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eBay business policies for chinese suppliers

Optimize your eBay dropshipping setup with business policies for suppliers like AliExpress

Introduction

Setting up proper eBay business policies is essential when working with Chinese suppliers such as AliExpress. These policies determine how you receive payments, ship products, and handle returns.

By following this step-by-step guide, you’ll:

  • Create compliant and efficient payment, shipping, and return policies.

  • Avoid costly mistakes and account issues.

  • Provide accurate expectations to your buyers.

  • Streamline your listings with AutoDS automation.

👉 Learn More: eBay business policies for US 

Benefits

  • Avoid account suspensions: Stay compliant with eBay requirements.

  • Boost efficiency: Apply policies automatically to new listings.

  • Improve customer experience: Provide clear shipping and return details.

  • Simplify management: Use templates to handle multiple suppliers.

  • Expand reach: Optimize international shipping to sell globally.

 

Quick Jump

  1. Opt-in to eBay business policies
  2. Payment Policy
  3. Return Policy
  4. Shipping
    1. Domestic
    2. International 
    3. Additional shipping service for other countries
    4. Additional ship-to locations - buyers contact for costs
    5. Exclude shipping locations
  5. Transfer listings between policies
  6. Assign policies in AutoDS
  7. Product sourcing & policy matching
  8. Possible Issues & Workarounds
  9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

Opt-in to eBay Business Policies

  • eBay does not enable business policies by default. To use AutoDS, you must first activate it.

    👉 Learn More: Opt-in to eBay Business Policies

  • AutoDS requires selecting a policy when importing products. These policies ensure your listings follow supplier terms and support automation features like Dynamic Policies.

    👉 Learn More: How AutoDS Dynamic Policies work

Unlike US suppliers, Chinese suppliers take longer to ship out items. Additionally, they offer international shipping to many locations. Therefore, the template for these suppliers is a bit different.

We’ll use AliExpress for illustration since it is a popular Chinese supplier. However, policies may vary from supplier to supplier. If you want to work with multiple Chinese suppliers, create a separate template for each.

 

 

Payment Policy

  1. Go to eBay > Account Settings > Business Policies.

  2. Click Create Policy > Payment.

  3. Name it: eBay Payments – Immediate Pay.

  4. Enable: ✅ Set as default payment policy.

  5. Enable: ✅ Require immediate payment with Buy It Now.

  6. (Optional) If using PayPal, add your PayPal email.

  7. Save the policy.

 

 

Return Policy

  1. Create a new Return policy

  2. Name it: AliExpress-China Return Policies.

  3. Choose:

    1. Returns accepted: Yes

    2. Return period: 30 days

    3. Return shipping: Buyer pays

    4. International returns: ✅ Same as domestic

  4. Save the policy.

 

 

Shipping 

Domestic

  1. Create a new Shipping policy.

  2. Name it: AliExpress – China to US.

  3. Choose:

    • Type: Flat shipping rate

    • Service: Economy Shipping from outside US (11–23 business days)

    • Handling time: 5 days

  4. Add expedited option:

    • Service: Standard SpeedPAK (8–12 business days).

International

  1. Choose Flat rate.

  2. Locations: Canada, Europe, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia.

  3. Economy Shipping: Free ($0).

  4. Add Standard Shipping: $2.97 + $0.97 per extra item.

Additional shipping services

  • Locations: North & South America, Mexico, Brazil, Russian Federation.

  • Service: Economy Shipping from Greater China worldwide.

  • Cost: $4.97 + $3.97 per extra item.

Additional ship-to locations

  1. Enable: Will ship worldwide.

  2. Under “Additional ship-to locations,” select: ✅ Buyers contact for shipping costs.

Exclude shipping locations

  • Domestic: Alaska/Hawaii, US Protectorates, APO/FPO.

  • Asia: China, Hong Kong.

  • Central America & Caribbean: Puerto Rico.

Click Save after exclusions.

 

 

Transfer listings between policies

  1. On the Business Policies page, check the box beside the policy.
  2. Click Reassign Listings.
  3. Choose the new policy → click Change.
  4. Changes may take a few minutes to reflect.

 

 

Assign policies in AutoDS

  1. Go to Drafts tab → open product draft.

  2. Scroll to Policies section → assign correct Payment, Shipping, and Return policies.

  3. Click Import to upload.

For new products:

  1. Go to Settings > Supplier Settings > Lister.

  2. Select the Payment, Return, and Shipping policies for each supplier.

  3. AutoDS will apply them by default to every new listing.

💡 Tip: Under Settings > Supplier Settings > General, set a limit for Maximum Shipping Days. If exceeded, AutoDS automatically puts the product on hold.

👉 Learn More: Reasons Why a Product is in-Stock on the Source Site and 'On Hold' or OOS ( Out-of-stock) on AutoDS

 

 

Product sourcing & policy matching

Use the AutoDS Marketplace to check supplier shipping times and return policies before importing products. This ensures your eBay business policies match supplier requirements.

👉 Learn More: AutoDS Marketplace Feature - Full Overview

 

 

Possible Issues & Workarounds

Issue Workaround
New eBay policies not showing in AutoDS

It may take a few minutes to hours for new policies to sync. Resync your store and wait.

👉 Learn More: Renew your store token and resync your store in AutoDS: When and How to do it

Can’t import products without policies

Create at least one default Payment, Shipping, and Return policy in eBay. Use AutoDS dynamic policy feature for automation.

👉 Learn More: How does the eBay Dynamic Policy feature work?

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I use one policy for multiple suppliers?
A: Yes, if their requirements are identical. Otherwise, create separate policies.

Q: What is the AutoDS dynamic policy feature?
A: It allows you to manage multiple suppliers without manually creating separate policies. AutoDS calculates delivery times and applies the right policy automatically.

Q: Why enable immediate payment?
A: It ensures buyers pay before shipment, preventing cancellations and improving cash flow.

Q: Can I offer international shipping with Chinese suppliers?
A: Yes, and it’s recommended. Just set accurate times, costs, and exclude unsupported regions.

Q: What happens if I don’t set up business policies before importing products?
A: You won’t be able to import products, since eBay requires a business policy selection for each listing.

Q: Why is handling time important?
A: It’s the period between order and providing tracking. With Chinese suppliers, set 5 days. Shorter times improve ranking but only if realistic.