MOQ on 1688 is one of those numbers that looks simple until it locks your cash for two months. Most content on this topic explains it from the supplier's side: what it is, why factories enforce it, how to read the tiered price table. This guide does the opposite. Work out what quantity makes sense for your capital and turnover speed first, then compare it against the supplier's number. That sequence changes how you evaluate every listing.
What MOQ on 1688 Actually Means
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is the smallest quantity a supplier will accept in a single transaction. On 1688, it appears as 起批量 (qi pi liang) inside the tiered pricing table, just below the variant selectors. Some shops write 起订量 instead. Functionally the same, different formatting by the shop.
Three things MOQ affects directly:
Your unit cost. The tiered table ties quantity to price. Order at MOQ and you pay the highest rate. Order four times the MOQ and you might save 20 to 30 percent per unit.
Your cash tied up in stock. Anything you order beyond what you can sell in 30 to 45 days is idle capital. That money cannot fund another SKU or cover platform fees while it sits in a box.
Your downside risk. An untested SKU at 200 units is real exposure. At 30 units, it is a test you can afford to fail.
The common mistake: seeing the MOQ, ordering exactly that number, and only afterward asking whether the quantity fits the business. Do it the other way.
Hard MOQ and Soft MOQ: Know the Difference Before You Contact Any Supplier
Hard MOQ is fixed and non-negotiable. You find it on custom and made-to-order goods: items marked 定制, products requiring logo printing, ODM/OEM manufacturing where tooling costs exist before your order runs. The supplier has real sunk costs before unit one ships and will not budge.
Soft MOQ is the number on the page, but it moves in conversation. This applies to 现货 (in-stock) goods sitting in the warehouse ready to ship. The supplier prefers a smaller closed deal over holding inventory, so they will often accept lower quantities for a small price premium or a repeat-order commitment.
To identify which type you are dealing with: check the listing description for 定制 or 现货 labels. When unclear, ask directly in chat:
您好，我想订购 [X] 件，低于起批量，可以接受吗？价格上我可以接受稍微高一些。
(Roughly: "Hi, I want to order [X] units, which is below your MOQ. Is that acceptable? I can pay a slightly higher price.")
In practice, the majority of fashion, accessories, and everyday household goods on 1688 are soft MOQ. Shops want to move stock. You miss real negotiating room if you assume every listed quantity is fixed.
Your Number First: A 3-Step Calculation Before Any Supplier Conversation
Run this before you open a chat window with any supplier.
Step 1: Set your goods budget for one SKU.
Take your total SKU budget and subtract all non-goods costs: freight, sourcing service fees, import duties, platform fees. For 1688-to-Vietnam imports, reserving 20 to 25 percent for those costs is a reasonable starting point. The full breakdown is in the guide on calculating total import costs from 1688. If your SKU budget is $200 USD, your goods budget sits around $150 to $160 USD.
Step 2: Calculate your capital ceiling.
Divide your goods budget by the unit price at your target quantity tier. Goods budget $160 USD, unit price $2.00 per piece: capital ceiling is 80 units.
Step 3: Compare against 30 to 45 day projected sell-through.
Your optimal quantity is the lower of two numbers: the capital ceiling, and what you expect to sell in a month to six weeks. If you realistically move 60 units per month on TikTok Shop or Shopee, your number is 60, not 80.
Full example with real numbers: $200 USD budget, 22 percent for fees, goods budget $156 USD, unit price $2.00, capital ceiling 78 units, projected monthly sales 60 units. Your number: 60 units. Now go check what the supplier's MOQ actually is.
For accurate inputs to this calculation, you need a solid handle on how to calculate cost of goods from 1688 and inventory turnover benchmarks by category.
Reading the MOQ on a 1688 Product Page
The 起批量 field sits inside the tiered pricing table, usually right below the color and size selectors. The first row is always the MOQ at the highest unit price. Rows below show larger quantities at progressively lower prices.
Two things to confirm before you order:
Per variant or per total order? If the table shows 每款 (per style), the MOQ applies to each individual color or size separately. If it shows 总计 (total), you can mix across variants to hit the combined threshold. Getting this wrong means ordering more of specific colorways than you need.
Does the shop support 混批 (mixed batch)? If yes, you can combine two or three colorways or models to reach the total MOQ without concentrating inventory in any single variant. Ask in chat if the listing does not make this clear.
When the Supplier's MOQ Is Higher Than Your Number
Three options, in priority order.
Negotiate the soft MOQ first. For 现货 stock, offer a small price premium in exchange for a lower quantity. This closes more often than operators expect, especially when you frame it as a first order before regular rebuys. "I'll pay [X] per unit and plan to reorder monthly" works better than simply asking for an exception.
Mix SKUs to reach the total. If the shop supports 混批, combine styles or colorways to hit the aggregate minimum without stacking all risk on one product. You get the quantity threshold, they move stock across multiple lines.
Switch sources. For commodity products with many competing listings on 1688, a 10 to 15 minute search usually surfaces a supplier with a lower MOQ at comparable quality. This is faster than trying to negotiate a hard MOQ down. The 1688 sourcing workflow for new SKUs covers how to evaluate alternatives quickly.
Skip negotiation and switch immediately when you see these signals: 定制 label on the listing, no chat response within 24 hours, or a 100 percent deposit required before any quantity discussion begins.
Common Questions About MOQ When Importing from 1688
What MOQ range should I expect?
It varies by category. Fashion and accessories: 10 to 50 units per style is typical. Household goods and basic electronics: 30 to 100 units. OEM/ODM or custom manufacturing: 200 and up, often much higher depending on tooling costs.
Can I order below MOQ?
Yes, for soft MOQ items with successful negotiation or by accepting the retail price tier on the table. No, for hard MOQ tied to a production run with committed setup costs.
Is MOQ per color/size or per total order?
Depends entirely on the supplier. Read the 每款 vs 总计 label in the price table and confirm in chat before you place the order. Never assume one way or the other.
Does using a sourcing agent change my MOQ?
The supplier's MOQ does not change. Some agents pool orders from multiple buyers to collectively hit a shared MOQ threshold, but you are then sharing quality control risk with unknown parties. Understand the model before you rely on it.
How do I know if a MOQ is negotiable?
In-stock goods (现货) with multiple competing shops selling the same product: almost always soft MOQ. Items with 定制 in the description, logo printing requirements, or custom manufacturing language: treat as hard until the supplier explicitly confirms otherwise in writing.
If you are tracking MOQ thresholds, cost tiers, and reorder points across a growing SKU list, the manual spreadsheet approach breaks down fast. Ordinex Scout is in private beta, built specifically for SEA operators sourcing from 1688 with this kind of structure built in. Request early access at ordinex.cc.