Guide
Supplier credit check for new clothing brands:
what to send before a first factory order
Opening a factory account is a verification step, not a judgement that the brand is unwelcome. Factories need to know who they are producing for before they buy fabric or extend terms.
New brands often pause when asked for company papers. Sending them with the first enquiry is faster than waiting to be chased.
This page is the company-side checklist. Payment structures live in payment terms explained. First-order production lives in clothing manufacturers for startups.
What a factory typically checks before accepting an order
Factories check the buyer before they accept a first production order. The checks are ordinary factory account opening, not a hidden refusal.
Typical items include:
- Company registration for suppliers (legal name and number)
- Registered address
- Website
- Trading history
- Named contacts who can approve samples and payments
They match the name on the enquiry to a real registered company, a reachable address and a public presence. Inconsistent names slow this down.
Trading history can be thin for a new brand. That is expected. It does not replace sending the registration details.
Product specs (tech pack, quantity, delivery) are a separate brief. See clothing manufacturers for startups for what a factory needs to quote.
Company details to send with your factory enquiry
Attach these company details so the factory can open an account.
- Legal name as registered, not a trading nickname.
- Registration number (UK company number, or the equivalent filing number in the US / elsewhere).
- Registered address matching the filing.
- Director or buyer contact with email and phone; someone who can approve samples and payments.
- Website (or a live lookbook if the site is not ready).
- Tax or VAT ID where the company has one (UK VAT, US EIN, or local equivalent).
- References if they exist: previous manufacturer, fabric mill or retailer. If none, say so and add a one-line sales plan instead of leaving a blank.
Send this pack with the first email, not after the factory asks twice.
How to make the company easy to verify
A factory can only use information that is public, consistent and attached to the legal entity. That includes any credit check it runs.
Use one legal name everywhere
Use the registered name on the enquiry, the website footer, invoices, shipping documents and the company listing. Trading names belong in a 'trading as' line, not as a substitute for the registered name.
Put a real website or listing online
Even a short site with the legal name, address and who the brand sells to helps. A social-only presence is weaker because it often uses a different name. A website or listing does not guarantee payment terms.
Keep address and contacts consistent
Registered office, warehouse and a founder's home are different places. Say which is which. A PO box with no company filing behind it is hard to check.
Give the factory something it can look up
Send the registration number and the register it comes from, for example Companies House in the UK. A clothing factory credit check starts from those public filings. You do not need to buy a paid credit file.
Why first orders use secured payment
A first order has no payment record yet. Secured first order payment terms (deposit and balance before shipment, or a letter of credit) are the usual starting point. Terms can be reviewed later. Nothing here promises open account. For 30/70 T/T versus open-account terms, see payment terms explained.
First factory order
Expect secured payment. The factory is covering fabric and production before it knows how you pay.
what to expect
- Deposit then balance before shipment
- A letter of credit is another secured option
- Open-account terms are uncommon on order one
- Send the company pack anyway so the account can be opened
what this is not
- Not a sign the factory is in trouble
- Not a refusal of the brand
- Not a permanent lock on terms
Established brands
A company that is easy to verify, with public filings and order history, is usually faster to set up. Faster opening is not a promise of open-account terms.
what often changes
- Less chasing for identity documents
- A named account contact
- A chance to review terms after a clean payment record
what nobody can promise here
- A specific deposit split
- A Net-60 outcome
- Credit-insurance cover
A short checklist you can copy into your enquiry
Paste this list into the first email to the factory.
- Legal company name
- Registration number and country of registration
- Registered address
- Buyer / director name, email, phone
- Website URL
- Tax or VAT ID (if held)
- Previous manufacturer or retailer references (or 'none, first production order')
- One line on first-order quantity and destination market
Opening an account with Top Mondial
Top Mondial is a jeans and denim manufacturer with its own factories: one in Zhejiang, China, and two in Cambodia. We offer both OEM and ODM.
Send the company pack above with the enquiry, plus quantity, target price and a tech pack or reference garment. Clothing manufacturers for startups covers those production inputs. How to choose a denim manufacturer is the other direction: evaluating the factory.
For new customers on FOB orders, Top Mondial typically works with a 30% deposit and a 70% balance before shipment. Payment terms explained sets out the structures. Established repeat customers may see terms reviewed over time. That is not a promise of open account.
A complete enquiry, with the company pack attached, is faster than a name-only message.
