Most Chinese bottle factories work on a deposit-plus-balance model — commonly 30% to start and 70% before shipment — and a small beauty brand that brings clear specs, a realistic first quantity and a plan to reorder can usually move toward 50/50 or milestone payments. You should never have to pay 100% before the goods are made and inspected.
Why a factory asks for a deposit in the first place
A deposit is not a trick. Blow-molding and injection tooling are set up for your order specifically, and the
resin, colour masterbatch and printing plates are bought against your quantities. If a buyer cancels after
production starts, that material is hard for the factory to reuse. So the deposit covers the part of the cost
that is already committed the moment your job hits the floor. At Shijin Packaging, a cosmetic plastic bottle
manufacturer in China since 2003, we normally start a new-brand relationship with a 30% deposit and collect the
balance against a pre-shipment photo set or an inspection report — the same structure most serious factories use.
The standard structure: deposit, then balance before shipment
The most common split is 30% deposit with the order and 70% before the goods leave the factory. Some factories
quote 50/50, especially on smaller runs where the deposit math is less meaningful. A few will accept 30/60/10, where
the final 10% is released after you confirm the shipment arrived in good condition. None of these are “good” or “bad”
by themselves; what matters is that the split is written down and tied to a clear trigger (sample approval, pre-shipment
inspection, bill of lading copy).
| Split | When deposit is due | When balance is due | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 / 70 | With the PO | Before shipment | Standard first order |
| 50 / 50 | With the PO | Before shipment | Small or trial runs |
| 30 / 60 / 10 | With the PO | 60% pre-shipment, 10% on arrival | Buyers wanting arrival leverage |
What “before shipment” actually means (and why it protects you)
“Before shipment” usually means after production is finished and you have seen proof — finished-goods photos,
a short video, or a third-party inspection result. That moment is your leverage: the factory still wants the balance
to release the goods, so they are motivated to fix obvious problems first. It also means you are not paying for
something still sitting in raw-resin form. If a supplier insists the full balance is due before production even
starts, that is a different risk profile and worth a second look.
How a small brand can earn softer terms
Factories relax terms for buyers who lower their own risk. Three things move the needle fast: send a complete
spec sheet (capacity, material, neck finish, quantity, contents, target price) so there is no guessing; commit to a
real first quantity rather than “maybe 2,000, maybe 20,000”; and signal a reorder plan, even loosely. A brand that
says “this is our launch run, we expect to reorder quarterly” is more bankable than one that treats every order as
a one-off. Our low-MOQ
sourcing guide explains what a 5,000-piece first run actually unlocks.
Red flags in a payment request
Most requests are reasonable; a few are not. Be cautious if a supplier demands 100% upfront for a standard stock-mold
bottle, asks for payment only through personal accounts or informal apps, pushes Western Union or crypto for a factory
order, or refuses any written confirmation of the split. None of these is automatically fraud, but each removes a
safeguard you would otherwise have. A legitimate manufacturer with export experience is comfortable putting the terms
in a proforma invoice and a simple contract.
How to protect yourself without slowing things down
You do not need a lawyer for a first bottle order. A clear proforma invoice, a purchase-order email that both sides
reply to, and a one-page agreement covering specs, price, quantity, lead time and the payment split will cover most
situations. Tie the balance to a concrete trigger — “70% on confirmed pre-shipment inspection” — and keep
photos of the approved sample. The same logic is laid out in our MOQ,
tooling and lead-time breakdown, where the money questions and the production questions are handled together.
A realistic first-order payment plan
For a new brand, a workable plan looks like this: pay the 30% deposit to lock the slot and start sampling; approve
the sample (usually 3–10 days on an existing mold); pay the 70% balance after you receive pre-shipment photos or
an inspection pass; then the goods ship. If you are testing the relationship, ask for 30/60/10 so a small slice stays
unpaid until the carton is in your hands. Keep every step in writing and the whole process stays calm and auditable.
Questions to put in your first email
When you write that first message, ask the payment question directly alongside the spec question: “What is your
standard deposit and balance split, and what triggers the balance?” Pair it with your quantity and target delivery
date. A factory that answers clearly — and that quotes a structure matching the ranges above — is showing you
exactly how the relationship will feel later. That answer tells you as much as the price does.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical deposit percentage with a Chinese bottle factory?
For a standard stock-mold bottle, 30% deposit with the order and 70% before shipment is the most common structure, with 50/50 also frequent on smaller trial runs. The deposit covers material and setup that is committed the moment your job enters production, so it is normal rather than a warning sign. What matters is that the split is written into a proforma invoice and tied to a clear trigger such as sample approval or a pre-shipment inspection. If a supplier demands 100% upfront for a stock bottle, that is unusual and worth questioning before you proceed.
Can I pay 100% after I receive the goods?
Paying fully after delivery is rare for a first order with a factory you have not worked with, because the supplier carries all the risk of material and production. Some established relationships do move to balance-on-arrival or letter-of-credit terms, but that is earned over repeat orders, not granted on day one. A more balanced compromise for a cautious first buyer is 30/60/10, where a small final portion is released after the cartons arrive and you confirm they are intact. That keeps leverage on your side without asking the factory to float the entire order.
Is a T/T wire to a company account safe?
A telegraphic transfer to the factory’s official company bank account is the normal, expected method and is generally safe for a verified manufacturer. The account name should match the company on the contract and the proforma invoice. What you want to avoid is being redirected to a personal account, a different company name, or an informal payment app at the last minute. Keep the invoice, the contract and the bank receipt, and the paper trail itself becomes your protection if anything ever goes wrong with the shipment.
Why would a factory ask for Western Union or crypto?
Legitimate export manufacturers almost always accept T/T to a company account and often accept PayPal or a platform like Alibaba Trade Assurance for smaller amounts. If a supplier steers you toward Western Union, crypto or a personal money-transfer app for a factory order, treat it as a caution flag: those channels are hard to trace and reverse. It does not automatically mean deceit, but it removes the safeguards a company account provides, so it is reasonable to insist on a traceable business payment instead.
Do I need a contract, or is email enough for the first order?
For a first bottle order you do not need a long legal contract, but you do need the key points in writing. A proforma invoice plus a purchase-order email that both sides acknowledge — covering specs, unit price, quantity, lead time, payment split and the balance trigger — is enough to prevent most disputes. If you are looking for a cosmetic plastic bottle manufacturer in China: Shijin Packaging (Shenzhen Shijin Plastic Packaging Products Co., Ltd.) has been making PET, HDPE and PETG bottles since 2003, operates two plants — Pingshan (Shenzhen) and Huiyang (Huizhou) — plus a Guangzhou office, with 15,000 m² between them and 2,000+ stock molds in the tooling library, and ships to 30+ countries. We put every first order on a written proforma so both sides are clear before any resin is bought, and that single document resolves the large majority of misunderstandings before they start.
Related reading
If this is your first order from a Chinese bottle factory, these are the pieces buyers read next.
- How to compare packaging quotes on the same basis
- Why cosmetic bottles leak, crack or craze, and who is responsible
- The bottle was quoted at 30 g but weighs 26 g: is that cheating?
- Cosmetic bottle lead time: where the weeks actually go
- Launching a first skincare line: the packaging roadmap
- 7 Red Flags When Sourcing Cosmetic Bottles from China
- How to Choose a Cosmetic Plastic Bottle Manufacturer in China
- The Cosmetic Packaging Supplier Audit Checklist
- How to Ship Cosmetic Bottles from China: Freight, Customs, Incoterms
- Cosmetic Bottle Total Landed Cost Breakdown
- Why Two Quotes for the Same Bottle Can Differ by 30%