The Complete Guide to Shopping at 1688.com

The Complete Guide to Shopping at 1688.com

Five steps to register a 1688.com account

Step 1. Go to the registration page

Open the 1688 homepage, click Free Registration to enter the registration page.

Or just follow this link:

https://member.1688.com/member/join/enterprise_join.htm

Then the User Registration Agreement will pop up.

The blue label 1 in the image below means: Click the orange button at the bottom of this window to agree to the agreement.

Step 2. Fill in your account information

Next, you need to fill in your account information. Here I marked all the places that need to be explained with blue labels (label 2-label 10).

Below I will explain the content of each tab.

Label 2:

Enterprise account registration: Users with business licenses (including individual industrial and commercial households) can register.

The requirements are as follows: complete enterprise real-name authentication, open a store as a seller, and purchase as a buyer.

Label 3:

Personal account registration: Individual users without business licenses can only register personal accounts.

The requirements are as follows: complete personal real-name authentication and purchase as a buyer.

These two tabs allow you to choose between corporate or personal accounts. If you just want to shop as a foreigner, you need to select tab 3, personal account registration (easier to use).

Label 4:

Member Name: Enter your login name here.

It should be noted that the name length is 5-25 characters, the login name can only be set once, and cannot be changed after the setting is successful.

Label 5:

Login Password: Here you need to set the login password.

Requirements: 6-20 characters, the password cannot be the same as the username; can only contain letters, numbers and punctuation; at least two types of letters, numbers and punctuation are required.

Label 6:

Password Confirmation: Enter the password from the previous step again.

Label 7:

Mobile Number: Here you need to select your country and enter your mobile number.

Because it will send you an SMS confirmation code in the next step, you need to make sure your phone can receive the verification SMS from China.

Label 8:

Captcha: This is to make sure you are not a robot, just drag the confirmation box from left to right.

Label 9:

By checking this box, you agree to and abide by the Alibaba Terms of Service and Privacy Statement.

Label 10:

Agree and register: Click this button to agree to register a 1688 account and continue to the next step.

Step 3. Enter SMS verification code

After filling in the account information in the previous step, a verification code will be sent to the phone number you filled in, as shown in the following figure:

You need to enter the verification code received by mobile phone SMS into the verification code box (label 11),

and click the Submit button (tab 12).

After submitting, your 1688 account has been successfully registered.

Step 4. Complete your account profile

On the next page, 1688.com will ask you to fill in your account information.

You don't need to fill in all the options, just fill in the areas marked in red.

Label 13:

Your name: Enter your real name here and select your gender.

Label 14:

Membership status: "enterprise unit", "public institution or social group", "self-employed", "individual" (Note: if you do not have a business license, please select "individual")

Foreigners are better off choosing the last one, "individual".

Label 15:

Company Name: Please fill in your company name.

Label 16:

Main direction: "I want to sell", "I want to buy", "Both"

Here you need to choose what you need to do when using your 1688.com account.

I recommend that you select the second "I want to buy".

Label 17:

Main Identity Type: Here you need to select your business model, click on it, the following options will appear:

"Physical store owner" "Wechat business" "Internet business"

It is recommended that you select the last option "Network Business".

Label 18:

Check this box so suppliers can find you.

Label 19:

Click the orange button "Save" to complete your account registration.

Step 5. Update or add your account information

For your account security, you can also add or update your 1688 account information from the user center.

Label 20:

Mobile Number (Modify): Click this button, you can change your bound mobile number.

Label 21:

Login Email (Binding): You can add your email here.

Label 22:

Personal real-name authentication: This is for real-name authentication and is useless for foreign users.

Label 23:

Login Password (Modify): Click to change the login password.

Label 24:

Security Question Management: This is used to add and manage security questions, you can further protect your account from unauthorized use by adding answers to security questions.

Finally, if you followed and completed the steps above, congratulations, you now have a fully functional 1688 account.

How to buy products from 1688.com

Since many of the suppliers on 1688 are factories or wholesalers, the prices of products on 1688 are very transparent, and the product prices will vary depending on how much you buy.

The more you buy, the cheaper it is.

After you complete the account registration of 1688.com, you can fully use 1688 to purchase products.

1. Search products on 1688.com

Now, let's take buying women's sweaters as an example, and introduce how to search for products combined with the actual screenshots of 1688.

(1) Search by keyword

For some products, it is difficult for you to find relevant product images, so you need to prepare several product characteristic keywords to search for products.

Example: Open the homepage of 1688.com, enter "women's sweater" （女士毛衣）in the search box, and then click the search button（搜索）.

