Most guides on importing from 1688 answer "how much capital do I need?" with "it depends on your product and quantity." That answer is useless when you are trying to decide whether to start at all. Here is a concrete breakdown for three realistic budgets: 5M, 15M, and 30M VND, with exact allocation ratios and category examples, so you can run the numbers before you place anything.
Three Costs You Must Calculate Before Placing a 1688 Order
Product cost in CNY. The price you see on 1688 is in yuan. What you actually pay uses your sourcing agent's exchange rate, which typically runs 2-4% above the Vietcombank published rate on the day you pay. That spread is not fixed. CNY moves, and the rate quoted on Monday can differ by Thursday when payment clears. On top of the product price, add domestic China shipping from the factory to the consolidation warehouse. This is usually 5-20 CNY per supplier shipment, depending on size and distance.
China-to-Vietnam freight. Road averages 35,000-60,000đ per kg. Air runs 60,000-100,000đ per kg. Billing uses whichever is higher between actual weight and volumetric weight (L x W x H in cm, divided by 5,000). Light-but-bulky products almost always bill at volumetric. Items with batteries or liquids fall into separate rate categories. For a full route and cost comparison, see the cheapest ways to ship 1688 goods to Vietnam.
Sourcing agent fee. Most agents charge 1-5% of order value or a flat fee per SKU. The percentage model gets expensive at scale. The flat model is painful on small test orders. Know which structure your agent uses before you commit. For a side-by-side fee and turnaround comparison, see comparing 1688 order services in Vietnam.
10-15% risk buffer. Most first-timers cut this line to stretch their product budget. Do not. This covers defective units, wrong sizes or colors, and re-orders when quality fails inspection. On a first order from an unknown supplier, 10-15% is realistic, not conservative.
Capital Breakdown: 5M, 15M, and 30M VND
Capital Level | Product Cost | Logistics + Fees | Buffer |
|---|---|---|---|
5M VND | 3.5M (70%) | 1.0M (20%) | 0.5M (10%) |
15M VND | 10.5M (70%) | 3.0M (20%) | 1.5M (10%) |
30M VND | 21.0M (70%) | 6.0M (20%) | 3.0M (10%) |
5M VND suits phone accessories, low-priced cosmetics, and small decorative items. You can run 2-3 SKUs with 10-20 units each to hit supplier MOQs. The hard constraint: you cannot test multiple product variants in the same order cycle.
15M VND opens small home goods, basic fashion, and school supplies. Three to five SKUs running in parallel. At this level you have enough order volume to negotiate MOQs directly with the supplier instead of accepting whatever the listing states.
30M VND puts you in genuine wholesale territory. Suppliers negotiate seriously at this scale. You can spread across 6-10 SKUs for range testing, or concentrate on 1-2 SKUs to reach the unit price tier that makes margins work.
Practical note: add 5% to your total estimate to absorb CNY movement during the 3-5 days between order confirmation and payment.
Hidden Costs Most New Importers Miss
QC inspection fees. Pre-shipment inspection is not included by default. Budget 10,000-30,000đ per product if you want a check before goods ship. On a first order from a new factory, this cost is almost always worth absorbing. See how to check 1688 product quality before payment for what to ask your agent to inspect.
Repackaging. If cartons arrive damaged or you need to break a bulk box into individual units, agents charge 3,000-10,000đ per item. Small number per piece, significant on orders of 50-100 units.
Customs and import duties. Shipments under roughly 1 million VND declared value often clear without extra charges. Larger shipments, especially home goods and electronics, should carry a 5-10% buffer on declared value for customs fees. Do not skip this line if you are importing anything with a motor, screen, or plug.
Capital lock-up time. Road shipments tie up your cash for 7-15 days. Air is 3-5 days. During that window you cannot reinvest. Factor this into your route decision, not just the per-kg rate.
How to Allocate Capital Without Getting Cash-Stuck
The 70-20-10 rule (70% product, 20% logistics and fees, 10% buffer) is your working baseline. Do not push product spend above 80% even when a supplier is offering a deal. Logistics generates extras every time.
Split the order before going all in. On a 15M budget, place a 5M test first. Confirm supplier reliability and product quality, then release the remaining 10M. You give up a little on per-unit pricing, but you protect the bulk of your capital from a bad relationship. For a full pre-order cost checklist, see how to calculate 1688 import costs for beginners.
Run a break-even calculation before you order. Divide total landed cost by (selling price minus platform fees minus domestic shipping) to get the units you need to sell to recover your investment. If that number requires more than 30 days of realistic sales velocity, reconsider the category before you place anything. The full formula is in how to calculate cost of goods for 1688 imports.
Do not reinvest 100% of profit from batch one. Keep 30% liquid going into the second order. Supplier prices move. CNY moves. A cash reserve lets you absorb either without stalling.
Common Questions About 1688 Starting Capital
Can I start with under 5 million VND?
Yes, but you are limited to one SKU and suppliers with low MOQs (10 units or fewer). Small, light products like accessories or stationery work at this scale. Keep the 70-20-10 split and hold the buffer even on small orders. Skipping the buffer at low capital is where most beginners take their first loss.
How much does the CNY exchange rate gap actually cost me?
On a 5M budget with 3.5M in product spend, a 3% gap versus the bank rate costs roughly 105,000đ per order. That is manageable in isolation, but it compounds across multiple orders over a quarter. Always budget using your agent's posted rate, not the Vietcombank number you see online.
Should I include a sample order in my starting capital?
Yes. A sample typically costs 150,000-500,000đ including shipping, depending on product size and weight. Run one before committing to any supplier you have not used before. Count it as part of your sourcing cost, not a separate line item you can skip to stretch the budget.
Ordinex Scout (private beta) lets you search 1688 products, pull real-time CNY pricing, and estimate landed cost before you commit to an order. If you want early access, visit ordinex.cc.