Source: https://interbridge-solutions.com/why-interbridge

# Your sourcing team in China, working for you

Why InterBridge

InterBridge Trans & Trade, a China sourcing agent in Guangzhou, negotiates with factories directly and in Chinese, **can pay sellers for you** and follows your order until shipment.

## Commission capped at 5%, lower on larger orders

InterBridge's commission is at most 5% of the **goods value** (the price of the products you buy), with *no minimum fee*, and the supplier background check **costs nothing extra**.

At most 5% Smaller orders; Lower Larger orders. Not to scale; your exact rate is in your quote.

- **Paying sellers**: InterBridge can pay the seller for you in RMB, *at no extra charge* for standard-sized orders.
- **Negotiation in Chinese**: the saving *can be larger than the commission*, and you see both quotes.
- **Third-party costs**, such as samples, freight and lab tests, are listed separately.

**How the commission works**

The rate is lower on larger orders because InterBridge works for a long-term relationship with you, not a single sale.

For a very large order, how payment to sellers is handled is agreed in the quote, before you order. The exchange rate used for each payment InterBridge makes for you is shown in your payment record.

Factory visits, audits and inspections are quoted separately. Services without an order, such as interpretation, business setup, visit planning or dispute support, are *quoted per scope*.

## Direct factory access and negotiation in Chinese

InterBridge starts from **its own extensive sourcing records and tools**, covering factories and suppliers across China, then negotiates with the maker directly, *knowing current market prices*.

1. InterBridge's own records
2. 1688.com factory listings
3. Manufacturers on Alibaba.com
4. Factory towns and visits
5. Markets and trade fairs

Your shortlist: First quote, Negotiated quote. Both quotes are shared with you.

- **Price**: no trading company's margin between you and the factory.
- **Customization**: changes agreed with the people who make the product.
- **MOQ** (*minimum order quantity*): negotiated with the factory itself.
- **Speed**: quotes and samples without an extra layer of messages.

**Where InterBridge searches and how it negotiates**

Many good factories are not online, so the team also visits markets and factories in person when your order needs it.

Examples of manufacturing clusters and markets include furniture in Foshan, electronics in Shenzhen and its Huaqiangbei market, small commodities in Yiwu, cosmetics in Guangzhou's Baiyun district, bags in Shiling, toys in Dongguan and Shantou, and lighting in Zhongshan.

InterBridge compares quotes for the **same specification** and negotiates price, *MOQ*, payment terms, packaging and lead time with the factory.

## Supplier background check included, before you pay

Every InterBridge project includes a **background check on the supplier company** you deal with, *at no extra cost*, with a written summary of what the records show.

**Supplier background check** (Example layout)

- **Identity**: Chinese legal name, registration number, status, founding date, address, legal representative
- **Ownership and capital**: Shareholders; capital promised versus paid in
- **Compliance flags**: Official warning lists and penalties
- **Court records**: Lawsuits, enforcement cases, dishonest-debtor list
- **Export readiness**: Customs registration and customs credit rating
- **Factory or trader?**: Registered activities, insured employees, address, certificates, patents
- **Risk summary**: In plain language

- **Read in Chinese**, from China's public company, court and customs records.
- **Factory visits and audits** go further and are quoted separately.

*A background check shows what the records say today; it cannot guarantee how a supplier will perform.*

**Where the information comes from**

InterBridge reads the supplier's records in Chinese from public sources, such as the national enterprise credit system, court enforcement and judgment records, and the customs credit platform. The registration number is the 18-character unified social credit code.

Not every court judgment is published, so "no records found" does not prove a clean history.

Registered activities and paperwork are signals of a factory, not proof. A visit to the production site is the strongest check.

The included check is made on the supplier you deal with, before you order. Checking a counterparty after a dispute starts is part of Trade Dispute Support, quoted per scope.

## Alibaba.com vs 1688: why 1688 is often cheaper

Both belong to Alibaba Group: **Alibaba.com** serves international buyers, while **1688.com** is China's domestic wholesale market, where InterBridge negotiates in Chinese and can pay sellers for you.

**When the seller is a trading company**

1. Factory
2. Trading company (Trading margin, Export services, Platform costs, Dollar pricing)
3. You

**When you reach the factory: on 1688, Alibaba.com or directly**

1. Factory
2. You

**InterBridge, your agent**: Factory price shown to you; commission on its own line

Compare the **landed cost**, not the listing price: delivery, packing, inspection, freight and duties.

**Alibaba.com and 1688.com compared**

| Compared | Alibaba.com | 1688.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Built for | International buyers | Businesses inside China |
| Language and currency | English and other languages; mostly US dollars | Chinese; RMB (Chinese yuan) |
| Typical sellers | Manufacturers and many exporting trading companies | Factories and wholesalers |
| Prices | Export prices, which can include a trading margin, export services and platform costs | Domestic wholesale prices, *often lower* |
| Payment and delivery | International payment; ships internationally | Chinese payment such as Alipay; ships within China |
| Buyer protection | Trade Assurance (Alibaba.com's order protection), when you pay through Alibaba.com | Secured payment, designed for buyers inside China |
| What InterBridge adds | Looks for the factory behind the listing; checks the seller | Negotiates in Chinese, checks the seller, quotes export shipping separately, and InterBridge can pay the seller for you in RMB, *at no extra charge* for standard-sized orders. |

**Where the price difference comes from**

Trading margin: a reseller's own margin. Export services: English-speaking sales, export packing and documents. Platform costs: seller memberships and advertising on export platforms. Dollar pricing: US-dollar prices can include an exchange-rate buffer.

