Quality control and inspection

Quality control and inspection for China orders

Samples, production checks and inspections before shipment: what to agree with the supplier, what evidence to ask for, and what to do when it doesn't match.

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Quality control and the balance payment, in one answer

Quality control protects the balance payment, not the deposit. The inspection report must name the same factory and lot as the proforma invoice, the balance should wait for a passed inspection, and the beneficiary at balance must be the registered supplier on gsxt.gov.cn, not a new account.

Inspection evidence matrix: the same illustrative file, read for this page's question

Anchored on the illustrative file EXAMPLE-CPC-001: Guangdong Meridian Equipment Co., Ltd. and Harbor Link Trading Limited are fictional names used only to show the report format. No real company or customer is described. Status column = the finding in EXAMPLE-CPC-001.

Evidence point	Supplier (as presented)	PI / invoice issuer	Payment beneficiary	Official record check	Status in EXAMPLE-CPC-001
Factory named in the inspection report	Guangdong Meridian Equipment Co., Ltd.	Same on the PI	n/a	Report, PI and registry name the same entity	ALIGNED
Sample vs bulk evidence	Approved sample	PI specification	n/a	Inspection against the approved sample and the PI, not the brochure	OPEN QUESTION
Balance tied to a passed inspection	30/70 terms	PI says balance before shipment	n/a	Balance waits for the report; agree this in the PI	OPEN QUESTION
Beneficiary at balance payment	Registered entity expected	PI bank block	Harbor Link Trading Limited introduced at balance	A new account at balance is checked like a first payment	PAUSE BEFORE PAYMENT

Official registries used in the cross-check

For inspections the registries matter at the balance payment: the factory named in the report and the beneficiary on the final invoice should both be the registered supplier.

National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn): the 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code (USCC), registration status, subscribed capital, business scope, annual reports and the abnormal-operations list.
Supreme People's Court Enforcement Information Disclosure Network (zxgk.court.gov.cn): active enforcement orders and Dishonest Judgment Debtor records against the company or its legal representative.
China Judgments Online (wenshu.court.gov.cn): published rulings in commercial contract disputes involving the entity.
Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (cx.cnca.cn): whether an ISO or CCC certificate number shown by the supplier is valid and issued to that legal entity.

These registries are in Chinese and need the exact Chinese legal name or USCC; some show a captcha and load slowly from abroad. A Hong Kong or offshore company does not appear on gsxt.gov.cn; its record is in that jurisdiction's companies registry. ChinaPayCheck reports what the records show on the review date. It does not guarantee supplier safety, bank-account ownership, product quality, shipment, refund recovery or legal outcomes.

How does ChinaPayCheck help?

ChinaPayCheck is a China sourcing agent for overseas buyers, sold as a monthly membership: the ChinaPayCheck workspace app plus sourcing help from our China desk. We find and verify suppliers, check them before you pay, and follow production, quality control and shipping.

On Growth and Pro, production QC records on your orders and production updates are part of the membership. Samples and orders are tracked in your workspace on every plan.

Guides in quality control and inspection

Inspections and AQL: Understand AQL sampling for China product inspections, define defect classes and use inspection results before approving a balance payment.
Inspection evidence and loading: Inspection report photos, labels or cartons don't clearly match the product you ordered? How to question the report before you release payment.
Samples and bulk production: A good sample does not prove bulk production will match. Before paying a deposit or balance, check supplier capability, specs and inspection plan.

Work with a China sourcing agent

Membership: Free USD 0, Starter USD 20 a month, Growth USD 100 a month, Pro USD 200 a month. Cancel any time; a paid plan runs to the end of the period you paid for.

See membership plans Talk to our team

1. Free Triage First ($0): Send one Chinese supplier, one Proforma Invoice (PI), and one payment instruction via Free Triage. We confirm fit by email before any paid review.

2. Single-Case Pre-Payment Review ($49): Offered only after Free Triage acceptance for one supplier and one payment decision (modeled on Case Reference EXAMPLE-CPC-001).

3. Ongoing Workspace & Sourcing Desk (app.chinapaycheck.com): Monthly memberships—Free $0, Starter $20/mo, Growth $100/mo, Pro $200/mo (cancel anytime; runs to the end of the paid period; supplier goods and shipping are billed separately).

Explicit Evidence Boundary: ChinaPayCheck is an independent buyer-side evidence review, not a law firm, bank, escrow agent, insurer, or recovery agency. We never guarantee supplier safety, account ownership, product quality, shipment, or legal outcomes. Never submit passwords, banking logins, card numbers, or one-time codes.