Alibaba
Category: Source & Diversify Suppliers
MarketplaceCommercialFreemium
Visit resource ↗What it is useful for
Large-scale supplier discovery, RFQ outreach, and early price-benchmarking across categories.
Helpful terms: MOQMinimum order quantity is the smallest order volume, value, carton count, pallet count, or production batch a supplier will accept for a given price or specification., Proforma InvoiceA pre-contract or pre-shipment seller document that fixes the proposed goods, price, currency, Incoterm, payment schedule, beneficiary details, and shipment assumptions before a PO, deposit, or production release., TT PaymentA telegraphic transfer or bank wire used to pay a trade counterparty directly, often split into deposit and balance milestones tied to production, inspection, shipment, or documents.
Guidance
Best used for: Building a supplier longlist before identity, quote, quality, and payment controls.
Watch out for: A platform listing is not proof of factory ownership, compliance, quality capability, or payment safety.