Both platforms date from 1999. Alibaba's China site was renamed 1688.com in 2010.

Trading companies can be useful, for example for mixed small orders. What matters is knowing who makes your product and what each step adds.

An Alibaba.com executive has advised buyers to check whether a supplier is a manufacturer, a trading company or a reseller. The InterBridge background check reads the signals; a visit to the production site is the strongest check.

1688 has been adding cross-border channels, but most sellers still work in Chinese, take Chinese payment methods and ship within China.

## Factory visits, inspections and your trip to China

InterBridge works from Guangzhou, so an agent can **visit factories and check goods** for you, or **go with you** when you come to China.

- **Inspections**: **Sampled checks** before final payment, with photos and a report, *quoted separately*.
- **Markets and factory towns**: **Many factories are not online**, so InterBridge also visits markets and factory towns when needed. (Yide Road, Guangzhou)
- **Trade fairs**: **Canton Fair** days planned around your product categories, with interpretation and follow-up notes. (Canton Fair complex, Pazhou)
- **Your trip**: **An agent and interpreter at your side**; hotels, transport and an itinerary on request, *itemized in your quote*. (Guangzhou South Railway Station)
- **Our warehouse**: **InterBridge's own warehouse in Guangzhou** receives and checks your goods, then handles **packing, labelling and consolidation** at *competitive rates*.

*An inspection checks a sample of the goods, not every unit.*

**What is included and what is quoted**

Factory visits, audits and inspections are quoted separately, so you choose the checks your order needs.

Each inspection follows criteria you approve before the visit, and the report records what was found on the day. A visit alone does not verify a supplier.

Travel outside Guangzhou, hotels and local transport are itemized in your quote. Flights and visas remain your own booking unless agreed.

Interpretation is English–Chinese as standard. Other languages are possible only when a suitable interpreter is confirmed for your dates.

## Factory quotes, messages and follow-up, shared with you

For your order, you see the **factory's own quotes**, supplier messages and payment records, with **the InterBridge commission on a separate line**, so you can check every cost.

**Your order record**

- Factory quotations, as received
- Supplier messages
- Purchase order and terms
- Payment records
- Inspection report

**Your quote, line by line**

- **Factory price**: As quoted
- **InterBridge commission**: At most 5%
- **Third-party costs**: Itemized

**Follow-up at every step**

1. Order confirmed
2. Deposit
3. Materials
4. Production
5. Inspection
6. Balance payment
7. Shipment

- **Follow-up until shipment**: InterBridge checks each step and warns you *early* if a date is at risk.
- **Repeat orders** start from your approved samples and agreed terms.

**How follow-up and payments work**

At each milestone InterBridge checks progress with the supplier and tells you when something changes.

Inspection comes before the balance payment, so you can release the balance after the goods pass. When InterBridge pays a seller for you, each payment is made only on your instruction.

## Product development, from your idea to production

If your product does not exist yet, InterBridge coordinates **partner designers, engineers and prototyping workshops** to turn your idea into drawings, a prototype and a factory-ready sample.

1. Your idea
2. Drawings
3. Prototype
4. Factory sample
5. Production

- **Start from what you have**: a sketch, a photo, a reference product or a description.
- **A working prototype** (*MVP*, minimum viable product) to test before you pay for molds.
- **Design and prototype work** is *quoted before it starts*.

**Partners and protecting your design**

The partners are specialists InterBridge selects and coordinates for each step, not an in-house team.

Before you share a new design, ask a qualified adviser about registering your trademark or design in China, and ask the agent about confidentiality agreements with suppliers.

A reference product shows the style you want. It does not authorize copying a protected design.

## Supplier problems: a registered company on your side

InterBridge is **registered in Guangzhou**, so when a supplier breaks an agreement on your order, it can act locally and in Chinese, *which is hard to do from outside China*.

- **Buyer of record**: When InterBridge buys for you, it is the buyer in China and can take problems up directly.
- **Local action**: A supplier visit, a firm request in Chinese, reports of illegal conduct to platforms or regulators.
- **Evidence Chinese courts accept**: Contracts, payment records and WeChat messages, organized from your first quote.
- **Why local matters**: A judgment from a court outside China needs separate recognition before China can enforce it.

*InterBridge is not a law firm, does not represent clients in court and cannot guarantee a refund or recovery; legal action is taken by a qualified Chinese lawyer.*

**How acting locally works**

The background check gives InterBridge the supplier's exact Chinese legal name and registration, and a claim in China starts from that exact name.

Chinese court rules treat emails, WeChat messages and transaction records as electronic evidence, and notarized records carry extra weight.

InterBridge can report suspected illegal conduct, such as counterfeits or false claims, to the market regulator or to the platform where the seller is registered.

