“30% deposit, 70% balance” is the handshake of garment sourcing. The phrase hides the part that matters, though. The deposit is simple; the question that decides your risk is what exactly releases the 70%. Get that wrong and you have paid in full for goods still sitting in someone else’s factory.
Why 30% — the honest reason
Your deposit buys your fabric. Fabric is 50–70% of a knit garment’s cost, purchased and dyed to your colour weeks before sewing starts, and a roll of your navy has no other customer if you vanish. A 30% deposit roughly covers that exposure, which is why it’s the global norm. A factory demanding much more is financing itself on your money; one asking nothing has margins you should wonder about.
The 70%: three variants, ranked by safety
| Variant | What it means | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 70% against B/L copy | You pay when shown the Bill of Lading, goods are on the vessel | The standard. Factory has shipped; you pay before controlling the cargo. Balanced. |
| 70% after inspection, before shipment | You pay once your inspector passes the goods at the factory | Acceptable with a third-party inspection you appointed. Weaker than B/L, workable. |
| 70% “before shipment”, no trigger | You pay on the factory’s word the goods are ready | Avoid. You hold 100% risk with zero proof. Negotiate a trigger. |
One rule sits above all variants: whoever holds the original B/L controls the cargo. The factory releases it after final payment; you need it to collect your goods. That exchange, money for the document, is the actual settlement of the deal. TT vs LC in full, here.
Negotiating terms without souring the deal
- First order: expect 30/70 against B/L copy, asking for better before trust exists is asking the factory to bank you.
- Repeat orders: terms genuinely improve, smaller deposits, or part of the balance after arrival, are earned by history.
- Any order: verify bank details by phone or video before the first wire, and re-verify if they ever “change”. Invoice-redirection fraud is the most common way sourcing money vanishes.
- Never: 100% upfront, payment to a personal account, or an LC document sent as a PDF from the supplier.
Our own terms are exactly what this guide recommends: 30% to begin, 70% against shipping documents, LC welcome on larger orders through our Nepali bank. The whole process with real numbers — or start a conversation.