Most custom sportswear orders from China are paid in two instalments: a deposit of around 30 percent before production starts, and the 70 percent balance before the goods leave the factory. The money moves either by T/T bank transfer straight to the factory, or through Alibaba Trade Assurance, which holds it in escrow until you confirm the goods. If you know how to pay a Chinese sportswear factory using one of those two routes, and you refuse everything else, you have removed most of the payment risk in this trade before you send a single dollar.
This guide sets out the terms that are normal, the checks worth running on a set of bank details, the red flags that should stop a payment, and how to line each instalment up against a production milestone rather than a calendar date. It is written from the factory side: Eliian has been making custom team kit in Xiamen since 1999, and these are the terms we quote and the questions buyers ask us most before their first order.
Key points
- 30 percent deposit, 70 percent before shipment is the industry standard for custom teamwear, and quotations are normally valid for 30 days.
- Two payment routes are legitimate: T/T bank transfer to the factory company account, or Alibaba Trade Assurance escrow.
- The beneficiary name on the bank details must match the business licence exactly. A personal account, or a third-party company, is a reason to stop.
- Never accept changed bank details by email mid-order. Confirm any change by voice or video call with the person you have been dealing with.
- Pay against milestones, not dates: deposit after mockup or sample approval, balance after pre-shipment inspection photos.
- Freight and import duty sit outside the garment price and are quoted and paid separately.
What payment terms are normal for a custom sportswear order?
A custom order is cut to your crest, your colours and your players names, so it has no resale value to anyone else. That single fact shapes every payment term in this industry. The factory needs enough money on the table to buy fabric and commit machine time, and you need enough leverage left to make sure the goods are right before the rest is released. A 30 / 70 split is where those two needs meet, and it has been the default for custom teamwear for decades.
| Stage | What happens | Typical payment | What you should hold at this point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quotation | Itemised quote by sport, quantity and size split | Nothing | A written quote, valid 30 days |
| Artwork approval | Free digital mockup, revised until you sign off | Nothing | The approved mockup, in writing |
| Order confirmation | Proforma invoice issued | 30 percent deposit | Signed proforma invoice with full bank details |
| Sampling (optional) | Physical pre-production sample made | Sample cost, sometimes credited against bulk | The sample in your hands |
| Bulk production | Cutting, printing, sewing, inline QC | Nothing | Production updates and photos |
| Pre-shipment | Final inspection, polybagging, packing | 70 percent balance | Inspection photos, packing list, invoice |
| Shipment | Freight booked by air, express or sea | Freight, if not prepaid | Bill of lading or airway bill, tracking |
Small trial orders are the common exception. On a first order of 10 to 20 pieces, the deposit and balance are often collapsed into a single payment up front, simply because splitting a few hundred dollars into two international transfers costs more in bank charges than it protects. Our custom team uniform cost and MOQ guide shows what those small runs actually price out at.
The three payment routes, compared
Buyers ask about a long list of methods, but in practice only three are worth considering for a custom apparel order, and they protect you in quite different ways.
| Route | How you are protected | Cost to you | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| T/T bank transfer | Contract and supplier reputation only. No platform sits in the middle, so recovery depends on the factory honouring its written terms. | Roughly 20 to 50 USD in bank charges per transfer | Repeat orders, larger runs, buyers who have already verified the factory |
| Alibaba Trade Assurance | Funds sit in platform escrow and are released only when you confirm the goods meet the agreed quality and shipping terms. An independent dispute process runs alongside the supplier policy. | Built into the platform pricing | First orders, buyers who have never met the supplier, schools that need a documented dispute route |
| Card or PayPal through a platform | Escrow plus the card scheme chargeback route, subject to the platform rules | Usually a processing fee of a few percent | Samples and small first orders where speed matters more than fee |
Eliian accepts T/T bank transfer and Alibaba Trade Assurance escrow, normally 30 percent deposit with the balance before shipment. If it is your first order and the amount makes you uncomfortable, Trade Assurance is the safer route and we will set the order up that way without being asked twice. What we do not do, and what no factory should ask you to do, is take payment to a personal account, in cryptocurrency, or by Western Union.
Is a 30 percent deposit safe? Work out what is actually at risk
The honest answer is that a deposit is never zero risk, but the exposure is usually much smaller than it feels. Put a number on it before you decide. Fifty fully sublimated jerseys at around 18 USD each is a 900 USD order, so the deposit is about 270 USD. That is the amount at risk between confirming the order and holding the goods, and it is the amount you should size your caution to.
Two things shrink that exposure further. First, order a physical sample before the bulk run, which costs a fraction of the order and tells you whether the factory can actually produce what it promised. Second, verify the company before you pay anything at all: our guide on how to verify a Chinese sportswear factory lists the documents and checks to run on any supplier, including us. A deposit sent to an audited factory with a published address and a verifiable business licence is a different proposition from a deposit sent to a WhatsApp number.
