How to order your first sample from China
Last updated: 4 Jul 2025
Ordering your first product sample from China? This guide covers costs, supplier communication, shipment handling, and inspection tips to get it right.
Key takeaways
- Ordering samples helps ensure product quality, verify specifications, and build trust with suppliers before committing to bulk orders
- Samples cost more than bulk products due to production and shipping fees. Factor in these costs to avoid surprises
- Provide clear specifications like dimensions, materials, and colours to reduce miscommunication
- Discuss shipping costs upfront and consider customs and taxes
So, you have found the perfect supplier in China. The products look promising in the pictures and the pricing is within your budget. You’re almost tempted to place a bulk order.
But you’re scared. You’re investing thousands of dollars into buying wholesale products and waiting weeks for the shipment to arrive. The last thing you want is to end up with products that don’t match your quality standards.
The answer? Product samples.
Ordering samples helps you verify product quality, check for compatibility and build confidence with the supplier.
In this guide, we look at how to order your first sample from China and all the factors you should consider in your product sourcing journey.
Table of Contents
What is the cost of ordering product samples from China?
The cost to order samples from China can vary depending on the type of product you want to purchase, how long it takes to manufacture them and how they are shipped to you.
In most cases, you’ll find that the cost of samples is higher than the per-product cost you’ll get when placing a bulk order. When buying wholesale products from Alibaba, 1688.com or any other B2B marketplace, you’ll find that the product pricing differs according to the quantity you’re ordering.
Some of the main reasons why samples are more expensive than products manufactured at scale are:
Mass production is cheaper: Generally, when products are produced at scale, the cost of production gets lower.
Suppliers often screen customers: While you use samples to evaluate suppliers, the suppliers also use this process to vet customers. If you don’t want to pay for samples or want to negotiate on the sample prices, the suppliers could easily assume that you don’t have the budget for a bulk order.
Steps to order your first sample from China
1. Prepare your requirements
When you are planning to source products from China, your first step should be to get your product requirements ready. The more details you have, the easier it will be for suppliers to understand what you are looking for. Whether you need patented products, customized white-label products, or ready-to-ship products, ordering multiple product line samples is a smart move.
2. Connect with suppliers
You can connect with multiple suppliers, share your requirements and compare their samples. Be specific about your product requirements and provide clear directions for materials, dimensions and colours. Before the sample is shipped, ask for photos or videos of the product so you know exactly what you will be receiving.
You should also ask about costs upfront instead of discussing them after receiving the sample. There’s no point getting samples from a supplier significantly out of your budget. Set expectations clearly by asking about the exact pricing, MOQs and shipping timelines.
3. Manage shipment and customs
When ordering from China, discuss the shipping costs right when you’re confirming the price of the product sample. In most cases, buyers are expected to pay the shipping fee as well. Depending on the product, the shipping fee could match or even exceed the product costs.
Always ask if the supplier would be willing to foot the shipping costs, considering you’ll be placing a big order if you are happy with the product. You should also confirm the mode of shipping before placing the order and ensure you’ll get tracking information.
If you’re importing from China to Australia or New Zealand, you might even be subjected to customs and taxes, which will in turn involve additional fees. It’s a good idea to calculate all of these charges in advance to ensure there are no sudden charges when your shipment arrives in the country.
To get faster shipping, check if your supplier supports airmail and ePacket shipping.
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4. Inspect the sample
Once you receive the sample, it’s time to inspect it carefully and analyze how carefully it aligns with your product specifications. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when inspecting product samples:
- Check the craftsmanship for any issues like weak joints and rough edges
- Make sure the finishing of the product is as per your standards
- Look into the quality of the material used
- Perform multiple tests on the product to ensure it works as expected, even under different conditions
Gather all the feedback and share it with the suppliers. Make sure the supplier knows exactly what changes are needed. You should also decide whether to review another sample with all the requested changes or place the order directly.
Remember: Even if you are not very happy with the sample, you should stay positive, professional and encouraging.
5. Place your order
After you’re happy with the sample, negotiate the payment terms and place the order. Some suppliers may ask for upfront payment for the whole order. Others may extend a line of credit.
While you wait for the shipment to arrive, you can use the product sample to take images and videos. Get your product landing pages ready and even tease some sneak peeks on your brand’s social media accounts. That way, when the products arrive, they will be ready to get shipped to customers.
Set up a World Account to make fast and secure payments to international suppliers
WorldFirst allows businesses to send and receive payments in 90+ currencies and get access to competitive exchange rates. This allows you to pay suppliers in China in their preferred currencies, with the option for same-day or next-day payments (cut-off times apply) to keep your supply chain running smoothly. Additionally, you can use World Pay to securely pay 1688 suppliers, as WorldFirst is an authorized payment provider for 1688.com, one of China’s leading B2B marketplaces.
World Account lets you send, receive, and hold funds in 20+ currencies, including GBP, USD, CAD, EUR, AUD, NZD and CNH.
Local currency accounts are created in your business’s name, and for each currency, you receive a separate account number and branch code.
The same World Account also allows you to collect payments from 130+ global marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, AliExpress, Etsy, and eBay. You can hold marketplace funds to pay suppliers directly or withdraw them to your bank account anytime.
Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information.
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