Brand is not legal identity
A website, shop name, email domain, or salesperson signature does not by itself identify the company responsible for the order.
Independent evidence tools for small importers
Know which Chinese company you are actually dealing with.
Whether you found a supplier on a marketplace, through a supplier-owned website, at a trade show, or by email or WhatsApp, confirm which legal company stands behind the offer before money moves.
Free educational tools. Not certification, legal advice, inspection, or a supplier-safety guarantee.
Why review before payment
A supplier’s public story can point to more than one company.
A storefront or website brand is not necessarily a legal company name. The business license, public registration record, PI issuer, contract party, and payment beneficiary may identify different entities. The time to explain those differences is before a deposit, sample fee, tooling payment, bank transfer, or final balance.
Short answer for buyers
Before paying a China supplier, compare the Chinese legal company name, unified social credit code, business license, PI issuer, payment beneficiary, product terms, and inspection terms. This evidence work can reveal gaps and mismatches, but it is not supplier certification or a guarantee that a transaction is safe.
Documents can name different parties
Compare the license, PI, contract, and beneficiary instead of assuming every name belongs to one business.
Direct contact removes platform context
A self-hosted site, trade-show introduction, or WhatsApp conversation may provide no platform transaction protection or identity trail.
Channel neutral
Use the same evidence discipline wherever you found the supplier.
These tools are not limited to Alibaba. They apply to marketplace suppliers, independent websites, exhibitions, referrals, and direct outreach.
- Alibaba
- Made-in-China
- Global Sources
- 1688
- Supplier-owned website
- Trade show or direct contact
Evidence chain
Compare the identity shown at each step.
- 01Supplier-facing identity
Storefront, supplier-owned website, profile, salesperson, or trade-show contact.
- 02Legal identity
Chinese legal name, unified social credit code, and business license.
- 03Public record
Visible registration fields and operating status as of the access date.
- 04Transaction identity
PI issuer, contract party, and payment beneficiary.
Free public resources
Start with the level of help you need.
The complete DIY Toolkit includes the evidence checklist and is free for everyone. Download directly without payment, registration, or email. The manual Company Identity Review service has been discontinued.
Check it yourself
Supplier Risk Toolkit
Follow one guided workflow with worksheets, examples, and supplier questions.
View the ToolkitInside the Free Toolkit
One guided workflow, not a folder of disconnected templates.
- 01Collect evidence
Request identity, license, PI, payment, product, and inspection information.
- 02Check company identity
Read the license and compare visible public registration fields.
- 03Compare the transaction story
Identify unexplained names, entities, and missing evidence.
- 04Decide what to ask next
Use the worksheets and supplier templates before money moves.
Useful before you pay
Read the evidence, not the sales badge.
Practical guides explain common supplier, platform, bank-account, and company-identity questions without treating any single signal as proof.
Verify a China Supplier Found Through Its Own Website
How to identify the legal company behind a supplier-owned website before you pay.
China Supplier Evidence Checklist Before Payment
The evidence to collect before you pay a China supplier.
China Supplier Red Flags Before Deposit
Specific warning signs to slow down before a deposit, mold fee, sample fee, or balance payment.
Pre-Shipment Inspection vs Pre-Payment Risk Review
Use the right check at the right time: before money moves or after goods exist.
Verify Alibaba Supplier Before Payment
What to check before you send a deposit, sample fee, or bank transfer to an Alibaba supplier.
Alibaba Supplier Bank Account Mismatch
How to handle a different payment beneficiary, Hong Kong account, personal account, or off-platform request.
Clear boundaries
Useful evidence work requires precise claims.
We show what was reviewed, what was visible, what differed, and what remains unknown. We do not turn registration data into a promise about a transaction.
- Not a sourcing agent.
- Not an inspection company.
- Not an official certification.
- Not a law firm.
- No supplier safety guarantee.
Build your supplier evidence file before you pay.
Download the complete free DIY Toolkit when you want reusable scorecards, supplier question scripts, and company-identity worksheets.