How much does a China sourcing agent cost?
There is no single market price. Providers may charge a fixed project fee, a percentage of the order value, an hourly or daily rate, a monthly retainer, or a margin built into supplier pricing. The useful question is not only “what is the fee?” but also “what decision and deliverable does the fee buy?”
Common sourcing fee models
| Model | Useful when | What to clarify |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project fee | The brief and deliverable can be defined in advance. | Number of candidates, outreach, revisions and delivery target. |
| Percentage of order value | The agent coordinates purchasing or production over a larger order. | What the percentage covers, minimum fee and whether supplier commissions exist. |
| Hourly or daily rate | The work is open-ended, technical or requires on-site time. | Time estimates, reporting, travel and third-party expenses. |
| Monthly retainer | A buyer has recurring sourcing and supplier-management needs. | Included hours, categories, response time and unused capacity. |
What our three starting packages include
- Supplier Snapshot — $19. One product, three public-listing candidates, source links, listed price range, published MOQ and an English comparison. No supplier outreach.
- Quoted Shortlist — $59. One product, up to eight candidates researched, three to five supplier contacts where reachable, and a comparison of documented replies, MOQ, lead time and customization.
- Sourcing Assist — $149. A broader candidate set, initial negotiation questions, packaging and logo enquiries, sample-cost organization and an action plan. Samples and courier charges are paid by the buyer.
Costs that are normally separate
- Product samples and international courier charges.
- Factory audits, laboratory tests and certification verification.
- Pre-shipment inspection or production monitoring.
- Tooling, molds, artwork, packaging setup and product photography.
- Freight, customs duties, tax, insurance and destination handling.
How to compare two agent quotations
Ask both providers to describe the same deliverable: number of supplier candidates, number of contacts, whether answers are documented, which checks are performed, what is excluded and what happens if suppliers do not reply. A lower headline fee can be more expensive if the output is only a list of marketplace links.
No hidden guarantee
Supplier research is a preliminary decision tool. It does not make a supplier risk-free and does not replace independent audits, testing, inspections, legal review or compliance work where those are required.