Suppose you're dropshipping with AliExpress.
You receive an order on your online store, and you go ahead to process it.
You locate the product on AliExpress and proceed to add it to your cart. Everything is going well.
But then, during the checkout on AliExpress, you come across the mandatory field where you should enter a phone number.
If you're new to dropshipping, you may start doubting what you should do next:
- Which phone number should you enter?
- Should it be your customer's phone number?
- If so, how can you obtain it?
- Won't the customer find out that you're dropshipping with AliExpress if you enter their number?
These are all examples of questions that might arise when it comes to the topic of phone numbers when dropshipping with AliExpress.
In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about phone numbers when dropshipping with AliExpress.
So, without further ado, let's get started!
What is dropshipping with AliExpress?
First of all, I will give a short introduction to dropshipping with AliExpress for those that don't know what it is or haven't started yet.
If you feel like you already know about dropshipping with AliExpress, then feel free to scroll down to the next heading!
When dropshipping, you sell products on your online store without keeping them in stock. If you get orders, you can forward those to your dropshipping supplier, who will ship the product(s) to your customer.
As the name implies, dropshipping with AliExpress is the same as dropshipping with AliExpress as your dropshipping supplier.
Tip: Even though most beginners opt for AliExpress as their first dropshipping supplier, don’t forget that there are many more options out there. If you’re interested in them, then check out the best dropshipping suppliers here!
For example, you may choose to sell a product like this moon lamp on your online store:
Whenever you get orders for this moon lamp on your online store, you can simply order the product on AliExpress and enter your customer's shipping address.
Sounds easy, right?
Well, it may sound easy at first, but you have to realize that dropshipping is not a way to get rich quickly. To succeed, you will need patience and persistence.
If you're interested in learning the ins and outs of dropshipping with AliExpress, then check out our complete guide of it here.
Should you put the customer's phone number in the AliExpress order?
Once you try to order the product that you've sold on your online on AliExpress, you will come to the point where you must fill in a phone number (it's mandatory):
When it comes to entering a phone number, many people will have doubts.
Essentially, you will have three options:
- Enter your customer's phone number (if available)
- Enter your own phone number
- Enter a fake phone number
So, what is your best option here? That's difficult to say, isn't it?
Well, let's find out step-by-step!
Why does AliExpress ask for a phone number at the checkout?
AliExpress asks for a phone number because it increases the chances of the package getting delivered to the customer.
Whenever an AliExpress seller wants to ship a package, he will need to include a shipping label with it.
The shipping label includes information on where the package should be delivered like the recipients':
- Name
- Address
- City
- Zipcode
But, the shipping label also includes the phone number.
If there is a scenario where the postman can't deliver the package, the phone number on the shipping label allows him to call the recipient and get the package delivered.
If for some reason the package can't be delivered, it will get returned to the sender. When this happens, everyone who's involved essentially loses. Your customer won't get his package, you will get frustrated "Where is my order" emails, and the AliExpress seller gets his sold product back.
What are the pros and cons of adding your customer's number to the AliExpress order?
Let's now take a look at the pros and cons of adding your customer's number to the AliExpress order:
Pros
- If the shipping company has trouble delivering the package to your customer, they may call him or her for clarification. This may prevent the package from getting shipped back to the AliExpress seller.
- In rare cases, the customs may contact your customer to let them know that they will have to pay import fees. However, if you're selling products to countries where this may happen, your customer should already be aware of it. If your own number would be on the package, you could be asked to pay for the import fees yourself.
Cons
- In very cases, the AliExpress seller could contact your customer through his phone number. When this happens, your customer will likely be unpleasantly surprised. He may demand a refund and probably won't come back to your store.
Can the package be delivered with a fake phone number?
Now, let's consider the third option, entering a fake phone number.
Naturally, the question that comes up first is whether or not a package can be delivered to the customer when a fake phone number is present on the shipping label.
While there isn't any official information on this, I believe that a shipping company doesn't necessarily need a real phone number to be able to deliver the package.
I've processed hundreds of orders with fake phone numbers myself, and I have never had any issues regarding an order that couldn't be delivered because of an incorrect phone number.
Like I said before, you may experience cases where the package will get sent back to the AliExpress seller because of the lack of a phone number, but I think those cases are sporadic.
In my experience, making sure that your customer's shipping address is correctly filled in, including a house/apartment number and a zip code, is enough to get the package delivered without any problems.
Should you ask customers their phone numbers at checkout?
You've seen the pros and cons of adding your customer's phone number in the AliExpress checkout.
In my opinion, the pros of adding your customer's phone number do slightly outweigh the cons.
So, if the customer's phone number is available, I try to enter it in the AliExpress checkout.
But how do you get a customer's phone number?
Usually, you get them when a customer enters their phone number on your online store's checkout.
To enter your customer's phone number for every order on AliExpress, you would have to make the field mandatory on your own checkout page as well.
You will have to decide for yourself if this is a smart idea or not.
One study that I found performed an A/B test on a registration form (not a checkout). On one form, they included a phone number field, while the other one didn't.
The results showed a decrease in conversions by 48% over a two-month period.
While this study is not performed for an ecommerce store, I think that the same effect might happen when making a phone number field mandatory on your online store's checkout page.
In my opinion, you shouldn't make the phone number field mandatory on your online store's checkout page. I prefer to leave it as an optional field.
Making the field mandatory might lower your conversion rate, as some customers may not feel comfortable entering their phone numbers.
Therefore, I think it's best to leave this field optional. If a customer adds their phone number to the order, I add it on AliExpress as well. If they don't add a phone number to the order, then I use a fake number while ordering on AliExpress.
What else should you pay more attention to on the AliExpress checkout page?
Now that you know a little bit more about phone numbers on AliExpress, let's see if there are any other important things on the AliExpress checkout page.
Well, a common question we get when explaining AliExpress dropshipping goes like this:
Won’t my customer know that the package didn’t come from me?
These people are worried that the AliExpress seller may put any advertisements or invoices in the package, causing your customer to find out that it came from AliExpress.
This is a valid point, but don't worry, it can be overcome and avoided.
You should ask your supplier the right questions and make sure that he accepts dropshipping.
When dropshipping with AliExpress, you should include a note on the checkout page. Often, here's how that note looks:
Or, you can include a more extensive version, which can look like this:
I’m dropshipping. Please DO NOT put any invoices, QR codes, promotions, or your brand name logo in the shipments. Please ship as soon as possible for repeat business. Thank you!
So, make sure to add a note to your order on the AliExpress checkout page. This will prevent your customer from finding out that it's a package from AliExpress.
Conclusion
Finding out a clear answer to what you should do with the phone number when dropshipping with AliExpress is difficult.
Each option has its own pros and cons.
However, in my opinion, the best way to deal with phone numbers when doing AliExpress dropshipping is to enter your customer's phone number. When it is not available, then I think you should use a fake phone number.
I hope that this article gave you the answer you were looking for. If not, then remember that you can always contact us by placing a comment below.
And if you're also wondering if you can use the product videos from AliExpress sellers, then check out this article here as well.
Have a great rest of your day!
2 Comments
What about adding our own number for it (in ali express)
Hi Ashvin,
As mentioned in the article, that can be an option too! However, in that case, you should be prepared on receiving some calls on your phone when you have lots of orders. Shipping carriers may call you if they have trouble delivering the package or if they need someone to pay for the import fees. Even your customers may try to call you out of curiosity!
I hope this answered your question!
– Patryk