Three names to compare before paying a China supplier

1. Identify the legal company behind the sales conversation

Ask for the company's full registered Chinese name and Unified Social Credit Code. Keep these alongside the English trading name, website or marketplace profile and the salesperson's contact details. A trading name helps you recognise a business; the registered name and identifier help you distinguish legal entities with similar names.

Treat a screenshot of a business licence as a starting document. Check that its names and identifiers match the business you intend to contract with. Record where the document came from and when you received it. Company registration information describes an entity; it does not establish product quality, delivery ability or whether a particular message is authentic.

2. Identify who is selling under the invoice

Check the legal seller named on the invoice or contract, not only the logo at the top. Is it the same company as the supplier? If another company is selling the goods, ask which company has the obligation to supply them and why that structure is being used. Keep the written explanation with your order documents.

3. Identify the proposed payment beneficiary

Compare the beneficiary name on the payment instructions with the invoice seller. If there is a difference, ask the supplier to explain the relationship and provide supporting documents. An affiliate, export agent or collection arrangement may be legitimate; the label alone is not evidence of the relationship. A matching name also does not prove that the account belongs to the company or that payment is safe.

4. Record what is clear and what remains unresolved

Use a short table: supplier legal entity; invoice seller; beneficiary; relationship evidence; outstanding questions. If an important explanation cannot be checked, keep it visible as an unresolved issue instead of changing it into a positive result. Confirm unexpected payment instructions through independently obtained contact details.