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1688, Alibaba & Taobao
Chinese B2B platforms look similar but serve different buyers. Learn when to use 1688, Alibaba.com or Taobao, and how to verify the seller behind a listing.
- 01Alibaba Trade Assurance: What It Covers and How to ClaimTrade Assurance is Alibaba.com's free buyer-protection program for orders placed and paid online through Alibaba.com. If the supplier does not ship, the goods go missing, or they arrive damaged, defective or different from the order, you can request a refund, generally within 30 days of delivery (60 days for Enterprise buyers). It does not cover payments made outside Alibaba.com, and it only judges quality against what the order actually specifies.5 min read
- 02How to Verify an Alibaba Supplier Before You PayTo verify an Alibaba.com supplier, treat badges as a starting point: Gold Supplier is a paid membership, while Verified Supplier adds an on-site assessment by an inspection firm such as SGS or TÜV Rheinland. Then match the business license and unified social credit code against China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, check the business scope and whether the company is a factory or trader, run a live video call or audit, and pay only through Alibaba.com.5 min read
- 031688 vs Alibaba vs Taobao: Which Platform Should You Buy From?Alibaba.com is Alibaba Group's export B2B marketplace: English, international payment, Trade Assurance and suppliers who ship abroad, so it suits most importers and custom orders. 1688.com is the domestic Chinese wholesale market with lower prices but Chinese-only trading and domestic delivery, so it suits buyers with an agent or forwarder in China. Taobao is a consumer retail site, useful for single samples and tiny quantities, not for wholesale.5 min read
- 04How to Buy from 1688.com Outside China: A Step-by-Step GuideTo buy from 1688.com outside China, you either open your own 1688 account (verified through Alipay) and pay with a cross-border option such as 1688's Alipay-based Cross-Border Pay, or you use a purchasing agent who pays in RMB for you. Most 1688 sellers only ship inside mainland China, so you send orders to a China warehouse or freight forwarder that inspects, consolidates and exports them to you.6 min read
Key terms
- 1688
- Alibaba Group's domestic Chinese wholesale marketplace, where factories and wholesalers sell to Chinese businesses in RMB, mostly with delivery inside mainland China.
- Trade Assurance
- Alibaba.com's free buyer-protection program that supports refunds when an order paid through Alibaba.com is not shipped, goes missing, or arrives defective or different from the agreed terms.
- Verified Supplier
- A paid Alibaba.com membership tier whose holders have had their company, production capability and processes assessed by third-party inspection firms such as SGS or TÜV Rheinland.