1688, Taobao, and Pinduoduo Delivery
Chinese marketplaces don't sell abroad directly: they don't accept cards from other countries, and the seller only ships orders to a domestic address. We purchase the goods in our own name, receive them at our warehouse in Guangzhou, consolidate orders from different sellers into one shipment, and send it to you — as an official import with a full set of documents, or as cargo, depending on your needs. The minimum shipment is 50 kilograms.
Why you need a purchasing service
1688, Taobao, and Pinduoduo are built for China's domestic market. Three things don't work there for a buyer from another country:
- payment — the marketplaces don't accept cards issued outside China;
- delivery — the seller ships the order by courier to a Chinese address and won't send it abroad;
- communication — questions about the product are handled in Chinese, on a Chinese messenger.
Purchasing solves all three: the order is placed in our name, payment goes through as a domestic transfer, and the goods arrive at our warehouse. From there it's a regular shipment that we deliver to you.
How it works
Send us the links
Links to products on 1688, Taobao, or Pinduoduo, quantities, and the options you need — color, size, configuration. A spreadsheet works best if there are many items.
We calculate the cost
The product cost on the marketplace, domestic delivery to our warehouse, the purchasing fee, and an estimated shipping cost to you. We give you the exchange rate right away.
We purchase and receive
We place the orders, track each seller's shipment, and receive the parcels at our warehouse in Guangzhou. Each one gets a count and photos.
We consolidate into a shipment
We wait until all items arrive, combine them into one shipment, and repack and label them if needed. We measure the final weight and volume.
We ship it
The shipment goes out on the direction you chose. For official import: the contract and declaration are drawn up for your legal entity, and your customs broker handles the declaration.
How much it costs
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard payment to supplier | no fee — we earn on the exchange rate |
| Purchase by list with a large number of items and small sums | 0.5–2% of the order amount |
| Domestic delivery to our warehouse | at actual cost, usually next to nothing within China |
| Receiving, counting, photos | included in the warehouse service |
| Repacking, labeling, crating | calculated separately, as needed |
| Shipping to you | depends on the direction and cargo density |
The range in the purchasing fee comes down to labor: ten items from one seller and two hundred items from forty sellers are different amounts of work. We name the exact percentage once we see your list.
The margin on the exchange rate is 0.5–1.5%, and it's already included in the amount we quote you. We say this outright: for us, “no fee” means there's no separate line on the invoice, not that handling the payment costs us nothing. Intermediaries on the market charge 3–20% on top for a payment.
How the shipping itself is calculated — the calculation by density and rates by direction.
Where We Ship Goods from 1688 and How Long It Takes
Purchasing is only the first half of the journey: after that, the cargo travels the same route as any other shipment, and the timeline depends on the country, not the marketplace. We count from the day the last seller delivers the order to our warehouse in Guangzhou.
| Destination | Timing | How it travels |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 7–11 days | air via Poland, official import |
| Kazakhstan | 10–15 days | truck route, official clearance |
| Russia | 15–20 or 18–35 days | TIR truck with official customs clearance, fast or standard route |
| Uzbekistan | 15–20 or 20–35 days | fast or economy route |
| Europe | 12–20 days | air to your address |
What makes the timeline longer specifically for 1688. Wholesale sellers often ship the order to our warehouse not on the day of payment, but two to five days later — made to order, in batches, or once enough has accumulated. Until the last item arrives, the shipment can't be consolidated: if you order from ten sellers, you wait for the slowest one.
Building a shipment of 50 kilograms or more out of small wholesale orders is routine, and it's cheaper than shipping each order separately. Detailed timelines for each direction — on a separate page.
What we check, and what we don't
This is the single point where purchasing disappoints people most often, so we say it before the order, not after.
| We do | We don't do |
|---|---|
| We count the number of packages and units | we don't check whether the product meets your quality expectations |
| We photograph on receipt | we don't test electronics for functionality |
| We note visible damage to packaging and goods | we don't open every unit unless agreed separately |
| We report shortages or mismatched items | we don't assess fabric, shade, stitching quality, or printing |
A detailed inspection is possible and discussed separately: by agreement it can be free, and with a large number of items it's priced by the work involved. The point of this honest split is simple — “we'll check everything” sounds better, but it ends in an argument about what that actually meant.
