Ask what the sample charge buys
An existing catalog sample, a custom-color sample and a new-tooling prototype involve different work. Request the sample version, included packaging, preparation time and courier scope. Confirm whether the fee is refundable or credited against an order and under which written conditions.
Define tooling deliverables before paying
For a tooling project, identify drawings, sample stages, correction rounds and ownership terms. Ask where tools will be kept, who maintains them and what happens if the project stops. A tooling payment should not be described as an ordinary product deposit when it buys a different deliverable.
Link the production deposit to an approved scope
The production order needs product version, quantities, packing, commercial terms and the approval record. Identify unresolved sample or artwork questions before the payment milestone. An invoice does not by itself establish that every technical decision has been approved.
Maintain separate balances
Keep sample charges, freight, tooling and goods payments on identifiable lines. Record credits and the order to which they apply. This makes a cancelled line, revised quantity or later reorder easier to reconcile without assuming every earlier payment reduces the goods balance.
Browse the related toy category or send a buying brief with your selected references and destination.