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How to verify a supplier before you pay

You cannot fly to every factory or audit every supplier. Free public records can still confirm the legal entity, distinguish manufacturing evidence from self-description and surface contradictions before you send money. Here is what to check, with no paid badge and no claim of certainty.

The 7 things to check

  1. 1. Exists and is operating now

    Confirm the company is registered and active in an official registry, files its reports, and its age matches what it claims. A live website and a working email help, but the registry is the proof.

  2. 2. A maker, not a middleman

    The single most reliable check. A real factory carries a manufacturing activity code in the business registry, ships the same goods for years, and sits in an industrial area. A reseller sells everything, reuses catalog photos, and lists a home address.

  3. 3. Sanctions and debarment records

    Search the sanctions and public-contract debarment sources relevant to the company. A clear result means no match in the named sources at the time checked, not every list worldwide.

  4. 4. Published debt and court records

    Where public registers exist, look for court judgments, enforcement, insolvency and tax-debt records. No result means only that those named sources showed no record at the time checked.

  5. 5. Sound people behind it

    The director is not disqualified or a figurehead sitting on dozens of firms, the company is not one of many at a single address, and ownership does not change suspiciously.

  6. 6. Credentials check out

    The numbers and certificates the company declares are checked with whoever issues them in its country: the tax ID with the tax authority, the legal entity ID with the global register, certificates with their issuers. Outside proof beats a self-declared badge.

  7. 7. Reachable and responsive

    Answers enquiries and has a working corporate email, so you can actually reach them and get a reply.

You do not need to do all of this by hand. On every company profile we show what we could find in the open records, each with a link to the free public source so you can re-check it yourself.

Verify a supplier by country

Pick a country to see its official government registry, the company ID to ask for, and how to confirm a supplier is registered and active before you pay.

Known risks by product category

And the moment that actually costs people money

Every scam story ends the same way: the buyer sent the money. The payment method a supplier insists on is the clearest last-second tell, because a scammer cannot accept a method you could reverse.

Protect Your Money Before You Pay+

Safe Bets (You can get a refund)

  • Credit cards
  • PayPal (specifically "Goods and Services")
  • Escrow services (where your money is held safely until the goods actually arrive)
  • Letter of Credit (best for large, bulk orders)

Red Flags (Your money is gone for good)

  • Wire transfers to personal bank accounts
  • Crypto
  • Western Union or MoneyGram
  • Gift cards

The ultimate warning sign: If a supplier refuses cards or escrow and only pushes for non-reversible payment methods, walk away immediately. This is the number one sign of a scam. Either insist on escrow or drop the deal.

Double-check the names: The name on the bank account must perfectly match the officially registered company name. If it doesn't, stop right there.

First-time orders: Always use an independent escrow service for your first order. This ensures the supplier only gets paid after you have the goods in hand.

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