Pricing and commission
Three things with different cost structures, invoiced separately: our work, the services you buy and the freight. Freight is billed at cost and we earn nothing on it.
Short answer
What does it cost to hire a China sourcing agent?
A China sourcing agent typically charges between 3% and 10% of the value of the goods. MeliPrep applies a 5% to 8% commission, tiered by monthly volume: 8% up to USD 5,000, 7% from USD 5,000 to 25,000, 6% from USD 25,000 to 100,000 and 5% above USD 100,000. Below USD 2,000 of goods the fee is a flat USD 150 per order. Inspection, factory verification and prep center services are invoiced separately at published prices, and international freight is billed at cost, with no markup added.
Sourcing commission
On the value of the goods, never on the total transaction
| Monthly volume | Commission | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Under USD 2,000 | Flat 150 USD | Flat USD 150 per order. A percentage commission does not cover the real cost of the work below this threshold. |
| USD 2,000 – 5,000 | 8% | Entry band. Includes sourcing, verification, negotiation, purchase, receiving and visual inspection. |
| USD 5,000 – 25,000 | 7% | Typical band for an established client with a recurring catalogue. |
| USD 25,000 – 100,000 | 6% | Requires recurring volume and a stable catalogue. Reviewed quarterly against actual volume. |
| Over USD 100,000 | 5% | Negotiated by contract and reviewed quarterly. Includes extended payment terms. |
Any reduction is applied to the volume actually invoiced over recent months, not to a forecast.
Worked example: USD 10,000 of phone accessories
A USD 10,000 order, 4 m³, consolidated sea freight to Mexico City, inside the 7% band.
| Item | USD |
|---|---|
| Factory invoice Handed over unmodified | 10.000,00 |
| Commission (7%) | 700,00 |
| Pre-shipment AQL inspection | 299,00 |
| Consolidation and handling Included in the commission | 0,00 |
| Sea freight (4 m³) Carrier rate, no markup | a coste |
| Our total service fee ≈ 10.0% of goods value | 999,00 |
Freight is billed at cost
Freight is billed at cost, with no markup. You get the carrier's rate and can ask for their original quote. We earn nothing from your freight being more expensive — which is why we do not inflate it.
Services with published prices
They can be bought on their own, even if you manage the order yourself or buy it through another agent. The work does not scale with the order value, so it is charged per unit of work rather than as a percentage.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Documentary supplier verification Business licence, scope of activity, ownership, entity type and certification review. Written report. | USD 349 per supplier |
| On-site factory audit Documented visit with dated photography: premises, equipment, capacity, internal QC and warehouse. Outside Guangdong the actual travel cost is added. | USD 549 per factory, within Guangdong |
| Pre-shipment AQL inspection Sampling to ISO 2859-1 (general level II, AQL 2.5 major / 4.0 minor), photo report and an explicit verdict on the lot. | USD 299 per inspector-day |
| During-production inspection Catches the problem while it can still be fixed on the line, before the rest of the lot is made. Recommended for large or complex runs. | USD 349 per inspector-day |
| Container loading supervision We confirm what should be loaded is loaded, in the agreed condition, with photographs of sealing. | USD 199 per container |
| Third-party cargo consolidation For clients with their own suppliers. Includes receiving, checking against the packing list, 30 days of storage and consolidation. Additional storage at USD 0.60 per m³ per week. | USD 1.80 per m³ handled |
| SKU labelling Per-unit label for MercadoLibre Full, Amazon FBA or own-channel sale, with scan verification. Repacking and kitting quoted by handling required. | USD 0.12 per unit |
| Sample handling Receiving the sample, verifying real measurements and weight, photography and video, and forwarding to your address. Sample and courier costs are billed at cost. | USD 15 per sample |
| Factory label removal We remove the manufacturer's labels, seals and branding so the product leaves with yours and not theirs. Essential if you sell under your own brand and the supplier does not produce exclusively for you: without it, your customer receives the same product carrying another company's label. | USD 0.15 per unit |
| Product photography White-background product photography taken at our warehouse on the actual goods you will receive. It saves shipping samples to a photographer in destination, and it avoids using the manufacturer's images — the same ones your competitors are using. | USD 1.20 per image |
| Manual and insert printing User manual, warranty card, promotional insert or branded booklet, printed and placed inside the packaging before shipment. Doing it in China costs a fraction of printing in destination, and it removes a repacking step on arrival. | Quoted by run and format |
| Set and bundle assembly We group several references into a single sellable pack with its own SKU and label. Quoted separately when the set has more than four components or needs special packaging. Assembling at origin avoids the most expensive per-unit operation there is: assembling in destination. | USD 0.15 per unit |
| Certification coordination NOM, Inmetro, ANATEL, FCC, CE, UN38.3 and others. We coordinate the lab and the paperwork; lab and authority fees are billed at cost. | Quoted by standard and category |
What the commission includes
- Supplier sourcing and filtering out resellers
- Business licence and manufacturing-scope verification
- Price, MOQ and lead-time negotiation in Mandarin
- Placing and paying the order into the supplier company's account
- Receiving and checking at our Shenzhen warehouse
- Basic visual inspection with a photo report
- Storage for the first 30 calendar days
- Coordinating the departure and the shipping documents
What is billed separately
We would rather say so up front than invoice it later.
