I. Mektor five models in one figure to understand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2026 Mercado has opened up five business models to Chinese cross-border sellers, with the core difference being thatWho runs it, who ships it, and what are the costs?<\/strong>::<\/p>\n\n\n\n The table below is the centerpiece of the full article - a side-by-side comparison of the 5 models across the 8 dimensions that matter most to factory sellers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udfaf Preferred by Factory Sellers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You are the supplier, the platform is the seller - the most hassle-free model<\/p>\n\n\n\n commissions0% Full exemption<\/strong>storage chargesfree (of charge)<\/strong>international shippingfree (of charge)<\/strong>advertising costfree (of charge)<\/strong>payback7 days after delivery<\/strong>scheduled service (train, bus etc)Platform all-inclusive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2705 Strengths<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u274c Disadvantages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccc Most suitable type of plant<\/strong>Source manufacturing factories with stable production lines, high degree of product standardization, ample annual production capacity, and no cross-border operation team. Especially suitable forConsumer Electronics, Home & Household, Auto Parts<\/strong>and other standard product categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2b50 Advanced Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You manage the front-end operations, the platform manages the warehousing and logistics - balancing autonomy and convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n commissionsBasic-50% Reduction<\/strong>storage chargesFree 90 days in the warehouse<\/strong>international shippingplatforms<\/strong>advertising costinput as required<\/strong>paybackApproximately 14 days after delivery<\/strong>scheduled service (train, bus etc)The seller is responsible for<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2705 Strengths<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u274c Disadvantages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccc Most suitable type of plant<\/strong>Factory sellers who have their own e-commerce operation team (1-2 people +), experience in Amazon\/Shopee operation, products with certain differentiation advantages, and wish to build their own brand. RecommendationRun 3-6 months of data with full hosting before upgrading to half-hosting<\/strong>The<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udce6 Advanced Mode<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You manage everything, the platform only provides warehousing and tailgating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n commissions16%-17.5%<\/strong>storage chargesCharge by volume\/day<\/strong>international shippingSeller assumes headway<\/strong>paybackApproximately 14 days after delivery<\/strong>scheduled service (train, bus etc)Seller's full control<\/strong>shipment limitation2-5 days (Latin American local)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2705 Strengths<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u274c Disadvantages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccc Most suitable type of plant<\/strong>Factory sellers who have been operating in Mercado for more than 6 months and have stable moving sales data. Suitable for puttingVerified pop-up SKUs<\/strong>Transferring to an overseas warehouse improves the shipping timeframe and is not recommended for newbies right off the bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udeb6 Water testing mode<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sent directly from China to Latin America, fully autonomous but most worrying<\/p>\n\n\n\n commissions16%-17.5% (first month free)<\/strong>storage chargesnot have<\/strong>freight feeSeller assumes the entire<\/strong>payback14-20 days after delivery<\/strong>scheduled service (train, bus etc)Seller's full control<\/strong>shipment limitation12-25 days<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2705 Strengths<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u274c Disadvantages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccc Most suitable type of plant<\/strong>Factory sellers who want to test the waters of the Latin American market at low cost first and test the acceptance of their products. It is recommended to run only 1-3 months to select products for testing, and immediately transfer to full hosting or overseas warehouse after confirming the explosive models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just looking at the cost isn't intuitive enough. Let's do the math with a specific case - let's say a factory ex-factory price30 RMB<\/strong>of cell phone cases that vary in profitability across models:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcca Simulation conditions<\/strong>Ex-factory price: $30 (including production + packaging)\uff5c Selling price reference: $12.99 (Mexico station)\uff5c Exchange rate: 1 USD = 7.2 Yuan\uff5c Monthly sales: 500 pcs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly sales (500 pieces \u00d7 $12.99) $6,495.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Commission $0.00 (0%)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Storage charges $0.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n International shipping $0.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Platform purchase price (approximate selling price 45%-55%) \u2248 $2,920.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Product cost (500 pieces \u00d7 $30 \u00f7 7.2) - $2,083.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly net profit \u2248 $837.00 (\u2248 \u00a56,026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly sales (500 pieces \u00d7 $12.99) $6,495.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Commission (8.5% after 50% reduction) - $552.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Storage Fee (Free for 90 days in warehouse) $0.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n International shipping costs (covered by the platform) $0.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advertising (Estimated 3%) - $195.