1. Get the supplier’s Chinese legal company name
Start with the exact Chinese legal name—not the English brand, website name or marketplace shop name. English trading names are often informal and may be shared by unrelated businesses.
Ask the sales contact to type the Chinese name and send a readable business license. If the contract or payment will use another company, write down both names and ask how the entities are related.
2. Ask for the business license
The license gives you a set of fields to compare: company name, Unified Social Credit Code (USCC), entity type, registered address, legal representative, registered capital, establishment date and business scope. Check the copy against current official registration information where accessible. A scan alone is not enough; it may be old, incomplete, altered or issued to a related company.
3. Check the USCC
The USCC is an 18-character identifier for legal persons and other organizations. Where a document displays a USCC, it should match the code associated with the intended legal entity.
A match helps confirm identity. It says nothing about solvency, production capability or whether the company will perform the next contract.
4. Confirm registration status
Check that the legal name and USCC resolve to the intended entity, then record the displayed status and establishment information. Registration confirms that the entity appears in the system. It does not confirm factory ownership, staffing, product quality or available capacity.
5. Put the documents side by side
Compare the license, proforma invoice (PI), contract draft, website footer, marketplace profile and email signature. Mark every company name and address.
A translated name or export affiliate can explain a difference. Similar-looking names are not enough. If the PI names one company and the contract names another, establish which party is responsible for the goods before moving on.
6. Compare the payment beneficiary
The simplest arrangement is one legal company on the PI, contract and bank account. A different beneficiary is not automatically improper, but the relationship needs an explanation and supporting documents.
Stop if the supplier requests a personal account, changes the beneficiary shortly before transfer or introduces an unexplained third party. Confirm through a contact channel you already trust—not only the email that sent the new bank details.
This check identifies a commercial inconsistency. It is not a legal judgment about the payment structure.
7. Check the website and marketplace identity
Compare company names, addresses, phone numbers and email domains across the website and marketplace profile. Platform badges and polished pages do not settle the identity question. Record which legal entity the platform identifies and whether it matches the transaction documents.
8. Test the manufacturer claim
Business scope, product focus, factory images, equipment descriptions, certificates and staff roles are indicators—not proof of factory ownership. Generic photos, a very broad catalogue or conflicting addresses call for more questions.
Ask which processes are performed in-house, what is subcontracted, where the facility is and which company operates it. If the answer matters to the order, verify the site rather than relying on the sales presentation.
9. Use samples for the question they can answer
A sample tests whether the seller can provide an item close to your specification; it does not verify the legal entity or predict mass-production quality. Record who shipped it, what specification it was assessed against and whether later production must match an approved reference. Keep that reference, its tolerances and the acceptance method.
10. Know when remote checks have reached their limit
A site visit becomes more useful when addresses conflict, factory control is unclear, equipment claims matter or the deposit is material to your business.
The visit can record signage, location, accessible production areas, visible equipment, products or materials, staff activity and permitted photos or video. Those are observations from a stated place and time—not a guarantee about future production.
11. Red flags before payment
A warning sign is a reason to stop and resolve the point, not automatic proof of wrongdoing. Ask for the explanation in writing and correct the PI or contract where necessary.
- No Chinese legal name or USCC provided
- Contract, PI and beneficiary show unexplained entities
- Personal account or sudden beneficiary change
- Factory claim cannot be tied to a usable address
- Website, marketplace and documents show conflicting identities
- Pressure to pay before material discrepancies are resolved
12. Supplier Pre-Payment Verification Checklist
Use this table to organize comparisons. “Needs clarification” means stop and obtain an explanation or evidence before relying on the item.
| Check | What to compare | Normal / explainable | Needs clarification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese legal name | License, official result, PI and contract | Exact Chinese name or documented translation | Different or missing legal entities |
| Unified Social Credit Code | License and official registration result | Same 18-character identifier | Missing, unreadable or inconsistent code |
| Business license | Supplier copy and current registration information | Fields correspond and document is current | Altered, incomplete or outdated details |
| PI entity | Proforma invoice and contracting party | Same entity or documented relationship | Unexplained third party |
| Contract entity | Contract, quotation and responsible supplier | Responsibility is clear | Different company without explanation |
| Bank beneficiary | Bank instructions, PI and contract | Same company or supported arrangement | Personal, changed or unrelated beneficiary |
| Registered address | License and registration result | Consistent registered address | Conflicting official fields |
| Factory address | Supplier claim, maps and visit evidence | Separate address is explained | No usable address or unclear operator |
| Website identity | Domain, footer and contact details | Legal entity is disclosed consistently | Anonymous or conflicting operator |
| Marketplace identity | Platform company identity and documents | Matches or relationship is documented | Different seller with no explanation |
| Product scope | Business scope and actual offer | Relevant activity is plausible | Claims unsupported by available evidence |
| Manufacturer claim | Facility, equipment and operating entity | Multiple indicators support the claim | Only marketing statements or generic photos |
| Sample consistency | Approved sample and agreed specification | Result and limitations documented | Sample source or specification unclear |
| Requested payment method | Contract terms and payment instructions | Agreed company channel | Personal account, crypto or sudden change |
Before You Send the Deposit
Use this as a pause point. A checked box means you reviewed the item; it does not mean the transaction is risk-free.
- Legal entity identified
- Registration reviewed
- PI entity confirmed
- Beneficiary explained
- Factory claim evaluated
- Samples reviewed if applicable
- Material inconsistencies resolved
- Remaining risks understood and accepted
How this guide was prepared
Published by CN Ops Desk. This guide is based on practical supplier-verification questions, uses lawful public and official information where applicable, separates confirmed information from assumptions, and states important limitations. It is general operational guidance, not legal, financial or quality-control advice.
Official reference sources
These sources support the general registration fields and public-information framework discussed in this guide. They do not verify any supplier named by a reader.
- National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System — usage helpExplains that market-subject credit information can be searched by name or Unified Social Credit Code and describes the sources of published information.
- SAMR — Detailed Rules for the Administration of Registration of Market EntitiesLists registration and business-license fields, including name, type, registered capital, address, business scope, establishment date and Unified Social Credit Code.
- NDRC — Unified Social Credit Code system explanationExplains the 18-character code structure and its role as a unique identifier for an organization.
- SAMR — Interim Regulations on Enterprise Information DisclosureDescribes categories of registration, filing, pledge and administrative-penalty information published through the national system.
- SAMR — Company Law of the People’s Republic of ChinaFor a limited liability company, the current law ties registered capital to the amount subscribed by its shareholders. Capital rules differ for other entity types.