Getting Ready Can foreigners directly purchase from Taobao/Tmall? Taobao allows shipping to 15 countries and regions outside mainland China. These include the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia (added in Sept. 2022), South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. If you’re from any of these places, you can register for a Taobao account and make purchases on Taobao.com using your bank card.
Taobao provides different shipping options for each region, which I will explain in detail in Part 5 on how to select and use Taobao’s official shipping service.
Note: If you’re not from the listed regions, you’ll need to order from Taobao through a Taobao shopping agent or shipping agent who can assist you in purchasing and shipping items from Taobao.
Which Taobao website can foreigners buy from? Taobao has multiple websites, each catering to different user groups, which can be confusing for newcomers. Here’s an overview of the different websites:
- www.taobao.com or Taobao app (手机淘宝) This is the main Taobao website primarily for domestic users and includes all products and features.
- world.taobao.com or Taobao Lite app (淘宝Lite) This is Taobao’s website for foreign buyers and offers some special deals for international users. However, certain products or categories may be restricted, limiting your search options on this site.
- www.tmall.com or Tmall app (手机天猫) Tmall can be considered as a curated version of Taobao, featuring major companies and brands. You can find official flagship stores of brands like Nike, Adidas, Samsung, Apple, and more. Generally, prices on Tmall are higher because sellers have to pay additional commissions to Tmall.
- https://2.taobao.com or Xianyu (Idle Fish) app (闲鱼) This is Taobao’s second-hand marketplace where you can find a wide range of inexpensive items.
You need to register a Taobao account to access these websites, but please note that they are all available only in Chinese. If you don’t understand Chinese, it can pose a challenge.
Taobao’s official international shipping supports taobao.com, world.taobao.com, and Tmall. Xianyu is not supported for international shipping.
Step 1: Register a Taobao account
About the mobile number, I understand that you may feel uncomfortable providing your real mobile number to a foreign website. However, I still recommend using a valid long-term mobile number to register your Taobao account. Taobao periodically sends SMS messages to verify your account. If your account gets locked or frozen and the number you provided is invalid, it becomes extremely difficult to recover it.
Registering a Taobao account on a PC
Creating an account on your PC is straightforward since Taobao offers an English version of the sign-up page. I have written another post explaining how to register a Taobao account. Simply follow the steps outlined there, and you’ll be able to get your Taobao account.
Taobao frequently suspends or blocks accounts if they detect login attempts from different devices or IP addresses. So, it’s advisable not to change your PC or IP when using a new account.
Registering a Taobao account on your smartphone
You can also install the Taobao Lite (淘宝Lite) app on your mobile phone and register your account there. This method is easier and provides greater security for your account. I highly recommend using this approach to create your Taobao account.
AliWangWang (阿里旺旺)
AliWangWang is a chat software similar to Skype. You can use it to communicate with sellers on 1688.com and Taobao. Sellers also use AliWangWang as the primary tool to send important messages to you.
However, you cannot register for an AliWangWang account separately. You can only sign in with your Taobao username and password. Therefore, after creating a Taobao account, you can download AliWangWang and sign in directly to communicate with sellers. Here is the official download page.
Step 2: Adding Your Address
The first task I recommend after registering your account is to add your shipping address. Taobao allows you to save up to 20 shipping addresses.
To add or modify your address, click on “Shipping Address” in the left sidebar of the admin page. It works similarly to other websites where you can enter and edit your address information.
Ensure that your cellphone number is correct because the shipping forwarder or your local courier will send you messages regarding the movement of your parcel.
It’s important to note that changing your shipping address after submitting an order can be tricky. Therefore, double-check the shipping address before finalizing your order. If you need to change the shipping address after the seller has already shipped your order, you will have to cancel the order and place a new one.
Step 3: Choosing the Product and Seller
Finding the Right Product To search for products on Taobao, you can use product images and English keywords. Here’s a guide on how to do it.
The Product Page When you browse and shop on the translated Taobao.com site, you’ll see a page layout similar to the one shown in the image below. Clicking “Buy Now” will take you directly to checkout. If you’re adding items to your shopping cart, you’ll need to check (√) the items you want to purchase before activating the orange “Submit” button.
Checking Seller Rating and Reviews
Before falling in love with an item, it’s important to check the seller’s rating and reviews on the product page. However, be cautious about the reviews on the top or first review page, as many of them are often paid fake reviews. It’s also advisable to avoid buying from new sellers with zero or few ratings, regardless of how good their prices may seem.
Step 4: Place The Order
After you’ve submitted your order, you’ll be directed to the confirmation page. Here, you can select the delivery address, choose the shipping method, and double-check the final product details.
Confirming the Delivery Address On this page, you have the option to update or choose the address you previously added, or you can even add a new address if needed.
