You have a quote you like, a sample that looks right and a supplier who replies quickly. Before the deposit goes out, there is one more step that costs nothing: ask a set of direct questions in writing and read the answers carefully. The answers become the basis of your order terms, and the way a supplier answers often tells you as much as what it says.
Quick answer: Before paying a deposit, ask a Chinese supplier who it is legally and whether it makes the product itself; how it controls quality and whether it accepts independent inspection; exactly what the price, MOQ and lead time include; and which bank account, in whose name, will receive payment. Then put the answers into a written purchase contract.
How to use these questions
- Ask in writing. Email or a platform message thread gives you a record you can refer to later and quote in a contract.
- Ask every shortlisted supplier the same questions. Identical questions produce answers you can compare side by side.
- Do not send all 15 at once to a supplier you have not yet qualified. Start with the company and capability group; move to payment and contract questions once the supplier is a serious candidate.
- Judge specificity. A good answer contains numbers, names, dates or documents. A weak answer is “no problem”, “high quality” or “we can do everything”.
These questions sit at the end of the process described in our beginner’s guide to sourcing products from China: after finding suppliers, comparing quotes and checking samples, and immediately before committing money.
Group 1: Company and capability (questions 1–4)
1. What is your full registered company name and Unified Social Credit Code — and is that the company we will contract with and pay?
Why ask: It ties the supplier you have been talking to with a legal entity you can check, and with the bank beneficiary. A good answer: The Chinese and English company name, the 18-character code and a copy of the business licence, with confirmation that the same entity will issue the proforma invoice. You can then confirm the details yourself using our guide on how to check a Chinese business licence online.
2. Do you manufacture this product in-house, and which processes, if any, are outsourced?
Why ask: Trading companies and partial manufacturers are common and often useful, but you need to know who actually makes your goods. A good answer: A clear statement such as “we mould and assemble in-house; printing is done by a partner nearby”, with the production address. Our guide to telling a trading company from a factory explains what to do with the answer.
3. What is your capacity for this item, and how will our order fit into your schedule?
Why ask: A factory that is full may subcontract your order or deliver late. A good answer: A realistic capacity figure for this product (per day or month), the number of lines or machines involved, and an honest view of how your quantity fits alongside existing orders.
4. Have you made this product for buyers in our market, and which standards or regulations did those orders have to meet?
Why ask: Experience with your market’s requirements — labelling, safety standards, materials restrictions — reduces compliance surprises. A good answer: Named standards or test types relevant to your market and willingness to share redacted test reports. Do not expect customer names; many suppliers rightly keep them confidential.
Group 2: Quality and samples (questions 5–8)
5. Will the pre-production sample use the same materials, components and process as mass production?
Why ask: Samples made by hand or with better materials can hide what mass production will look like. A good answer: Yes, with a list of materials and component sources, and agreement that the approved sample becomes the reference for production. Our guide to ordering and evaluating samples from China covers how to test it.
6. How do you control quality during production?
Why ask: Final inspection catches defects; process control prevents them. A good answer: A description of incoming-material checks, in-line checks at key steps and a final check before packing, ideally with a sample inspection record. Certifications such as ISO 9001 are a plus, but the practical description matters more.
7. Will you allow an independent inspection before shipment, and against what acceptance standard?
Why ask: Your main protection on the balance payment is the right to inspect before paying it. A good answer: Unconditional yes, with agreement on an acceptance standard — for many consumer products, an AQL sampling plan based on ISO 2859-1 — and on what happens if the lot fails. Inspection stages are explained in our guide to quality control when sourcing from China.
8. Which certificates or test reports do you hold for this exact product, and in whose name?
Why ask: A certificate for a different product, model or company does not cover your goods. A good answer: Documents that name the product or model, the supplier’s own company (or the disclosed manufacturer), and a test lab or certification body you can verify.
Group 3: Price, MOQ and lead time (questions 9–12)
9. Exactly what does the unit price include, and how long is it valid?
Why ask: Two prices are only comparable when they include the same things. A good answer: The Incoterm (for example FOB with the named port), packaging specification, any tooling or setup charges, testing costs, currency and a quote expiry date. Use our method for comparing supplier quotations to put the answers side by side.
10. What is your MOQ for this item, and does it apply per colour, size or design?
Why ask: An MOQ of 1,000 units can mean 1,000 per colour, which changes the order completely. A good answer: A clear MOQ, how it is counted and what drives it (material minimums, line set-up). Our explainer on MOQ and how suppliers set it shows where there is room to negotiate.
11. What is the production lead time, counted from when — and what could delay it?
Why ask: “30 days” might start from deposit, from sample approval or from receipt of packaging artwork. A good answer: A lead time with a defined start point, dependencies (artwork approval, material arrival) and known risks such as public holidays.
12. What happens if the agreed delivery date is missed?
Why ask: Delays are common; agreeing consequences in advance is easier than negotiating them later. A good answer: Willingness to commit to regular production updates and to a written remedy for supplier-caused delays — for example a discount or the supplier paying for faster shipping. Not every supplier will agree to penalties, but the discussion shows how seriously it takes the date.
Group 4: Payment and contract (questions 13–15)
13. What payment terms do you propose, and which bank account — in whose name — will receive payment?
Why ask: This is where most fraud and most disputes start. A good answer: A deposit-and-balance structure (for example a deposit before production and the balance after inspection or against shipping documents), paid to a company account whose beneficiary name matches the licence and proforma invoice. A request to pay a personal or unrelated account is one of the Chinese supplier red flags to check before a deposit.
14. Will you sign a purchase contract covering specification, quality, inspection, delivery and remedies?
Why ask: A proforma invoice alone rarely records everything you have agreed. A good answer: Yes, or at least a detailed proforma invoice with attached specification, approved-sample reference and inspection clause. For custom products, also ask who owns moulds and tooling and whether the supplier will sign a confidentiality agreement covering your design.
