1. Build a name map for the transaction
Write down the Chinese legal company on the business licence, the seller named in the contract or pro forma invoice, the invoice issuer, the bank beneficiary, the bank country, and the marketplace profile entity. Do not compress different companies into one supplier name.
- Chinese legal company and USCC
- Contract or PI seller
- Invoice issuer
- Bank beneficiary and bank country
- Website or marketplace entity
2. Separate a spelling difference from a different legal entity
Punctuation, word order, and English transliteration can vary. A completely different company, a Hong Kong affiliate, an export agent, or a personal beneficiary is a substantive mismatch. Ask what role the payee performs and why it is authorized to receive this payment.
3. Verify the explanation outside the payment email
Request written evidence of the relationship and make sure the contract and invoice describe the same payment path. Independently confirm new or changed bank instructions using a previously known contact channel, not a phone number or address supplied only in the change request.
4. Know what a company search cannot prove
A company record can identify the registered entity, but it cannot authenticate a bank account. If the beneficiary relationship remains unexplained, treat the payment path as unverified even when the Chinese company itself is active.