After jumping the page, you will see many similar products:

If you can't find the product you're looking for, change your keywords and search again.

(2) Search by picture

First, prepare the product images you need to search for and save them on your computer.

Then, click "Camera Marker" in the search window on the homepage of 1688.com.

Open your saved product image.

Next, 1688.com will automatically search for pictures and display the results, as shown below:

There will be many products with the same photo or similar photos in the image search results, so you need to click a good product from these products to enter the product page.

(3) Use AliPrice to search the same plug-in by image

First, open the extension installation page:

https://www.aliprice.com/information/alibabaCnInformation.html?extension=1688

Then, click on your preferred browser to install the plug-in.

After installing the plugin, move your cursor over the photo you want to search for.

The "magnifying glass marker" below will appear in the upper left corner of the photo, click on it.

Alternatively, right-click the photo you want to search.

Then a pop-up window will pop up, and you can also click "Search by image on 1688.com".

In this way, you can easily and efficiently get many of the same products for you to choose from.

And it's not limited to 1688.com,

AliPrice.com's image search function also supports 1688, 1688 cross-border, Taobao, Pinduoduo, Yiwugo, AliExpress, Alibaba, Shopee, eBay, JD.com and other shopping platforms.

2. Basic view of product page

If you find a product that interests you, click to enter the product page.

You can view product information on the product page.

Next, I'll explain what the label says on the product detail page.

Label 1:

Product Photos: You can view product photos. In addition to this, you can also view more and more detailed product photos by scrolling the product page vertically.

Label 2:

If there are transactions and cumulative reviews within 30 days, they will be displayed here.

In this product, it can be seen that the number of transactions in 30 days is more than 1,000, and the cumulative number of comments is more than 100.

Label 3:

Price and starting quantities: 1688's product price will vary based on how much you buy; the more you buy, the cheaper it is.

As shown in the example image:

2-19 pieces = 35 RMB/piece;

20-29 pieces = 33 RMB/piece;

More than 30 pieces = 31 RMB/piece.

Label 4:

China Domestic Shipping: In addition to the purchase price of the item, this is the China domestic shipping from the 1688 store to the place of delivery (China).

Label 5:

Estimated Shipping Date: The store guarantees that the product will be shipped within 3 days of confirming payment.

Label 6:

Color Choices: You can view the types of colors this product is sold in our store.

Label 7:

Size selection: You can check the size types of products sold in this store.

Label 8:

Stock Quantity: You can check the stock quantity of each color and size of products sold in our store.

3. Add to stock list or order now

After you choose the style, quantity and price of the product, you can add it to the stock list or order it immediately.

Choosing to order now requires you to pay immediately and wait for the product to arrive.(立即订购)

If you want to continue shopping and pay with other orders, just select Add to Receipt.（加进货单）

After adding the purchase order, you can click "Purchase Order" （进货单）on the homepage of 1688 to view the product information you ordered.

Order and pay at 1688.com

After you have successfully registered your 1688.com account and purchased your favorite products, you must consider how to place an order and pay.

1. How to place an order on 1688.com

After you have purchased the product, as shown in the figure below, if you click "Order Now"（立即订购）, the webpage will immediately go to the payment page.

If you want to continue shopping, then you can click "Add to Receipt"（加进货单） and pay with other orders.

Then click "Purchase Order"（进货单） on the homepage of 1688, jump to the page and click "Settlement" （结算）to enter the payment page.

So how should I pay after placing an order on 1688.com?

2. Five ways to pay at 1688.com

(1) Direct payment using Alipay

Paying via Alipay is the cheapest and most convenient way if you have an Alipay account available.

But only if you have a Chinese bank account.

As shown in the figure below, this is the payment page for the overseas version of 1688.com's order.

According to the page, foreigners can only pay with Alipay account balance or mainland China bank card.

Label 1:

First, switch the Alipay payment page to the "Overseas Version".

Label 2:

Indicates the balance of the Alipay account, and the money in it can be paid directly.

Label 3:

Indicates that the Alipay account has been bound to the mainland China bank card, you can also directly deduct the bank card money to pay.

It should be noted that: to enable the balance function of Alipay, you must use a Chinese mainland bank card to verify your Alipay account.

Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a bank card in mainland China.

But you have to come to China to open a bank account in person, not through the internet or at your local Bank of China branch.

(2) Bank transfer

Bank transfer is a large-amount fund collection service provided by 1688.com in cooperation with MYbank. At the same time, buyers can pay directly through bank remittance (especially suitable for Alipay limit and unregistered Alipay buyers).