We'll help you file a quality claim with the seller while the goods are still at our warehouse and the marketplace's deadline hasn't passed. Once the shipment has gone out, this is no longer possible.
Restrictions
- Minimum 50 kilograms per shipment. We don't handle parcels or small shipments. Orders can accumulate at the warehouse until a full shipment builds up.
- Stop list. We don't handle weapons and their parts, narcotic and psychotropic substances, poisonous and radioactive materials, pornography, live animals, or plants. Some directions have their own restrictions: for example, phones and computers aren't shipped to Kazakhstan at all.
- Branded goods only ships with confirmed rights to it — otherwise the shipment risks failing customs clearance, and that's not a risk worth taking.
- Batteries, liquids, powders, and chemicals are handled separately: they have their own packaging requirements, and not every direction accepts them.
The full breakdown by category — which cargo we ship and which we don't: what depends on the direction, what won't go anywhere, and why.
Why go through us instead of a purchasing service
There are plenty of purchasing services, and they're cheaper at one point — the fee. The difference starts after that.
| Question | Purchasing service | Us |
|---|---|---|
| Who moves the shipment onward | hands it off to a third-party cargo company | we carry it ourselves — our own warehouse and our own routes |
| Import documents | usually none | full set, you're the importer of record |
| Input VAT | nothing to offset | stays yours |
| Who you talk to when something goes wrong | two companies, each pointing at the other | one point of accountability |
If it's a one-off, small job, a purchasing service is cheaper — that's the honest answer. We're the right choice when the buying repeats: the supplier, payment, warehouse, and delivery all go through one operator, and each next shipment is easier than the last — we keep the supplier, packaging, route, and inspection requirements on file. You choose the format: official import or cargo. You can also take just one part of it — only the payment, only the warehouse, or only the shipping.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order from 1688 without an intermediary?
You can't pay and receive the goods abroad directly: the marketplace doesn't accept cards from other countries, and the seller only ships the order to a domestic Chinese address.
You need either an intermediary with a Chinese account and address, or your own presence in China. We cover both: we purchase in our name and receive the goods at our warehouse in Guangzhou.
How much does purchasing from 1688 cost?
The purchase-by-list fee for a large number of items with small sums is 0.5–2% of the order amount. There's no separate fee for a standard supplier payment: the margin sits in the exchange rate and comes to 0.5–1.5%.
The exact percentage depends on the work involved: the number of items and sellers matters more than the amount. We name it once we see your order list.
How long does delivery from 1688 take?
The timeline has two parts. The first is how long it takes sellers to ship the orders to our warehouse: usually one to seven days, depending on how ready the goods are.
The second is the shipping itself: by truck to Kazakhstan 10–15 days, to Uzbekistan 15–20, by air to Ukraine 4–7 days of flight time plus 3–4 days for Poland and customs. Customs clearance is unpredictable across all directions in 2026, so we give you realistic timelines and let you know ourselves if something shifts.
Can I combine orders from different sellers into one shipment?
Yes, that's the whole point of the warehouse. Orders arrive from different sellers at different times, sit with us, and go out together as one shipment.
Storage for this is free — our goal is the same as yours: consolidate and ship faster.
What if the seller sends the wrong item or something defective?
While the goods are still at our warehouse and the marketplace's deadline hasn't passed, you can file a claim with the seller — we'll help you do it. Once the shipment has gone out, this is no longer possible.
That's why with a large number of items it makes sense to agree in advance on the receiving inspection: exactly what we open and what we count.
Do I need documents if I'm ordering for myself?
For personal use — no, but then this isn't our format: we ship shipments from 50 kilograms, not parcels.
If the goods are going to be resold, you need documents: without them you can't put it on the books, sell to a legal entity with VAT, or prove its origin. Under the official scheme, you act as the importer, the declaration is drawn up for your legal entity, and input VAT is deductible.
Do you check the quality of the goods?
We count quantities, photograph everything on receipt, note visible damage, and report shortages or mismatched items. This is part of our warehouse service.
Quality assessment — fabric, shade, whether electronics work — isn't done by default. A detailed inspection is discussed separately: by agreement it can be free, and with a large number of items it's priced by the work involved.
Send us the links or your order list — we'll calculate the purchasing fee, shipping, and give you a timeline. If the volume is under 50 kilograms, we'll tell you right away, not after doing the math.