Pre-Shipment Inspection Checklist: What to Check Before You Pay the Balance

A pre-shipment inspection checklist is the difference between finding defects in a Dongguan factory and finding them in your Amazon returns dashboard. The inspection happens once the order is at least 80 percent produced and packed, and it is the last point where you still have leverage, because the balance payment has not left your account.

This guide explains how PSI inspection works, how AQL sampling decides pass or fail, what a competent inspector checks, what the report must contain, and what to do on a fail. The full checklist is in the middle of the article.

When a pre-shipment inspection happens

PSI is one of four common inspection points. Pre-production checks materials, during-production (DUPRO) catches process problems at 20 to 40 percent complete, and container loading supervision confirms the right cartons go into the box. Pre-shipment inspection sits between DUPRO and loading, and for most buyers it is the one that matters.

Timing is a negotiation with the factory. Suppliers like to book the inspector for the day the truck arrives. Push back: a problem found on loading day means you either ship defects or miss the vessel. Two to four days of buffer is the minimum, and a week is better for a first order.

Also insist on the 80 percent packed rule. Factories sometimes present finished goods in open bins "to make counting easier," which means packaging, labels and carton markings cannot be checked and the lot is not actually finished.

AQL sampling explained simply

Nobody checks 5,000 units one by one. The inspector pulls a random sample sized according to ISO 2859-1 (ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 in the US), checks each sampled unit against your criteria, and counts defects by severity. The Acceptable Quality Limit, or AQL, sets how many defects the sample can contain before the whole lot is rejected.

Defects are graded in three levels. Critical defects are safety or legal failures such as exposed wiring, a missing mandatory warning or sharp edges on a children's product; the accept number is always zero. Major defects would cause a customer to return the item: wrong color, non-functioning button, visible scratch on the front face. Minor defects are things a customer would notice but probably live with, such as a slight glue mark inside a seam.

So for a 5,000-unit order, the inspector checks 200 random units. Ten or fewer majors and 14 or fewer minors and the lot passes on workmanship; 11 majors and it fails. The sample is drawn across cartons and pallets, not from the stack the factory put by the door.

AQL only covers visual and workmanship defects. Measurements, function tests and carton drop tests use a smaller special sample, usually 3 to 8 units, reported separately for your decision.

What a quality inspection in China actually covers

A good inspector works from your specification, approved golden sample and packaging artwork, not from what the factory says is normal.

Quantity and packing

Carton count against the packing list, units per carton, and a weight check on a few cartons. Short shipments of 2 to 5 percent are common.

Packaging, labeling and barcodes

Retail box artwork against your approved file, inserts and manuals, shipping marks, country of origin, and a handheld scan of every barcode to confirm the FNSKU or EAN resolves correctly. Unreadable barcodes at an Amazon warehouse are a preventable problem.

Workmanship and appearance

The AQL sample, checked against your defect classification list under consistent lighting. Color is compared to the golden sample, not to the factory's own reference, and photographed side by side.

Function and safety tests

Power on and full cycle for electronics, charging and battery indicator, button and switch operation, rub test on printing, pull test on seams and straps, hi-pot or earth continuity for mains products where the inspector carries the equipment.

Measurements, moisture and carton tests

Critical dimensions on 5 to 8 units with calipers or a tape against your tolerance, moisture content for wood, bamboo and textile products (above 12 to 14 percent risks mold in a 30-day sea container), and a carton drop test from about 76 cm on corners, edges and faces to confirm the export packaging survives handling.

The full pre-shipment inspection checklist

Copy this into your inspection booking. Items 1 to 6 are preparation, 7 to 20 the on-site scope, 21 to 24 the follow-up.

1. Confirm with the factory that at least 80 percent of the order is finished and packed, and get the carton count in writing.
2. Send the inspector your purchase order, spec sheet, approved artwork files and photos of the golden sample.
3. Send the physical golden sample to the inspection firm or make sure the factory holds the sealed one you approved.
4. Define the AQL level and your defect classification list (critical, major, minor) with examples.
5. List the function tests and measurements you want and the tolerance for each.
6. Book the inspection date at least two days before planned pickup.
7. Verify total quantity, cartons per pallet, and units per carton against the packing list.
8. Pull a random sample from across the whole lot following the AQL sample size.
9. Check retail packaging, inserts, manuals and warranty cards against approved files.
10. Scan every barcode and confirm it matches the SKU and reads on the first attempt.
11. Check shipping marks, carton labels, country of origin and any required compliance marks.
12. Inspect workmanship on every sampled unit and classify each defect.
13. Compare color, finish and material against the golden sample under daylight-equivalent lighting.
14. Run full function tests on the special sample.
15. Run safety checks relevant to the product category.
16. Measure critical dimensions and record actual values, not just pass or fail.
17. Check moisture content where relevant.
18. Perform the carton drop test and inspect the contents afterward.
19. Photograph every defect found, the sampled cartons, and the overall lot.
20. Note any factory behavior that limited the inspection: restricted areas, pre-selected cartons, missing goods.
21. Receive the report within 24 hours and review the pass or fail against each criterion.
22. Decide: release balance, request rework, or reject.
23. Send the factory the report with a written list of required corrections and a deadline.
24. Book re-inspection if needed, and only then release payment.

What the inspection report should contain

A one-page report that says "Passed" is useless. Ask for the following, delivered the same day or next morning.

• Pass, fail or pending result for each section: quantity, packaging, workmanship, function, measurements, carton test.
• The defect count by classification with the AQL accept number next to it, so you can see how close the lot was.
• A photo of every defect found, labeled, plus photos of the golden sample comparison, barcodes, labels and shipping marks.
• Actual measured values in a table against your tolerance.
• Photos of the production area and packed lot showing the real completion status.
• Inspector remarks on anything outside the scope that still looked wrong.

Keep every report. When you negotiate a new MOQ and price, a history of defect rates is your strongest argument.

Cost, and what to do when the inspection fails

Third-party inspection in China runs USD 200 to 350 per man-day in 2026, and one man-day covers most orders up to about 10,000 simple units. Remote factories, complex electronics or multiple SKUs add days. Against a USD 20,000 balance payment, that is cheap insurance.

When the result is a fail, the sequence is simple but requires discipline. Withhold the balance. Send the report and a written rework request with a date. Agree who pays re-inspection (the factory, if your purchase order says so). Re-inspect, then pay. A failed lot that ships anyway because Q4 is close costs more in returns and reviews than a two-week delay. If the supplier refuses rework or disputes the findings outright, read our guide on spotting supplier red flags, because that behavior usually predicts worse.

If you want an independent set of eyes on your next order, tell us the product and factory location on WhatsApp and we will quote the inspection.

DIY video, third-party firm or sourcing agent

A video inspection over WhatsApp costs nothing and shows you only what the factory wants you to see. It is fine for a USD 1,500 sample order or for confirming one specific fix. For anything larger, you need someone on site who does not work for the factory.

A third-party firm gives you a standardized AQL report at a fixed man-day rate, the right choice if you already manage the supplier yourself and just need the data. A sourcing agent, like our quality inspection and factory audit service, folds the pre-shipment inspection checklist into order management: the team that approved the golden sample checks the lot against it, pushes the factory on rework and holds the payment schedule. In our experience that catches more, because the inspector knows what was agreed, not just what was written.

Frequently asked questions