Last updated October 2, 2026

How it works

From a link you found to cartons you can sell

A gift or promotional order may combine stock purchases with custom decoration and packaging. This page explains the approval sequence, the information needed at each stage and the costs or unresolved questions to confirm before paying.

Before anything: what makes gift orders different

Ordinary wholesale is a buying problem — find the product, check the seller, ship it. Gifts and promotional products add a second problem on top: the thing you are buying does not exist yet in the form you want it. It has your logo on it, in your colour, in a box with your name. Everything expensive that goes wrong goes wrong there.

For custom goods, agree the specification and approval sample before production. For stock goods, confirm the exact variant and availability. Transport still needs its own acceptance, packing and delivery checks.

The seven steps

1. You send a reference

   A 1688 or Taobao link, a photograph of something you saw, or a sketch with dimensions. With it: the quantity, the destination country, and whether it carries your branding. Those three decide almost everything downstream, and guessing at them wastes a round trip.

   Before review: include the quantity, variants and destination; ask which work, if any, is chargeable.

2. We read the listing properly and tell you what it actually is

   A denier label alone does not specify fabric quality, and a material name alone may not establish composition. Request concrete details such as fabric weight, inner-wall steel grade, wax-blend composition, paper weight and binding method. Separate documented specifications from seller claims and record unanswered questions before sample approval.

   Ask whether the quoted seller manufactures the goods or resells them, who will supply the specification and what evidence supports that role. A marketplace listing alone does not establish factory ownership.

   Timing: depends on the brief and supplier replies. Confirm the expected next update for your request.

3. Rules that apply to your market, established before price

   Identify product and destination requirements before accepting a price. Drinkware may need food-contact evidence; candles, fragrances, batteries and electrical gifts can add product-safety, documentation or carrier restrictions. Requirements depend on the exact product, use and market.

   Ask which documents exist for the actual model, material and intended use, and record what remains unverified. A generic supplier certificate does not establish market access. Agree any independent testing with a qualified provider and confirm import requirements with the appropriate adviser.

   Decision: agree any documentation review or commissioned testing scope, fee and expected date before proceeding.

4. Specification written down, branding method chosen

   Everything agreed goes into the order in writing: materials, weights, hardware, colours with a colour-system reference, quantities by variant, and the branding method matched to the surface. Pad print, screen, laser, embroidery, debossing and UV each suit different materials and different run sizes, and the chosen process should be agreed with the supplier for the actual material, artwork and run size.

   If your item needs custom tooling, it is priced here as its own line, and so is the question of who owns the mould afterwards.

   You decide: branding method, colour references, and whether a stated minimum is per order or per variant — it is usually per variant, and that changes the total.

5. Pre-production sample, and the part you must not skip

   For custom work, agree whether a physical pre-production sample is needed, which branding and packaging it must include, and whether photographs or a shipped sample will be reviewed. Leak, heat-retention, wash, burn or other performance tests are separate scoped checks; do not assume they are included in a visual inspection.

   Record the approved sample, drawing or specification and the tolerances that inspection will use. A photograph can document visible appearance but cannot prove hidden materials, durability or compliance. Agree what happens if the sample or production goods fail the acceptance criteria.

   Cost and timing: ask for the actual sample, setup and courier charges and an agreed approval date before ordering.

6. One itemised quote, then your approval

   Goods, branding setup, tooling, sampling, our service fee, inspection, consolidation and freight — each on its own line, on a route that will actually accept the goods. Nothing is bought until you approve it. If fragrance or batteries restrict the route, that is reflected in the freight line rather than discovered at the forwarder.

   You decide: whether to proceed, and which shipping route. Compare available routes on the same packed shipment and destination, including exclusions, transit estimates and the required receiving date.

7. Production, inspection, consolidation, shipping

   Agree the production inspection scope against the approved sample or specification, including print position, colour references, measurements, sample size and evidence. Consolidation is reviewed for goods from several sellers, but packing compatibility, readiness and freight charges determine whether a combined shipment is suitable.

   A discrepancy found before shipment may leave more options for correction. Remake, reprint, replacement and refund responsibilities depend on the written supplier and service terms; none is automatic.

   Time: production is whatever the factory quoted plus inspection; freight depends on the route you chose.

What this costs

Request the service fee and calculation basis in writing, alongside samples, tests, tooling, decoration, inspection, packing and freight. Fees and included work are confirmed for the request. Identify quote validity, payment stages, exclusions, and which destination charges remain estimates.

Where orders actually go wrong

Common planning risks include a minimum stated per colour rather than for the whole order; production approved without an agreed branding reference; undisclosed batteries or liquids that affect transport; and retail packaging that is not sufficient shipping protection.

Put those questions into the brief and quote before production. If a requirement or shipping route remains unresolved, keep it as an explicit decision gate rather than treating the order as ready.