Payment Terms and T/T Explained
Why a 30% deposit is the norm, what the balance before shipment protects, and where the risk sits for each side.
The standard structure
30% deposit is required prior to mass production and the remaining balance needs to be paid prior to shipment. Telegraphic Transfer (T/T) is our usual method of payment. Almost every China sourcing arrangement you meet will be some variation of this.
Why 30% before production
The deposit covers materials and the setup the factory has to commit before a single unit exists. It is the point at which the order stops being a conversation. It is also why a specification should be settled before the deposit, not after.
Why the balance before shipment
It gives both sides a checkpoint at the same moment: the goods exist and have been inspected, and payment completes before they leave. Inspection sitting immediately before that payment is what makes the checkpoint useful rather than ceremonial.
What to settle before paying a deposit
The approved sample, the packaging and labelling specification, the decoration method and placement, and the quantity. Changing any of those after the deposit means changing something a factory has already bought materials for.
Other arrangements
For other payment methods, contact us for more details. Terms outside the standard structure are discussed case by case rather than published.
Quick Answers
How to place an order and make payments?
30% deposit is required prior to mass production and the remaining balance needs to be paid prior to shipment. Telegraphic Transfer (T/T) is our usual method of payment.
Do you accept other payment methods?
For other payment methods, please contact us for more details.
When is the order inspected relative to payment?
Each order is inspected before shipment, which is before the balance completes the transaction.
More Guides
How MOQ Works When You Source From China
Why the minimum order quantity moves between 200 and 1000 pcs, what actually drives it, and how to bring it down without paying for it twice.
Logo Decoration Methods Compared
Silkscreen, offset, embroidery, laser, engraving, stamping press and heat transfer, and which substrate each one actually belongs on.
The Sample Process Explained
What a free sample covers, what it does not, and why the approved sample matters more than the specification email.
Pre-Shipment Inspection and What It Should Cover
A practical checklist for the last moment a problem is still cheap to fix.
OEM or ODM: Which One You Actually Need
The choice is not about ambition. It is about how much of your product is genuinely different from what already exists.
Apply this to a real order
Send the product and quantity you are considering and we will quote it and set out the sample and inspection plan.