instead of a call. However, that option wasn’t available in my case.

The next step will look like this:

Once you’re done with the phone verification, you will be asked to decide what username and password you want to use. The username needs to be between 5-30 characters and can include letters, numbers, points and underscores, only.

If you see this confirmation next, you are done. Congratulations! After clicking on the orange button, you will be taken to your new account.

Registering With Email Address (unavailable now)

Instead of starting off with the phone verification, you can also create an account simply using an email address. Note however, that a mobile phone number will have to be added eventually, when you start using the account.

But here is how to register with just an email address, first:

Once you’ve successfully created the account, a confirmation will be shown and you can click on the orange button to automatically log into your new account:

You will also receive a confirmation email from [email protected] to your registered address. Make sure to click on the verification link in that email.

Registering With Google Account

If you have a Google or Gmail account, you can also create an account with those credentials. Start off by clicking on the Google button and the familiar Google login form will appear.
After logging in you will be asked to set a new username and confirm the email address you want to use.

When you click on the orange button and your account is successfully created, you will see the following confirmation:

Registering With Facebook Account

To use your Facebook login to create an account, you simply need to click on the Facebook button and follow the instructions. You will then be shown the following form:

After pressing the orange registration button, you will see the following message if successful:

Finding and Ordering Products

Product Search

If you cannot read Chinese characters, I recommend using an automatic translation feature in Chrome browser. If you use Safari, Firefox or another browser, there are extensions and add-ons which enable you to see a translated version of the website.

To search for a specific product, you could try with the brand and/or model number in English letters (e.g. “iPhone 9”) since that is how they’re commonly mentioned even in Chinese listings. Alternatively, you could “Google translate” the thing you are looking for and copy-paste into the search field.

Product Overview

The product overview includes important information such as the product rating, how many of it have already been sold, the price of the product, discounts available as well as payment options and delivery options.

To order, you first have to decide on the model version as it might be available in different colors, sizes, etc. Then you can add the desired quantity of the product to your shopping cart, or proceed to check out directly.

Seller Information

Before purchasing anything, I suggest to check the seller information, too. You want to make sure the seller is reputable and trustworthy.

The seller information bar below the product overview features a button to start a chat with the seller, as well as a button which leads to their shop.

Also, you can find important information such as how many products they have already sold, their response speed, when they have joined Shopee and how many fans they have.

Below the seller information, you will find the product description as well as product reviews by left previous buyers of the product.

Delivery Methods

Generally, two shipping methods are available on Shopee Taiwan:

• Delivery to your address in Taiwan (by Chunghwa Post or other delivery services)
  Note: It is NOT possible to set a shipping address abroad.
• Pick up at a Taiwanese convenience store of your choice (e.g. Family Mart, 7-11, Hi-Life, OK Mart)

The cost depend on the method, type of goods and the seller. In some cases, delivery to your address might even be free (then it will show $0 or 免運費). For some items that are sent from abroad (e.g. Mainland China or Korea), Shopee might charge you import taxes.

Here are the most common options how they will show in Shopee Taiwan:

• 賣家宅配 or 宅配 (delivery to your home address in Taiwan)
• 中華郵政 (delivery to address by Chungwha Post)
• 黑貓宅急便 (delivery to address by Black Cat courier service)
• 7-11 (convenience store pickup)
• 全家 (FamilyMart convenience store pickup)
• 萊爾富 (Hi-Life convenience store pickup)
• OK Mart (convenience store pickup)

Don’t be scared of collecting your package at a convenience store. It’s not as difficult as it may sound!
Once you receive the notification that your goods have arrived at the store you selected, all you need is to bring an official identity document (e.g. Taiwanese ID, driver’s license, passport, NHI card or similar).

These are the few simple steps when collecting a package:

1. Show the delivery notification to the convenience store staff
2. They will ask you for the last three digits of your mobile phone number (the one you’ve saved in your Shopee account)
3. Then, show them your ID. The clerk will check if it shows the same name as on the package.
4. Sign the confirmation slip handed to you by the clerk and receive your package. That’s it!

Payment Methods

Shopee Taiwan supports the following four payment methods, though sellers might not offer all of them.

• Credit card / VISA debit card (信用卡/VISA金融卡) – not sure if non-Taiwanese cards work (Please let us know in the comments if yours was accepted! 🙂 )
• Money transfer (銀行轉帳; e.g. using online banking or an ATM)
• Cash on delivery (貨到付款; if seller offers delivery by Black Cat, or to 7-11 or Family Mart)
• Shopee Wallet (蝦皮錢包)

In some cases, payment can be made in credit card installments (信用卡分期付款). This means that the total amount is due in several equal payments, spread over a fixed period of time.

If you choose money transfer as payment method, make sure not to miss the payment deadline.

Coupons and Shopee Coins

Before paying, you can also apply discount coupons and/or use Shopee Coins to cover part of the bill.

Note that some coupons are store-specific, which means they cannot be used for other seller’s products.

Shopee Coins are the official virtual currency of Shopee. For each NT$100 you spend on the website, you can get 1 Shopee Coin worth NT$1.
Keep in mind though, that coins are only valid for 3 months after the end of the month of purchase. For example, points earned between 9/1 and 9/30 will be valid until 12/31. This is the case now in 2020, but make sure to check the details in your coin wallet as these terms are subject to change.

How to Delete a Shopee Taiwan Account

If for some reason, you want to delete your Shopee account, you will need to download the Taiwanese Shopee App. This is because there is no delete button in the desktop/PC version of the site!

Can you register a new account after deleting your old one? Yes, you can as long as your account does not have any abnormal transaction records (i.e. violation of Shopee regulations). After verification by the customer service staff, you can register a new account after deleting your previous account.

Conclusion

This guide only explains the very basics of using Shopee Taiwan, but I hope you will find it useful.
There are also some alternative online shopping sites in Taiwan, which are similar and are listed in our article 7 Best Online Shops in Taiwan.

If you have any questions, feel free to drop us a message or comment below. Also note that you can order Shopee Taiwan products through our Shopping Agent Service.