Who can approve China orders and payments?
Use a written authority matrix, named approvers and separate permissions for supplier setup, order commitment and payment release. Approve the complete purchase before instructing production, and record urgent exceptions before spending. Share your approval boundaries with Cambridge China Bridge.
Write down delegated authority
Have management approve an authority matrix stating who may approve suppliers, commit expenditure, approve changes and release payments. Define limits in your chosen currency and say whether they include freight, tooling, duty and VAT. Assess related purchases together so splitting an order cannot bypass the approval route. These are recommended internal controls for your business.
Name deputies, define when their authority starts and expires, and remove access when roles change. Keep requesting, approving and releasing payment separate wherever staffing allows. In a small team, arrange an independent review by a director or finance colleague. Match purchasing-system permissions and bank mandates to the matrix; avoid shared accounts.
Approve the supplier before ordering
Give supplier onboarding a named owner and record who approves activation. Keep the seller identity, factory relationship, verified beneficiary, agreed terms and unresolved concerns in the supplier record. Use avoiding sourcing scams for verification methods. A supplier being active should permit an order request, rather than automatically approve expenditure.
Ask requesters and approvers to declare personal interests, gifts or hospitality connected with the supplier, and route affected decisions to an independent approver. GOV.UK advises that an anti-bribery policy should be appropriate to the risk the business faces. Put your supplier approval controls alongside that policy.
Approve the purchase before production starts
Give the approver a purchase pack containing the quotation, specification, delivery terms, expected landed cost, payment stages and acceptance conditions. Include tooling, samples and related commitments. Refer to MOQs and sampling for sample decisions. Record the approved purchase-order version, approver, date and conditions before anyone instructs the supplier to begin.
Tell suppliers and your sourcing contact who may issue production instructions. Route changes to price, quantity, specification, beneficiary or payment terms back through the relevant approver. Keep superseded versions marked as withdrawn. An approved sample or a buyer's message saying the design looks good should not serve as spending approval.
Make payment release a separate decision
Order approval authorises the commitment; payment approval checks whether the agreed payment stage has been reached. Match the invoice and payment request to the approved order and supporting evidence. Use checks before paying a supplier for the goods, documents and beneficiary checks, and payment methods for how money moves.
Restrict who can amend supplier bank details, and require independent verification and approval of changes before payment. Let the bank releaser see the approved beneficiary, amount, currency and supporting record. Keep evidence of actual payment alongside the authorisation; approving a request does not confirm that the transfer succeeded.
Create an urgent-purchase route
Define which situations qualify as urgent and name an exception approver and deputy. Before committing funds, record the business consequence of delay, alternatives considered, supplier, maximum authorised commitment and checks still outstanding. Set the scope and expiry of the exception. Preserve beneficiary verification and identify any unresolved product-safety concern for specialist review.
If your system is unavailable, use an agreed written approval channel and attach the record when access returns. Afterwards, review whether the purchase stayed within its approval and why the normal route failed. Give Cambridge China Bridge the approver list and require its staff in China to obtain your written release before production instructions or order changes.
Frequently asked questions
Can the buyer approve their own China order?
Set your policy to require an independent approver. If staffing is limited, use a director or finance colleague to review the commitment and payment evidence.
Does an approved purchase order authorise payment?
Keep payment release separate. Check the invoice, approved beneficiary and evidence that the agreed payment stage has been reached before releasing funds.
How should we approve an urgent purchase?
Use a named exception approver before spending. Record the reason, scope, maximum commitment, outstanding checks and expiry, then review the purchase afterwards.
Can our sourcing agent approve order changes?
Give the agent written authority boundaries. Keep decisions about additional spending, specification changes and payment release with your named approvers unless expressly delegated.