You pay the factory. You pay me separately. Your goods money never passes through me.
Where the money goes
Every order I run involves two separate payments to two different places. Only one of them is a payment to me, and it is never the money for your goods.
The full order value, on the factory's own proforma invoice, to the factory's own account. I do not relay the money, hold it, or add anything to the price they quoted you.
5–8% of the order value, or the fixed price of a report. One invoice from me, in USD, EUR or GBP, with the scope and the amount written on it.
No deposit, no balance, no shipping money. If something goes wrong with the order, you are not also chasing me for the money you paid the factory.
Payment methods
These are the routes I accept for my own fee. Pick whichever is normal for your company. What your own provider or the platform charges you is between you and them — I invoice one amount, in one currency, and the amount does not change with the route you choose.
Who it suits: most buyers, including first-time orders.
I raise the invoice through Payoneer and you pay by card, or by local bank transfer in USD, EUR or GBP — the same way you would pay a company in the United States. There is a fee on the Payoneer side for card payments.
Who it suits: buyers already using WorldFirst for Alibaba.com or AliExpress payments.
If you already have an account and would rather not open a second one, we can keep the payment inside WorldFirst. Same invoice, same currency options.
Who it suits: European buyers who want the exchange rate and the fee shown before they send.
You see the converted amount and the fee up front, before the money leaves your account, rather than working it out from your statement afterwards.
Who it suits: larger orders and company accounts that need a conventional wire.
I give you USD account details on the invoice. It is the slowest of the options — usually two to five business days — and both banks may charge a transfer fee.
Who it suits: buyers who would rather a platform held the money until the work is delivered.
We can run the engagement through Upwork or Fiverr and let their escrow hold the fee. Their fees and their dispute process apply, and the platform's terms govern the payment, not mine.
This page deliberately lists no bank account, Payoneer account or any other transferable account number, and no payment QR code. Account details are sent only inside a formal invoice or quotation, in reply to an email you started. Nothing on this page should ever be used as a payment instruction.
Timing
The order of events matters more than the payment method. My fee follows the order, it does not lead it.
| What | When it is paid | Why it is set up that way |
|---|---|---|
| Commission — 5–8% | After the order is placed with the factory — not before | If I do not find you a factory worth ordering from, you owe me nothing. I would rather earn your second order than trap you in your first. |
| Fixed-price report — $49 / $99 / $179 | On delivery — or in advance if your company's process requires it | Scope and price are agreed in writing first. Most buyers are invoiced when the report is delivered; some accounts departments can only pay against a proforma, and that is fine too. |
| Free first look at one supplier | Never charged | One supplier name, and an honest answer about whether a report is worth buying. No invoice follows it unless you ask for one. |
Order documents and payment milestones — deposit against the proforma invoice, balance tied to QC passing — are covered in how it works.
Invoices
Whatever the payment method, the paperwork is the same. It is written to be handed to an accountant without a follow-up question.
I invoice as an individual, not through a registered company — so it is my own name on the invoice, not a corporate one. That is stated in the FAQ as well, because it affects what some accounts departments will accept.
A fapiao requires a registered Chinese company to issue it. I work as an individual, so I cannot produce one, and most overseas buyers never need it — the English invoice is the document your accountant normally wants.
If you do need a fapiao, tell me before we start and I will say honestly whether it can be arranged. I would rather answer that question at the beginning than after the work is done.
If your company needs a purchase order number, a supplier code, a cost centre, or an invoice laid out on your own template, send me the details and I will issue it that way. It takes one email and it saves your accounts team a round of corrections.
The invoice is issued in one currency and the amount is fixed at that point. Any conversion, transfer or platform fee is charged by the payment provider, not added by me, so it is worth checking what your own provider charges before you choose a route.
Before you send anything
I will never send you new bank details by email without a way to verify them.
If you ever receive a message that looks like it comes from me and changes the account details, call or message me on the number on this site before you send anything.
Use the details on the contact page — they are the ones I actually read. Email lucas@lucas-yuan.com, or send a WhatsApp message. I am on GMT+8 and I answer within 24 hours.
I will never ask you to send money to a personal account with no invoice behind it, I will never ask you to pay my fee into the factory's account, and I will never ask you to change the account you pay the factory on the strength of an email alone.
Prices on this page are my direct rates. The same work is also sold as fixed packages on Fiverr and Upwork — those prices cover a different scope and include the platform’s fee.
Still unclear
Email me before you order — I would rather answer it now than after. If your finance team needs a specific payment route, a specific currency or a specific document, say so and I will tell you straight away whether I can do it.