Quick answer
A pre-shipment inspection checklist should cover seven areas: quantity and packing ratio, workmanship checked against an agreed AQL plan, function and safety tests, measurements and weights against your specification, labels and barcodes, packaging with a carton drop test, and shipping marks. Send the inspector a written brief with your approved sample photos, specifications and defect list beforehand, and expect a report with a clear pass/fail result, defect counts and photos.
A pre-shipment inspection is only as good as the checklist behind it. An inspector who arrives without your specifications will check what looks obviously wrong and miss what matters to you: the wrong shade of blue, a barcode that will not scan at your warehouse, or cartons too weak for the trip.
This page gives you a checklist you can adapt for most consumer products, explains how to brief the inspector, and lists what a usable report should contain.
The inspection brief is the document the inspector works from, and gaps in it become gaps in the inspection. Send it to the inspection company at least a few days before the inspection date, and send the supplier the same criteria in advance so there are no surprises.
A complete brief includes:
Tip
Write the checklist into the purchase order
Attach the inspection criteria to your purchase order. If the order says "balance payable after inspection to the attached checklist passes", the supplier has agreed to be measured against it before production starts.
Use the table below as a starting template and delete what does not apply to your product. The sample size for workmanship comes from your AQL plan; the special tests are usually done on a smaller fixed sample.
| Area | What the inspector checks | Typical method |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Units produced and packed vs PO, per SKU; cartons counted; packing ratio (units per carton) | Count all cartons; open a sample to confirm contents |
| Workmanship | Visual defects classified as critical, major or minor | Random sample per ISO 2859-1 and your AQL values |
| Function and safety | Product works as intended; safety features present | Operate units, e.g. power-on, assembly, zippers, locks |
| Measurements and weight | Dimensions, weight, capacity vs specification and tolerance | Measure a fixed sample with calibrated tools |
| Materials and color | Material, finish and color match the approved sample | Side-by-side comparison with the golden sample |
| Labels and barcodes | Correct SKU, barcode, warnings, care labels, country of origin | Scan barcodes; check text against artwork |
| Retail packaging | Correct box, inserts, manuals, accessories; print quality | Compare with approved packaging files |
| Export cartons | Carton strength, dimensions, gross weight, condition | Measure and weigh; carton drop test |
| Shipping marks | Marks match your instructions on every side specified | Check against the shipping mark template |
The inspection normally starts with a count. Pre-shipment inspections are normally scheduled once at least 80% of the goods are finished and packed; if far less is ready, the sample does not represent the shipment and the inspector should report the shortfall. Confirm the packing ratio and that SKUs are not mixed in the wrong cartons, which causes problems at receiving warehouses.
The inspector draws the random sample from different cartons across the lot, not only from the cartons nearest the door. Every defect found is classified and counted, and the counts are compared with the accept and reject numbers for your AQL plan. The result for each defect class is a pass or fail.
Function tests depend on the product, so list them explicitly. Examples: plug in and run electrical items, fill and invert containers to check for leaks, assemble furniture from the included parts, open and close zippers and hinges repeatedly. Measure key dimensions and weights against your tolerance and record actual values, not just "OK".
Some checks cannot be done on the factory floor. Chemical content, flammability and many electrical safety requirements need an accredited laboratory, usually before mass production ships. See product certifications for what your market requires.
Label errors are cheap to fix at the factory and expensive to fix at destination. The inspector should scan barcodes on the product, the retail package and the carton, and confirm each one returns the correct number. GS1, the barcode standards body, requires retail barcodes to reach at least ANSI grade C (ISO/IEC 15416 grade 2), which needs a barcode verifier; a phone scan only confirms the code is readable, not that it meets grade.
Check country-of-origin marking as well. For goods going to the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires imported articles (or in some cases their containers) to be marked legibly, conspicuously and permanently with the English name of the country of origin, unless an exception applies.
Export cartons need to survive handling, stacking and transit. A common factory-level check is a carton drop test: a packed carton is dropped onto a hard floor on a corner, edges and faces, then opened to check the product. Inspection companies often base this on ISTA Procedure 1A, the International Safe Transit Association's basic integrity test for packaged products weighing 150 lb (68 kg) or less, where drop height depends on package weight. A factory drop test is a screening check, not an ISTA-certified laboratory test.
Also check carton dimensions and gross weight against the packing list, since discrepancies cause freight re-billing. For Amazon FBA shipments, check the carton labels against Amazon's current requirements; see shipping to Amazon FBA.
A good report lets you decide whether to release payment without having been at the factory. Ask for the turnaround time when you book, and look for:
A failed result is information, not the end of the order. Your usual options are to have the factory sort and rework the whole lot and then book a re-inspection, accept the goods with a discount for minor issues, or refuse shipment for serious defects. Decide based on the defect type: never accept critical defects. If defects still slip through, see what to do with defective goods from China.
Book it when production is complete and at least 80% of the goods are packed, so the inspector can draw a sample from finished, packed cartons. Schedule it before the balance payment is due and before the container is booked.
Whoever your purchase order says pays. Many buyers write in that the supplier covers the cost of any re-inspection after a failed result, which also gives the factory a reason to fix problems properly.
A factory's own QC report is useful but it is not independent. For the inspection that releases your balance payment, use an inspector who works for you.
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Sourcing & logistics editors, Yiwu
Guides are researched and written by sourcing and logistics editors who work day to day with factories, QC inspectors and freight forwarders in Yiwu, Zhejiang. Every guide cites its sources and is reviewed when rules or prices change.
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