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How Ghanaian importers pay 1688 suppliers in RMB: what makes 1688 different from other marketplaces, what to collect from your supplier or agent, and how to structure deposits and balances.
1688 is a Chinese wholesale marketplace aimed at buyers inside China. Listings are priced in RMB, and the sellers on it are set up to receive RMB — not Cedis, and usually not foreign card payments either. For a Ghanaian importer, that means the payment side, not the shopping side, is where orders stall.
Many Ghanaian buyers work through an agent who purchases on their behalf inside China. Whether you buy directly or through an agent, the money has to arrive as RMB in an account the supplier or agent can use. That is the gap ELITE RMB fills: you pay Ghana Cedis from your side, and the RMB is delivered to the account specified in your transaction.
Do this before you open a transaction. Wholesale orders are usually larger and more structured than one-off purchases, so getting the details right the first time matters more.
| What to ask for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Exact RMB amount due | 1688 prices are quoted in RMB. A converted-in-your-head figure is where errors creep in. |
| Recipient name | It should match the receiving account. A mismatch is a common cause of delay. |
| Account type | A Chinese bank account, Alipay or WeChat Pay — whichever your supplier or agent actually uses. |
| Account details or wallet ID | The specific destination for the RMB. |
| QR code | Where the account type uses one, so the destination is scanned rather than retyped. |
| Order or invoice number | So you and your supplier can both match the payment to the order. |
Wholesale buying rarely happens in a single payment. Structure each one as its own transaction so nothing becomes unclear later.
| Payment type | How to handle it |
|---|---|
| Deposit to start production | Open a transaction referencing the order number. Tell your supplier the amount and that it has been sent. |
| Balance before shipping | Open a new transaction for the balance and keep the deposit reference alongside it. |
| Agent funding | If your agent buys across several sellers on your behalf, fund them in one transaction and reference which orders it covers. |
| Freight or handling | Often quoted separately. Treat it as its own payment with its own reference. |
Yes. If your supplier or agent on 1688 is expecting RMB, you can submit a transaction with ELITE RMB stating the RMB amount and the recipient account, and fund it in Ghana Cedis from your own account.
No. 1688 is a Chinese domestic wholesale marketplace, run by the same group as Alibaba.com but aimed at buyers inside China, and priced in RMB. Alibaba.com is the international marketplace, usually priced in US dollars. That is exactly why a 1688 order needs an RMB payment route.
The exact RMB amount due, their name as it appears on the receiving account, the account type they receive into (a Chinese bank account, Alipay or WeChat Pay), the account details, and their QR code if that account type uses one. Also ask for the order or invoice number so both sides can match the payment.
Wholesale orders commonly start with a deposit and finish with a balance before shipping. Each of those is a separate payment, so open a separate transaction for each and keep the references together.
The practical route is the one ELITE RMB supports: you fund the payment in Ghana Cedis and ELITE RMB delivers the RMB to your supplier or agent. Trying to pay a RMB-only marketplace directly with a foreign card is where most people run into trouble.
Order problems are between you and your supplier. ELITE RMB’s role is the payment. Keep your transaction reference and the order number so that if you need to discuss the payment with ELITE RMB, you have both to hand.
Create an account, add the supplier details you collected and fund your side in Ghana Cedis.