Choose the Shipping Method Once you’ve confirmed your shipping address, you’ll be presented with various shipping options available for your location.
Taobao provides a total of four shipping solutions, with different options supported in each area. For example, if you’re from Singapore, you’ll see all four shipping options in the screenshot above (Label 2 – Label 5). However, if your shipping address is in the United States, you’ll only see two options (Label 3 and Label 5).
Here are the areas supported by each shipping option:
| Shipping Name | Shipping Method | Supported |
| Taobao Consolidated Shipping-Air freight(集运空运) | Air | USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan |
| Taobao Consolidated Shipping-Sea freight(集运海运) | Sea | Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan |
| Taobao Direct Shipping(官方直送) | Air | Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan |
| Contact the seller to ship the goods(自行联系卖家发货) | # | All areas |
In the above screenshot, I have marked 5 labels, now I will explain these 5 labels one by one.
- Label 1 (自提取件): This option allows you to choose a pick-up point in certain areas where you can personally collect your order. The local courier company will store your order at the designated pick-up location, and you can retrieve it yourself. To select the pick-up location, you can click on the details (详情) provided on the right side of this option.
- Label 2 (官方集运-海运) and Label 3 (官方集运-空运): These two labels represent Taobao Consolidated Shipping (淘宝集运), and their overall process is the same. The difference lies in the shipping method: Label 2 refers to shipping orders from China to your country by sea, while Label 3 pertains to shipping orders to your country by air. Whether you choose air or sea, both options offer door-to-door service. Once your shipment arrives in your country and clears customs, your local courier company will deliver it to your specified address.
- Label 4 represents Taobao Direct Shipping (官方直送): This shipping method works similarly to the purchasing process on platforms like Amazon or AliExpress. Your orders will be sent directly to you as individual packages. When using Taobao Direct Shipping, you’ll need to make a one-time payment that includes the order value, domestic shipping fee, and the estimated international shipping fee. However, please note that sometimes the estimated international shipping fee provided by Taobao may not be accurate, and in such cases, the warehouse may contact you to pay any additional shipping costs. Taobao Direct Shipping tends to be more expensive, so it’s recommended for urgent or small orders. If you have a large order and want to save on shipping fees, it’s advisable to choose consolidated shipping instead.
- Label 5 indicates the option to contact the seller for shipping the goods (自行联系卖家发货): When selecting this option, the seller will see your actual address instead of the China warehouse address. If the seller supports international shipping, they will send your order to your provided address and provide you with an international tracking number. However, it’s important to note that most sellers on Taobao do not offer international shipping. In such cases, they may cancel the order. Therefore, it is not recommended to choose this option as it may result in difficulties or cancellations.
Once you’ve submitted the order, the next step is to confirm your order information.
Taobao sellers provide various options for each product, so it’s crucial to carefully review and select the appropriate options that meet your requirements. Additionally, ensure that you purchase the correct quantity of products to avoid any mistakes or discrepancies. Take your time to finalize these details and proceed with confidence.
Step 5: Make your payment
After you have submitted your order, you will be redirected to the Alipay account platform to proceed with the first payment. On this platform, you will see your unique User Name associated with your Alipay account.
Creating an Alipay payment password If this is your first time using Alipay, you will need to create a payment password specifically for Alipay. This password should consist of six non-repeating numerical digits. It is important to note that this password is unique and different from your Taobao.com password.
Choosing a payment method You will then have the option to select a payment method from the following choices:
Credit card Supported cards include VISA, MASTERCARD, and JCB. A service fee of 3% applies. Sellers who have a credit card payment gateway have a transaction limit of 10,000 RMB and a daily limit of 10,000 RMB. Sellers without a credit card payment gateway have a transaction limit of 6,000 RMB and a daily limit of 6,000 RMB.
Malaysia eBanking A service fee of 1.5% applies.
Alipay gift card (支付宝购物卡) No service fee is charged. Australians can purchase these gift cards from local post offices. The transaction limit is 4,500 RMB, and the daily limit is 5,000 RMB.
Once you have completed the first payment, you can navigate to the “Purchased Items” section to track the status of your order.
Using a Taobao agent can be a better solution!
Using a Taobao Agent can provide numerous benefits to anyone who wants to shop on the platform globally. The Taobao Agent acts as a middleman between the Taobao seller and the international buyer and offers services that make Taobao shopping safe, convenient, and stress-free.
You can use Taobao Agent to order from Taobao to any countries, including Japan, South Korea, New Zealands, Spain, Brazil, U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Netherlands, etc.
One of the primary benefits of using a Taobao Agent is that they can purchase your requested products on your behalf, eliminating the need for you to communicate with sellers who may not speak English fluently. Additionally, they handle all communication with sellers effectively, ensuring that your order specifications are understood and met.