What Alibaba Trade Assurance covers, and what it does not
Trade Assurance is the strongest protection available to a first-time buyer of custom kit, and it is also routinely misunderstood. It covers what was written into the order on the platform: on-time shipment and product quality against the agreed specification. Your payment sits in Alibaba escrow rather than with the supplier, and it is released when you confirm the goods.
It does not cover things that were never written down. If the specification on the order says only custom soccer jersey, with no fabric weight, no Pantone reference and no size chart attached, there is very little for a dispute officer to measure your complaint against. It also does not cover a change of mind after you have approved the mockup, nor customs duty and clearance charges in your own country. The practical lesson is to put the approved mockup, the GSM, the Pantone codes and the size breakdown into the order text itself, not just into a chat thread.
Paying by T/T: five checks before the money leaves your bank
- Beneficiary name matches the business licence, character for character. Ours is Xiamen Eliian Industrial and Trading Co., Ltd. If a supplier sends bank details in a different company name, ask why in writing before you pay, and expect a documented answer.
- It is a company account, not a personal one. A Chinese manufacturer with an export licence has a corporate USD account. A request to pay an individual is the single most common feature of apparel payment fraud.
- The details arrive on a stamped proforma invoice, not in a chat message or a screenshot. The invoice is the document your own finance team, school bursar or auditor will need anyway.
- A mid-order change of bank details is treated as a security incident. Business email compromise works by intercepting a real order and sending a plausible new set of details near the balance payment. Confirm any change by voice or video with the person you already know, on the number you already had. Never confirm it by replying to the email that carried the change.
- Keep the SWIFT confirmation. Ask your bank for the MT103 and send a copy to the factory. It settles most is the money there conversations in a single message and gives you a paper trail if it does not arrive.
Match the payments to production milestones, not to dates
The most common cause of a payment dispute is not fraud. It is a balance payment that fell due on a date while the goods were still not right. Tie each instalment to a thing you can see, and most of that disappears.
| Instalment | Release it when | Not just because |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | You have approved the digital mockup in writing, and the proforma invoice matches the quote line for line | A date was agreed in a chat |
| Sample charge | You have seen the mockup and confirmed fabric and decoration method | The factory is ready to make it |
| Balance | You have pre-shipment inspection photos, or a third-party inspection report, and the packing list matches your size breakdown | The lead time has expired |
Our production begins only after mockup or sample approval and receipt of the agreed deposit, and lead times run from that approval date rather than from the day you enquired. That distinction matters if you are working to a season deadline, and it is set out in more detail in our sampling and lead time guide. Third-party pre-shipment inspection is welcome on any order, and appointing an inspector such as TUV or QIMA moves the quality check to before the balance is released rather than after delivery.
What should be on the proforma invoice
A proforma invoice is the closest thing to a contract most teamwear orders ever get, and a thin one is a warning in itself. Before you pay against it, check that it states:
- The full legal entity name, factory address and contact details of the supplier
- Your own organisation name and delivery address, spelled as it must appear on customs paperwork
- A line for every item, with quantity, size breakdown, unit price and total
- The decoration method, fabric and GSM, and any Pantone references
- Setup or artwork fees, sample charges, and whether the sample cost is credited against bulk
- The trade term, EXW, FOB or DDP, so it is clear which costs sit with whom
- Freight, stated separately from the garment price, or clearly marked as to be advised
- The payment split, the bank details, and the currency
- The lead time, expressed in working days from approval
- The claims window and the remedy if something is wrong
The trade term is the line buyers skip and later regret, because it decides who pays for freight, clearance and duty. Our comparison of DDP versus FOB on sportswear orders spells out where the cost lands in each case, and the shipping cost and import duty page gives the HS codes and country rates you need to calculate a landed cost before you commit.
Payment red flags that should stop the transfer
- Bank details in a personal name, or in a company name unrelated to the supplier you have been dealing with
- A request for 100 percent payment up front on a substantial first order, presented as a discount
- Cryptocurrency, Western Union, or a money transfer app
- New bank details arriving by email close to a balance payment, especially with an apology about an account being frozen
- Pressure and deadlines around the payment itself, rather than around production capacity
- A refusal to issue a stamped proforma invoice, or to put the specification in writing
- A supplier who will not do a live video call from the production floor before you pay
- A price so far below every other quote that a corner is clearly being cut somewhere
None of these on its own proves bad faith, and a small factory with weak English can trip over the paperwork ones innocently. But each of them is worth a direct question and a written answer before money moves, and two or more together is a reason to walk.
First order versus repeat orders
Terms usually loosen once a relationship exists, and it is reasonable to ask for that. On a repeat run of the same design, sampling and the one-time setup fee both drop away, so the order is faster and cheaper per piece than the first one. Many clubs move from Trade Assurance on order one to plain T/T on order three, simply because the platform fee stops buying them protection they still need. Longer terms, such as a balance due after arrival, exist in this trade but are normally reserved for buyers with a long order history and a large annual volume.