After entering the payment page, click "Bank Transfer"（银行转账）, and then click "Submit Order" （提交订单）to enter the next page.

On this page, you can see that there are two methods: "Bank Transfer"（银行转账） and "Corporate Transfer"（对公转账）.

At 1688.com, almost all suppliers support bank transfers, but only accept RMB.

Companies such as Transferwise or Paysend allow you to transfer RMB directly to the supplier's private bank account.

Label 4:

Bank transfer: After the supplier opens the bank transfer, the transaction order payment paid by bank transfer in the later period will be settled to the personal Alipay bound in the background of the account.

Label 5:

Corporate transfer: The transaction order payment for corporate transfer payment will be settled to the corporate Alipay account or corporate bank account selected by the customer when opening the account.

Next, you need to open the Mobile Banking App / PC Internet Banking, or go to the bank counter;

Use your bank card to transfer funds to the following accounts;

The system will automatically recognize the incoming account and automatically write off the order.

(3) Use Alipay's "Find someone to pay" function

After entering the Alipay payment page, you can also select "Find someone to pay on your behalf"（找人代付）.

It lets you ask your friends who have Alipay accounts to pay for you.

After clicking "Find someone to pay on your behalf"（找人代付）, you will see the following page.

Fill in "Friend Account" Alipay account or Taobao account (tab 6)

Then fill in the "check code" (label 7) and click the orange box button "ask him to pay"（请他付款）.

It should be noted that only a single order can use Alipay's "Find someone to pay" function, and there is no "Find someone to pay" button for combined orders.

In addition, "Find someone to pay" can make up to 10 transactions a day. If you have more than 10 orders today, then the order after the 10th can only be "paid by someone" the next day.

(4) AliPrice.com payment

If you don't have an Alipay account and don't have a friend with an Alipay account to help you pay.

I recommend you to use AliPrice.com's payment function.

This is the link of AliPrice.com's payment function: https://agent.aliprice.com/pay-for-me

First, check the order amount on 1688.com and submit the order.

Then, on the Alipay payment page, select "Find someone to pay on your behalf" （找人代付）to obtain the payment link, and submit the payment application.

Here "friend's account" （好友的账户）should be filled in: agent@aliprice.com

After jumping the page, please copy the "Payment Link".

Next, open the link: https://agent.aliprice.com/pay-for-me

Enter the amount and payment link, and submit the order

Next, wait for AliPrice to pay you.

Finally, the payment is done.

Because 1688, Taobao and other Chinese shopping websites can only use Chinese bank cards and RMB for payment.

Therefore, AliPrice specializes in providing simple payment services for users who do not have Chinese bank cards and RMB.

(5) 1688 Cross Border Treasure

1688 Cross-border Payment (跨境宝) is a payment solution provided by 1688 and Alipay for companies registered in certain overseas countries and regions.

The solution allows foreign companies to pay suppliers directly on 1688 through their own Alipay and 1688 accounts.

Click on the following link to start the application for cross-border treasure (it is recommended to use the PC terminal to open it)

https://global.alipay.com/merchant/console?language=zh_CN

Because this is an official solution provided by 1688 and Alipay, your account security is completely guaranteed.

You no longer have to worry about your 1688 or Alipay account being frozen or restricted.

Another advantage is that the fees they charge are very low, far lower than the cost of purchasing through 1688 agents, and their exchange rate is determined based on the spot exchange selling price of the cooperative bank of International Alipay on the day, and the exchange rate is maintained at one price per day.

Logistics within China for shopping at 1688.com

1688.com is different from Taobao. Now, when shopping on Taobao, most of the products are sent to non-remote areas in China with free shipping.

But now shopping on 1688.com, the vast majority of products have to pay the corresponding postage.

In the following content, I will introduce to you how to check China's shipping costs and track logistics within China.

1. Check the shipping cost and origin in China

After opening the details page of your favorite product,

Label 1: "Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province" （广东省 广州市）is the place of delivery of this product;

Label 2: "Express ¥7" （快递 ¥7）means that the shipping fee within China is 7 RMB.

It should be noted that "Express ¥7" （快递 ¥7）only defaults to 7 RMB for shipping to most places.

However, shipping costs will vary from place to place.

For example: I first click "Please select" (tab 3), and then select "Hunan Changsha"(湖南 长沙), then the shipping fee is displayed as 11 RMB.

This means that the product is shipped from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and it takes 11 RMB for shipping to reach the delivery location in Changsha, Hunan.

Therefore, the actual shipping fee still needs to be confirmed by you to confirm the delivery location.

