Direct answer: A useful supplier inquiry explains the exact product, quantity, packaging and delivery request before asking for a price. Send the same description and numbered questions to every supplier. Ask each supplier to state what is included, what is not included and where its answer differs from your request. This makes the replies easier to compare.
This guide is an educational template. Adapt it to your product, destination and any legal, safety, customs or marketplace requirements that apply.
Prepare These Details Before You Contact a Supplier
A product link alone can leave the material, size, accessories, packaging and delivery arrangement open to interpretation. Before asking for a quotation, write down:
- Which product you mean. Use a clear name and attach the exact product link, photo, drawing or specification you want the supplier to review.
- How it should be made. State the material, important dimensions, colour, finish, included parts and required function that you already know.
- How many you want quoted. Separate a sample quantity from the first order quantity. List the quantity for each colour, size or model.
- What packaging or labels you need. Say what belongs in the main quotation and which packaging option should be shown separately.
- Where delivery responsibility should end. Name the China delivery point or the requested delivery term and place when you understand which option you need.
- Which details are still undecided. Write each missing detail as a question instead of allowing the supplier to guess silently.
If these details are not ready, first create a product specification for your first China order.
Copy-and-Send China Supplier Inquiry
Copy the message below. Complete the sentences with your real product information and remove any sentence that does not apply. Do not copy an example value that is not true for your request.
Subject: Quote request for the product described below
Hello,
I am comparing suppliers for the following product:
The product will be used for:
Please quote using the attached specification or reference file named:
The material, size, finish and included parts I require are:
Please quote this sample quantity:
Please quote this first-order quantity:
The quantity for each colour, size or model is:
The main quotation should include this packaging and these labels:
Please show any other packaging option separately rather than replacing the main request.
The delivery point or delivery term and named place I want quoted is:
The date that matters to me is for this specific step:
I have not yet decided the following details. Please answer the questions instead of making an unlisted assumption:
Please answer the numbered questions below separately.
1. What is the unit price for the exact product and quantity described above? 2. What is the minimum order quantity? Does it apply to each model, colour or size, or to the total order? 3. Which costs are not included in the unit price? 4. Are there separate charges for tooling, setup, artwork, labels or packaging? 5. Can you provide a sample? Please state the sample price, how long it would take to prepare and the available delivery options. 6. How long would production or dispatch take after the product details and payment terms are agreed? 7. What packaging would you use? When available, please provide the estimated number of units per carton, carton dimensions and gross weight. 8. What payment stages would apply, and who would receive the payment for this transaction? 9. Which part of my request can you not meet? Please list any different material, quantity, packaging or delivery option as a separate suggestion. 10. Until what date is this quotation valid?
Please attach the current product photos, your written confirmation of the specification and any packaging information relevant to this quotation.
Thank you. I will compare each reply against the same product request and ask about any difference.
The message asks for a supplier’s quotation. It does not confirm that the supplier can make the product, that a payment is safe or that any stated timing will be achieved.
Why Numbered Questions Make Replies Easier to Compare
“Best price?” leaves too many things open. A supplier may answer with a price for a different material, quantity or package. Numbered questions make missing answers visible.
If a supplier answers the price and quantity questions but does not explain packaging, write: “The packaging question has not been answered yet.” Do not treat silence as confirmation that packaging is included.
Ask for Useful Quantity Options
Ask for quantities that you could realistically order. A practical request may include a sample quantity, a first test quantity and one possible repeat quantity. Each option should use the same product requirements and packaging so the prices remain comparable.
Do not claim that you will place a large future order merely to obtain a lower number. Ask the supplier whether its minimum applies to each colour, size or model or to the order as a whole.
Keep Your Request Separate From a Supplier’s Suggestion
A supplier may suggest another material, size, package or quantity. That suggestion may be useful, but it should not silently replace the product you asked every supplier to quote.
Use full sentences in your comparison notes:
- Matches my request: “The supplier confirmed the material and size stated in my specification.”
- Supplier suggested a change: “The supplier proposed another material and gave a separate price. I have not accepted the change.”
- No clear answer yet: “The supplier did not state whether the quoted price includes individual packaging.”
Follow Up When a Reply Is Incomplete
Send one short message that names the unanswered questions. For example:
Hello,
Thank you for your quotation. Before I compare it with the other replies, please confirm these points:
1. Which material and finish does your quoted price use? 2. Does the minimum quantity apply to each colour or to both colours combined? 3. Does the price include individual protective packaging? 4. What is the sample price and preparation time? 5. Which delivery point or delivery term does the price include?
