You can buy from 1688 from Kazakhstan or any other country — just not the way you buy on AliExpress. 1688 is China's domestic wholesale marketplace: the site and app are in Chinese, sellers trade in batches, take payment through Alipay and ship only within China. So you need either a Chinese address, yuan and some Chinese, or a sourcing agent. Below: how 1688 works, what a buyer from Kazakhstan runs into, and the path from product search to cargo in Almaty or Astana.
What 1688 is and how it differs from Alibaba and Taobao
1688.com is Alibaba Group's wholesale B2B marketplace for China's domestic market: factories, wholesalers and trading companies selling mostly to Chinese shops, Taobao and Pinduoduo sellers and small manufacturers. That is why prices are usually lower than on Alibaba.com or AliExpress: export, English listings and international shipping are not priced in.
| 1688 | Alibaba.com | Taobao | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Wholesale buyers inside China | Importers from other countries | Retail buyers in China |
| Language | Chinese only | English and other languages | Chinese |
| Prices | In yuan, wholesale, tiered by quantity | In dollars, usually higher | In yuan, retail |
| Minimum order | Most sellers set one (起批量) | Negotiable MOQ, often hundreds | Usually from 1 unit |
| Payment | Alipay, WeChat Pay, Chinese cards | Cards, PayPal, bank transfer | Alipay, WeChat Pay |
| Shipping | Within China only | International | Within China only |
For Kaspi, Wildberries and Ozon sellers, 1688 is the main source of goods: the same range as Alibaba.com, closer to the factory and at domestic prices. Which platform to choose when: 1688, Alibaba or Taobao.
What a buyer from Kazakhstan runs into
Every difficulty with 1688 comes down to one fact: the platform was not built for foreigners. Four main barriers:
Chinese-only interface and chat
The site, the app, listings, reviews and the seller chat (旺旺, AliWangwang) are all in Chinese. Browser translation gives you the gist, but mistakes are easy: the 颜色分类 field is not just color but any variant (model, set), and 尺码 is size. Sellers reply in Chinese and rarely read English; translated interface versions are appearing, but trading still happens in Chinese.
The minimum order — 起批量
Almost every listing shows 起批量 — the minimum order quantity — and several price tiers, typically 2–99 units at one price, 100–499 cheaper, 500 and up cheaper still. Some sellers accept 1 unit (一件代发, dropshipping); factories often start at a few hundred. 混批, a mixed batch, counts the minimum by order total rather than per item. Order less than the 起批量 and the seller will not ship or will cancel.
How to read the price in a listing
Prices on 1688 are per unit in yuan (¥) and depend on quantity: look at the tier for your volume, not the lowest figure. Domestic shipping to the warehouse (运费) is often charged separately; 包邮 means it is included.
Payment through Alipay and WeChat Pay
1688 takes payment in yuan through Alipay, WeChat Pay and Chinese bank cards. A Kazakh card can in principle be linked to Alipay, but for 1688 purchases it generally fails or runs into limits and extra fees; Russian cards usually do not go through at all. You cannot pay in tenge — you need yuan. The options a CIS buyer actually has are in how to pay a supplier in China.
Shipping within China only
A 1688 seller ships only within China, by courier such as 中通, 圆通 or 顺丰; an address in Almaty or Astana cannot be entered. So you need a warehouse in China to receive, check and forward the goods. ChinaGoGlobal has four: the main one in Foshan, Guangdong — next to the manufacturing clusters behind much of what is sold on 1688 — plus Guangzhou, Yiwu and Khorgos on the Kazakhstan border.
How to buy from 1688: step-by-step guide
Do steps 1–4 yourself even if you will not buy on your own — then you know exactly what to order. An agent usually handles steps 5–9.
- Find the product. Search in Chinese: translate the name or take keywords from a similar Taobao listing. The 1688 app also has image search. Filter by the 实力商家 (“strong seller”) and 深度验厂 (“verified factory”) badges.
- Check the seller. Years on the platform (诚信通), repeat purchase rate (回头率), ratings for description, service and shipping, and factory (生产厂家) or trading company (贸易公司). Longer history, lower risk.
- Work through the listing. Pin down the variant: color or model (颜色分类), size (尺码), what is included. Check the 起批量 and the price tier for your quantity. Screenshot the chosen variant — it helps you and the agent.
- Clarify details with the seller. Stock, dispatch time (发货时间), mixed batch (混批), domestic shipping cost and packaging. Sellers usually understand short questions put through a translator.
- Register or hand the order to an agent. Buying yourself needs a verified account (usually a Chinese phone number) and a working payment method. Without them, a sourcing agent steps in: you send links, quantities, variants and screenshots.
- Pay. 1688 usually holds the money until you confirm receipt (担保交易), which protects the buyer. Through an agent, you pay the agent the total and the agent pays the seller.
- Enter a China address. The order goes to a warehouse in China; include your client code or order number so the warehouse knows whose boxes they are.
- Receive and inspect at the warehouse. Quantity, variant and visible defects are checked against the order. File any claim before confirming receipt — afterwards, refunds are much harder.
