Sourcing and purchasing work
Define supplier search, quote comparison, communication, order coordination and the quantity or SKU basis used for the service quote.
Service fees // sourcing-agent commission
Compare sourcing-agent fees against the same order and service scope.
For procurement services, the usual disclosed commission is 3% of the merchandise procurement amount only. Freight, duties, taxes, testing and other third-party costs are outside this calculation base and are quoted separately where applicable. The written quotation confirms the fee, included work and any exceptions. This is not an automatic surcharge on every retail purchase.
Fee questions to settle
- What the fee covers, written down before work starts.
- What the fee excludes is written down at the same time as what it includes. That half is what catches buyers out.
- How the supplier's price is shown to you. Goods are paid by bank transfer against written instructions issued for that order — never to an account someone messages you separately.
- Fee logic
- Model
- Work lane
- Scope
- Buyer file
- Proof
- Next step
- RFQ
Why the number depends on the job.
One product from one supplier and a mixed order from several suppliers require different coordination. Record SKU count, sample rounds, inspection depth, packaging changes and receiving work so each proposal covers the same tasks.
Amazon and private-label sellers
Selling under your own brand, where packaging errors cost more than the sourcing fee ever will.
Wholesale and distributors
Buying in volume, where a small difference in the supplier price matters more than the commission rate.
Brand, OEM, and procurement teams
Running a manufacturing programme, where the fee should be judged against tooling, audits and QC — not against a percentage someone quoted you elsewhere.
Choose the buyer route before the sourcing motion.
Buyer route
Choose the buyer route before the sourcing motion.
The same sourcing service has different risk controls for ecommerce, private-label, wholesale, and procurement buyers. Choose the buyer route before supplier search, samples, QC, and shipment work are scoped.
Ecommerce sellers
Check SKU margin, MOQ, samples, packaging, and replenishment risk.
View routePrivate-label brands
Control product development, sample approval, packaging, and production brief.
View routeWholesale buyers
Plan mixed SKUs, quote comparison, consolidation, and repeat supply.
View routeProcurement teams
Review supplier evidence, risk notes, QC gates, and internal approval needs.
View routeAsk before you commit to anything.
Send links, photos or a rough description and we will tell you whether it is worth doing. That screen carries no service fee. Once the product, quantity, destination and the work involved are clear, you get the fee and the third-party costs in writing — before anything starts.
01Choose the service lane
We work out which lane you actually need. Often it is one piece rather than the whole route.
Scope planner
02Normalize supplier quotes
Quotes get put on the same basis, because factories quote different things under the same word.
Quote template
03Name the exclusions
What the fee excludes is written down at the same time as what it includes. That half is what catches buyers out.
Cost boundary
04Send the scoped RFQ
The scope goes out as an RFQ with the fee attached to defined work rather than to a percentage.
Handoff file
The cheapest rate is not always the cheapest order.
Teaching example, not Aeonix pricing: $5,000 goods + a 5% fee ($250) + $300 agreed third-party costs = $5,550. A fixed $200 fee with $400 of otherwise comparable third-party costs totals $5,600. Neither includes unpriced freight or import costs. Compare equal deliverables and exclusions before choosing.
Included work lanes
Each lane can be scoped on its own. You are not obliged to buy the whole route to get one piece of it.
Excluded costs
It should name what is included, what is not, and what happens next. If a scope does not say what is excluded, that is the part that will cost you later.
Disclosure check
Ask any agent whether they also earn on the supplier side. The answer changes how you should read their quote.
Questions buyers should ask before accepting a sourcing fee.
How much should a China sourcing agent charge?
Request the fee base, minimum charge, included tasks, revision limits, third-party costs and payment milestones. A 5% fee on goods only is different from 5% on goods plus freight; a zero separate commission can still include margin in the product price.
Is the lowest commission the safest choice?
No. Compare the complete order budget, who performs each task and the evidence you receive. Lower fees may reflect narrower scope; ask for clarification rather than assuming either better value or hidden charges.
What should Aeonix include in a service-fee scope?
It should name what is included, what is not, and what happens next. If a scope does not say what is excluded, that is the part that will cost you later.
How should I decide whether a fee is reasonable?
Judge it against the work, not against a percentage you saw elsewhere. If you sell under your own brand, packaging control is worth more than a point of commission. If you buy in volume, the supplier price matters more than either.
Get a number against a real scope.
Tell us the product, the quantity and where it is going. Add supplier links if you already have them. You will get a fee tied to defined work, with what falls outside it written down as well.
Products / Sourcing / Wholesale
Yiwu sourcing fees and custom-product quotation scope
Compare an itemised scope before comparing an agent fee or commission. The same percentage can cover different work, while product development and a multi-supplier buying visit introduce separate tasks.
Samples, development and packaging
List supplier sample charges, revisions, tooling, decoration and packaging development separately from the product and sourcing fee.
Inspection and shipment preparation
Specify inspection scope, third-party testing where required, supplier pickup, receiving, repacking and freight. Confirm what is included and who provides each service.
Procurement visits
Request a separate scope for preparation, market accompaniment, interpreting coordination and after-visit follow-up. Dates, personnel and any third-party arrangements are confirmed before booking.
Wholesale makeup brushes
Assortments, quantities per SKU, samples, cartons and repeat orders; optional custom logos.
Finished perfume for wholesaleExact product references, samples, packaging and supplier records to confirm.
Toys and custom plushAge group, material, artwork, samples and packing.
Cosmetics and private labelProduct type, shades, formula route and retail presentation.
Personal careHair care, bath products, soap, wipes and packaging.
Household cleaningLaundry and cleaning tasks, product formats and shipment information.
Yiwu market sourcingProduct assortment, supplier comparison and mixed-SKU consolidation.
China buying-trip supportProcurement visits, supplier appointments and follow-up scope.
Compare scope and costs
Resolve the missing part of your buying budget.
Choose the support you need, compare supplier quotes on the same basis, and obtain shipping estimates for the same cargo and destination. When those inputs are ready, send your buying brief and the costs you still need confirmed.
Plan service scope
Use this when the buyer needs included work, excluded costs, and deliverables defined before a fee is quoted.
Send scoped RFQ
Use this when product, quantity, destination, and service needs are ready for an operator to price the work.
Review sourcing service
Use this when the fee question is really about supplier search, quote comparison, QC planning, or consolidation support.
Review product sourcing service
Use this when the buyer needs to understand what a controlled product sourcing file should contain before fee scope is confirmed.
Check trust proof
Use this when the buyer needs to see how Aeonix handles proof, limits, and decision evidence before commitment.
View sample sourcing file
Use this when the buyer wants to understand the file a sourcing fee should produce before supplier payment.
Compare supplier quotes
Use this before asking price when commission looks low but supplier quote basis, MOQ, payment terms, sample cost, tooling, or exclusions are not comparable yet.
Check shipping-rate expectations
Use this when the service fee depends on carton data, consolidation, forwarder handoff, destination charges, or landed-cost planning.