Online trading platforms must have guidelines for charges, specifying 8 types of unreasonable fee practices.

In order to standardize the collection of commissions, deductions, membership fees, technical service fees, information service fees, marketing promotion fees, etc. from operators within the online trading platform, maintain the legitimate rights and interests of operators within the platform, and promote the healthy and orderly development of the platform economy, the State Administration for Market Regulation recently drafted the "Guidelines for Compliance with Charging Behavior of Online Trading Platforms" and solicited public opinions. The "Guidelines" consist of 28 articles, covering five main aspects: Firstly, clarifying the principles that platform charges should follow. Platform charges should adhere to the principles of fairness, legality, and honesty, taking into account operating costs and the business conditions of operators within the platform based on factors such as service agreements, trading rules, and trading habits. Secondly, advocating for reducing the burdens of operators within the platform. Encouraging platforms to adopt flexible pricing strategies within the scope of legality, reasonableness, and mutual benefit, to provide benefits or exemptions for operators within the platform, especially small and medium-sized merchants, and to voluntarily assume social responsibilities to reduce the burden on operators within the platform. Thirdly, strengthening platform compliance and self-regulation. Platforms are required to implement the responsibility of compliance management, establish compliance management organizations, appoint compliance management personnel, establish mechanisms for risk identification and prevention of unreasonable charges, and enhance the platform's ability to manage charges in compliance with regulations. Fourthly, regulating platform charging behavior. Platforms should establish reasonable charging standards, improve charging rules, publicize charges, fulfill promises of reducing or exempting charges, prudently assess the necessity of collecting security deposits, conduct promotion services on the principle of equality and voluntariness, and ensure the rights of operators within the platform to be informed and choose. Additionally, the guidelines specifically mention eight types of unreasonable charges, such as repeat charges, charges without services, and costs that should be borne by the platform itself. Fifthly, enhancing supervision and implementation. Platforms are required to promptly address concerns of operators within the platform regarding charges, actively cooperate with supervision inspections, strengthen industry self-regulation, and fairly participate in market competition. In the next step, the State Administration for Market Regulation will refine the content of the guidelines based on feedback from the public, and promptly implement them to further improve the regulatory system for platform economy, continuously standardize platform charging behavior, and promote the orderly and healthy development of platform economy.