Taobao Agents also offer storage services and product quality checks to ensure that your orders are received and stored correctly and that the items you receive match the specifications and standards you provided. They also provide packaging services, including removing unnecessary packages like shoeboxes, to help you save on shipping costs.
Consolidation services are another significant benefit of using a Taobao Agent. They allow you to combine your orders and ship them in a single package, saving you money on shipping costs. Taobao Agents also offer a variety of payment methods, including PayPal, Western Union, and Bank Transfer, for your convenience.
I highly recommend Superbuy, a top-tier Taobao agent that has made my shopping experience seamless and stress-free.
Go sign up for Superbuy!
The sign-up process is super simple. I think I just took 1 minute to complete the whole account sign-up. All you need to do are just 3 steps:
- Enter your email address
- Set up your password
- Verify your email address
Read more: Superbuy Shopping [A Beginner’s Guide 2024]
What can’t foreigners buy directly from Taobao?
Before placing an order, it’s important to know that there are certain sensitive items that Taobao and the shipping forwarder will not allow foreigners to purchase and ship.
If sensitive items are detected in your parcel, your orders may be rejected by the forwarder’s warehouse, and some items may even be confiscated and destroyed.
Below are the eight most common categories of sensitive items that you should avoid purchasing:
- Items that exceed the size or weight limits set by Taobao’s warehouse: Each forwarder’s warehouse has specific limits on the maximum weight and size of parcels they can accept. Make sure your parcel doesn’t exceed these limits. You can check the limits on the Taobao website.
- Food: Items like tea, instant noodles, bamboo products, etc.
- Liquid, paste, and powdered items: Cosmetics such as perfume, lipstick, foundation, nail polish, pencils, pens, alcohol, thermometers, ink, etc.
- Knives and guns: Survival knives, toy guns, water BB guns, etc.
- Electronic devices: Humidifiers, rice cookers, electric toys, vacuum cleaners, etc.
- Magnetic items or parts: Magnets, audio equipment (speakers, headphones), motors, compass, coils, etc.
- Batteries and items containing batteries: Mobile phones, computers, power banks, watches, lithium batteries, etc.
- Branded, fake, replica, or counterfeit items: The warehouse staff doesn’t open and check each order for authenticity. They often rely on information from your online order or the outer packaging of the parcel. If they spot sensitive brand logos such as Nike, Adidas, LV, Gucci, Prada, they will reject the order.
If you still wish to purchase branded or replica items from Taobao, instruct the sellers to use simple, neutral packaging without prominently displaying brand logos.
For a list of items that Taobao cannot ship, refer to another post on prohibited items. It’s advisable to review that list to ensure your items are not included.
If you’re still unsure, I recommend contacting the support of the shipping forwarder and providing them with the product link. They will provide you with the correct information.
If you want to buy prohibited items from Taobao, you’ll need to use a Taobao agent who can offer various shipping solutions to deliver those items to you.
FAQ: About how to order from Taobao
What is the typical duration for receiving my Taobao order? Here is an approximate delivery timeframe provided by the shipping company:
– USA: Approximately 12 business days
– Canada: Approximately 12 business days
– Australia: Approximately 12 business days by Air, 35 business days by Sea
– New Zealand: Approximately 12 business days
– Singapore: Approximately 5 business days by Air, 15 business days by Sea
– West Malaysia: Approximately 5 business days by Air, 20 business days by Sea
– East Malaysia: Approximately 7 business days by Air, 30 business days by Sea
– Japan: Approximately 5-12 business days
– Hong Kong: Approximately 3-7 business days
Please note that these are estimated delivery times, and during peak seasons, it may take longer. If you notice that your tracking status has not been updated for an extended period, it is advisable to contact your warehouse as the package might be lost or held in customs.
The speed of local customs clearance and postal services will also impact the overall delivery time.
You can track it via your account center on taobao.com or via contacting the seller.
If you have selected UPS or DHL for shipping, they will send you an email with a customs invoice and collect the required fees upon delivery at your doorstep.
In the case of EMS, once your parcel arrives at your local post office, you will receive a phone call from the post office notifying you of its arrival. You will then need to visit the post office in person and make the necessary payment.
Once the seller has shipped the goods, you have a 25-day window to request a refund.
During the initial 10 days, you can initiate a refund by clicking the “Refund” button. In the following 15 days, you can request a refund through the “After-sales application”.
If a refund is approved, the money will be returned to your credit card within 7 business days. The service fee will be refunded to you if the refund is initiated within 30 calendar days from the time of your payment. However, after 30 days, the service fee will not be refunded.
You can return the goods from the warehouse to the sellers, but the return shipping address is needed, you have to contact the seller to ask for it.
