How to pay a UK sourcing company from overseas
Pay against the agreed invoice using independently verified beneficiary details and a confirmed currency and payment route. Include the agreed reference, settle responsibility for bank deductions and obtain confirmation of the net receipt against your order. Confirm order-specific instructions with Cambridge China Bridge.
Confirm who is invoicing you
Ask whether the UK company is selling you the goods or invoicing for sourcing services while the factory invoices separately. Match the invoicing entity to the accepted quotation and order. For a UK limited company, the invoice must include its full name as it appears on the certificate of incorporation. Ask for an explanation of any different entity before paying.
Record the China dispatch point, destination port and agreed delivery scope alongside the invoice. A China dispatch address does not identify whom you should pay. See buying through a UK company for that purchasing route. Confirm destination import rules and document needs with your own customs broker before approving shipment.
Verify the beneficiary independently
Obtain written receiving instructions for your order: beneficiary name, account details, bank identifiers and any address or routing fields your bank requests. Compare the beneficiary with the invoicing entity. If they differ, pause and obtain an explanation and written confirmation of how payment to that account will be credited to your invoice.
Confirm the instructions through an established contact using contact details you already hold. Treat an account change as a fresh verification task, even inside an existing email thread. Do not substitute a factory account because the goods leave China. Use avoiding sourcing scams for the detailed account-change checks.
Agree currency and bank deductions
Ask the invoicing company to confirm the invoice currency, receiving currency and accepted payment route for this order. A UK address does not tell you which currency to send. If your funding currency differs, ask your provider who performs the conversion and what amount the beneficiary is expected to receive. Obtain revised written instructions before paying in a different currency.
Agree who bears sending, intermediary and receiving-bank charges, and how a deduction will affect the outstanding invoice balance. Ask whether the quoted net receipt is guaranteed or estimated. Use comparing banks and payment providers for the wider comparison, applying it to the UK beneficiary named in your instructions.
Make the payment identifiable
Confirm the transfer reference with the invoicing company before submitting the instruction. Use the agreed invoice or order reference rather than a general product description. If your bank limits the reference field, agree an abbreviation and send a remittance advice showing the full reference separately.
The remittance advice should identify the paying business, invoicing entity, invoice allocation, amount, currency and bank transaction reference. If another business will pay on your behalf, clear that arrangement with the invoicing company and payment provider beforehand. Keep the accepted invoice and verified receiving instructions with the transfer confirmation.
Reconcile receipt against the order
An invoice is not a receipt: a receipt acknowledges payment. Ask the invoicing company to confirm the credited amount, currency, receipt date, invoice allocation and remaining balance. Match these to your remittance advice and bank confirmation. Obtain a breakdown of any difference before agreeing a top-up or treating the invoice as settled.
Keep payment reconciliation separate from factory payment and shipment release. Ask which agreed order condition has been satisfied and whether anything remains outstanding. If receipt is uncertain, follow the delayed or returned payment guide before sending a replacement. Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China can coordinate factory-side checks; the payment provider should confirm the transfer's status.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay the UK company or the Chinese factory?
Follow the agreed invoicing arrangement and verified receiving instructions. Direct shipment from China does not decide the payee. Resolve any mismatch between seller, invoice and beneficiary before paying.
Do I have to pay a UK sourcing company in pounds?
Ask for the invoice currency, receiving currency and accepted payment route for your order. Confirm any conversion before sending. Do not assume the currency from the company's UK address.
What reference should I use for the transfer?
Use the invoice or order reference agreed with the invoicing company. If the bank cannot fit it, agree a shortened version and send a remittance advice with the full reference and invoice allocation.
What if the sourcing company receives less than I sent?
Request confirmation of the credited amount and currency. Reconcile bank deductions and conversion against the agreed charge allocation, then confirm the invoice balance before arranging any top-up.