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Trade Assurance

  • Introduction

    I. What is Trade Assurance?

    Trade Assurance is a free service offered by Alibaba.com that’s designed to help create trust between buyers and suppliers. Trade Assurance covers Alibaba.com buyers with 100% order protection from their selected Trade Assurance suppliers.
    You're covered if:

    • Your products are not shipped on time as per the contract with your supplier
    • Your products do not meet the quality standards as per the contract with your supplier



    100% Product quality protection
    100% On-time shipment protection
    100% Payment protection


    II. How can I get Full Order Protection?

    1 CONFIRM your order online with a Trade Assurance supplier to get full protection.

    2 PAY to the supplier's CITIBANK account designated by Alibaba.com via e-Checking, Credit Card or Telegraphic Transfer (T/T).

    Learn more >

  • Ordering

    1 Simply tick the Trade Assurance filter when searching for a product:



    2 Click "Contact Supplier | Chat Now" or click on the company name:





    Step II. Place Your Trade Assurance Order

    Protect both your offline and online orders with Trade Assurance:

    1 For offline orders, you may ask your supplier to draft a contract for you which you can then upload. Click here to protect your offline order now!

    2 For online orders, click "Start Order" on the product details page, the quotation page or the supplier's minisite and complete the Trade Assurance contract yourself:





    Step III. Select Your Coverage Type

    Pre-shipment

    You’re covered for your initial payment up to the remaining amount of the supplier’s Trade Assurance limit.



    With pre-shipment coverage, please check the quality of your products before shipment. You can check the quality yourself (i.e. request samples, photos, videos), or place an inspection order with a third-party company*

    Post-delivery

    You’re covered for the full amount of your order payment up to the remaining amount of the supplier’s Trade Assurance limit.






    With post-delivery coverage, please check your order’s product quality within 180 days of shipment and within 15 days of the products clearing customs.



    i The covered amount varies depending on coverage, for example if:

    Total Order Amount Initial Payment Supplier's Covered Amount
    US $3000 US $1500 US $2000

    • - With pre-shipment coverage, the covered amount is USD $1500 (total pre-shipment value)
    • - With post-delievery coverage, the covered amount is USD $2000 (the total amount the supplier’s Trade Assurance can cover)

    *Third-party Inspections: Alibaba.com has partnered with 3 companies (SGS, BV, and TUV). Standard fees are US $200 for inspections within China and US $300 for inspections overseas.




    Step IV. Confirm Your Order Online

    You have two options available:

    1 Fill in the order form through the Message Center and click "Confirm Order". You can also remind the supplier to confirm it on his side. If you have a paper or electronic version of your contract, you can upload it.

    2 Confirm the order on your Order Details page:


  • Payment

    Step I. Make Your Initial Payment

    Sign into 'My Alibaba' and find the order you want to make payment for:





    Step II. Select Your Payment Method

    You have three payment options available:

    e-Checking




    Learn more >
    • > Low transaction fees (US $15 per transaction)
    • > e-Checking is only available to buyers with checking accounts from any bank in the United States
    • > Fast transfers (it takes 4-5 working days once you've verified your checking account & authorized Alibaba.com to make payment deductions on your behalf)

    Credit Card


    • > Visa or MasterCard
    • > Payment limit per transaction is US $20,000
    • > Payments require 2-3 working days to arrive in your supplier’s designated bank account

    Telegraphic Transfer (T/T)


    • > Funds usually require 3-7 working days to arrive in your supplier’s designated bank account
    • > The transaction fee will vary by country – please check with your local bank for details

    i Why does my payment status still say "pending payment"?

    > e-Checking: After paying by e-Checking, the order status will state "payment processing". This is because it takes 4-5 working days to reach the suppliers account. The order status will then change to "waiting for supplier's shipment".

    > Credit Card: After paying by credit card, the payment status will be updated in the system within 30 minutes. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

    > Telegraphic Transfer (T/T): After paying by telegraphic transfer and your payment has been received, the status will change to "waiting for supplier to ship order". If the supplier has received your payment but the status still shows "waiting for payment", please click here to contact Alibaba.com's customer service team.




    Step III. Check Your Shipment

    Please check your shipment in "Delivery Details" or contact your supplier.






    Step IV. Pay the Balance

    After your order has been delivered, go to the "Order Details" page and click "Pay the Balance". Choose to complete the balance payment with e-Checking, Credit Card, or Telegraphic Transfer (T/T).


  • Complete Your Order

    Step I. Confirm Receipt

    When the order has been shipped and your balance payment has arrived at your supplier's account, your order status will change to "Waiting for Delivery Confirmation". You can then click "Confirm" on the order details page to confirm receipt of your shipment.




    Step II. Leave Feedback for your Supplier

    When you have confirmed receipt, the order will be complete. You may then leave feedback about the supplier to share your overall experience with other buyers.


  • Disputes & Refunds

    Step I. Opening a Dispute

    Trade Assurance provides you with 100% protection:

    > 100% Payment protection

    > 100% Product quality protection

    > 100% On-time shipment protection

    You can access the dispute function once your initial payment is complete. If the shipping time or product quality does not meet the required standards set in your contract, you can open a dispute:




    Step II. Getting a Refund

    If the supplier does not respond within 3 days, you can escalute the dispute manually. If you or the supplier does not respond within 7 days, the dispute will be escalated automatically.



    Alibaba.com will make a determination based on the evidence submitted by both sides. If the supplier is found to be at fault, you will be refunded for your covered amount.

  • More FAQs