How clubs, schools and universities usually handle it
Institutional buyers have a different problem from a club treasurer with a debit card: the money can only move against a purchase order and a compliant invoice. If your school or university needs a PO number, a specific vendor form, or an invoice in a particular format, say so before the proforma invoice is issued rather than after, because reissuing it mid-order costs days. It is also worth checking early whether your finance office can pay an international transfer at all, or whether they need the order routed through a platform that accepts a card. Both are solvable, but only if they surface before the deposit is due.
Eliian payment terms in one place
| Item | Our terms |
|---|---|
| Accepted methods | T/T bank transfer, or Alibaba Trade Assurance escrow |
| Standard split | 30 percent deposit, balance before shipment |
| Small trial orders | May be paid in full up front |
| Minimum order | 10 pieces per design, mixed youth and adult sizes, names and numbers included |
| Indicative price | About 12 to 22 USD per fully sublimated jersey, polos from about 5 USD |
| Quotation validity | 30 days unless stated otherwise |
| Production starts | After mockup or sample approval and receipt of the deposit, or Trade Assurance order confirmation |
| Sample time | 5 to 7 days for jerseys and polos, 7 to 10 days for jackets and activewear |
| Bulk lead time | 15 to 20 days for jerseys and polos, 20 to 25 days for jackets and activewear, after approval |
| Freight | Quoted separately by air, express or sea, with DDP door to door available |
| Claims window | 7 days from delivery, with photos or video |
| Liability | Limited to the value of the order |
Every figure above is also published on our factory profile page and in our custom sportswear FAQ, so buyers, auditors and editors can cite a single source. The legal entity is Xiamen Eliian Industrial and Trading Co., Ltd., at No. 71, Chaoli Industrial Park, Meixi Road, Tong an District, Xiamen, Fujian, China. The factory passed a TUV Rheinland onsite supplier assessment in June 2026 and is an Alibaba verified video factory.
Frequently asked questions
What are normal payment terms for custom sportswear from China?
A 30 percent deposit before production with the 70 percent balance before shipment is the industry standard for custom teamwear. Payment is made either by T/T bank transfer to the factory company account or through Alibaba Trade Assurance escrow. Small trial orders are often paid in full up front because two international transfers cost more in bank charges than the split protects.
Is it safe to send a 30 percent deposit to a Chinese factory?
It is reasonably safe if you verify the company first and keep the amount in proportion. Check the business licence, confirm the bank account is in the same legal entity name, and insist on a stamped proforma invoice. On a 900 USD order the deposit is about 270 USD, which is the real exposure. If that still feels like too much on a first order, place it through Alibaba Trade Assurance so the money sits in escrow instead.
Can I pay for custom jerseys by credit card?
Not by paying a factory directly, because a direct payment is a bank transfer. Card and PayPal payments are available through the Alibaba platform, subject to a processing fee and the platform rules, which is why many buyers use that route for samples and small first orders. Eliian itself accepts T/T bank transfer and Alibaba Trade Assurance.
Should I pay 100 percent up front to get a better price?
No, not on a substantial first order. A full prepayment removes the only leverage you have if the goods are wrong, and a discount offered specifically for paying everything in advance is a common feature of apparel payment fraud. Paying in full is reasonable only on a small trial order where the total is low enough that the bank charges outweigh the risk.
What happens if I pay the deposit and the sample is wrong?
A sample that misses the approved mockup is remade to the correct specification before bulk production starts, which is the entire point of sampling. Nothing is cut for the bulk run until you approve. If a problem appears only after delivery of the bulk order, our remake, replacement and refund policy sets out the 7 day claims window, the evidence needed and the four remedies we work with.
Who pays the bank transfer fees?
Each side normally pays its own bank, so the buyer covers the sending fee and the supplier absorbs the receiving fee. Intermediary correspondent banks can also deduct a charge in transit, which is why a transfer sometimes arrives 15 to 30 USD short. Ask your bank to send the payment with charges to the sender if you want the invoiced amount to arrive intact.
Does the payment include freight and import duty?
No. Freight is quoted separately from the garment price, based on weight, volume and destination, and import duty, VAT or GST is set by your own customs authority and paid on arrival unless you order on DDP terms. Work out the landed cost from our shipping cost and import duty guide before you commit to a budget.
What payment details should I never accept?
A personal bank account, an account in a company name unrelated to your supplier, cryptocurrency, Western Union, or new bank details that arrive by email during an order. If bank details change mid-order, confirm the change by voice or video call with the contact you already know, using the number you already had, and never by replying to the email that carried the change.
Sources and review date
The payment split, quotation validity, the point at which production begins, the 7 day claims window and the limitation of liability to the order value are set out in our terms of service. Trade Assurance escrow protection is provided by Alibaba.com and governed by their platform rules. Lead times, sample times and indicative pricing are our own operational figures, also published on our factory profile. Bank charge amounts are typical market ranges, not a quoted fee. This page was written on 4 September 2026 and is reviewed whenever the underlying terms change.
Questions before you order are welcome on our contact page, on WhatsApp, or by email to yunying at eliian.com. Related guides: how to verify a Chinese sportswear factory, remake, replacement and refund policy, team uniform sizing and quality control, how to choose a custom teamwear manufacturer and our OEM and ODM services.