Want to enter cross-border retail? AliExpress is a platform serving global markets. This guide for merchants in China explains the difference between the AliExpress buyer and seller portals, business-entity and verification requirements, the documents needed to open a store, and the basic registration process.
AliExpress is Alibaba's cross-border retail e-commerce platform for overseas consumers. It serves many countries and regions and is suitable for merchants that want to sell products directly to individual buyers abroad. Its positioning differs from Alibaba.com, which focuses on B2B wholesale: one is retail, while the other is wholesale.
For merchants in China, the most common questions are: What is the difference between the buyer portal and the seller portal? What type of entity is required to open a store on AliExpress? What documents need to be prepared? This article explains them one by one.
Difference between the buyer portal and seller portal
The AliExpress buyer portal is aliexpress.com and is mainly intended for overseas consumers. Registration and delivery are centered on international markets. Users in mainland China may encounter regional and language restrictions when accessing the buyer portal directly, and products generally cannot be shipped to mainland China addresses. As a result, domestic users usually shop on local platforms such as Taobao and Tmall instead of AliExpress.
For merchants in China, the seller portal (sell.aliexpress.com) is what really matters. If you want to sell products to overseas consumers, you can register and open a store through the seller portal. Restrictions that apply to individual buyers do not prevent you from becoming a seller as a business entity.
Seller onboarding requirements
AliExpress currently does not allow stores to be opened under an individual identity. Registration and real-name verification must be completed with a business entity.
Entity requirements. Both individually owned businesses and companies can apply. Individually owned businesses are usually limited to the basic sales plan in the early stage, while companies have a wider range of options. Before opening a store, you need to complete AliExpress business identity verification through a corporate Alipay account or the legal representative's Alipay account. If you do not yet have a corporate Alipay account, you need to register one first.
Brand requirements. If you own or represent a brand, you can choose an official store, exclusive store, authorized store or another store type based on your brand qualifications. Merchants that do not operate a brand can skip this step and join as a regular store.
Platform fees. AliExpress merchants need to pay an annual technical service fee according to the main business category. High-performing stores may qualify for annual-fee rebates, and the platform also charges a certain percentage commission on transactions. The exact amounts and rebate policies are subject to the latest official AliExpress rules.
Documents required to open a store
- Business license: A business license for an individually owned business or a company can be used for the application;
- Corporate bank account: Bring the required documents and company seal to a bank to open a business settlement account for later fund settlement;
- Legal representative's ID: Used for real-name verification and opening the corporate bank account;
- Brand documents (if operating a brand): Trademark registration certificate, brand authorization letter, and similar documents.
Basic seller registration process
- Open the AliExpress Seller Center (sell.aliexpress.com) and click “Register Now”;
- Enter business information such as company registration details and tax information;
- Complete email verification, real-name verification, and qualification review;
- Set up basic store information, including the store name, description, shipping methods, and more;
- List products, write detailed product descriptions, and upload high-quality images;
- Submit the application and wait for platform approval before starting operations.
The key to the entire process is preparing complete business entity and verification documents. The more complete the information, the smoother the review usually is.
Basic operations after onboarding
Make good use of featured product slots. Featured slots can increase product exposure. Placing your most popular or competitive products there makes it easier to attract buyer clicks.
Use the image bank to manage product images centrally. AliExpress's image bank lets you manage product images in one place, helping ensure that every product has a high-quality main image and making later bulk image replacement and updates easier.
Actively participate in platform campaigns. The platform regularly runs discounts, promotions, and holiday-themed campaigns. Participating can significantly improve product exposure and conversion and is an effective way for new sellers to win early orders.
A compliant approach to operating multiple stores. Some merchants operate several AliExpress stores to cover different product categories. The platform has rules on how many stores can be opened under the same entity and can use technologies such as fingerprinting to determine whether stores are linked. If an improper association is identified, stores may be restricted. Therefore, multi-store operations should strictly follow platform rules: use truthful information, open stores only in ways permitted by the platform, and isolate the operating environments of different stores so each has an independent and stable login environment.
If you genuinely need to manage multiple AliExpress stores at the same time, you can create a separate browser environment for each store in the PurpleMark web workspace. Store each shop's login information, Cookie data, and network configuration separately, group environments by product category or market, and open only the environment for the store you need to operate. This helps avoid mixed login states and opening the wrong store. For team collaboration, shared environments and member permissions can also make it clear who is responsible for each store.
Frequently asked questions
Can an individual register as an AliExpress seller?
No. AliExpress requires sellers to onboard as business entities. Both individually owned businesses and companies can apply, but individuals currently cannot register as sellers.
What is the difference between opening a store as an individually owned business and as a company?
The onboarding process and store rights are broadly similar. The main difference is that individually owned businesses are generally limited to the basic sales plan at the beginning, while companies have more flexibility in plan selection and available resources.
Does AliExpress charge fees to open a store?
The platform charges an annual technical service fee based on the main business category and takes a certain percentage commission on completed orders. Specific deposit and commission amounts are subject to the latest official AliExpress fee rules.
How many AliExpress stores can one business entity open?
The platform has specific rules on the number of stores allowed under the same entity. Refer to the official instructions when applying. Multi-store operations must comply with platform rules and maintain independent, stable environments for different stores.
