In 2025, one wrong payment can cost an Amazon seller thousands in fees, frozen funds, or outright scams. With increasing fraud risks and stricter Amazon FBA compliance standards, paying Chinese suppliers has become a mission-critical process that directly impacts your profitability and account health.
Amazon sellers using FBA services are now making payments to Chinese suppliers more than 40 times per year on average—ranging from small $500 test orders to bulk $50,000 reorders. Each transaction carries unique risks, from incorrect banking info to supplier scams and Trade Assurance disputes.
That’s why we compiled and ranked the 11 most used and trusted Alibaba payment methods (plus 1688) based on our real experience handling over 4,800 transactions for Amazon clients in the past year. We evaluated each method by safety, speed, fees, supplier acceptance, arrival time, and Amazon-specific risks like chargebacks or customs hold-ups.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly which payment method to use for different order sizes—whether you're testing a new product or restocking your Amazon bestseller.
Alibaba.com and 1688.com remain China’s two largest supplier platforms in 2025—but they operate on very different payment ecosystems.
Alibaba.com is geared toward international buyers and offers features like Trade Assurance, multi-currency support, and integrated payment gateways. In contrast, 1688.com is a domestic B2B platform designed for local Chinese businesses—meaning most suppliers there only accept payments in RMB via local channels like Alipay or bank transfers.
Trade Assurance on Alibaba in 2025 still provides basic protection for order value and delivery time. However, its scope has narrowed: it no longer automatically covers disputes over quality unless third-party inspection is pre-agreed.
Suppliers often push for risky or fast methods like Western Union or T/T Advance because these clear faster and are harder to reverse. But what benefits the supplier may expose you to irreversible loss.
Avoid the hassle of going over different suppliers by working with an experienced China sourcing agent, questionable product quality and overpriced goods by partnering with your local sourcing partner, X Sourcing. Our team assists hundreds of sellers in navigating these risks efficiently.
This is the gold standard for paying suppliers on 1688.com. It requires a China-based CNY account but allows instant payments with no intermediary fees and nearly 100% supplier acceptance.
Real Case: One client switched from wire transfers to Alipay Domestic and saved over $2,700 in banking fees across five orders.
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon RiskAlipay Domestic ★★★★★ Low Instant ★★★★★ Low
Verdict: Our #1 choice for >$5,000+ FBA orders via 1688
Lets you top up a China-based Alipay wallet using foreign debit/credit cards. Good for small trial orders when you don’t have a Chinese company setup.
Client Feedback: “We paid $800 this way to secure our first batch from a 1688 seller—worked flawlessly.”
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Alipay International ★★★★☆ Medium 1–2 hrs ★★★★☆ Low
Verdict: Use for trial orders under $2,000
Still widely used for peace of mind, especially on Alibaba.com. Ensures coverage for late shipments or order mismatches—but doesn’t always protect against vague product quality issues.
Real Case: A seller recovered $2,300 after a shipment was delayed beyond the promised delivery window via Trade Assurance.
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Trade Assurance ★★★★☆ Medium 3–5 days ★★★★☆ Low-Medium
Verdict: Best for new suppliers on Alibaba.com
Direct transfer to a supplier’s Chinese bank account in RMB. Fast and cheap—but only safe if the supplier is verified.
Client Issue: One client transferred ¥18,000 to a fake bank account listed by an impersonator claiming to be the supplier’s “finance department.”
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Bank Transfer RMB ★★★☆☆ Low Same day ★★★★☆ High
Verdict: Use only with fully verified partners
Common with larger Alibaba suppliers who hold USD collection accounts. Smooth for large orders but hard to trace if issues arise.
Client Tip: “I only use this after we’ve done three successful smaller trades.”
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Bank Transfer USD ★★★★☆ Medium-High 2–4 days ★★★★☆ Medium
Verdict: Safe for repeat $10k+ orders
Some Chinese sellers now accept Payoneer directly. Quick, global-friendly method with moderate fees.
Client Win: A seller paid $3,000 through Payoneer and got instant confirmation + tracking from the factory within hours.
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Payoneer ★★★★☆ Medium Same day ★★★☆☆ Low
Verdict: Great for < $10k reorders
Wise supports RMB and USD transfers at competitive rates with real-time tracking—excellent for speed and control.
