Checking a Chinese supplier before the first payment
Connect a Mainland supplier’s registered identity, authority and public risk records to the contract and payee before sending a first deposit.
By Matthew Lee
Before paying a Mainland supplier, a buyer needs to establish that the company it checked is the company making the sale and receiving the money. A registry search can identify the legal person, but it cannot confirm product quality, delivery capacity or the safety of bank instructions. Those questions need connected evidence from the supplier and the transaction.
Start with the contracting company
The business licence provides the registered Chinese name and 18-character Unified Social Credit Code. An English trading name can help communication, but the Chinese name and code anchor the official checks. Comparing those details with the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (GSXT) helps establish the correct entity and its recorded status.
The PRC Company Law treats business scope as a registration item. A scope describing sales or wholesale may indicate a trading business rather than a manufacturer. That is a commercial distinction to understand, rather than proof of a problem: the buyer needs to know who makes the goods and which company takes responsibility for delivery.
Evidence that connects the deal
| Evidence | What it helps establish | A gap worth explaining |
|---|---|---|
| Business licence and current company record | Registered identity, status and business scope | Only an English name is supplied, or identifiers differ |
| Contract, company details and authority evidence | Which entity sells the goods and who acts for it | The signer or company name differs without explanation |
| Registry change history and shareholder records | Recent changes and relevant ownership | A new owner or representative is absent from other documents |
| Court enforcement and regulatory records | Recorded issues affecting the supplier | A relevant listing or unresolved enforcement matter |
| Invoice, account details and bank evidence | Why the named payee receives the deposit | A third-party account or late change of instructions |
Public records are dated evidence. Recent changes may need supporting documents so the contract, company record and payment instruction can be reconciled. The business licence guide explains the registration fields in more detail.
What the risk records mean
An enforcement record, a dishonest judgment debtor listing and a consumption restriction order describe different legal situations. They should not be merged into one label suggesting every listed supplier committed fraud. The relevant case, entity match and current position matter to an assessment of whether the supplier can perform the order.
GSXT's abnormal operations and serious illegality records also need interpretation. An address-related listing raises a different question from a missed report. The supplier's explanation should address the recorded issue and, where it says the issue has been resolved, provide evidence of that resolution.
Payment instructions deserve their own verification. A related company or Hong Kong affiliate may legitimately collect payment, but the contract and supporting arrangement should explain its role. An unexpected switch to an individual account or new bank details needs independent confirmation through a contact channel already established with the supplier. A genuine registry record cannot authenticate the email that changed the instructions.
How the Fill Easy email bot helps
An approved organisational sender can email agent@fill-easy.com with the Chinese name, code, requested company and public-risk records, and a case reference. Availability, access requirements, price and expected turnaround are confirmed when the order is accepted.
The agent replies with item status and request IDs, asks for clarification where needed, and returns retrieved PDFs in the same thread. Results record their source, retrieval time and request ID; an optional summary references the documents. This supports the identity and public-record review. Contract authority, payment instructions and the supplier's ability to fulfil the order still need evidence appropriate to those questions.