Service
Supplier verification, done on the ground.
Independent verification of any Chinese supplier you're considering — business licence, banking, factory existence, capability. The preliminary check is free.
Why verify at all
Most China sourcing losses don't come from bad products — they come from paying the wrong entity. Trading companies posing as factories, cloned websites, hijacked email threads with "updated" bank details, and suppliers whose business scope has nothing to do with what they claim to manufacture. Every one of those is detectable before you wire a deposit, and almost none of them are detectable from a video call.
Platform badges don't solve this. Alibaba's "Verified Supplier" is a paid, point-in-time audit — not ongoing verification, and not independent. We re-verify every supplier regardless of what badges they carry.
Two levels: preliminary (free) and full
The preliminary verification is a desk-based check covering roughly 12 of the 30 points on our verification checklist: business-licence verification against gsxt.gov.cn (the official State Administration for Market Regulation registry), bank-account-name match against the legal entity on the proforma invoice, business-scope review, online footprint, and a red-flag sweep. You get a written result within one business day, and it costs nothing.
Full verification adds the ground work: an on-site factory visit, machinery and production-line review, worker interview sampling, and document inspection. It takes 5–10 business days and typically costs $400–$1,200 depending on factory location — Pearl River Delta is cheapest, inland regions cost more. It's the check to run before a significant first order.
How it works
1. Send us the supplier
Company name, website, Alibaba link — whatever you have. More is better, but we've started from a WeChat ID.
2. Preliminary check (free)
Licence, banking, scope, footprint, red flags. Written result within one business day.
3. Decide on depth
If the preliminary passes and the order is meaningful, we quote the full on-site verification.
4. On-site verification
Factory visit, machinery review, worker interviews, document inspection. Report in 5–10 business days.
What you get
- Written verification report with pass/fail per check and photo evidence from any site visit
- Business-licence extract and bank-account-name match confirmation
- Clear red-flag list with what failed and why, plus recommended next steps
- If a supplier fails: an introduction to a comparable verified factory from our network, when we have one
Go deeper
FAQs
How long does a preliminary supplier verification take?
We turn around a written preliminary verification within one business day. It includes business-licence verification via gsxt.gov.cn, bank-account-name match, online footprint check, and red-flag review. Full on-site verification (with a visit to the factory) takes 5–10 business days.
What's the difference between preliminary and full verification?
Preliminary is a desk-based check covering ~12 of our 30-point checklist items. Full verification adds an on-site factory visit, machinery audit, worker interview sampling, and document inspection — everything you'd need before placing a significant order.
How much does full verification cost?
Typically $400–$1,200 depending on factory location (Pearl River Delta cheapest, inland regions more expensive). Pre-shipment AQL inspection on a subsequent order is usually quoted separately.
What if a supplier fails verification?
We tell you exactly what failed and why, with documentation. If we have a comparable verified supplier in our network, we'll introduce you. If not, we'll recommend the next-best independent check you can run.
Do you accept Alibaba 'Verified Supplier' badges as enough?
No. Alibaba's badge is a paid audit, not ongoing verification. We re-verify every supplier independently regardless of platform badges.