Please also tell me if any answer differs from the attached product specification and describe the different option separately.
Thank you.
Replace the numbered questions with the actual gaps in the supplier’s reply. Do not send generic labels such as “MOQ basis” without explaining what you need the supplier to confirm.
Record Each Reply in the Same Columns
Do not compare several message threads from memory. Transfer each answer into one table.
| What you are comparing | Supplier’s answer | Does it match your request? | Source | Question to send next |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product material, size and finish | Copy the supplier’s exact answer | Write a sentence: matches, differs or not answered | Quote, message or file name and date | Ask only what remains unclear |
| Quantity and minimum order | Record whether the minimum applies per option or in total | State any difference from your requested quantity | Quote or message date | Ask how colour/size splits affect the minimum |
| Unit price and currency | Record the number and currency exactly | Confirm the same quantity and product were priced | Quotation name and date | Ask which costs are excluded |
| Separate or one-time charges | List tooling, setup, artwork, label or packaging charges | State whether each charge applies to the current request | Quotation line or message | Ask when each charge is paid |
| Packaging and labels | Record what is included | State any different packaging assumption | Packaging file, quote or message | Ask for carton details when available |
| Sample | Record price, preparation time and delivery option | State whether it uses the requested product version | Quote or message | Ask what the sample will and will not confirm |
| Production or dispatch timing | Record the supplier’s stated basis | State which event starts the period | Quote or message | Ask what must be approved first |
| Delivery arrangement | Record the named point or term/place | State whether it matches your request | Quotation | Ask which transport costs are included |
| Payment stages and recipient | Copy the written answer exactly | Flag any difference or missing identity for separate review | Quotation or payment instruction | Do not guess; ask for clarification |
| Quotation validity | Record the last valid date | Note if no date was provided | Quotation | Ask for the date |
Preserve the current ungated download link and filename here: Download the supplier inquiry and reply tracker CSV.
When the replies use the same product and quantity, continue with How to Compare Quotes from Chinese Suppliers.
Where This Inquiry Fits in the Sourcing Process
- Write the product requirements.
- Find and shortlist manufacturer candidates.
- Send the same product description and questions to each candidate.
- Record what matches, what differs and what has not been answered.
- Compare complete quotations.
- Decide what a sample or other product-specific check needs to show before the next commitment.
- When relevant, use the 1688 buying workflow checklist to organize later payment and shipping questions.
If you are asking an agent to describe or coordinate project work instead of asking a supplier to quote the product, use the China sourcing agent brief template instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should the first message to a Chinese supplier include?
Include the product and intended use, the exact specification or reference file, sample or first-order quantity, colour and size split, packaging, delivery request and the date that matters. Ask numbered questions about price, minimum quantity, samples, timing, exclusions and payment stages.
Should I ask for the best price first?
Ask for a price tied to one defined product, quantity, package and delivery request. “Best price” on its own may produce a low number based on a different material or missing cost.
Should I send the same inquiry to every supplier?
Yes, when you want comparable replies. Keep the product, quantity, packaging, delivery request and core questions the same. Add supplier-specific questions separately after the common questions have been answered.
What if I do not know every product detail?
Write what has not been decided and ask a direct question. For example: “I have not selected the exact material. Please identify the material used in your quotation and show any alternative separately.” Do not allow each supplier to choose a different answer without telling you.
How many suppliers should I contact?
There is no universal number. Contact enough relevant candidates to compare credible alternatives without creating more conversations than you can document. Clear, comparable replies matter more than an arbitrary total.
Does a detailed reply prove that the supplier can make the product?
No. A detailed reply improves the quotation record, but supplier identity, product capability, sample results and transaction risk need separate order-specific checks.
Can I use this template on 1688, Alibaba, email or messaging apps?
The questions can be adapted to any of those channels. Platform features, payment routes and transaction protections differ, so follow the current instructions for the account and transaction you are using. Keep important terms in the relevant quotation or order record.
What should I do when a supplier avoids one question?
Ask one focused follow-up and write that the point has not been answered. If it changes the product, price, payment, packaging or delivery comparison, do not treat the quotation as complete until the answer is clear.
Source note
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Alibaba Buyer Resources, “How to send an effective inquiry on Alibaba.com,” accessed 2026-09-14: activity.alibaba.com/page/resources/how-to-send-an-effective-inquiry.html
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Internal evidence frameworks: product specification, manufacturer discovery and supplier quotation comparison articles listed above.