Home / China sourcing agent fees
Guide
China sourcing agent fees, explained with numbers.
What agents charge, how to compare quotes, which costs sit outside the fee, and what we charge. Market figures come from published agent guides, so read them as ranges, not as a promise.
The five ways agents charge.
Almost every agent uses one of these models, or a mix. The figures below come from guides published by agents and inspection companies. They have a commercial interest, so we show ranges and name no numbers as fact.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Percentage commission | 3% to 10% of the order, most often 5% to 10%Smaller orders pay a higher rate. Published guides give about 8% to 10% on a $2,000 order, 4% to 6% on $20,000 and 3% to 4% above $100,000. UK sources quote 8% to 12% under £10,000 and 3% to 6% above £50,000. |
| Flat fee for simple sourcing | $500 to $1,000Common for a one-off search. The scope varies a lot, so ask what the fee includes. |
| Monthly retainer | $1,500 to $5,000 a monthAnother published source gives $500 to $3,000. Retainers suit buyers who place orders every month. |
| Hourly | $30 to $100 an hourUseful for a defined task, hard to budget for a whole project. |
| Daily rate | About $100 a dayFor a factory visit with translation. Travel is extra. |
A worked example from one published agent guide: a $5,000 order at a 7% commission is $350, plus a batch inspection at $60 and consolidation at $50, so $460 in total. That is 9.2% of the goods. It is one agent's illustration, and your numbers will differ.
Where the real cost hides.
The headline rate is often the smaller part of the problem. The costs that surprise buyers sit in three places.
Margin inside the quote. Some agents state a 5% fee and quietly raise the factory's price. Reported cases range from 10% to 15% on quotes, and one client found they were paying 12% over the factory price after two years. The defence is simple: ask for the factory's original quote, with its letterhead and contact details, and compare it with the price you are charged.
Markup on freight. Freight is easy to inflate because buyers rarely see the forwarder's invoice. Ask for the invoice and the breakdown, and compare at least two forwarder quotes.
Payments from both sides. An agent paid by the factory has a reason to defend the factory. Ask directly whether any factory pays them, and make sure the answer is in the contract.
Before you sign, ask for a fee schedule in writing that lists every charge, who the named factory is, and who pays what when something goes wrong.
What we charge.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Supplier search report | €149 (≈ $170)Credited against the first order. Refunded if fewer than three suppliers qualify. |
| Sample coordination | €49 (≈ $55) per supplierSamples and shipping at cost. |
| Order management | 6% (min. €150 (≈ $170))4% on the part above €30,000. |
| Inspection | Cost + €25, or €90 by videoThe third-party invoice is passed on as it is. |
| Compliance check | €59 (≈ $70)Flags only. We do not certify. |
| Freight | At costNo markup. |
On a €5,000 order, the report (€149), order management at 6% less the report credit (€151) and a video inspection (€90) come to €390, or 7.8% of the order, with freight at cost on top. In dollars that is roughly $450 on a $5,750 order. This is an example. Prices are in euros and exclude VAT where it applies. Dollar and pound figures are rounded conversions at about $1.15 and £0.85 per euro, for orientation. We invoice in euros, so the rate on the day will differ.
No factory commission: no factory pays us, and it is written into the contract.
You pay the factory directly, and we never hold the money for your goods. Our liability is capped at the fees you have paid.
Questions.
What is a normal commission for a China sourcing agent?
Published guides put the range at 3% to 10%, and most often 5% to 10%. The rate falls as the order grows. These guides are written by agents and inspection companies, who sell these services, so treat the numbers as ballparks.
Is a flat fee better than a percentage?
A flat fee is easier to predict, and a percentage grows with your order. Either can work. What matters is that the fee is in writing and that the agent takes nothing from the factory.
Do agents mark up freight?
Some do. One published example quotes $3,500 for freight where the forwarder's invoice was $2,200. Ask for the forwarder's invoice and for the breakdown of freight, duty, taxes and fees.
What else should I budget for?
Samples and their shipping, an inspection (a third-party inspector day typically costs $200 to $350), freight, import duty and taxes, and sometimes a warehouse or consolidation fee. Duty depends on the product code and the country you import into, so check it with a customs broker before you order.
What do you charge?
€149 for the supplier report, credited against your first order, then 6% of the order with a €150 minimum. Inspection and freight are at cost.
Keep reading.
Get the fee in writing before you commit.
Start with a €149 supplier report, credited against your first order.