general sourcing / Buying guide
1688 agent fees
Agents charge in two shapes: a service fee of roughly 5–10% on goods value, or no service fee with the margin folded into the shipping rate. The second sounds better and frequently is not.
The only number worth comparing is the total landed cost. Ask for it itemised, and compare totals, not percentages.
In this guide
The full cost stack
- Goods, at the tier price for your quantity.
- Domestic freight from seller to warehouse — usually small, sometimes free above a threshold.
- Service fee, either a percentage or zero.
- Consolidation and repacking, sometimes free, sometimes per parcel.
- Storage, after the free period expires.
- International freight, on the greater of actual and volumetric weight.
- Duties and import tax, payable by you or prepaid under DDP.
Why zero-fee is not free
A zero-fee agent earns on freight. If their published rate is 20% above market, a 30 kg shipment quietly costs more than an 8% service fee would have on the same order.
Test it by pricing one identical shipment with two agents and comparing the totals. The difference is visible immediately and is not visible any other way.
Charges worth asking about before you start
- Storage rate and free period.
- Whether repacking is included or billed.
- Inspection: included, extra, or photographs only.
- What the exchange rate margin is, if any.
- Refund handling when a seller cancels — currency, timing and whether the service fee is returned.
Questions & answers
Common questions
- What is a normal service fee?
- 5–10% of goods value is the common range. Below that, check the freight table; above it, ask what additional service is included.
- Are inspection photographs free?
- Usually a few per parcel are included. Detailed inspection — measuring, function testing, counting — is normally billed separately.
Your next step
Have a link you want checked?
Send a 1688 or Taobao product link and you get back the specification in English, the supplier check, and the landed cost to your country before you commit to anything.
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