6 Essential Preparations for Global Selling! Payments? Logistics? (Part 2)

Last time we covered three key topics:

1. Foreign currency credit card
2. Domestic company registration
3. Hong Kong or foreign company entity

Beyond the above, there are 3 more preparations to complete before you can officially start your money-losing journey in cross-border e-commerce independent stores!

4. Setting Up Payment and Withdrawal Accounts

I actually have a dedicated article on this topic: The Most Complete Guide to Payment Collection, Payouts, and Withdrawals for Global Selling Independent Stores!

Why Do You Need These?

Obviously to get the money into your own account! Plus, this payment account is required when you set up third-party payment processors like Shopify Payments.

How to Set Up?

Let us use a certain Chinese payment platform as an example, since it is a domestic platform with an interface and operations everyone is familiar with - basically no hurdles.

Step 1: First, open an account on the platform - just prepare your relevant information including your business license. Register on any major platform.

Step 2: After your account is approved, open a payment account for the corresponding country (if you have a UK-based Shopify store, open a GBP UK Shopify account).

Step 3: Bind your domestic withdrawal account - can be Alipay or bank card.

Tips

1. Payment collection and payment withdrawal are different concepts! Do not think a Chinese payment platform can solve your credit card collection needs. Register a foreign entity properly and set up Shopify Payments.

2. There are not many other important notes. Many details were already covered in the earlier dedicated article.

5. Setting Up Logistics Platform Accounts

Why Do You Need These?

Obviously to get your products shipped out!

How to Set Up?

Method 1: Go directly to major logistics platform websites or WeChat public accounts to register. After registration, a sales representative should call you and add you on WeChat. Just follow the steps to complete registration.

Method 2: Go to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), where sales representatives from various platforms actively promote their services. Contact them directly - the verification and setup process will be faster, and that sales representative will essentially become your future customer service contact.

Major Logistics Platforms

YunTU (YunExpress), Yanwen, 4PX, and other well-established brands. I do not recommend beginners try the lesser-known ones. Just search on Xiaohongshu - this industry is really a mixed bag.

Tips

I actually want to dedicate a full article to logistics because it was also very confusing for me as a beginner.

1. So Many Confusing Terms: Dropshipping? Freight forwarding? Transfer? Dedicated line? Air freight? Sea freight? FBA? FBM? Freight pallets? Small packages? Regular goods? Special goods? Sensitive goods? With battery? Virtual warehouse? Overseas warehouse? Cloud warehouse? Last-mile? Customs clearance included? Declared value? AFO APO POBOX? Collection? Consolidated packaging? I am dying - what are all these!!!

Do not panic - I will cover these in detail in a dedicated article later. This one is just about the basic infrastructure you need to prepare.

2. After registering, immediately ask your sales rep for the latest rate sheet (or download from their website). Simply describe what products you are selling and which countries, including size and weight. Let them recommend the most suitable logistics product. Otherwise, the overwhelming number of product options will confuse beginners.

3. Understand the restrictions of each logistics product. For example: cannot ship items with big brand logos, maximum dimension cannot exceed 60cm, declared value cannot exceed $150, etc. These detailed restrictions are in the fine print under each product in the rate sheet. Read it 10 times, then read it again a week later.

4. Understand the concept of volumetric weight (dim weight). Shipping a huge but very light item? Your product might be charged by volumetric weight instead of actual weight. Check the formula in the notes above - it is usually length times width times height divided by 8000.

6. A Good Network Environment

I want to explain this but I cannot. You know what I mean. dddd.

---

Part 2 Summary

FAQ

Related Resources