How to Verify a China Packaging Factory Before You Order

1. Start with the business licence and the credit code

Ask for the business licence (营业执照) as a scan, not a screenshot. Two things must match what you were told:

• The legal company name. Compare it character by character with the name on the quote, the invoice and the bank account. A trading company will happily quote you under a factory's name.
• The Unified Social Credit Code (USCC) — an 18-character code. It is the Chinese equivalent of a company registration number. Ask for it in writing; a factory that will not give it is usually not the entity that will invoice you.

The scope of business line on the licence should mention printing or paper-product manufacturing. If it only lists trading, general merchandise or import/export, you are talking to a middleman.

2. Look the certificate numbers up yourself

This is the step buyers skip, and it is the single fastest way to separate real factories from claims. Never accept a certificate image alone — a scan proves nothing. Take the number and search it in the issuing system:

Then check who holds the certificate. Factories commonly operate as a group: the export entity may hold trading documents while the affiliated printing plant holds the ISO and FSC certificates. That is normal — but it must be disclosed, and you should be able to name both legal entities. A supplier who lets you believe one company holds everything is the problem, not the group structure itself.

3. Ask for the on-site audit report

Platforms and third-party inspectors issue on-site check reports that state measurable facts: floor area, number of production lines, number of machines, staff count and the date of the visit. Ask for the report and match the numbers against the factory's marketing.

What to read closely:

• The date. A 2019 report describes a 2019 factory.
• The scope. Was the check on the production site, or only on the office?
• Who commissioned it. A platform-commissioned check is more independent than a self-commissioned brochure.

4. Insist on a live video walk-through

Photos and pre-recorded videos are cheap. A live call is not. Ask for a scheduled video call and specify what you want to see:

1. Walk from the entrance to the production floor in one continuous shot — no cuts.
2. Show the machine that will make your box type (die-cutter, gluing line, hot-foil unit).
3. Show the sample room and a finished box similar to yours.
4. Show the warehouse or the loading area for export cartons.

Watch for whether the person answering production questions is on the floor or reading from a script. Ask one technical question only a production person can answer, such as "what board grade do you use for a magnetic box of this size, and why?"

5. Order a paid sample before you talk about bulk

A sample is the cheapest risk control in the whole process. Pay for it — a supplier who will not produce a paid sample at a stated price either cannot make the structure or does not want to spend the time. Check:

• Is the size inside dimension what you asked for?
• Is the board grade and thickness as promised, or was it downgraded?
• Does the wrap paper lift at the corners after a day out of the box?
• Does the magnet or ribbon hold, and does the lid sit flush?
• Does the insert actually hold your product in place when the box is shaken?

Also record the sample turnaround you were quoted versus the day it arrived. That single data point predicts the bulk schedule better than any promise.

6. Get the commercial terms in writing

Before paying any deposit, have the supplier confirm in writing:

7. The eight red flags

1. Will not give the USCC or the licence scan.
2. Quotes a certificate but cannot give the number.
3. Says a certificate is "being renewed" and only sends an image.
4. Prices below the cost of the board, then adds charges after the deposit.
5. Refuses a live video call, or only sends edited video.
6. Only takes a free mailbox address, with no company domain email.
7. Asks for the full payment up front on a first order.
8. Cannot name the machine that will make your box.

Verification checklist you can send to a supplier

1. Business licence scan, legal name and Unified Social Credit Code.
2. Certificate numbers for ISO and FSC, plus the name of the certificate holder.
3. On-site audit or inspection report, with the date and the inspected address.
4. A 15-minute live video call of the production floor, scheduled in advance.
5. Price and lead time for a paid sample of your structure.
6. Minimum order per design and per size, in pieces.
7. Die ownership and reuse terms for repeat orders.
8. Named shipping term and port, in writing, on the quotation.

Send us your product size and quantity and we will answer all eight points in one reply, or read the questions buyers ask most below.

Verify us the same way

Send your product size, quantity and target date. We reply with a dieline, a 3D mockup and a quotation, and you are welcome to check every number on this page against the public databases before you order.

By the Xinhua Pack Legend production and export team · Enping, Guangdong, China · Facts reviewed 2 October 2026 · Certificate numbers and factory figures are taken from our published supplier profile and can be checked at the databases linked above.