Factory order control / Payment milestones
How our factory manages a custom order.
A documented path from a 40% project-start payment to production drawings, tooling, 100% inspection, packing approval and shipment release.
When agreed in writing, a suitable project can use a 40% / 30% / 30% staged payment structure. The first 40% starts the project. The second 30% follows production, 100% piece-by-piece inspection and buyer approval of agreed finished-product evidence. The final 30% is paid after packing, when the order is ready for shipment and before courier or forwarder pickup.
One controlled sequence
Every payment is attached to a visible project state.
The workflow has three buyer control gates: production approval, finished-product approval and shipment release.
Commercial control
First, define what the order and each payment actually include.
What the buyer should send
- Product type and intended use
- Front and reverse artwork or a clear reference
- Finished dimensions and thickness
- Quantity for each separate design
- Relief, plating and color direction
- Ribbon, clutch, keyring or other attachment
- Individual packing and carton requirements
- Delivery country, postcode and required arrival date
What the written order should state
- Controlled product and artwork version
- Material, process, tooling and sample scope
- Unit price, quantity and separate charges
- Plating, color, attachment and packing
- Production and approval milestones
- Inspection evidence or third-party inspection
- Freight scope and delivery responsibility
- Payment percentages and exact triggers
40% project-start payment
Engineering and production documents come before the mold.
After the agreed 40% payment, the factory team starts the project work listed in the quotation. This may include engineering review, production drawings, tooling preparation, materials, accessories and a physical sample when included.
A complete production approval can include:
- 3D production drawingFront, reverse, dimensions, thickness, 2D or 3D relief, outline, holes and structural relationships.
- Flat color artworkColor areas, boundaries, orientation and the approved artwork version.
- Plating and finish specificationNamed finish, reference standard or approved physical sample when applicable.
- Ribbon and attachment specificationDimensions, material, print artwork, hardware and assembly instruction.
- Packing instructionIndividual protection, presentation packing, labels and export-carton requirements.
Approval gate: required production documents must be approved in writing before the factory proceeds with the mold or the next controlled production stage. A verbal assumption does not replace the final approved file.
Tooling and production
Approved records move with the order through the factory.
Changes after drawing, tooling or sample approval may require revised documents, tooling adjustments, another sample, extra cost or a new schedule. The revised written version becomes the new control record.
100% inspection before packing
Every finished item is checked piece by piece.
“100% inspection” means every finished product receives a manual check before packing. The applicable criteria come from the approved drawing, artwork, process specification, attachment and packing instructions, physical sample where applicable, and agreed production tolerances.
Surface and plating
Finish direction, obvious scratches, stains, bubbles, missing coverage and visible defects.
Artwork and color
Correct design version, text, orientation, color areas and visible print or enamel condition.
Structure and assembly
Product form, applicable dimensions, moving or functional parts and attachment security.
Ribbon and accessories
Correct ribbon, color, print, cut, stitching, clutch, ring, magnet or other specified component.
Version and quantity
Correct front, reverse, variant, ordered quantity and allocation between separate designs.
Packing readiness
Only conforming pieces move to the approved individual-packing and carton stage.
A piece-by-piece check does not remove the need for an agreed acceptance standard. Plated metal, hand-applied color and textile ribbon can have normal production variation; acceptable tolerances should be defined before production when they are critical to use.
Second 30% payment
The buyer reviews finished-product evidence before packing is finalized.
After production and the factory's piece-by-piece inspection, the agreed review evidence can include batch views, front and reverse views, plating and color detail, relief, ribbon or attachment, and any project-specific checkpoint.
Photos and video are useful for appearance and visible details, but they do not replace every dimensional measurement or specialist test. A larger or higher-risk order can include an independent pre-shipment inspection if its scope is agreed before the order begins.
Define third-party inspection before production.
- Who selects and books the inspection company?
- Who pays the inspection fee?
- Will the inspection be sampled or piece by piece?
- Which measurements, functions and packing points are checked?
- How does the report affect the second payment and shipment date?
- What happens if re-inspection is required?
Packing and final 30%
The final payment is tied to shipment readiness.
The factory completes
- Individual packing and accessory organization
- Final quantity reconciliation
- Inner and export-carton packing
- Carton marks or labels
- Carton count, dimensions and gross weight
- Recipient name, address and telephone check
- Courier, air, sea or forwarder handoff plan
Packed and ready for shipment
The final 30% is paid after packing and shipment-data verification and before the courier or freight forwarder collects the goods.