15. If goods fail inspection or arrive defective, what will you do?
Why ask: The answer shows how the supplier behaves when things go wrong — the moment that matters most. A good answer: A concrete process: rework or replace before shipment at its cost, re-inspection, and an agreed approach (replacement, credit or refund) for defects found after arrival, with the evidence it will require.
Which answers should worry you?
| Weak or concerning answer | What it may indicate | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Refuses to share the business licence or code | Unregistered or misrepresented entity | Do not pay; verify independently |
| “We are the factory” but cannot give a production address | Undisclosed trading company | Ask for a live video; consider an audit |
| “No problem” to every request, with no follow-up questions | Inexperience or intent to cut corners | Ask how it will achieve each point |
| Will not allow inspection before the balance | Removes your main protection | Make inspection a condition of the order |
| Asks for payment to a personal or different company account | Fraud risk or no recourse | Pay only a matching company account or use a protected route |
| No answer on lead-time start point | Delivery date likely to slip | Get the start point in writing |
The full list of warning signs, each with its specific check, is in our article on supplier red flags. If several of these appear together, step back and run a full supplier verification before you pay.
Should I get a contract with a Chinese supplier?
Yes, for any order where losing the deposit would hurt. At minimum, a purchase contract or a detailed proforma invoice should state:
- Product specification, with drawings or a spec sheet attached.
- Reference to the approved sample.
- Quantity, unit price, currency and Incoterm.
- Packaging and labelling requirements.
- Production lead time with a defined start point and delivery date.
- Payment terms and the beneficiary bank account.
- Inspection rights and the acceptance standard.
- Remedies for defects and delays.
- For custom products: tooling ownership and confidentiality of your design.
A bilingual contract (Chinese and English) reduces misunderstanding. Enforcement across borders is never simple, so the contract works best as a clear shared record that prevents disputes, combined with payment terms that keep part of the money until inspection. For high-value orders, have the contract reviewed by a lawyer familiar with Chinese commercial law. Negotiating the terms themselves is a separate skill that a later guide on negotiating with Chinese suppliers will cover in depth.
Copy-ready supplier questionnaire
Copy this into an email and adapt it to your product:
Supplier pre-order questionnaire — [your product]
Company and capability
- Full registered company name (Chinese and English) and Unified Social Credit Code. Will this company issue our proforma invoice and receive payment?
- Is this product made in-house? Which processes are outsourced, and to whom?
- Production capacity for this item and how our quantity fits your current schedule.
- Markets you export this product to and standards those orders met.
Quality and samples
- Will the pre-production sample use mass-production materials and processes?
- Your quality checks: incoming materials, in-line and final.
- Do you accept independent pre-shipment inspection? Proposed acceptance standard?
- Certificates or test reports for this product — please send copies showing the holder name.
Price, MOQ and lead time
- What the unit price includes (Incoterm and port, packaging, tooling, testing) and quote validity date.
- MOQ and whether it applies per colour, size or design.
- Lead time and its start point; known risks to the date.
- Your approach if the delivery date is missed.
Payment and contract
- Proposed payment terms and the beneficiary name of the receiving account.
- Will you sign a purchase contract covering specification, inspection, delivery and remedies?
- Your process if goods fail inspection or arrive defective.
For Bangladesh importers
Two of these questions carry extra weight when importing into Bangladesh. Question 13 matters because the beneficiary on your bank remittance or letter of credit, the seller on the proforma invoice and the shipper on the transport documents need to be consistent. Question 9 matters because the Incoterm decides which costs and risks you carry before goods reach Chattogram or Dhaka. Our China-to-Bangladesh import guide shows how these documents connect; confirm current banking and customs requirements with your bank and C&F agent.
When to get help with supplier questions
Asking the questions is easy; interpreting the answers, pushing back on weak ones and turning them into workable terms takes experience. Jingxin Sourcing — established in 2022, with a Dhaka head office, a Yiwu office and a permanent team in China — negotiates price, MOQ, lead time and payment terms with suppliers for its clients, and sources through Alibaba, 1688, Yiwu Market and a direct factory network. If you would like a team on the ground to put these questions to suppliers and negotiate the answers, see how Jingxin handles supplier sourcing and negotiation. Where the answers raise doubts about the factory itself, a physical factory audit can confirm capability on site; see what a factory audit involves, and use a video walkthrough to verify the answers in the meantime.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask a supplier before paying a deposit?
Ask who the supplier is legally, whether it makes the product, how it controls quality and whether it allows inspection, what the price, MOQ and lead time include, and which company account will receive payment. Get the answers in writing.
How many questions should I send at once?
Start with the four company and capability questions to qualify the supplier. Send the remaining groups once it is a serious candidate, so you do not overwhelm a supplier you may not use.
What if the supplier will not answer some questions?
Some information, such as other customers’ names, is reasonably confidential. Refusal to share its own licence, production address, inspection rights or beneficiary details is a different matter and should stop the order until resolved.
Is a proforma invoice enough instead of a contract?
For small, standard orders, a detailed proforma invoice with attached specification and inspection terms may be enough. For custom products, tooling or larger orders, a signed purchase contract is safer.
Should I ask these questions even if I use a sourcing agent?
Yes, or confirm that your agent asks them. A sourcing agent or company can ask on your behalf and interpret the answers, but you should still see the key answers — especially on payment and quality terms.
Conclusion
A deposit is a commitment; these 15 questions make sure you know exactly what you are committing to and with whom. Ask them in writing, compare the answers across suppliers, and treat vague replies as unanswered. The strongest answers then belong in your contract, and the payment terms you agree in question 13 deserve their own careful look before the money moves.
