For those of you who want to start an import business or are looking for cheap goods directly from China, 1688 is one of the marketplaces that you must know about. This platform is known as a place for wholesale shopping at factory prices, so it is often targeted by novice importers and business actors who want to reduce capital. 

However, many people are still confused about how to shop at 1688, from searching for goods, payment, to delivery to Indonesia. This article will discuss the guide in a practical and easy to understand manner. 

What is 1688 and why is it used by many importers? 

1688.com is marketplace from China owned by Alibaba Group which focuses on serving the Chinese domestic market. Here, you can find thousands of suppliers and factories who sell products at much cheaper prices than international marketplaces. 

The main difference between 1688 and Alibaba or AliExpress: 

• Cheaper prices because they come directly from the factory 
   

• The majority of suppliers only serve the Chinese market 
   

• Suitable for retail and small quantity purchases 
   

For beginners who want to buy goods from China, 1688 is the most realistic entry point to start importing with more affordable capital. 

Steps on How to Shop at 1688 for Beginners 

1. Create an Account at 1688 

Before starting to search for products and shopping, the first step you must take is to create an account at 1688. The registration process is free and can be done directly via the official 1688.com website. 

How to create a 1688 account: 

1. Click the person-shaped icon in the top right corner of the screen or the free register button. 

2. Fill in the requested data, such as account name, password and cellphone number. 

3. After that, 1688 will send a verification code via SMS. 

4. Enter the verification code to complete the registration process. 

5. If successful, the 1688 account is ready to be used for shopping. 
    

Please note, the entire registration process is in Mandarin. To make it easier, you can activate the automatic translation feature in Google Chrome. 

2. Payment Method Preparation 

After your account is ready, there are important things you need to prepare before shopping at 1688, namely the China Special Payment Method. Marketplace 1688 does not accept common international payment methods such as debit cards, PayPal, or regular credit cards. Generally, the payment method used is: 

• AliPay 

• WeChat Pay 

• or third party remittance services (for example FASREMIT) 

Product prices in 1688 are displayed in Yuan (RMB). Before checkout, make sure you:

• Converting Yuan prices to Rupiah 

• Calculate a rough total purchase cost 

You can use Google Currency Converter to find out the latest exchange rates so you don't make miscalculations and stay within your budget. 

3. Search for Products and Check Store Reputation 

After all the preparations are ready, you can start searching for products: 

• Use product keywords (can be used in Indonesian & English) 

• Compare multiple stores at once 

• Choose a variation & pay attention MOQ 

When paying attention to store ratings, make sure you also check:

• Store rating 

• Amount of transactions 

• How long the shop has been operating 

• Buyer reviews and photos 

This step is important to ensure the quality of imported Chinese goods meets expectations. 

4. Add to Cart and Review Order 

Before continuing with payment, double check: 

• Number of items 

• Product variations 

• Total price 

This will minimize order errors, especially for beginners. 

5. Checkout and Continue to the Delivery Process 

After the product is selected and payment is completed, the goods will be sent by the seller to the destination address within China. Because 1688 generally does not provide direct delivery to Indonesia, it is at this stage that the import process needs to continue using the right logistics channels. 

Sending goods from 1688 to Indonesia: What are the challenges? 

One of the main obstacles to shopping at 1688 is shipping to Indonesia. The majority of sellers only send to Chinese addresses, so you need an advanced solution to bring goods to Indonesia. 

Some common shipping options: 

• Air shipping (faster, suitable for light items) 

• Sea shipping (more economical for large volumes) 

At this stage, understanding logistics and shipping flows is very important so that goods can arrive safely. 

The role of China Import Services for Shopping in 1688

Because 1688 does not send directly to Indonesia, many novice importers use Chinese import services to help with the logistics process. Import services roles typically include: 

• Receipt of goods from supplier 

• Consolidation of goods in warehouses 

• Delivery document management 

• Delivery to Indonesia via air or sea 
   

This solution makes the import process neater and more controlled, especially for those who are shopping for the first time at 1688. 

Send 1688 Shopping Goods Safer & Planner With Harvest Indo Express 

If you want to shop at 1688 without the hassle of shipping, Harvest Indo Express is ready to help with import logistics. 

Harvest Indo Express provides: 

• Goods import services from China (including purchases of 1688) 

• Import LCL min 0.1CBM via Sea & 1Kg via Air 

• Delivery of imported goods to the destination address 

• Free consultation about shipping flow for beginners 

If you need complete import services from China, FASDELI GROUP provides a variety of import services ranging from remittance services (FASREMIT) which can help process overseas transactions, import capital services (FASDANA) with the paylater method, to FCL Import (GENCO) services. 

For further information, please visit our website at Harvest Indo Express for details.