1688 is where Chinese factories and wholesalers list their products, usually at prices well below what you see on AliExpress. Many of the products sold on AliExpress, Temu or Shopify stores come from the same suppliers, with one or two middlemen in between.
The problem: 1688 is built for the Chinese domestic market. Without an account, most of the catalogue stays hidden, and the site decides what you can see based on your IP address. Prices, variants and supplier details are exactly the pages you lose.
The good news: creating an account from abroad takes about 15 minutes, as long as you follow the right order.
Why the order matters
Alipay, Taobao and 1688 all belong to the Alibaba group and share one identity. If you start on the wrong site, you risk creating separate accounts that conflict with each other. The order that works is:
1. Alipay
2. Taobao
3. 1688
You only verify your identity once, on Alipay. The other two simply log in with it.
What you need before you start
Your passport, and good light to photograph it.
A phone that can receive international SMS.
A Visa or Mastercard, used by Alipay to verify your identity.
15 uninterrupted minutes, because the verification step times out if you leave it.
Step 1: Create your Alipay account
1. Download the Alipay app. There is only one official app, published by Ant Group.
2. Sign up with your phone number, including your country code.
3. Enter your name exactly as it appears on your passport, in capital letters.
4. Photograph your passport and take the selfie it asks for.
5. Add your Visa or Mastercard when prompted.
Verification usually clears within a few minutes.
Step 2: Log in to Taobao with Alipay
1. Open taobao.com.
2. Choose to log in with Alipay.
3. Approve the request in your Alipay app.
No new signup needed.
Step 3: Log in to 1688
1. Open 1688.com.
2. Choose to log in with Taobao or Alipay.
3. Approve in the app.
That is it. You now have full access to the 1688 catalogue.
Common problems and how to fix them
The SMS code never arrives. Some carriers block messages from Chinese numbers. Try another network or ask your carrier to allow international SMS. Also check your number format: remove the leading zero after the country code (+33 6..., not +33 06...).
Your name is rejected. Copy it from the machine-readable line at the bottom of your passport: capitals, no accents, no middle names unless they appear there.
You already have an old Alipay or Taobao account. Use it. A second account on the same passport can get both flagged.
Pages do not load or look broken. Turn off your VPN. A mismatch between your IP and your account country can limit what you see. You do not need a VPN from Europe or North America.
Can you buy on 1688 as a foreigner?
Browsing is easy. Buying is another story. Most suppliers only ship within China, expect payment in yuan, and do not handle export, customs or delivery to your customers. That is why most foreign sellers use an agent or a sourcing platform for the buying part.
How Piratify fits in
Piratify is a Shopify app that connects your store directly to 1688, Taobao and other Chinese marketplaces. You find a product, by keyword, by image or by pasting a 1688 link, and Piratify shows you the real price and the delivered cost to your customer's country.
When an order comes in on your store, Piratify buys the product, packs it and ships it to your customer. You never pay a Chinese supplier, never deal with customs, and you pay in your own currency.
Your 1688 account is for exploring the catalogue. Piratify handles the rest.
Ready to source from 1688 without the middlemen? Install Piratify on Shopify and run your first product search in minutes.
