Taobao Singapore Shopping & Shipping: A Step-by Step Guide

When it comes to online shopping, you must have heard of Taobao, right?

If you’ve never heard of Taobao, it’s a mega marketplace selling everything you can think of.

While prepping for your home renovation, shopping for furniture and house fixtures will be the next thing to do.

Unfortunately, Taobao English is not catered to locals, and I know it can be overwhelming.

But no worries, I’ve got you covered on the basics, and even if you are jiak kantang (Hokkien: English-speaking), you will be fine.

TL;DR: Taobao Shipping to Singapore & How to Shop on Taobao

Like any e-commerce platform like Shopee and Lazada, the steps to buy and search are similar.

The true difficulty is when you need to pick a shipping method and, sometimes, a third-party courier.

Click here to jump:

• How to buy from Taobao? A step-by-step guide
• How to search for Taobao product keywords guide
• How to ship From Taobao? A step-by-step guide
• What are Taobao’s shipping methods?
• What is a Taobao agent?
• How to refund Taobao items?
• Taobao-SG Promotion
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Buy From Taobao

First and foremost, you should use Google’s Chrome browser before navigating to Taobao, as it allows you to perform a page translation.

It may look slightly off since the translation is ad verbatim, but it is not too bad.

At the very least, you can sort of figure out what is on the page.

You will see “亲, 请登录 / 免费注册”, which means “Dear, Please Login / Register for Free“, in the top left corner.

Step 1: Register a Taobao Account

Select “免费注册” if you do not have an account.

Next, click on “English” to create your account in English.

Just follow the instructions in English. Ensure that the country and phone number you are using to register are Singapore and a registered local number.

You’ll need to enter a verification code sent to your mobile number, provide your email address, and set up your username and password.

Once you’ve set up your account, you can start shopping!

Step 2: Choose Your Product (Type in Chinese for Effective Searches)

Here’s the part where you’ll catch yourself endlessly scrolling through the millions of products on Taobao.

If you already know what you’re searching for, enter your product keywords in Chinese into the white search bar located at the top of the Taobao home page.

Typing in Chinese will always be more effective as the list of products displayed differs based on keyword searches. Don’t fret, just use Google Translate on your Windows Search Bar to help you with this.

You can filter your search results based on various categories like brand, size, type, price range, etc.

You can refer to the table below for a list of commonly-sourced items and their terms.

The currencies reflected next to your search results are in Chinese Yuan (CN¥), but once you’ve clicked on one, it will usually automatically be converted to Singapore Dollar (SGD).

You will be brought to the product page once you’ve selected your desired product on Taobao.

Here you have a couple of things to look out for:

• “宝贝详情” (Product details) for more information about the product. You will be able to see the ratings.
• “评论” (Reviews), where buyers leave ratings and comments, and upload images of their purchases
• “立即购买” (Buy now) to buy immediately after making your selection
• “加入购物车” (Add to cart) to add to cart and continue shopping

DO NOT CHECK OUT IMMEDIATELY!

Always, always, always read the reviews under “评论”. If you’ve been using the site in Chinese, you can switch on your Translator, and the reviews will be reflected in English.

Step 3: Cart Out on Taobao

Once you’re ready to checkout, you can either click “立即购买” (Buy now) to pay for your purchase immediately.

Or you can click on “购物车” (Shopping cart) on the Taobao home page instead.

Select the items you want to check out and click on “结算” (Payment).

You’ll be prompted to add your shipping address, postal code, name, and mobile number.

Once done, click on “设置为默认收货地址” (Make Default) if you want to make it your default shipping address.

Click on “保存“(Save) to complete the form.

Once you’ve selected your “跨境配送方式” (Shipping Method), click on “提交订单” (Confirm order).

Step 4: Taobao Payment

After confirming your order, you will be redirected to an Alipay account page.

If it’s your first purchase using Alipay, you will need to create an Alipay payment password (6 numerical digits).

Once done, click “确定” (Confirm).

Key in your credit card details and click “下一步“(Continue).

All that’s left is to verify your payment details and await the delivery of your “宝贝” (Precious item) or purchase!

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How to Ship From Taobao: A Step-by-Step Shipping Guide

Since we’re in Singapore, we can only get our Taobao purchases via international shipping.

For international shipping, Taobao’s preferred delivery partner is Cainiao.

You would have noticed that there are six delivery options:

1. 官方直邮 – 海运 – Direct shipping via sea freight
2. 官方集运-经济海运 – Consolidated shipping via sea freight
3. 官方集运-标准空运 – Consolidated shipping via air freight
4. 官方直邮-空运 – Direct shipping via air freight
5. 自行联系卖家发货 – Contact the seller personally to arrange for shipping

So… which one should you choose?

Well, it depends on what you are shipping.

Shipping by air is the easiest and fastest way to get most items shipped to you, but if you’re buying bulky items like furniture, you can opt for consolidated shipping by sea.

Choose the fifth option if you are using a Taobao agent. The agent will handle negotiations with the seller on your behalf.

Pro-tip: Some products are not allowed on air freights, hence “官方集运 – 海运” (Consolidated Sea Freight) will be selected by default.

When you try to select “官方集运 – 标准空运” (Consolidated Air Freight) instead, you’ll notice that your cart value will drop – that’s because those prohibited items will not go through payment.

When that happens, you can pay in two separate batches:

1. Pay for those items that qualify for Consolidated Air Freight first
2. Come back again to pay for items that require Consolidated Sea Freight.