-
Samples and their shipping
The factory charges for the sample and the courier charges the freight. Billed at cost.
-
Formal AQL inspection
Basic visual inspection is included. A formal sample inspection with a report and inspector travel is billed separately.
-
Destination certification
NOM in Mexico, Inmetro or ANATEL in Brazil. Obtained before shipment and paid by the product owner.
-
Storage beyond 30 days
Billed per cubic metre per week from day 31.
-
Destination customs broker fees
Included in the rate on DDP. If you ship FOB or CIF with your own clearance, the importer pays them.
-
Duties that depend on your tax position
Any obligation that depends on your status as importer and is not part of the standard import charge.
How it compares with the other two models
| MeliPrep (declared commission) | Trading company | Buying direct | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay for the management | 5%–8% visible on the invoice, by band | A hidden margin inside the unit price, typically 10%–30% | Your time, plus the risk of an error |
| Factory price | You see the original factory invoice | You do not see the purchase price | You see the listed price |
| Freight cost | At cost, with the carrier's rate available to you | Usually marked up by 20%–30% | You negotiate it yourself, with no market reference |
| Quality inspection | USD 299 per inspector-day, with a report | Variable; many do not inspect at all | On you: hiring and coordinating in Chinese |
| Cost if the order does not go ahead | Zero | Zero, but you already paid a margin on earlier orders | Zero |
Frequently asked questions about pricing and commission
How much commission does MeliPrep charge?
Between 5% and 8% of the purchase value of the goods, depending on monthly volume. The entry band, up to USD 5,000 a month, is 8%; from USD 5,000 it drops to 7%, and it keeps falling by band down to 5% above USD 100,000 a month. Below USD 2,000 of goods we apply a flat fee of USD 150 per order, because a percentage commission does not cover the real cost of the work at that volume.
Is the commission charged on the product or on the total?
On the value of the goods, meaning the amount on the factory invoice. International freight, insurance and inspection or prep center services are invoiced separately and carry no commission. We think that is the cleanest arrangement: we do not earn more because your freight or your inspection is more expensive.
Is there a markup on freight?
No. Freight is billed at cost, at the carrier's rate, and you can ask for the carrier's original quote whenever you want. It is one of the most important differences from other agents: a hidden markup on freight is the most common way of making an order more expensive without it showing up in the commission.
Can I buy only the inspection or only the consolidation?
Yes. Every service in the table can be bought on its own, even if you manage the order yourself or buy it through another agent. A client with their own suppliers in China is a perfectly valid customer for consolidation, inspection or labelling.
Is there a cost if I do not buy in the end?
The sourcing service charges nothing in advance and carries no purchase commitment. If, after receiving the options, you decide not to go ahead, you pay nothing. The exception is work with a real cost from day one, such as a factory audit that requires travel, a physical sample or mould development: there the work actually performed is invoiced.
Why do you charge USD 150 for small orders instead of a percentage?
Because the work does not scale with the order value. Verifying a supplier, receiving the goods, checking them and preparing them costs practically the same whether the order is USD 800 or USD 8,000. Charging 8% on an order of USD 800 would be USD 64, well below the real cost of doing it properly. We would rather charge an honest flat fee than a percentage that would force us to cut back on the work.
Does the commission go down if I buy a lot?
Yes, and the reduction is automatic by band: 8% up to USD 5,000 a month, 7% from USD 5,000 to 25,000, 6% from USD 25,000 to 100,000 and 5% above that. The review is made against the volume actually invoiced over recent months, not against a forecast, so the reduction is immediate rather than a promise.
How is payment made?
The goods are paid in yuan into the supplier company's account inside China, in two usual instalments: a deposit that covers the purchase and a second payment before shipment, once the inspection report has been approved. Our commission, the services and the freight are invoiced in US dollars. For recurring orders from established clients we can agree different terms.
Ask for a quote with real numbers
Tell us what product and what volume you handle and we will send back the full cost broken down: goods, commission, services and freight. No rounded figures and no line items that appear later.
We reply within 24 business hours. See how the process works