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1688 for dropshippers: a first-order buying guide
1688 is where the factory price lives — and where first-time buyers lose money on minimum order quantities, shipping quotes and payment mistakes. This is the order of operations that keeps a test batch small and honest.
What 1688 is, before you open an account
1688 is Alibaba's domestic wholesale platform: Chinese-language listings, yuan pricing and suppliers who mostly sell to Chinese resellers. It is not a dropshipping service. You either work through an agent who buys on your behalf, or you set up a Chinese business account — most small sellers choose the agent route for the first orders.
Step 1: Find one product and three suppliers
Pick a single product you can describe precisely (material, size, weight, packaging). Collect three suppliers for it, not one: price alone rarely separates them, but MOQ, response speed and willingness to send a sample usually do. Save the listing URLs — the same photo is often reused by several factories, and the photo is not the product.
Step 2: Order samples before anything else
Sample cost is the cheapest insurance in this business. Ask for the exact variant you intend to sell, not a generic photo sample, and check the things photos hide: seams, smell, hardware, packaging, and whether the item matches its listed dimensions. A sample that arrives late or wrong is also a warning about the supplier's dispatch, not just the product.
Step 3: Understand the minimum order quantity
The listed price is usually for the MOQ, and the MOQ is often 10, 50 or 500 units. Two ways to test a product without that outlay: buy the MOQ once to validate the product, or use a dropshipping agent who buys single units and ships them on, at a higher per-unit price. Do the second for the first ten orders, then decide whether the MOQ is worth it.
Step 4: Work out the landed cost, not the unit price
A 30 yuan product is not a 30 yuan cost. Add domestic freight to the agent or warehouse, international shipping, platform commission, payment fees, an ad allowance and a return rate — then convert at the rate you actually get, not the one on the news. Use the dropshipping cost calculator with your own quotes: it shows the break-even price and the price you need for a target margin.
Step 5: Choose the shipping route by the promise you make
Economy packets are cheapest and slowest; dedicated lines are the usual middle; express couriers are for high-value items and deadlines. The route is a customer-service decision, not a cost decision: a 15–40 day packet with a five-day delivery claim produces refunds, chargebacks and reviews that cost more than the freight you saved.
Step 6: Pay in a way you can dispute
Agent balances, Alipay flows and bank transfers each have different protection. Keep the conversation, the order number and the payment record together; the dispute you may never need is won with the transaction trail, not with the chat screenshot alone. For the first three orders, pay for a small batch rather than prepaying a season of inventory.
Checklist before you place the first order
- Sample received and checked against the listing, not just the photos
- MOQ confirmed in writing, including the price at that quantity
- Domestic freight to the agent or warehouse quoted
- Two international routes quoted with transit times
- Landed cost per unit calculated, break-even price known
- Return rate and ad allowance included in the margin
- One marketplace fee schedule and one payment fee confirmed
- First batch paid in an amount you can afford to lose
Questions
Is 1688 cheaper than AliExpress?
Usually the unit price is lower, especially at quantity, but the gap narrows once you add agent fees, domestic freight and the shipping you would otherwise pay for anyway. Compare landed cost, not the listing price.
Do I need a Chinese company to buy from 1688?
No. Most small sellers use a dropshipping agent who purchases and ships on their behalf. A Chinese business account is an option once volume justifies it.
Can I ship one unit at a time?
Many factories set a MOQ, so one-unit dispatch usually goes through an agent who buys a batch and ships individually. Expect a higher per-unit cost for that convenience.