Supplier verification is not a single certificate or database search. It is a layered process that checks whether the business exists, whether it can make the required product, and whether its commercial behaviour is consistent with the proposed order.
Confirm the legal identity
Request the Chinese business licence and record the unified social credit code, registered company name, legal representative, registration status, address and business scope. The beneficiary on the payment instruction should be explainable in relation to the contracting company. A mismatch deserves clarification before payment.
Check product and process fit
A legitimate company may still be the wrong supplier. Ask which production steps are completed in-house, which are subcontracted, what equipment is used, what similar products have been made, and how capacity is allocated. Look for specific answers tied to your product rather than generic factory language.
Review evidence carefully
- Use live video or a current factory walkthrough, not only promotional photographs.
- Check whether certificates match the company, product, model and target market.
- Ask for redacted examples of relevant inspection or testing records.
- Confirm the production address if it differs from the registered address.
- Verify contact and banking changes through a second communication channel.
Use the sample as a controlled test
Write down what the sample must prove: materials, dimensions, finish, function, packaging and required marks. Keep an approved reference and do not assume the production batch will automatically match it. The purchase specification should incorporate the agreed standards.
Define quality control before the deposit
Agree on defect categories, acceptable tolerances, inspection stage, sampling method and the response to failed inspection. For new suppliers or technically sensitive products, a pre-production check and during-production follow-up may be more useful than waiting for a final inspection.
Use proportionate risk controls
The verification depth should reflect the order value, product risk, customization and recovery difficulty. No checklist removes all commercial risk, but independent evidence and staged commitments reduce avoidable exposure.
Learn about our supplier verification and quality control workflow, or share a supplier or product for review.
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