Chinese company check
Verify who your Chinese supplier really is before you pay
Yeni İpekyolu checks Chinese companies' business licence, unified social credit code, public registry information and export capability. We clarify whether it is a factory or a trading company and, if needed, visit it at its address.
Chinese company check: what to do before sending a deposit
A Chinese company's identity: business licence and unified social credit code
Every company operating in China has a business licence (营业执照) and an 18-character unified social credit code. The licence shows the company's full Chinese name, registered address, legal representative, date of establishment and business scope. A frequent mistake by Turkish buyers is to rely only on an English company name, a website or a platform profile. At Yeni İpekyolu, we compare the licence image you receive from the supplier with the record in China's official public registry sources and check whether the two are consistent.
The check is not limited to whether the company exists. We look at whether its business scope covers your product, whether its status appears active, whether publicly available administrative records contain anything notable, and whether the name on the contract, invoice and bank account matches the name on the licence. In particular, making sure the payee account holder is the same company that signs the contract is one of the most basic safeguards against fraud. We clearly flag every inconsistency we find in the report.
Factory or trading company? How export capability is assessed
Many companies that present themselves as factories on Alibaba or Made-in-China are actually trading companies. Working with a trader is not always bad; it can even help with small orders or multi-item purchases. But in terms of price, quality responsibility and lead time, it matters to know who you are dealing with. We clarify this by checking whether the business scope mentions manufacturing, whether the registered address is in an industrial zone or an office building, and in whose legal name the certificates offered are issued.
Export capability should also be assessed separately. Some small manufacturers sell domestically and handle exports through an intermediary, which matters for invoicing, certificates of origin and customs paperwork. We ask the company clear questions in Chinese about its export experience, the markets it has shipped to, the Incoterms it uses and whether it issues export documents itself. We compare the answers with the documents provided and summarise them for you in Turkish. This reduces from the start the risk of missing documents at the shipping stage.
Address visit and final checks before payment
Document checks are a strong first step, but for a high-value or long-term cooperation, seeing the address in person gives much more confidence. Our team in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Yiwu, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Beijing, or our partners in the region, make a short visit to the supplier's registered or declared address. We document the signage, production area, machinery and staff with photos and video, and report what we saw in Turkish the same day. If a deeper review is needed, we move on to our factory audit service.
Our check is based on publicly available sources, documents provided by the company and on-site observation; we do not promise access to hidden or personal data, and we do not collect such information. This approach is both lawful and reliable. At the end of the report we give you practical advice on deposit, balance and payment terms: for example, paying only into a corporate account in the name shown on the licence, preparing the contract in Chinese and Turkish, and planning a pre-shipment quality inspection. You can then make your first payment with confidence.
For buyers who want to verify their supplier
First-time buyers from China
Before sending the first deposit to a supplier you found on a platform. A short check filters out the most common risks from the start.
Companies placing high-value orders
Those who want to be sure the other side really is the company it claims to be for machinery, raw materials or large-volume orders. We complete the document check with an address visit.
Those told the bank account has changed
If your supplier has sent new account details, pause before paying. We check that the account holder matches the company in the contract.
Those choosing distributors and partners
Those who want to know a company's structure and background before signing with a distributor or partner in China. We present the public-source information in an organised way.
What we check in a company verification
Registry and licence check
We compare the Chinese name, credit code, legal representative, date of establishment and registered address with official public sources. We clearly flag any inconsistencies.
Business scope review
We check whether the registered business scope covers your product and manufacturing activity. It is an important clue for telling a factory from a trading company.
Document and certificate consistency
We check that the names on the certificates, test reports and quotations the company shares match its licence. We note documents issued in another company's name.
Export capability questions
We ask the company questions in Chinese about export experience, documents and Incoterms. We report the answers and how consistent they are.
Payment details check
We check whether the bank account holder on the proforma invoice is the same as the contracting party. We flag signs such as a personal account or a third-party company account.
Address visit (optional)
Our team or a local partner goes to the address and photographs the signage, production area and staff. We report the observations in Turkish the same day.
Service summary and requirements
| Visit areas | Guangzhou · Shenzhen · Yiwu · Shanghai · Hangzhou · Beijing and surroundings |
|---|---|
| Information sources | Public registry, company documents, on-site observation |
| Pricing | Separate packages for document check and address visit |
| Service languages | Turkish · Chinese · English |
| Cities served | Guangzhou · Shenzhen · Yiwu · Shanghai · Hangzhou · Beijing (coordinated from our Istanbul office) |
The final price and timeline depend on the scope; we send you a clear quote promptly.
What you need to provide
- The company's English name and Chinese name if available
- The business licence image sent by the supplier
- Quotation, proforma invoice and bank account details
- Platform profile, website and contact details
- Your preferred dates if you want an address visit
How the Chinese company check works
- 1
Share the details
Send us the company name and, if available, the licence image, quotation and proforma invoice. The more documents, the stronger the check.
- 2
Public source check
Our team finds the record in official registry sources and compares it with the documents. We review the business scope and company status.
- 3
Conversation with the supplier in Chinese
Where needed, we contact the company via WeChat or phone. We clarify production, export and payment conditions.
- 4
Address visit
On request, we arrange a visit to the registered or declared address. We document it with photos and video.
- 5
Turkish report and recommendations
We send you a report with the findings, points to watch and payment recommendations. We go through your questions together.
Frequently asked questions
The supplier won't send me its business licence. What should I do?
For a genuine, export-oriented company, sharing the business licence is standard practice. Reluctance to do so is a sign to be careful. If we can obtain the full Chinese company name, we can still run the check through public sources.
Can you find out the company's finances or bank details?
We work with publicly available information, documents provided by the company and on-site observation. We do not promise access to hidden or personal data. These sources usually give a sufficient and reliable picture for a sound decision before payment.
How do you tell whether it is a factory or a trading company?
We look at whether the business scope mentions manufacturing, the nature of the registered address, whose name the certificates are issued in, and how the company answers production questions. An address visit gives the clearest answer. If it is a trading company, we report that clearly too.
They want me to pay into a personal account. Is that normal?
In export transactions, paying into the corporate account of the company that signs the contract is the safest route. A request to pay a personal account or a different company's account calls for extra checks. We recommend consulting us before you pay.
How long does the check take?
The document and public source check is usually completed quickly. An address visit is scheduled according to the company's city and our team's schedule. If it is urgent, just tell us your deadline at the start so we can prioritise.
What is the difference between a company check and a factory audit?
A company check verifies the company's identity, records and basic consistency. A factory audit examines production capacity, quality system, machinery and working conditions on site in detail. Most buyers start with a check and move on to an audit for serious orders.
Will the supplier know that a check is being done?
The public source check does not require contacting the company. When we speak with them in Chinese or visit the address, we openly introduce ourselves as the buyer's representative. Serious suppliers usually welcome this, and it adds trust to the relationship.
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