Client Note: “Wise saved us $96 in FX fees on just one transaction compared to our old bank.”
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Wise ★★★★☆ Low Same day–24h ★★★☆☆ Low
Verdict: Excellent balance of speed and safety
Widely requested by suppliers but risky—once money leaves your account, it’s hard to recover without legal action.
Real Loss: One client lost $6,400 after wiring full payment upfront to a ghost factory posing as an OEM partner.
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
T/T Advance ★★☆☆☆ High 2–3 days ★★★★★ High
Verdict: Use only with audited partners and sample approval
Convenient but comes with high processing fees (up to 3.5%) and limited dispute resolution if products are subpar.
Client Warning: “Card provider said they couldn’t reverse the charge since I ‘received goods’—even though items were defective.”
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Credit/Debit via Checkout ★★★☆☆ High Instant–24h ★★★★☆ Medium
Verdict: Good for < $1k urgent buys
Some suppliers accept PayPal, especially smaller ones—but chargebacks are a problem for sellers because funds often get held or reversed unfairly.
Client Case: Amazon seller lost both inventory and money when PayPal froze funds during a claim investigation that lasted six weeks.
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
PayPal ★★☆☆☆ High Instant–1 day ★★☆☆☆ High
Verdict: Avoid unless you fully trust the supplier
No buyer protection, no traceability—these are red flags. Scammers love these methods for good reason.
Real Loss: Client lost $4,800 last month using Western Union; the “supplier” vanished after collecting funds.
Method Safety Fees Speed Acceptance Rate Amazon Risk
Western Union ☆☆☆☆☆ Medium-High Instant ★☆☆☆☆ Very High
Verdict: Avoid entirely
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—but based on order value and supplier status, here’s our decision matrix:
Order Size Recommended Method Why
<$1,000 Alipay International / Trade Assurance Lower risk, fast refund option
$1k–$10k Wise / Payoneer / Trade Assurance Balance of speed + traceability
$10k Alipay Domestic / Bank USD w/ repeat orders Cheapest & safest if trusted supplier
For 87% of our Amazon clients, Method #1 or #2 wins in 2025 thanks to low cost, fast arrival times, and high acceptance on platforms like 1688.
Yes—but you must be vigilant. Trade Assurance isn’t foolproof anymore; suppliers are better at skirting refund conditions.
We follow a strict red flag checklist before making any payment:
All alternative suppliers for Amazon undergo a strict evaluation to ensure you only work with reliable factories instead of middlemen or dodgy workshops.
Five-point verification checklist:
1.Factory license check
2.Payment info matches business name
3.Video call walkthrough of factory floor
4.Third-party inspection before final payment
5.Live shipping updates post-payment
Let us handle it all with our Pay-on-Behalf service—modeled after Wise Business but tailored for Amazon sellers.
Our Amazon FBA sourcing agent team, with rich experience in customs clearances and packaging, guarantees your products are safe and quickly delivered to FBA warehouses.
Rates as low as 1.2% per transaction
Same-day guaranteed arrival to verified suppliers
We handle all Trade Assurance claims
Includes factory verification + document checks
Choose from:
✅ Get your first payment free
✅ Let us pay your next 10 suppliers – zero risk
A: The top 3 safest methods in 2025 are (1) Alipay Domestic (CNY account), (2) Alipay International for smaller orders, and (3) Alibaba Trade Assurance for new suppliers. These give you the best mix of speed, low fees, and buyer protection.
A: Yes. Alipay International (overseas card top-up) works instantly for orders under $5,000–$10,000. For bigger or repeated orders, most Amazon sellers now use a China-based Alipay account through a trusted agent to get zero fees and instant arrival.
A: No—avoid PayPal in 2025. High fees (4–6% total), low supplier acceptance on 1688, and frequent fund freezes during disputes make it one of the riskiest options for Amazon sellers.
A: Use a reputable sourcing agent’s “Pay-on-Behalf” service (rates ~1–2%). They pay via Alipay Domestic or RMB bank transfer on your behalf, guarantee same-day arrival, handle Trade Assurance, and give you full receipts—zero personal banking info exposed.
