Taobao buying agent guide: Tmall links, quotes, inspection and shipping
How a Taobao buying agent and China shopping proxy works: submit Taobao or Tmall links, confirm options and store coupons, approve a quote, then warehouse inspection and international shipping. Also covers JD, Pinduoduo, Douyin and 1688.
Reviewed: · ChinaCarty LLC
1. Send the listing and exact options
Paste a Taobao or Tmall link, including a full share message if needed. Specify colour, size, model and quantity. Send a screenshot of the selected option when prices vary by option. If a short link or listing cannot be read, staff review it manually; similar search results do not replace your selected product.
2. Approve the quote before purchase
Search prices are references: stock, discounts and option prices can change. Staff confirm the actual product amount, domestic shipping and stage-one purchasing fee. Manual purchasing starts only after you approve the quote and pay. Unsupported products or shipping restrictions must be resolved first.
3. Receiving and basic inspection
Warehouse checks cover quantity, confirmed colour or size, visible damage and obvious differences. This is not authenticity verification or performance testing. Each item includes 2–3 free warehouse inspection photos; extras beyond that allotment are optional. Detailed inspection and reinforcement require separate agreement.
4. Confirm international shipping
International shipping is quoted after warehouse measurement and consolidation. There is no second-stage service fee, but shipping and confirmed optional services remain payable. ChinaCarty is a buying agent only: items bought as you confirmed cannot be returned or refunded, so check options before approving the quote and review the warehouse check before international dispatch. ChinaCarty is an independent purchasing assistance service and does not represent Taobao or Tmall.
5. Store coupons: what we can and cannot apply
When we buy for you, we apply the store coupons available to our purchasing account at that moment, so the item price after coupons is often lower than the listed price. Coupons are set by the store, usually come with a spending threshold, expiry date and quantity limit, and are not available on every item. Coupons tied to your own account, new-customer prices, membership prices or livestream prices do not transfer to our purchasing account automatically. If you see a coupon, send a dated screenshot with its conditions and staff will check whether our purchasing account can use it; the quote shows the actual price after coupons. If the checkout price differs from your quote (for example, a coupon has expired), you can choose a refund, or, with your approval, we help you find the same item, such as the identical product and variant from another seller. We only look for an identical item and never substitute a similar one without your OK. Our aim is that you do not lose money.
6. How the service fee works on a Taobao order
The service fee is calculated on the actual item amount in CNY in your quote, after coupons: CNY 6 up to and including CNY 100, or 5% above CNY 100, rounded to cents. The seller's domestic shipping is listed separately and excluded from the fee base. Illustrative example: a CNY 200 listed price with a CNY 20 store coupon becomes CNY 180, so the service fee is CNY 9; without a usable coupon it would be CNY 10. A coupon saving therefore also lowers the fee rather than being absorbed by it. International shipping has no ChinaCarty service fee; you pay shipping and any confirmed optional services. The fee is charged per item; several units of the same item and variant are calculated once on their combined amount. For example, two different items at CNY 50 each incur CNY 6 + CNY 6 = CNY 12, while two units of the same item and variant at CNY 50 each (CNY 100 combined) incur CNY 6.
Read next
- ChinaCarty home · Taobao, JD, Pinduoduo, Douyin & 1688 buying agent
Return to the English homepage to paste a product link or start a quote.
- JD buying agent guide: model checks, quotes and overseas shipping
JD buying agent: model numbers, sellers and electronics checks.
- Pinduoduo buying agent guide: group-buy prices, checks and shipping
Pinduoduo buying agent: group-buy prices and consolidation.
- Douyin buying agent guide: product links, livestream prices and shipping
Douyin buying agent: product links, livestream prices and shipping.
- 1688 buying agent guide: samples, MOQs, factory checks and testing
1688 buying agent: samples, MOQs and factory checks.
- How our China buying agent service works: 6 steps from link to delivery
The full six steps from product link to delivery.
- Service Fees & Calculator: CNY 6 or 5%
Check the stage-one service fee with the calculator and see which costs are separate.
- China parcel consolidation: buying agents, shipping weight and forwarders
Combining parcels from several Taobao stores, and how volumetric weight works.
- Real price examples: what buying from Taobao and JD.com costs (dated snapshot)
Real Taobao catalog items with dated price checks: after-coupon prices and service fees.
Checklist to include in your inquiry
- Original product link, seller, selected-variant screenshot and quantity.
- Dated coupon evidence and conditions, including membership or new-customer restrictions.
- Whether substitutions are acceptable; an alternative needs your confirmation.
- Exterior details to check, any paid photos required, and destination country and postcode.
Frequently asked questions
Can I request a quote if my Taobao link will not open?
Send the full share message, listing title, shop name and a screenshot of the selected option. Staff can try to confirm the listing manually. A similar search result is not a substitute for the item you approved, and a screenshot price still needs to be checked.
What does a Taobao purchasing request cost?
The first quote separates the actual product amount, domestic shipping and purchasing fee: CNY 6 up to and including CNY 100 of products, or 5% above CNY 100. After warehouse measurement, international shipping and agreed optional services are quoted separately. There is no second-stage service fee; shipping is still payable.
Does basic inspection guarantee authenticity?
No. It checks quantity, confirmed options and obvious exterior issues. Brand authentication, performance and safety testing are different services. Discuss any specialist inspection or third-party testing before purchase, including feasibility, scope and additional cost.
Can you use a coupon I see in my Taobao app?
Not always. When a store coupon is open to all buyers, we apply it where possible when we buy. Personal coupons, new-customer prices and membership prices are usually tied to your own account and do not transfer automatically. Send a dated screenshot; staff check it and the quote shows the actual price after coupons.
Does a store coupon change the service fee?
Yes, it lowers it. The fee is calculated on the actual item amount after coupons: 5% above CNY 100, or CNY 6 up to and including CNY 100. Domestic shipping is not part of the fee base.
Payment methods available at top-up
- Rabbit LINE Pay
- BPI
- BillEase
- Kredivo
- Toss Pay
- Kakao Pay
- GCash
- K PLUS
- Touch 'n Go eWallet
- TrueMoney
- AlipayHK
- Boost
- NAVER Pay
- DANA
Payments are provided by Antom. Availability varies by country or region, currency, amount and account eligibility. Please refer to the methods shown at the top-up checkout.