What is a purchasing agent?
A purchasing agent buys products from Chinese shopping sites on your behalf and ships them to Korea. Buying directly from Chinese sites is often difficult due to language barriers, payment restrictions, and logistics complexity. PTO China handles the entire process — purchase, payment, quality inspection, consolidation, and international shipping.
Supported Chinese platforms
- Taobao — general open marketplace, mostly individual sellers
- Tmall — premium mall focused on brands and authentic goods
- 1688 — B2B platform for wholesale and bulk buying
- JD.com — large retailer with its own logistics network
- Product links from other Chinese sites can also be entered in your request
Just provide the product URL, quantity, options (color, size, model), and any special notes — our agent verifies the listing and sends you a quote.
Fees and cost breakdown
Your total cost consists of the product price, the service commission, and international shipping. The commission is a flat 5% of product value for everyone, with no signup or monthly fees.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Service commission | 5% of product value (flat rate, no tiers or membership levels) |
| Product price | Seller's listed price (negotiated where possible before quoting) |
| International shipping | Billed separately after goods arrive, by actual or volumetric weight |
| Signup / monthly fee | None |
| Exchange rate | Live CNY/KRW rate, stated on your invoice |
Shipping is calculated on the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight (L × W × H cm ÷ 6,000). Consolidating multiple orders into one shipment lowers the shipping cost.
The process, step by step (9 steps)
Submit a request & receive a quote
Enter the product URL, quantity, options, and any special notes. Our team reviews the request and sends a detailed quote.
Pay the overseas purchase fee
After reviewing the quote, transfer the overseas purchase amount (product cost + 5% commission). Shipping is not included at this stage.
Overseas purchase completed
Once payment is confirmed, our China team places the order and handles all Chinese-language communication, negotiation, and tracking with the seller.
Arrival at our China warehouse
Goods dispatched by the seller are received at our China fulfilment centre, inspected for visible damage or obvious defects, and matched to your order.
Shipping preparation & consolidation
When all your items have arrived, they are re-packaged for international transit, and multiple orders can be bundled into one shipment to save on shipping.
Weigh, measure & pay shipping fee
Shipping is calculated on the greater of actual or volumetric weight. Once confirmed, you pay the international shipping charge.
Dispatch from China warehouse
After shipping payment, your parcel is dispatched and handed to the freight carrier, and a tracking number is shared. (Air freight: usually within 1–2 business days.)
International shipping & Korean customs
On arrival in Korea the parcel clears customs. Import duties and VAT may apply depending on declared value and category, and we notify you if payment is required. (Air 5–10 days, sea 2–3 weeks.)
Domestic delivery to your door
After customs clearance, the parcel enters the Korean delivery network and is shipped to your address. (Typically 1–3 business days after clearance.)
From order to Korea delivery typically takes 10–18 business days by air freight. Sea freight takes longer but saves cost on heavy or bulky goods.
What the service includes
- Chinese-language communication and price negotiation with sellers
- Order placement and payment handling
- Basic quality check on arrival (matches description, no visible damage)
- Each item scanned, photographed, and matched to your order
- Consolidation of multiple orders and re-packaging for international transit
- Tracking number issuance and stage-by-stage tracking
Have your Personal Customs Clearance Code (개인통관고유부호) ready before ordering — it is required for all imports to Korea and is free to obtain from the Korea Customs Service. Business imports follow a separate customs process; contact us for details.