2. How to view order logistics information

Open the homepage of 1688.com, point the cursor to the button "My Ali" （我的阿里）indicated by the arrow, and then click "Bought goods"（已买到货品）.

Then, you will be taken to the following page.

Find the order for which you need to query the product, and click "View Logistics"（查看物流） pointed to by the blue arrow to enter the product logistics page.

Next, I will explain the important information of the following pages (tab 4 - tab 8)

Label 4:

Logistics number: You can check the logistics and transportation status of the baby in the corresponding logistics company through the logistics number; on the homepage of the logistics company, you can check and see when the baby was sent out, where to stop and other delivery status.

Label 5:

Logistics Company: Shown here is the logistics company responsible for shipping this product.

Label 6:

Waybill number: The waybill number contains the detailed information of your shipment, usually composed of numbers and letters, and is the unique identification code of your express package. The express tracking number is convenient for express companies, senders and recipients to track express information in real time.

Label 7:

Delivery time: This is the delivery time of the merchant after you purchase the product; and the logistics order number can only be queried after the seller has shipped it.

Label 8:

This is the specific logistics information of the product you ordered. You can see the location of the product you purchased at the moment, as well as the specific time of arrival at each place, so that you can grasp the logistics situation of the purchased product in real time.

3. Contact merchant customer service to negotiate

When you shop at 1688.com, if you have any questions, you can contact the customer service of the store to help you solve it.

Click on "Negotiate Consultation" （洽谈咨询）in the blue box in the picture below.

But you have to download special chat software in advance: Ali Wangwang.

Ali Wangwang is the official chat tool of Taobao and 1688.com, here is the download link:

https://alimarket.taobao.com/markets/qnww/portal-group/ww/download

However, if you are shopping on the 1688 mobile terminal, you do not need to download Aliwangwang, you can just consult directly.

Below I will introduce you to 3 ways to contact customer service to solve common problems in domestic logistics in China.

(1) Delivery time

Because most of the merchants on 1688 are manufacturers or suppliers of various goods, when you place an order for two or three items, he will almost always deliver on time.

But when you place an order for dozens of items or more at once, the delivery time may not be as punctual as the "schedule delivery within 3 days" written on the product page.

So when your order has not been shipped for a few days, I suggest you contact the customer service of the merchant directly, ask him the reason why the order has not been shipped, and ask him to arrange the shipment as soon as possible.

Or before placing an order for your product, you can contact customer service to ask him whether the quantity of the product you need is sufficient; and ask him to ship it as soon as possible after placing the order.

(2) Designated logistics company

Because the product details page does not show which courier company is used for transportation of the purchased product, you can also contact the customer service of the store before placing the order to ask which logistics company is used for this purchase;

Of course, you can also contact the customer service of the store to designate a logistics company, but because some merchants have long-term cooperative logistics companies, they may not agree or require you to increase the shipping cost.

(3) Adjust the freight

In fact, the shipping fee (label 2) written on the product detail page is not non-negotiable.

When you buy multiple items in one store or multiple orders for different items, you can also contact customer service and ask him to help you reduce or even free shipping.

International logistics for shopping at 1688.com

Whether purchasing from Taobao, 1688 or offline trading companies, you need to choose the appropriate shipping method to deliver your goods to your delivery address smoothly.

Therefore, for all those importing goods from China, international logistics is a very important part of the entire import process.

Different modes of transportation vary greatly in terms of price, timeliness and the weight they can carry. So you must understand the characteristics of different shipping methods to make the best choice.

In the following article, I will introduce the 5 most common modes of transportation in international logistics today, hoping to help you choose the most correct mode of transportation for your business.

The 5 Most Common Shipping Methods for Importing from China

1.Postal parcel

If you have ever bought something on AliExpress or Shopify store, then you will see that many sellers use epacket or China Post to send you small packages by air, these shipping methods are called all-post small packages.

The advantage of postal parcels is that they have a wide coverage, covering more than 230 countries and regions around the world, which means that postal parcels can be sent to almost any corner of the world.

If you are a foreign importer selling directly from China, or you want to ship directly from China to your end customer, then postal parcels are the ideal shipping solution.

2. Air express

As we all know, air express is the fastest and safest international shipping method. At the same time, the price is also the highest.

The most common international air express carriers are UPS, DHL, FedEx, TNT, Aramex, etc.

It should be noted that the cost of air freight is very high, usually taking up 30%-50% of your total import cost.

Therefore, it is recommended that you must calculate the cost of air freight into the cost of your product before you decide to use air express.

3. Special transportation line

In China, some large freight forwarding companies have a very large customer base. When they find that their customers are concentrated in a certain country or region, they will use charter flights to transport the goods overseas and use local cooperative companies to distribute them to the final destination.

