1688 Sourcing Agent / Buying guides
Buy useful goods. Compare the complete cost.
Choose a guide around the decision you need to make: what is worth buying, which specification fits the job, how to move it, and what to verify before paying.
17 practical guides
Buy better value
Compare the same specification, quantity and destination. Include packing, checks and delivery before choosing a lower unit price.
1688 vs Alibaba
Alibaba.com targets export buyers; 1688.com focuses on domestic wholesale. Compare the same goods at the same quantity, including payment, inspection and shipping, before choosing.
1688 vs Taobao
Taobao focuses on Chinese consumer retail; 1688 focuses on wholesale. Compare the same product, quantity and delivered cost before choosing a marketplace.
1688 agent fees
A full breakdown of what a 1688 order costs beyond the listing price: service fee, domestic freight, consolidation, international freight, duties — and why a zero-fee agent is not necessarily cheaper.
1688 minimum order quantity
MOQ on 1688 varies by listing, variant and seller. Check the displayed minimum, ask about samples if needed, and compare the delivered cost at your intended quantity.
Paying on 1688 without Alipay
Eligible overseas buyers can pay for 1688 orders through supported WorldFirst methods and, in some regions, a card. Options depend on account verification and the checkout shown for your order.
Choose what works
Start with use, fit, materials and the evidence that a product will do the job.
1688.com in English
Read 1688 listings with translation, verify the exact product and compare direct payment with an agent. Decide using the complete delivered cost.
How to buy from 1688
The order of operations for buying from 1688.com as a foreign buyer: find the product, check the seller, confirm the specification, get a landed-cost quote, pay, inspect, consolidate and ship.
Yiwu agent
Use a Yiwu agent for a defined product search, samples and mixed-order receiving. Compare suppliers, minimums and delivered cost without blanket savings claims.
Guangzhou sourcing agent
Plan Guangzhou sourcing around the product brief, physical sample work, supplier evidence and complete delivery cost rather than a city price guarantee.
Taobao agent
Decide whether you need a Taobao agent, define the receiving and inspection scope, and compare the complete payment, packing and delivery cost.
China sourcing agent
Choose between a buying service and supplier sourcing. Define evidence, inspection scope, fees and responsibility before authorising an order.
Buying batteries or energy storage for a DIY project
Compare exact models, usable scope, documentation, integration responsibility and accepted freight before choosing a battery or energy-storage supplier.
Plan the shipment
Compare packed dimensions, cargo acceptance, route scope and the final delivery arrangements.
1688 shipping to the USA
Compare express, air and sea delivery to the US with packed measurements, customs costs, current low-value rules and a clear DDP or DAP scope.
1688 dropshipping
Assess supplier-direct dispatch or warehouse fulfilment for 1688 goods. Compare stock, packaging, delivery, returns and per-customer order costs.
Five suppliers: consolidate or ship separately?
Work through a five-supplier packing and freight example. Compare consolidation, split delivery and local stock using explicit illustrative costs.
Avoid costly mistakes
Check the supplier, sample, documents and acceptance conditions while there is still time to change the order.
How we check a supplier
Define supplier identity checks, written specifications, samples and warehouse evidence before ordering. Understand what photos and basic receiving cannot prove.
Is 1688 legit?
1688 is an Alibaba Group marketplace, but seller and product checks still matter. Understand evidence, payment, quality and dispute risks before buying.
Numerical examples are labelled as illustrations. A current written quotation and product-specific evidence are needed before purchase.