If you’ve opened the Taobao app recently, you would’ve seen the impressive set of deals currently offered in Taobao’s 11.11 Sale, including stackable discounts across different stores, up to S$111 off purchases, and free shipping vouchers to offset up to RMB55 (about S$10) on international shipping fees.
But if your Chinese language abilities are anything like mine, you probably wouldn’t have opened the Taobao app at all out of fear of the formidable language barrier it imposes. When I first downloaded the Chinese shopping app, I about fell off my chair when I saw the login/sign-up page. Five minutes of hopeless incomprehension later, I gave up.
But that all changed in Sep 2024—Taobao now comes in English! And just in time for the 11.11 sales too, which are some of the biggest in the year.
My fellow Mandarin-challenged individuals, rejoice. Now, the hardest parts of using Taobao are:
- Signing up (in Chinese) and changing your language to English once you’re logged in
- Figuring out how to ship your stuff—sea? Air? Ezbuy?
- Resisting the urge to splurge like there’s no tomorrow
Today, I’m going to help you with items 1 and 2. You’re on your own for 3.
How to shop on Taobao 2024 guide
- Taobao overview on how to buy and ship
- How to shop on Taobao in 4 easy steps
- Taobao’s 11.11 Sale
- Which Taobao shipping method should you choose?
- Buying Taobao products on Ezbuy
- What about buying furniture on Taobao?
- Buying Taobao products on Lazada
- Will you get charged GST on Taobao purchases?
- Best credit cards for shopping on Taobao
1. Taobao overview on how to buy and ship
Before we go into how to use Taobao, did you know you can buy from Taoabo through third-party platforms too? These are great options if you don’t want or cannot use the Taobao platform for whatever reason.
There are a few ways you can buy products from Taobao—directly on Taobao.com, a third-party platform like Ezbuy, or looking for the items you want on Lazada’s Taobao collection.
Option 1: Direct from Taobao
You get a whole suite of products when you’re shopping directly on Taobao’s website or app. This is the most efficient way for you to shop and you can get what you need as you would shopping on any other website.
The disadvantage of this option used to be that you’d have to navigate everything in Chinese. But now that Taobao comes in English, that shouldn’t be a big issue anymore.
There is one other catch though: some items do not qualify for international shipping, such as overly large or heavy items, food, cosmetics, and electronic devices. The only way to get your hands on these would be to use a third-party agent or forwarder.
Option 2: Going through a Taobao agent or third-party forwarder
Third-party agents act as middlemen between you and Taobao to forward the products to you.
Should you need to ask a seller something about a specific item, the third-party agent can be the liaison between you and the seller in China. Some agents can even do quality checks on pricier purchases before they get shipped out. Plus, they can combine your Taobao hauls into one shipment, saving you money on shipping costs.
Now, let’s talk about freight forwarders. These guys are shipping specialists, but unlike agents, they don’t handle the communication or payment aspects of your Taobao adventure.
Here’s the catch though—while Singapore has plenty of Taobao agents such as Ezbuy, Oops, SGShop, and Peeka!, their fees and markups may sometimes add a significant chunk to your final purchase price depending on what you buy. This can come from agent commissions, inflated shipping costs, and currency conversion charges.
Option 3: Taobao via Lazada
There’s also another option if you don’t want to deal with third-party agents.
Lazada offers a Taobao Collection, a selection of products directly from Taobao sellers, on its platform. This means you can browse and buy directly from these sellers but in English and without having to rely on agents.
However, the selection on Lazada is much more limited—mainly fashion and homeware items—compared to the mass of products you’ll find on Taobao. But if you can’t or don’t want to navigate about in Chinese, using Lazada would probably work best. And if you can find what you’re looking for, why not?
However, the trade-off is that Lazada’s Taobao Collection is only a curated selection, not the full array of options you’ll find on the original Taobao website.
2. How to shop on Taobao in 4 easy steps
If you think you want to give Taobao a try directly, here’s how you can do so:
Step 1: Create a Taobao account (in Chinese!)
The challenge here is that, at the time of writing, Taobao only lets you change the interface language once you’re logged in. But don’t worry. Even if you can’t read a lick of Chinese, this next set of instructions is going to help you create an account.
When you first open the Taobao app, tap on 我的淘宝 (“My Taobao”) at the bottom right corner.