For example, many freight forwarding companies have opened Amazon FBA routes in the United States.

They first collect the goods from the customers, then they concentrate the goods in one place, such as a warehouse in Guangzhou or Shenzhen, and then they charter a plane to ship the goods directly from Guangzhou to the United States.

After customs clearance in the US, their partner (usually FedEx or UPS) will ship the goods directly to the Amazon warehouse.

The advantage of a dedicated line is the balance of cost and time. It is usually a lot cheaper than air freight, but can also deliver the goods in one to two weeks, which is also much faster than sea freight.

4. Railway

Here I take the China-Europe Railway as an example:

The China-Europe Railway is a freight railway line running between China and European countries with fixed trains, routes and round-trips.

Rail is an alternative between air and sea freight.

From China to Europe, it is generally 35-50 days by sea, and 15 days by rail.

In terms of price, rail is cheaper than air, usually 1/5 of the price.

5. Ocean transportation

Ocean freight is the traditional way of transporting goods from China to ports around the world, including both FCL and LCL.

(1) What is FCL and LCL?

FCL: FCL pick up, FCL delivery.

If you have a lot of cargo, you can choose FCL, the freight forwarder will collect your cargo into one or several containers. You are the only recipient of this container.

LCL: LCL pick-up, unpacked delivery.

When your cargo is not enough to fill a container, you can choose LCL. The forwarder will put your cargo in the same container as someone else's cargo.

(2) How to choose FCL or LCL?

Choose FCL or LCL, it depends on the quantity of your goods. The minimum container size is 20 feet:

When your cargo volume is less than 20 cubic meters, it is recommended to use LCL;

When your cargo volume is greater than 20 cubic meters, you can choose to use a complete container.

Comparison of 5 Shipping Methods

If you still don't know how to choose the right international shipping method,

Please see the detailed comparison chart of the 5 shipping methods below, which can help you understand and choose according to your business needs.

In terms of delivery time, air express is obviously the fastest, but at the same time the average cost per carton and per product is relatively the most expensive.

Delivery time in most countries is 3-7 days,

Generally, we can use air freight in the following two cases:

1. New products are on the market, and a small number of products are urgently needed for trial sales.

2. The inventory of goods in peak season is insufficient, and replenishment is urgently needed.

The price of the special line will be relatively cheap, and the arrival time will not be very long, about 10-15 days.

Therefore, if you are delivered to the Amazon FBA warehouse, and you can earn a certain product profit, you can choose dedicated air freight.

After your sales are stable and you can control your inventory well, you can choose to use sea freight to replenish your inventory, so that you can sell your products smoothly and save a lot of transportation costs.

4 factors to consider when choosing a shipping method

Because each merchant needs to sell different products and has different requirements for international shipping, there is no fixed plan as a template.

Here I have compiled the 4 main factors that affect the choice of shipping method, you can weigh the most suitable shipping method according to these 4 factors.

1. Products

The first element of choosing the right shipping method is your product.

If you are doing dropshipping and selling some cheap little things, you can choose postal parcels. However, note that the maximum weight of each parcel should not exceed 2kg.

If you are an Amazon seller or a Shopify seller who sells products with higher prices, then you can choose to ship your goods by air or dedicated line.

If you are a traditional trader and have large quantities of goods to be shipped at one time, then sea freight is the most cost-effective option. As for whether to choose FCL or LCL, it depends on the quantity of your goods.

2. Freight

International shipping is undoubtedly the most concerned issue for all importers, and it will directly affect your sales profits.

But if you choose the cheapest shipping method, then you will face problems such as low timeliness, poor security and poor stability.

This directly increases your risk of not delivering on time or even losing your shipment.

3. Delivery time

Delivery time is undoubtedly the biggest factor affecting your merchandise turnover.

If the shipping costs are not much different, I would recommend you to choose a shipping method that is more expensive but also faster.

This will help your business run smoothly and reduce unnecessary risks.

Here's another tip: you can try out different shipping methods during the off-season, so you can be very realistic about which shipping method works best for you.

That way, during peak season, you can identify this shipping method and help you sell better.

4. Delivery Mode

The shipping method is different, the delivery method will also be different.

Some shipping methods or shipping companies do not support delivery to remote areas or some commercial addresses, and some do not support door-to-door service.

So when you choose the shipping method, you must also know whether it meets the delivery method you need.

At last

This article ends here, but it feels like there are still many topics that have not been explained clearly.

If you have any questions about this article or anything else you need to know about 1688.com, please leave a message in the comment area below.