A practical guide to Alibaba Gold and Verified suppliers. Can I trust them?
In September 2021, Alibaba discontinued its Gold Supplier membership. When filtering suppliers, you can only search for "verified" and "trade-assured" suppliers. This means that "verified" membership replaces Gold Suppliers.
I assume this is because Alibaba wants to charge more membership fees from suppliers. However, many buyers are still concerned about Chinese gold suppliers, wondering whether they should trust them. That's why I'm writing this blog to explain. I also compare gold with verified suppliers and share practical tips on how to find reliable suppliers.
Quick list
What does Gold Supplier mean on Alibaba?
Are Alibaba Gold Suppliers Safe? Can I Trust Them? (Including Practical Tips)
Gold supplier vs. verified supplier. What are the differences for suppliers and buyers?
FAQ: Who can become an Alibaba Gold Supplier?
What does Gold Supplier mean on Alibaba?
Gold Supplier is a paid membership. As long as registered companies meet Alibaba's certification requirements and pay the fee, they can easily achieve "gold" status. Membership years increase as long as they continue to pay.
Gold suppliers enjoy greater exposure compared to Alibaba's free membership. Therefore, most suppliers are willing to pay for this membership. And since it's easy to obtain, 99% of suppliers are "gold." But that doesn't mean they're completely trustworthy. When one standard applies to everyone, it's no longer a measure.
Are Alibaba Gold Suppliers Safe? Can I Trust Them? (Including Practical Tips)
These are the main concerns of buyers, especially those just starting out in business. Let's clarify these questions step by step.
First, Alibaba is safe. While Alibaba still favors buyers as a B2B platform, the word "safe" mentioned here has more to do with the reliability of the supplier you're partnering with. You might not feel safe if the supplier raises prices at the last minute, ships poor-quality products, or even delays delivery. None of this has anything to do with the Alibaba platform.
Gold suppliers are more secure compared to Alibaba's free members. Many people think that gold suppliers are certified by Alibaba. And that's what Alibaba claims on its website.
However, this isn't the case. Almost all suppliers are "gold" because they have paid membership fees. It's as if you opened a store on Amazon and paid $39.99 per month to get more marketing benefits for a better ranking. The same goes for Alibaba. Suppliers who pay $4,700 per year can be "gold." And that membership fee is the lowest compared to Global Sources or Made in China. Therefore, more and more companies are paying for the "gold" membership label.
In short, "Gold" membership for suppliers means marketing expenses. For Alibaba, it's part of revenue. Therefore, you can ignore the "Gold Supplier" badge. It's just a mark, not a standard for evaluating whether suppliers are trustworthy.
How to find reliable gold suppliers? Here are some practical tips.
Look for suppliers with longer operating periods, preferably more than 5 years. This is displayed alongside the logo.
Note whether the supplier is located in China's industrial clusters (Zhejiang/Guangdong).
Always focus on whether a supplier can manufacture the products as required and offer an acceptable MOQ plus price.
Don't go crazy looking for a factory. It depends on the scale of your business. For small businesses, merchants are suitable.
Select suppliers with trade assurance to protect your payment.
Gold Supplier vs. Verified Supplier
1. Membership fees
There are three Alibaba membership packages: Basic, Standard, and Premium. For example, suppliers in the United Kingdom can access the following package plans.
Alibaba provides services in over 200 countries, and membership prices vary slightly by region. For more detailed information, please contact Alibaba customer service representatives.
After consulting with Alibaba China service team, the exact charges are as follows:
Gold suppliers pay a membership fee of $4,700 per year.
Verified providers pay a higher membership price of $12,500 per year.
2. Membership Benefits
As explained by the Alibaba China service team, Gold and Verified suppliers are certified. However, Verified suppliers in China enjoy 40 product showcases, while Gold suppliers have access to only 10. Additionally, there are additional business capabilities and core product certifications, in addition to a 3-minute factory audit video for Verified suppliers. This can help Verified suppliers gain the trust of overseas buyers.
My perspective:
As for membership benefits, verified Chinese suppliers enjoy more than Gold suppliers. And that's as it should be. After all, the price has nearly tripled. In addition to more storefronts, verified suppliers can gain accurate traffic and more marketing data. Alibaba offers these benefits to help them rank higher.
Basically, the verified or gold label is obtained through payment. Therefore, sourcing from gold or verified suppliers doesn't mean everything will be fine.
FAQ: Who can become an Alibaba Gold Supplier?
All registered businesses with business licenses have the opportunity, provided they meet Alibaba's membership registration criteria. Most gold suppliers are Chinese companies, but that doesn't mean only Chinese companies can do so. Companies from Vietnam, India, and other countries could also achieve this if they simply pass authentication and verification.
By the way, registering a business is much easier these days. Three friends of mine started a trading company and rented an office. And their company was certified as a "gold supplier" after paying the fee.
Final thoughts
Gold supplier membership has been out of service. I never recommend buyers decide whether or not to trust a supplier simply based on their membership status. Furthermore, I wouldn't suggest spending a lot of time distinguishing between a wholesaler and a direct factory. Truth be told, it's also difficult for a Chinese buyer to do that. Therefore, as for buyers, it's wise to choose a supplier who can offer a fair price and a fair MOQ, and who takes your order seriously enough.
I hope this article helps you better understand Alibaba's gold suppliers. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