For larger orders, ask a qualified lawyer about purchase terms in Chinese, under Chinese law, with a court or arbitration forum in China, a structure that China-law specialists recommend.

When formal action is needed, InterBridge briefs a qualified Chinese lawyer, with the record already organized.

Taking a problem up with the supplier is part of following your order. Formal dispute work, notarization and lawyers' fees are quoted separately.

## We work for you

- **Protect**: Supplier checks, a documented record and local action in China.
- **Save**: A 5% cap, direct factory contact, negotiation in Chinese and sellers paid for you.
- **Follow up**: Every step followed to shipment; repeat orders start from the record.
- **Be there**: Visits, inspections and an agent at your side in China.

## Questions about working with InterBridge

- Q: How is InterBridge's 5% commission calculated?
  A: InterBridge charges a commission of **at most 5% of the goods value**: the price of the products you buy through InterBridge. The rate is lower on larger orders, and InterBridge charges *no minimum fee*. Your exact rate is written in the quote before you order. The supplier background check is included. Samples, freight, duties and lab tests are listed separately, and services without an order are **quoted per scope**.
- Q: What is the difference between 1688 and Alibaba.com?
  A: **Alibaba.com** and **1688.com** both belong to Alibaba Group. Alibaba.com is the international marketplace, in English and mostly US dollars, with manufacturers and many trading companies that export. 1688.com is China's domestic wholesale market, in Chinese and priced in RMB (Chinese yuan), where factories and wholesalers sell to Chinese businesses. 1688 prices are *often lower*, but they are domestic prices that can leave out export packing and export documents.
- Q: Is 1688 cheaper than Alibaba.com?
  A: **Often, but not always.** 1688.com shows domestic wholesale prices from factories and wholesalers selling inside China. An Alibaba.com price can include export services, platform costs and US-dollar pricing, plus a trading margin when the seller is a trading company. A 1688 price can leave out domestic delivery, the type of VAT invoice (fapiao) you need and export packing, so compare the **landed cost**. InterBridge compares quotes for the *same specification* before you order.
- Q: How can I buy and pay on 1688 from outside China?
  A: **An agent in China can buy and pay for you.** 1688 has some cross-border channels, but most sellers work in Chinese, take Chinese payment methods such as Alipay and deliver within China. InterBridge negotiates on 1688 in Chinese and checks the seller. InterBridge can pay the seller for you in RMB, *at no extra charge* for standard-sized orders. Each payment record shows the exchange rate used, and export shipping is *quoted separately*.
- Q: How can I check the factory price and InterBridge's commission?
  A: **InterBridge shows you the factory's own quotation** and its commission as a *separate line*, together with the agreement and the payment records. You can compare what the factory quoted with what you pay at every step of the order. Messages with the supplier are shared too, so the prices and commitments made for your order are **on record**.
- Q: What does InterBridge's supplier background check cover?
  A: Every InterBridge project includes a **background check of the supplier company** at no extra cost. The check covers the Chinese legal name, registration number, shareholders and paid-in capital, official warning lists, court and enforcement records, customs registration and signs of a factory or trading company. A background check *cannot guarantee* performance, and factory visits and audits are quoted separately.
- Q: How can I tell if a Chinese supplier is a factory or a trading company?
  A: **Start with the company records, then confirm on site.** Signals of a factory include production in its registered activities, enough insured employees for a production line, an industrial address, and patents or certificates in the company's own name. Signals are not proof: a visit to the production site is the strongest check. The InterBridge background check reports these signals *at no extra cost*.
- Q: What happens if a supplier takes my money or does not deliver?
  A: InterBridge acts locally on orders it handles: an agent contacts the supplier in Chinese, visits if needed and uses **your order record**. If InterBridge bought the goods for you, it is the **buyer of record** and can raise the problem directly. A court judgment from outside China needs separate recognition in China. Legal action goes through a qualified Chinese lawyer, quoted separately. InterBridge is *not a law firm* and cannot guarantee a refund or recovery.

## Tell an agent what you want to source

Send the **product, quantity and destination**, plus photos or a link if you have them.

[Download the PDF](https://interbridge-solutions.com/downloads/why-interbridge.pdf)

Page updated October 2026.

All images on this page are AI-generated illustrations; none shows InterBridge staff, clients or projects.

## Talk to an agent

A **team member in Guangzhou** reads every message, and you agree the scope and quote *before any work starts*.

- Chat on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/8615325467680. Send a question, photos or files directly to an agent.
- [+86 153 2546 7680](tel:+8615325467680)
- [Moda232320315@gmail.com](mailto:Moda232320315@gmail.com)
- Contact on WeChat: Voguishgirl
- Send a project brief: https://interbridge-solutions.com/#contact. Put your details, quantities and dates in one message.
- Based in Guangzhou, China. Guangzhou time · UTC+8.

### What happens next

1. You **message an agent**.
2. The agent replies with **questions to define the scope**.
3. You agree the **scope and quote** *before any work starts*.

### Send with your first message

- **Product or project** you need help with
- **Quantity** and **target date**
- **Destination country**
- **Photos, drawings** or links, if you have them