Instructions & tips for import & customs clearance
Ordering samples is an essential step before you place a large order with your Amazon FBA manufacturer.
In this article, you’ll find out why this step is so important and what you should bear in mind when importing from China.
What are samples and why are they so important?
Samples are test copies of the product that you want to sell on Amazon later.
You should order several samples from different manufacturers to check and compare the quality.
Pictures on Alibaba are not enough to judge the actual quality of a product.
If you hold the product in your own hands, you can put yourself in the position of the customer, test all the functions extensively and thus ensure that it meets your customers’ expectations and requirements.
You can also ask friends and family for their opinions.
Your goal should be to bring the best possible quality to the market in order to achieve long-term success on Amazon.
Tip: Order samples from at least three manufacturers or morein order to have sufficient material for comparison.
Ideally, they will also send you the packaging material directly.
Also remember to test different variants such as colors and sizes.
After you have compared all samples and found the manufacturer with the best quality, you should – if you have worked out USPs and made changes to the product – definitely create a golden sample have it created.
The Golden Sample is the final version of your product, with all USPs and the final design.
What does a sample cost?
The cost of a sample is individual and depends on the manufacturer and product.
You can expect to pay around 15-50$ if you do not make any changes to the product.
If you want to incorporate USPs or have the logo engraved, it can be significantly more expensive.
There are also shipping costs.
What is a consolidation service for samples and how does it work?
If you order several samples from different manufacturers, you can save high shipping costs by consolidating the packages.
We can recommend the provider TipTrans for this.
TipTrans provides you with a Chinese address to which the manufacturers can send the samples.
TipTrans bundles them for you and sends them in a package to your home in Germany.
Tip: First ask each manufacturer about the shipping costs for the samples and use the TipTrans cost calculator to check which shipping option is the cheapest.
To do this, you need the exact weight and size of the individual samples.
In the TipTrans calculator you should enter the size of the final box when all the samples are together.
Click here for the cost calculator: https://www.tiptrans.com/shipping-cost
Step-by-step instructions for importing samples with TipTrans:
- Open the TipTrans page and click on “Get Started”: https://www.tiptrans.com/?lang=en&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_-GxBhC1ARIsADGgDjtL5eN4KupTGwTWlds2QfWvMKKzBlaRYuIpQagJf1dU_Yvgcwbl2nwaAmrnEALw_wcB
- Select the “Standard Free Plan”.
With this plan, you do not pay a monthly fee, but pay once for the consolidation and shipping of the samples. - Enter your contact details and address and confirm your email.
- As soon as you have registered, you can send the address assigned by TipTrans to your manufacturers in China.
To do this, go to the start page and scroll down until you find your Chinese address under “Your local addresses”. - As soon as your samples arrive at the TipTrans warehouse, you will be notified by email.
You can store them there for a maximum of one month free of charge. - Now you can add a “Content Description” to the individual samples under “Packages & Shipments”. Here you enter the quantity, description and value of the respective product. Tip: Also add the addition “C30 – JUST FOR SAMPLE USE” for customs.
- After this step, you can start consolidating.
You can add money to your account under “top up”.
The shipping costs depend on the size and weight of your samples.
The consolidation itself costs 5$. - Select the individual samples and click on “Consolidate”.
Then select option A.
As soon as the consolidation is confirmed, you will receive your email. - Under “Packages & Shipments” you will find the finished package.
Click on the package and then on “Shipping method” and select a shipping service provider. - In the last step, click on “Dispatch package” in the menu under “INFO” to start the dispatch.
How does customs clearance work?
If the value of your parcel is between €22 and €150, import sales tax of 19% will be charged.
If the value of the goods is over €150, the goods must be cleared through customs and you can pay the Affix the EORI number to the consignment.
Tip: Make sure that your manufacturer includes an invoice with the exact value of the goods enclosed!