Most sourcing agents make their money where you cannot see it: a margin stacked on top of the factory price, undisclosed kickbacks, or quotes that swell after the deposit. Yinhan Sourcing works the other way. The commission is the fee, the factory price is the price you pay, and every quote is itemized so you can check each line yourself. This page explains exactly what costs what before your first sample is ordered.
How does the commission model work?
For full-service orders, the fee is a commission of 5 to 8 percent of the product value, scaled by order size and scope. The commission covers the work that turns a factory quote into delivered goods: supplier shortlisting and verification, negotiation in Chinese, production follow-up, quality inspections, problem handling on the ground, and consolidation for shipping.
Two rules keep the model honest. First, factories invoice you directly at the factory price; the commission is billed separately, so there is no hidden margin inside your unit cost. Second, any supplier-side discount or improved price is passed to you before the commission is calculated. If negotiation saves you money, the saving is yours.
What is the flat-fee sourcing brief?
Not every buyer starts with a full order. The sourcing brief is a fixed-fee research package, from $149, that answers one question: which factories can actually make your product, and at what price? You receive a shortlist of verified suppliers with indicative pricing, lead times, and MOQs, plus a recommended next step. It is the cheapest way to test whether a product is worth pursuing before committing to samples or tooling.
What do inspections and audits cost?
Quality checks are quoted per visit, not as a percentage, so bigger orders never inflate the price of an inspection. Current rates:
- Pre-shipment inspection or DUPRO: around $280 per inspector-day, including travel, sampling to your AQL standard, photo report, and a defect summary. Most orders need one day.
- Factory audit: from $350 for a one-day on-site audit covering capability, compliance documents, and the production floor, with a written report.
- Container loading check: quoted with the inspection, typically half a day.
Laboratory testing (composition, food contact, safety standards) is quoted separately at cost from the test lab. You see the invoice.
What is included, and what is billed at cost?
Included in the commission: supplier verification, price negotiation, production scheduling and follow-up, inspections arranged and reviewed, problem resolution in Chinese, and shipping coordination with the forwarder. Billed at cost, with the invoice passed through: freight, duties and taxes, sample fees, tooling, courier charges, and laboratory tests. Nothing is marked up, and you can verify any of it against the original invoice.
How do payments work?
You pay factories directly for goods, following a schedule written into the proforma invoice: typically a 30 percent deposit to book production and the balance only after a passed inspection. Service fees (commission, briefs, inspections) are invoiced separately by Yinhan Sourcing with a standard payment term of 7 days. The full logic behind deposit schedules and inspection gates is explained in the payment terms guide.
What will a typical first order cost in fees?
A realistic example: a $10,000 first order under full service carries a commission of roughly $500 to $800, one pre-shipment inspection at $280, and no other service charges. Freight and duty depend on your landed cost, not on us. That is the whole bill.
Every engagement starts with a free consultation, and the quote you receive names the factories, the prices, and the fees in one document. If a line does not make sense, ask before you sign, not after.
Commission questions, answered
How the 5–8% model works, what the flat-fee brief covers and where hidden margins inflate costs elsewhere. The general fee-model comparison is in commissions explained; the rate card itself is on the pricing page.
How do sourcing agents normally charge?
Three models dominate: commission on order value, flat fee per brief or visit, and monthly retainer. Commission aligns the agent with order success, flat fees suit one-off research or inspections, retainers suit ongoing programs. Each model\u2019s coverage is compared in commissions explained.
What is a fair commission rate?
For full service — search, verification, negotiation, production follow-up, inspections and shipping coordination — 5–8% of product value is the honest band, stepping down with volume. Below that, check what is excluded; above that, check what the extra buys. Our bands are published on the pricing page.
Why is a hidden margin worse than a visible commission?
A margin stacked inside the unit price compounds on every unit forever and can never be audited; a separate commission is a fixed, checkable line. If negotiation cuts your factory price, the saving is yours before commission is calculated — the arithmetic is worked in commissions explained.
What does the flat-fee sourcing brief cover?
From $149: a shortlist of verified suppliers with indicative pricing, lead times and MOQs plus a recommended next step. It answers whether a product is worth pursuing before samples or tooling — the cheapest test in the process. Briefs are requested here.
What do inspections and audits cost?
Quoted per visit, never as a percentage: pre-shipment or DUPRO around one inspector-day with sampling to your AQL standard and photo report, factory audits from a one-day on-site rate, loading checks with the inspection. Lab tests pass through at lab cost. Current bands are on the pricing page.
How are goods and fees paid?
Goods: factories invoice directly, typically 30% deposit and 70% after a passed inspection. Fees: commission, briefs and inspections invoiced separately with 7-day terms. Deposit safety and inspection gates are detailed in the payment terms guide.
How should I compare two agents\u2019 quotes?
On landed cost to the same door for the same spec — product plus fee plus inspection plus freight plus duties — built in the landed cost guide. Then check the contract lines: named factories, inspection standard, rework terms and what happens when a lot fails.