Trade
Onboarding is the cheapest moment to prevent an expensive problem. A short, repeatable checklist for verifying who you are buying from and what you have agreed.
Most supplier problems are visible on day one, if you know where to look. Late shipments, wrong specifications and disputed payments rarely come from nowhere. They usually trace back to something that was never checked or never written down. The following checks take little time compared with the cost of discovering the same issue after goods have shipped.
Establish the exact legal name, registered address and registration details of the company you are contracting with, and check them against an official registry where one is available. The contracting entity should match the name on the bank account that will receive payment. A mismatch is the single most important warning sign to resolve before any money moves.
Ask what the supplier produces itself and what it subcontracts. A video walkthrough, a reference customer or a third-party inspection can confirm that the factory exists and can produce your volume. Ask for monthly capacity in the same unit you will order.
Requirements differ by product and by destination market, and can include safety, electrical, materials or labelling rules. Ask what certifications and test reports exist for your product and your market, check that they refer to the same model you are buying, and confirm whether they are current.
A showroom sample proves that the supplier can make a good unit. A sample from the production line shows what you will actually receive. Keep a sealed, labelled reference sample so that later deliveries can be compared against it.
Dimensions, tolerances, materials, colour references, packaging, labelling and acceptance criteria belong in the purchase agreement or an annex to it. If it matters to you, it should be written there.
Incoterms define who arranges and pays for transport and insurance, and where risk passes from seller to buyer. The current edition is Incoterms 2020. The same price can mean very different things under FOB and under DAP, so name the rule and the named place in the contract, and be sure you understand which party handles export and import clearance.
Paying in full in advance to a supplier you have not verified places all the risk on you. Staged payments, payment against shipping documents or a documentary letter of credit can share it more fairly. Whatever you choose, pay only to the account of the contracting entity, and confirm any change of bank details through a separately verified channel.
Check the supplier and the intended route against applicable sanctions and restricted-party lists. Agree a pre-shipment inspection right, and decide in advance which law and which forum will apply if there is a disagreement.
A note on scope. This article is general information for businesses, not legal, tax or customs advice. Requirements vary by product, country and transaction, so take advice from a qualified professional for your own situation.
Published 20 October 2026 by Papple World Editorial. This article is general information and does not constitute legal, financial or professional advice.
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