Most agent comparisons come down to price per order. Here are the ten questions that actually predict whether the relationship will work six months in — and what good answers look like.
Comparing dropshipping agents on price per order is like choosing a car on fuel cost alone. It is a real factor and it is not the one that determines whether you are happy in six months.
What determines that is how the agent handles the hard days: a stockout, a damaged parcel, a customs hold, a batch with a defect rate you did not expect.
Here are the questions that reveal that in advance.
1. What is included in the per-order fee?
The headline number means very little until you know what sits outside it.
Ask specifically whether the fee covers picking, packing, materials, label printing and labelling, and whether packaging materials are billed separately. A low per-order fee with materials billed on top is not a low fee.
Good answer: a per-order fee defined by order volume tier, with packaging materials listed separately and storage allowances stated in units or cubic meters.
2. Which shipping lines do you use for my main destinations?
The answer should be specific to your countries, not a general statement about “fast shipping worldwide”.
Ask for the lines they would use for your parcel profile in your top three destinations, and the current expected transit window for each.
Good answer: named line types per destination, with realistic windows and a note that windows vary with capacity and customs.
Red flag: a single promise applied to every destination.
3. How do tracking numbers get back into my store?
This is the operational question most sellers forget to ask and then spend hours a day answering.
Good answer: automatic write-back to Shopify, with a named method and a test order before go-live.
Red flag: “we will send you a spreadsheet”.
4. Can you send me photos before an order ships?
The ability to send a photo of a specific order before it leaves — particularly for higher-value items or custom packaging — tells you a great deal about how the warehouse operates.
Good answer: yes, on request, and included by default for certain order types.
5. What happens when a unit arrives damaged?
You are not looking for a promise that it never happens. You are looking for a defined process.
Good answer: a stated remedy — replacement, refund, or return to warehouse — with who bears the cost and how the customer is handled. Ideally in writing.
Red flag: “that rarely happens”.
6. What happens when a parcel is lost or delayed?
Late parcels are the single biggest source of negative reviews in cross-border selling.
Good answer: a defined threshold — for example, a reship or refund policy after a stated number of days — plus how the agent investigates and what they need from you.
7. How do you calculate shipping cost?
Actual weight or dimensional weight? Both matter, and dimensional weight punishes bulky packaging.
Good answer: an explicit statement that dimensional weight applies, and an offer to review your packaging for cost.
Red flag: vague answer, or a flat “we charge what the carrier charges” with no visibility.
8. How is my inventory counted, and what are the storage limits?
Good answer: a stated stocktake cadence, a way for you to see stock levels, and a clear storage allowance before charges begin.
Red flag: no visibility into stock levels.
9. What are your MOQs and order requirements?
Some agents have a minimum monthly order volume. Some charge setup fees. Better to know now than three months in.
Good answer: a stated minimum, stated setup fees if any, and clarity about what happens if you fall below it.
10. Who is my contact, and how do I reach them?
Good answer: a named contact, a direct channel, and a stated response window in your time zone.
Red flag: a rotating queue, or answers only during China business hours with no expectation set.
Five more that separate good from excellent
Can you handle my supplier, or do I need to change suppliers? If you already have a supplier you trust, you want a fulfillment partner who will work with them, not replace them.
What is your defect and return rate handling process? Ask how they distinguish a warehouse error from a supplier defect, because the remedy differs.
Can you test the connection with a few live orders before we switch? Test orders to your own address in your main markets. A partner confident in their process will agree.
What visibility do I get? A dashboard, a shared sheet, an API — something. Blind fulfillment is how disputes start.
What are your peak-season limits? Every warehouse gets busy in Q4. Ask what capacity they hold back and what the cut-off dates are.
A practical way to compare agents
Build a simple scorecard. For each candidate, record:
| Criterion | Weight | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Per-order fee at your volume | High | Directly affects margin |
| Shipping rates to your main destinations | High | Usually the largest cost line |
| Tracking write-back to Shopify | High | Daily time saved or spent |
| Inspection option | High | Prevents refunds at the source |
| Remedy process for lost/damaged | High | Determines the bad-day experience |
| Storage allowance | Medium | Matters as SKU count grows |
| Visibility and reporting | Medium | Reduces disputes |
| Named contact and response time | Medium | Reduces friction |
| Minimum volume | Low | Only matters at the start |
Then run a small live test before you commit any real volume. Send three orders to your own address in three destinations, and compare the actual experience with what you were told. It is the most informative thing you can do.
The pattern behind good answers
Across all of these, the same signal keeps appearing: specificity.
An agent with a real process answers with numbers, thresholds and named steps. An agent without one answers with adjectives.
You are choosing a partner for the days when something goes wrong. Ask accordingly.
Next step
You find the product. We source it, inspect it, fulfill it and ship it.
Send us the product you sell and we will come back with sourcing, inspection, fulfillment and shipping options — with the costs broken out so you can compare them properly. You can also read the fulfillment guide or see our services first.
Have a product you want to sell?
Send us the product and we'll come back with sourcing, inspection, fulfillment and shipping options.
Get a Free Quote