You’ll then see a whole bunch of Chinese text giving you various sign-up or login options. Here’s a translation:
If you’re creating a new account and select the orange text 立即注册 (“Register now”), you’ll be brought to the page below. I’ve included the English version on the right—use it to navigate the Chinese text and choose your preferred sign-up method.
The rest is quite intuitive. If you enter your phone number to sign up, you’ll get a verification code by text. The email route is the similar, just that you’ll get the code delivered to your email inbox instead.
When you’re prompted to accept the terms of service and privacy policy, tap on the orange button on the right to accept (“同意”).
Now you’re in!
Optional: Change the language to English
If you jiak kan tang like me, signing in in Chinese is all your anglophile heart can take. To change the language to Chinese:
- Select 我的淘宝 (“My Taobao”) at the bottom right corner.
- In the top right corner, select 设置 (“Settings”)—it’s the gear icon
- Tap on 国家/地区、语言、货币 (“Country, language, currency”)
- Tap on 语言 (“Language”)
- Choose English.
Do note that your country has to be set to Singapore (新加坡) or Malaysia (马来西亚) before you can set English as your app language.
Step 2: Browse products
Once you’re signed up, it’s time to browse the millions of products.
You can navigate using the Category button. It’s in English even on the Chinese version of the app, but do note that it’s located at a different spot for the 2 versions:
The Category button will take you to a page with all the different categories of items. Again, it’s slightly different on the Chinese and English versions. Even if you’re stuck on the Chinese version of the app without much Chinese language ability, there are pictures so you know what you’re browsing.
You can also search for the products you want in the search bar on the top. On the English version, the search bar is both on the Category page and the main homepage, whereas on the Chinese version it’s only on the main page.
You can type in both English or Chinese on both versions of the app and still get pretty accurate results. However, results do differ on both versions. I tried searching for “umbrella”/ “雨伞” on the Chinese version of the app and got similar
Whereas on the English version of the app, searching in English for some reason yielded more cutesy and colourful umbrellas. Go figure.
More importantly…do the prices differ on the Chinese and English versions of Taobao? Let’s look at some products to check.
Step 3: Access the product page
When you find a product you’re interested in, click on the name and you’ll be taken to the product page, which looks quite similar to what you’d find on Qoo10 or eBay. You’ll see the price displayed, followed by options such as size and quantity.
I looked at 3 products: An umbrella, an iPhone charging cable, and a cat tree. While the iPhone charging cable was priced the same on both the Chinese and English versions, the umbrella was cheaper on the Chinese version due to a voucher that was only applied on that version.
And as for the cat tree, I got the most baffling result: it simply wasn’t available on the English version of the app.
Safe to say that the English version of Taobao might still have some catching up to do, especially for more obscure things like cat trees. If you’re looking at everyday essentials like umbrellas and charging cables, you should be good looking at products on the English version of Taobao. Taobao themselves have stated that they’re working on adding more items to the English interface:
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Pro tip: I suggest you tap on the star icon to add items to your wishlist (that’s what I did above). Then, you can change the app language and compare the product’s prices and availabilities in both language versions.
Scroll down further and you’ll see also further information about the product, user reviews and pictures. Read these if you can—there are lots of scammers on Taobao. Also, be aware that lots of sellers have fake reviews, so avoid sellers who sound TOO perfect.
If you want to buy the product, you can either add it to your cart or buy it immediately—similar to Shopee or Lazada. If you need translations:
- 立即购买 = Buy now
- 加入购物车 = Add to cart
Before you check out … check out these 11.11 Taobao offers!Good things must share. Here are some deals you should make the most of during the upcoming 11.11 sales:
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Step 4: Complete your purchase
On the product page, if you click “立即购买” or “Buy now”, you’ll be taken directly to checkout.
If you click on “加入购物车” or “Add to cart” instead, the item will be added to your shopping cart. You’ll then have to go to the “购物车” or “Cart” tab that’s beside the “我的淘宝” or “Account” button on the extreme bottom right to access your shopping cart and check out.
The shopping cart is quite intuitive. You’ll see a summary of your items—select the ones you want to purchase to see the total amount you need to pay. Click on the orange 结算 (“settle bill”) or “Check out” button to make payment.
Fill in your shipping and contact details, select a shipping method and confirm by clicking on “提交订单” (submit order) or “Pay now”.
