How to Pay for 1688 Products Through ZQ Without a Chinese Bank Card
How to Pay for 1688 Products Through ZQ Without a Chinese Bank Card
Short answer: Submit the 1688 product through ZQ and pay ZQ for the confirmed order. ZQ then places and pays for the supplier purchase through its authorized 1688 API workflow. The customer does not need a Chinese bank card, a personal 1688 account or an Alipay account for this process.
ZQ purchasing workflow and account rates reviewed September 23, 2026.
What is the payment sequence?
- Import or submit the original 1688 listing.
- Choose the exact SKU and quantity and confirm the supplier's active price tier.
- Review the supplier product amount, China domestic freight and ZQ purchasing commission.
- Fund and submit the order through the ZQ account.
- ZQ places the purchase through the official 1688 API and pays the supplier.
- The supplier sends the goods to ZQ's Shenzhen warehouse for receiving and any selected QC or fulfillment work.
The customer pays ZQ once for the confirmed purchasing flow. The customer should not pay the 1688 supplier again unless a separate direct-purchase arrangement was intentionally made outside this workflow.
What does ZQ charge for purchasing?
| ZQ account level | 1688 purchasing commission |
|---|---|
| Basic | 7% of the purchase amount |
| Advanced | 3% of the purchase amount |
| Enterprise | 0% purchasing commission |
The purchasing commission is not the complete landed cost. On 1688, the supplier's product amount and its domestic delivery charge to the Shenzhen warehouse are normally separate. QC, packaging, fulfillment, international shipping, duties and destination costs are also separate when applicable.
The 1688 agent fee guide shows the commission on five linked product examples and explains ZQ's separate flat fulfillment fee.
Why can the final purchase total differ from the displayed listing price?
A 1688 listing may show a price for another variant or quantity tier. The actual order total uses the selected SKU, purchased quantity and the supplier's current terms. Domestic China freight can then be added separately. ZQ's applicable account-level purchasing commission is another identified cost layer.
Before funding the order, compare:
- The original 1688 product link.
- The exact variant and quantity.
- The supplier product amount at that quantity.
- China domestic freight to ZQ.
- The ZQ purchasing commission for the account level.
- Any selected inspection or packaging work.
Do not treat the difference between a listing's headline price and the confirmed transaction amount as an unexplained markup until those fields have been compared.
What if the customer already paid the supplier?
Do not ask ZQ to pay the supplier a second time. For goods purchased directly for Bulk Ship, open My Products & Pack → My Product → Bulk Ship Inventory → Buy for Bulk Ship, then select I Already Paid. Register the supplier shipment and expected items so the Shenzhen warehouse can identify the packages when they arrive.
The alternative ZQ Pays Supplier is for a purchase that ZQ should create and pay. The sample-to-Bulk-Ship workflow explains both system choices.
Who handles a refund or supplier return?
For a 1688 purchase placed through ZQ, ZQ communicates with the supplier and submits the available evidence. The remedy still follows the listing, applicable 1688 rules, supplier decision, product condition and timing. A supplier may accept a return while requiring the buyer to pay China domestic return freight; ZQ then charges the corresponding amount to the customer's account.
This purchasing-stage process is separate from ZQ's 30-day after-sales process for an internationally fulfilled order. Read the 1688 returns guide before approving repacking or international dispatch.
Do customers need to register with 1688 first?
No. The ZQ API purchasing process does not require the customer to create a personal 1688 or Alipay account. See how overseas buyers use ZQ without their own 1688 account for the complete order flow.