About spare pieces
When the product and actual production count allow, the factory team commonly includes a small number of spare pieces to help with isolated transit damage, event distribution loss or an individual quality concern. Unless a quotation or order document states a specific quantity, spares are not a guaranteed percentage and do not replace normal quality control.
Shipment release
After final payment, the order is handed to the agreed carrier.
Production completion and transit time are different. The full lead time can include approvals, tooling, sampling, production, inspection, packing, international transport, customs clearance and final delivery. DAP, DDP and other delivery responsibilities must match the written quotation.
Payment map
What each milestone means in practice.
| Project state | Payment | Factory output | Buyer confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order confirmed | 40% | Written quotation or PI; engineering and production preparation begins | Scope, price, schedule and payment triggers |
| Production documents | — | 3D drawing, flat artwork, process, attachment and packing specification | Written approval for tooling or the next controlled stage |
| Tooling / sample | As quoted | Tooling and physical sample when included | Revision list or mass-production approval |
| Production complete | — | 100% piece-by-piece inspection | Wait for agreed evidence |
| Finished goods approved | 30% | Photos, video or agreed inspection evidence | Finished-product approval |
| Packed and ready | 30% | Quantity, cartons, dimensions, gross weight and shipment preparation | Shipment-release milestone |
| Payment complete | Paid in full | Carrier handoff and applicable transport documents | Track, import and receive according to the agreed delivery term |
Shared responsibility
Clear ownership prevents avoidable disputes.
| Stage | Factory team | Buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Inquiry | Identify missing technical and delivery information | Provide complete, truthful requirements and the real deadline |
| Quotation | Define commercial scope, exclusions and payment triggers | Verify the supplier, payee and order content |
| Drawings | Prepare manufacturable controlled documents | Review carefully and approve one final version in writing |
| Sample | Make the agreed configuration and disclose known differences | Approve or provide one controlled revision list |
| Production | Manufacture and run process checks against approved records | Avoid unrecorded changes after production begins |
| Inspection | Check every piece and provide agreed evidence | Review evidence or arrange the agreed third-party inspection |
| Packing | Pack, reconcile quantity and record shipment data | Confirm recipient and special label requirements |
| Shipment | Release after final payment and provide applicable documents | Complete agreed import, duty and receiving responsibilities |
When something needs attention
Return to the approved records first.
If the buyer, factory or inspector identifies a concern, the review should compare the goods with the latest approved 3D drawing, flat artwork, color and plating specification, attachments, packing instruction, physical sample where applicable, and written quality requirement.
The factory may pause the next stage if drawings remain unapproved, an artwork change affects tooling, packing or recipient data is incomplete, a due payment has not arrived, an inspection result needs resolution, or changed bank details have not been independently verified. A pause prevents an unresolved issue from moving into tooling, mass production or shipment.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers before a custom order begins.
Does every order use 40% / 30% / 30% terms?
No. This structure is available when both parties confirm it in writing. Order value, tooling exposure, complexity, sampling and payment method may change the final terms. The formal quotation or proforma invoice controls.
Does the mold start immediately after the first 40%?
The payment starts the agreed project work. Required engineering and production documents must still be approved before the mold is made against the final controlled version.
When is the second 30% paid?
After production and the factory's 100% piece-by-piece inspection, when the buyer has reviewed and approved the agreed finished-product photos, video or inspection evidence.
When is the final 30% paid?
After packing and shipment-data verification, when the order is ready for shipment and before courier or forwarder pickup.
Can the buyer arrange third-party inspection?
Yes. The company, fee, timing, scope, sampling standard and effect on payment and shipment should be written into the order plan before production.
What exactly does 100% inspection mean?
Every finished item receives a manual check before packing for the applicable plating, color, artwork, visible workmanship, assembly, accessories and ribbon stitching requirements.
Are spare pieces guaranteed?
No fixed percentage is guaranteed unless the order document says so. A small number may be included when the product and actual production count allow.
What happens after final payment?
The packed order is released to the agreed courier, forwarder or nominated China warehouse, and applicable tracking or shipping documents are provided.
Build a reviewable order
Send the artwork, size, quantity, attachments, packing, destination and required arrival date.
The factory team will place the product specification, approval stages, payment triggers and delivery scope into one written quotation.