You will then be directed to an Alipay website to complete payment. If you don’t have an Alipay account yet, you’ll need to create one. Once logged in, you’ll see a form for your credit card details. Enter them, click “Continue” and then your card will be charged.
3. Which Taobao shipping options should you choose?
At the checkout page, you’ll have several options to choose from. If you’re stuck on the Chinese version of the app and are struggling, here’s a quick and dirty translation of the shipping options:
| Taobao shipping option | Translation |
| 官方直邮 – 海运 | Direct delivery by sea |
| 官方直邮 – 空运 | Direct delivery by air |
| 官方集运 – 经济海运 | Consolidated shopping by sea |
| 官方集运 － 标准空运 | Consolidated shopping by air |
| 联系卖家发货 | Contact the seller to arrange for shipping on your own |
| Taobao – Chinese Words | Translation |
| 免费注册 | free registration |
| 宝贝详情 | product details |
| 累计评论 | user reviews |
| 立即购买 | buy now |
| 加入购物车 | add to cart |
| 购物车 | shopping cart |
| 结算 | settle bill |
| 提交订单 | submit order |
Fastest and most convenient shipping method from Taobao
The easiest and fastest option is 官方直邮 – 空运 (direct delivery by air). It’s best if you are only buying one or just a handful of items, and want each seller to ship directly to your doorstep.
For direct shipping, shipping costs will be calculated for you upon checkout.
The cheapest shipping method from Taobao
If you’re buying several items, it will be cheaper to combine shipping (官方集运) so that your various parcels can be consolidated before being sent to you all at once by a Taobao forwarder. Shipping by air is faster than sea, but if you’re buying bulky items like furniture, you might want to opt for the latter to cut costs.
For consolidated shipping, you need to pay in two stages. At the first stage, you pay when you purchase so that each seller can send the item to the warehouse in China. Once all your items have arrived at the warehouse, you pay to ship the consolidated package to Singapore.
Shipping through a Taobao agent
Choose the final option (联系卖家发货) if you are using a Taobao agent. The agent will handle negotiations with the seller on your behalf.
4. Buying Taobao products on Ezbuy
There are two options when buying Taobao items via Ezbuy.
Option 1: Use its freight service called ezShip where you get an address in China that your items get shipped to. It’s like vPost or Comgateway, for those of us who are familiar with shipping products from the US in the past.
Option 2: Buy on the Ezbuy website itself which has items from Taobao, just that they’re a bit pricier.
Pros of buying Taobao stuff using Ezbuy
It’s in English! So if you don’t mind paying the higher price, it’s easier to navigate and buy items, saving you some time.
Cons of buying Taobao stuff using Ezbuy
It’s more expensive because there’s an agent fee and shipping costs more. It may also take longer to ship your items.
There was also a case in 2017 where there were some unfulfilled orders as Taobao made life difficult for third-party agents. Ezbuy still works but just bear in mind that there’s some risk.
Also, not every single product from Taobao is on Ezbuy but the selection is still pretty wide, and more so than Lazada.
However, some users have complained that you also pay higher prices on your products and higher shipping fees than when buying direct from Taobao, with the total mark-up (including agents’ fees and shipping) raising prices by 30% to 50% (still cheap though).
Verdict: should you use Ezbuy?
If you’re an Ezbuy Prime member, you get an unlimited flat rate shipping of $2.99 regardless of weight, size and quantity, so this could be more worth it for you.
Taobao’s main draw is the low price so if you want to save your money, buying directly on Taobao is probably better for you. Otherwise, you can just buy an Ezbuy Prime membership to save on shipping, especially if you have many things to buy.
By the way, if you’re buying on Taobao directly, you can use Ezbuy’s freight forwarding service ezShip to reduce your shipping costs. When you sign up for ezShip, you’ll be given an address in China that you can get sellers to ship to. Consolidate your packages at the ezShip address and then send them to Singapore. You can store packages for free for up to 20 days (below 20kg) or 7 days (above 20kg) before shipping them to Singapore.
5. What about buying furniture on Taobao?
Every so often, some influencer parades around their newly-decorated HDB flat and proclaims that everything was purchased on Taobao, from the sofas to the giant wall decals.
