Buying from China: who gets paid and who handles shipping?

Separate the goods purchase from sourcing services

Identify the buyer, supplier, goods seller, export entity if different, and each payment recipient. The goods quotation or contract should name the seller supplying the stated product; TruNexo's accepted written service scope should name the contracting party, deliverables, fees and payment timing. Paying a research fee does not purchase goods or automatically commission inspection, shipping or customs work.

• Goods payment: normally paid directly to the disclosed seller's verified official business account.
• Service payment: TruNexo's agreed sourcing fee, commission or field-service fee is documented separately from the goods price.
• Any different payment route must be expressly accepted in writing before payment, identifying the recipient, role, responsibility and fee separation.
• The website does not collect payments. A fit-check inquiry is not an accepted purchase order or paid engagement. Paid work also requires completion of the applicable operational and contracting requirements.

Resolve payment-recipient mismatches before paying

Compare the legal seller name in the quotation and order documents with the proposed account beneficiary. If a supplier uses a separate export entity, obtain its identity and written role rather than assuming the different name is acceptable. Ask for evidence of the official business account and record who verified it, how and when. A familiar email address or a bank-detail screenshot alone does not resolve a mismatch.

• Keep the account beneficiary, invoice issuer and disclosed seller consistent or document the verified relationship.
• If bank details change, confirm through a separately verified contact and resolve the discrepancy before the payment proceeds.
• Record the agreed currency, deposit or balance milestones, bank charges and any exchange-rate assumption.
• Keep payment evidence with the corresponding goods order or service scope. Verification reduces uncertainty; it does not guarantee the transaction.

Use a cost record with clear units and open estimates

State whether the price is per piece, per set, per carton or per shipment. Define every component in a set and use the same quantity and currency when comparing offers. A useful record marks each amount as confirmed, estimated or pending, with the quote date, validity, recipient, payer and inclusion or exclusion. Do not silently treat an unanswered cost as zero.

• Illustrative arithmetic only: 100 identical pieces at US$20 each gives US$2,000 net goods value. TruNexo's public managed-sourcing guide gives US$160 (8% × US$2,000), above the US$150 minimum. The subtotal is US$2,160 before any applicable research credit and all separately agreed costs. It is not a supplier quotation, accepted project, payment instruction or confirmed landed cost.
• For cost planning, add only additional costs that have not already been included elsewhere. State the total's endpoint, such as port arrival or delivery to an address, and keep tax treatment visible. A per-unit total depends on the agreed denominator; transit loss or unsellable units may change the actual result.

Write the delivery rule into the goods contract

Specify the chosen Incoterms® rule, named port or precise place, and version in the goods contract. These rules allocate buyer–seller delivery obligations, costs and risk; they do not set payment timing or ownership. Record those separately. ICC's introduction explains these distinctions. A freight quote saying “door to door” is not enough to identify the responsible importer or every included cost.

• Ask the seller and transport provider to confirm collection, loading, export, freight, destination handling, import clearance, duties, taxes, final delivery and unloading against the agreed contract.
• Identify the legally permitted export and import parties, required documents and any unresolved requirement before treating the shipping plan as executable.
• Do not assume that the party paying freight carries risk all the way to the destination. Confirm the contractual handover and risk-transfer point, insurance arrangements and reporting route for damage or delay.

Name the export, import and coordination parties

The following is TruNexo's normal responsibility split, not a substitute for the goods contract. The accepted Incoterms® allocation and destination requirements must be checked for the actual purchase. Changing a seller–buyer allocation does not appoint TruNexo as an export, import or customs representative.

Prepare one handoff record before dispatch

Keep dated copies or references in a shared order record. An item should be marked confirmed, pending or not applicable with a reason; a blank field is not an approval. Document collection alone does not establish accuracy, legal compliance or completed clearance.

• Order reference, seller and buyer identities, confirmed SKU quantities and approved specification or sample references.
• Goods invoice and packing details; other transport or product documents required for the agreed route, with an owner and deadline for missing items.
• Accepted delivery rule, named location, forwarder or carrier, export party, importer and destination clearance contact.
• Package count, gross weight, dimensions, collection point, booking reference and the latest estimated schedule; distinguish estimates from fixed contractual commitments.
• Agreed inspection findings, outstanding issues, corrective actions and the person authorized to make any required dispatch decision.
• Cost record, payment milestones, excluded charges, insurance arrangements if any, and the contact route for a document discrepancy, damage or delay.