- Ship to Kazakhstan. Goods from different sellers are consolidated, repacked and sent by air, road, truck or rail; customs and documents for a sole proprietor or LLP are handled here.
Send a screenshot, not a description
The most common mistake is ordering the wrong variant: “blue, size M” can mean three different items. Send a screenshot with the variant and quantity highlighted — then exactly what you chose gets ordered.
Why you need a sourcing agent
A sourcing agent (also called a buying agent or intermediary) is a company in China that does everything that needs a presence there: pays the seller in yuan, handles the Chinese chat, receives, checks and ships the goods. In effect, it opens 1688 to buyers in Kazakhstan. Compared with buying on your own:
| On your own | Through an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Account and verification | Chinese phone number and ID check | Not needed — the agent orders |
| Paying the seller | Alipay or WeChat Pay in yuan | You pay the agent; it pays the seller |
| Talking to the seller | In Chinese, yourself | The agent's manager |
| Delivery address | Own warehouse or contacts in China | The agent's warehouse in China |
| Inspection | No check before shipping | Inspection, photo/video report on request |
| Delivery to Kazakhstan | Find a carrier yourself | The agent consolidates and ships |
| Cost | No agent fee, but bank fees and risk | Agent commission — on request |
ChinaGoGlobal has worked as a sourcing agent since 2024: it buys goods on 1688, Taobao, Pinduoduo, Alibaba and directly from factories — our Chinese team member handles negotiations with sellers — receives them at one of its four warehouses in China — Foshan, Guangzhou, Yiwu or Khorgos, checks quality with a photo and video report and ships to Kazakhstan, Russia and the CIS. If the product is not on 1688 or you want a factory directly, there is a separate supplier search service.
How it works with ChinaGoGlobal
- You send the order on WhatsApp. Links to 1688 products, quantities, variants (screenshots are best), delivery city and timing.
- The manager checks and quotes. They confirm stock, 起批量, the price for your quantity and domestic shipping with the seller, then send a quote for goods, delivery and commission — on request, once they have seen the task.
- You approve the total, ChinaGoGlobal buys the goods. We pay the seller and address the order to the nearest of our warehouses — for example, the main Foshan warehouse: 广东省佛山市南海区启承工业园93号 自编12号.
- Receiving and inspection. Goods are checked against the order, with a photo and video report on request; defects are recorded before receipt is confirmed, while a claim can still be raised.
- Consolidation and dispatch. Orders from several sellers are combined, repacked and sent by the method you chose — warehouse and consolidation let you ship goods from different suppliers as one cargo.
- Customs and documents. Clearance, documents for a sole proprietor or LLP and help with certification are also on the agent's side — see customs clearance.
Delivery times and cost to Kazakhstan
Transit times count from dispatch at our warehouse in China; add the seller's time to prepare the order and get it to the warehouse — usually a few days to two weeks.
- Air — 2–3 days, from 2 kg. Urgent batches, samples, light high-value goods.
- Road — 7–10 days, from 10 kg. The usual choice for consolidated cargo to Almaty and Astana.
- Truck — 10–14 days, from 10 kg. Large batches.
- Rail — 20–30 days, from 1 metric ton. Heavy, bulky cargo where price beats speed.
- Sea — timing on request.
Cargo can be insured for 2% of the goods' value; if insured cargo is damaged, the company pays the full value or reorders the same goods at its own expense. Shipping cost depends on weight, volume and method — estimate it in the delivery calculator; the exact figure is confirmed after weighing.
Common mistakes when ordering on 1688
- Going by the lowest price in the listing. It applies to large quantities; your batch may cost noticeably more.
- Ignoring the 起批量. An order below the minimum gets cancelled and you lose time.
- Confusing a factory with a reseller. A trading company (贸易公司) may charge more than the factory (生产厂家) and take less responsibility for quality.
- Ordering a large batch without a sample. Listing photos are often not of this exact product. Order 1–2 units, get a photo report from the warehouse, then the batch.
- Confirming receipt before inspection. Once you confirm (确认收货), the money goes to the seller and claims are handled reluctantly.
- Not calculating the full cost. Domestic shipping, international delivery, duties and the agent's commission come on top of the product price — compare that figure with the Kaspi price.
More typical slip-ups: mistakes when sourcing from China.
Can I order from 1688 on my own?
Yes, if you have a verified account, yuan to pay with and an address in China — say, you visit Guangzhou yourself or have a partner there. Experienced buyers do exactly that and outsource only the warehouse and delivery. For most sellers from Kazakhstan and the CIS, especially on first orders, buying alone adds risk: the wrong variant, a declined payment, uninspected goods, cargo nobody can receive. A sourcing agent removes these risks, and its fee is usually comparable to the loss from one mistake.
How much does ordering through an agent cost?
The commission depends on the task: number of items, order value, whether inspection is needed and the delivery method. ChinaGoGlobal quotes each order individually — send the links and quantities on WhatsApp and a manager will prepare a quote.
Is 1688 suitable for Kaspi and Wildberries?
Yes — for most categories (home goods, electronics and accessories, clothing, children's products) 1688 gives the best purchase price, as long as you budget the full landed cost with delivery and documents. How we work with marketplace sellers: for marketplace sellers.