Who actually pays for a sample, and how long does it take?
Why sample cost is often refundable against an order, and what a slow or reluctant sample request tells you before you've paid anything.
Who pays for a sample, and how quickly it arrives, tells you almost as much about a supplier as the sample itself does.
Who typically pays
A sample fee — covering materials and shipping — is the more common default for a first-time buyer without an order history, and it’s frequently credited back against a confirmed bulk order, effectively making it free if you proceed. A completely free sample offered immediately, before any real conversation about your order, is worth a little more scrutiny rather than treating it as simply generous.
What a reasonable timeline looks like
A simple, existing product can often ship as a sample within days; anything requiring custom tooling, materials, or specification takes meaningfully longer. Ask for a specific estimate rather than accepting “soon” — a supplier confident in their process can usually give you a real number.
What the sample process itself tells you
How a supplier handles the sample request — responsiveness, clarity about cost and timeline, willingness to accommodate a specific customisation request — is a preview of what working with them on a real order will feel like. A supplier who’s vague, slow, or evasive at this low-stakes stage is unlikely to improve once a larger order and more money are involved.
Confirm the bulk order will match the sample
Before you move past the sample stage, get written confirmation that a bulk order will be held to the same specification as the sample you approved — this is the exact gap the sample-swap scam mechanic relies on, and a supplier with nothing to hide has no reason to avoid confirming it in writing.
What to do with the sample once you have it
Check it against your actual requirements carefully, not just a quick glance — the quality-control checklist applies just as much to a sample as to a finished bulk shipment, and catching a problem here is far cheaper than catching it after a full production run.
What’s next
Use the quality-control checklist to evaluate the sample properly, or move on to negotiating the terms of the bulk order once you’re satisfied.
Frequently asked questions
Do suppliers usually give free samples?
How long does it typically take to get a sample?
Should I be suspicious of a supplier who's slow or reluctant to send a sample?
Keep planning
- Working with Suppliers from the Canton FairSourcing agents, factory verification, negotiation, samples, payment safety, and how the fair compares to buying through 1688 or Alibaba instead.
- Questions to Ask Canton Fair ExhibitorsThe specific questions that reveal whether you're talking to a factory, what production really looks like, and what happens if something goes wrong.
- Quality Control Checklist for China SourcingA structured checklist covering specification, function, and finish — built to catch problems before they're expensive.
- Negotiating MOQ, Price, and Payment TermsWhy treating these three as one negotiation, not three separate asks, gets better results at the booth.