How to Verify a Chinese Company Is Legally Registered (Before You Pay)

Verifying that a Chinese company is legally registered means checking its business license against the official registry: confirm the exact registered name, registered capital and business scope, then make sure the bank account you pay into carries that same registered name. If any of these don't line up, stop before sending money.

What a Chinese business license tells you

Every legitimate mainland company has a business license issued by the local Administration for Market Regulation (AMR). Ask for a clear copy and read four fields:

• Registered (legal) name, the Chinese-language name is the real identity; the English name on emails or a website is just marketing.
• Unified Social Credit Code, an 18-character ID that lets you look the company up in the official registry.
• Registered capital, a company registered with very little capital may lack the scale it claims.
• Business scope, a trading company whose scope is only "wholesale" is not the factory that makes your goods.

How to check the license against the registry

1. Take the registered Chinese name and Unified Social Credit Code from the license.
2. Look them up on China's national enterprise credit system (or have a Chinese-speaking agent do it) to confirm the company is active, not deregistered or flagged.
3. Check the registration date, a company created weeks before your deal deserves extra caution.
4. Confirm the business scope actually covers the products you're buying.

Match the bank account to the license

This is where most fraud is caught. The name on the invoice and the bank account should exactly match the registered company name on the license. Be very cautious if you're asked to pay a personal account, a Hong Kong company you can't verify, or a name that differs from the license "for tax reasons."

Which check catches what

• Business license review, What it catches: Company doesn't exist, wrong scope · Effort: Low
• Registry lookup, What it catches: Deregistered, brand-new or flagged firm · Effort: Low
• Bank account name match, What it catches: Payment diverted to a third party · Effort: Low
• Third-party company audit, What it catches: Real address, staff and capacity vs. a shell · Effort: Medium

When to order a full company audit

For a first order, a large deposit, or a supplier you found cold online, a paper check isn't enough. A local auditor visits the registered address, confirms the company physically operates there, and checks that it has the staff and space to deliver. It's the difference between a name on a document and a real business.

Frequently asked questions

Can I verify a Chinese company for free?

You can do the basics yourself, read the license and search the public registry by name or credit code. It's usually in Chinese, so many buyers ask a Chinese-speaking agent to confirm the details.

Is a Hong Kong company the same as a mainland one?

No. Hong Kong companies use a different registry and are easy to set up, so a Hong Kong "trading" entity paired with a mainland factory is common, verify each one separately.

Not sure a supplier is real? Hire a verified inspector or sourcing agent on Tohify to check the registration and visit the address before you pay.