There are more furniture and homeware shops on Taobao than you’ll ever find in Singapore, which makes it so much easier to find items to match your gothic boudoir or jungle-themed interior.
You’ve probably seen influencers flaunting their nicely decorated HDB flats, claiming that they bought everything from Taobao, from the furniture to the photo frames. Well, that’s because Taobao boasts a mind-boggling selection of furniture and homeware stores, more than anything you’d find in Singapore.
And to top it off, getting furniture delivered from China via consolidated sea freight can still be cheaper than hitting up Courts.
You don’t lose out if you use the English version of Taobao too—Taobao’s English interface now supports furniture items over 30 kg.
So, if you’re looking to save on your home items, there’s no harm in buying from Taobao. However, we’d advise you to read reviews thoroughly to ensure you’re getting quality items. You don’t want your sofa to be collapsing when you’re watching Netflix.
Tips for buying furniture on Taobao
Furniture can cost a lot in shipping fees because of the weight. One way is to get an Ezbuy Prime membership for a flat shipping rate of $2.99 on each order.
Just note that not everything is available on Ezbuy’s platform.
Alternatively, you can use Taobao’s Cainiao sea shipping service, subject to size and weight limits, or a freight forwarder like ezShip. However, you should be aware that you will only know the exact shipping costs when all your items are at the warehouse or freight forwarder’s address and are ready to be sent to you.
Is it worth it to buy furniture on Taobao?
Here’s the lowdown:
Cainiao: If you choose Cainiao, their shipping fees typically range from RMB 230 (around S$48) to RMB 460 (around S$95) per cubic meter (the size of the shipping crate). Remember, this doesn’t include GST, which can add up to quite a bit.
Third-Party Freight Forwarders: For large items, you might need to consider third-party freight forwarders like ezShip, Oops, or EKLINK. However, keep in mind their services come with additional fees.
And thanks to the introduction of GST on imported goods, those super-cheap Taobao deals might not be quite as attractive as they used to be. Factor in shipping costs and GST before you hit “buy” to ensure you’re still getting a good deal.
6. Buying Taobao products on Lazada
If you need something in a hurry and have no time to comb through hundreds of product listings, and of course, don’t want to navigate the Chinese jungle of Taobao, Lazada is the way to go.
Pros of buying Taobao stuff on Lazada
The familiarity of the Lazada platform makes buying a breeze. There’s also its pro-shopper return policy which makes it easy if you need to return stuff to China sellers.
Cons of buying Taobao stuff on Lazada
The product range is smaller than the full Taobao site and prices are usually higher.
7. Will you get charged GST on Taobao purchases?
As of 1 Jan 2023, the government has started charging GST on all items purchased online, regardless of cost or shipping method. Previously only items shipped by sea or worth at least S$400 would attract GST.
GST will be calculated and collected by Taobao when calculating your shipping fees, meaning it will be automatically added to your total bill upon checkout.
8. Best credit cards for shopping on Taobao
Even though Taobao is already cheap if you can get more savings on your shopping by using the right credit card, why not right?
Here are our top picks for small Taobao purchases. These are good for up to about $400 a month of online spending:
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- on Shopping & Transport Spend
- Up to 6% cashback
- Cashback Cap
- Up to S$70
- Min. Spend per month
- S$800
- Cash Back
- Up to 10%
- Cash Back Cap per month
- S$100
- Min. Total Spend per month
- S$800
If you’re buying way more, you may want to opt for an unlimited cashback credit card like these:
- Cash Back on Eligible Spend
- 1.6%
- Min. Spend per month
- S$0
- Cash Back Cap per month
- Unlimited
[MoneySmart x Ascott Travel Like A Millionaire Lucky Draw]
Get S$350 Cash or 5,040 SmartPoints in as fast as 5 weeks when you meet the spend criteria. T&Cs apply. PLUS stand a chance to win up to $6,500 worth of Staycay, Flights and Rewards! T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enrol in our Rollin’ Rewards campaign today and stand a chance to score an additional 7,460 SmartPoints. That’s a grand total of 12,500 SmartPoints if you apply today.
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- on up to $5,000 spend in the first 6 months for new Card Members.
- 3.0% Cashback
- all subsequent eligible purchases
- 1.5% Cashback
- Cash Back Cap
- Unlimited
Found this article useful? Share it with anyone who needs help with Taobao.
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