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Product cost (500 pieces \u00d7 $30 \u00f7 7.2) - $2,083.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Operational Manpower (1 man-month) - $700.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly net profit \u2248 $2,965.00 (\u2248 \u00a521,348)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly sales (500 pieces \u00d7 $12.99) $6,495.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Commission (17.5%)-$1,137.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n International freight (China \u2192 Latin America, about $4\/piece) - $2,000.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advertising (Estimated 5%) - $325.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Product cost (500 pieces \u00d7 $30 \u00f7 7.2) - $2,083.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Operational Manpower (2 man-months) - $1,400.00<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly net profit \u2248 -$450.00 (loss)<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 The conclusion is clear<\/strong>fully managed<\/strong>: Saving money, medium profit (for those without a team);semi-trusteeship<\/strong>: Highest profits (for those with a team);self-service delivery<\/strong>: Shipping + labor eats into profits, only good for testing selections, not for long term business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have a dedicated e-commerce operations team?<\/p>\n\n\n\n No operations team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The factory is only responsible for production, no one to do Listing optimization, advertising, customer service response<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192 Directly select [full hosting]<\/p>\n\n\n\n With operations team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 1-2 full-time e-commerce operators with experience in Amazon\/Shopee and other platforms<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192 Go to the 2nd question \u2193<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you want to be in control of pricing and branding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trying to set my own prices.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wish to set prices independently according to costs and market competition, and pursue higher profit margins<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192 Select [semi-trusteeship]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not really.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It's more important to save money, and the profit is about the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192 Select [full hosting]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you done the Latin American market before?<\/p>\n\n\n\n No experience at all.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not understand the consumption habits of the Latin American market, not sure if the product can be sold<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192 First test with [Self-shipment] for 1-3 months \u2192 then switch to full hosting<\/p>\n\n\n\n Already in progress or data available<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Experience with Amazon\/Shopee LATAM or have completed selection testing<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2192 Directly select [Semi-trusted] or [Fully-trusted].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don't go for the \u201dperfect\u201d model. For most factory sellers, we recommend the following incremental path -Minimal risk and controlled pace<\/strong>::<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fully Managed Onboarding \u2192<\/p>\n\n\n\n Full hosting + half hosting \u2192<\/p>\n\n\n\n Semi-trusteeship-based \ud83d\udca1 Why don't you recommend choosing a semi-custodial in one step?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: Do factory sellers choose full hosting or half hosting for their move-in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A:No operation team choose full hosting<\/strong>(platform all-inclusive, 0 cost, save order).There is an operations team to choose semi-custodial<\/strong>(Own pricing, higher margins, and brand control). The vast majority of factory sellers recommend running through the market with full escrow first, then upgrading to half escrow after 3-6 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: Is it true that there are 0 fees for the fully managed model?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: Yes. 2026 full hosting modelCommission 0%, Warehousing Fee 0%, International Shipping Fee 0%, Advertising Fee 0%<\/strong>The order will be paid back 7 days after the order has been placed. However, you need to pay attention to: platform pricing (you charge the platform purchase price rather than the terminal selling price), and need to pass the platform selection audit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: Can I ship my own goods before transferring to overseas warehouse?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: Yes, and this is the recommended route. Start with self shipmentLow-cost test selection<\/strong>(0 flow requirements, zero inventory risk), confirm which SKUs are explosive before transferring to overseas warehouse or semi-trusteeship, significantly reducing the risk in the early stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: Can I have both semi-custodial and full-custodial open at the same time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: Yes. The same subject can be operated at the same time full hosting and half-hosting store. Common practice: standard products to go fully managed (worry), differentiated products to go half managed (high profit). Many factory sellers after six months will go on this \u201ddual mode parallel\u201d route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: Can I switch to half-hosting after selecting full-hosting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A: You can switch at any time, there is no lock-in period. After running full hosting for a few months, if you have an operation team and data accumulation, you can apply to the Merchandising Manager to open a half-hosting store.SKUs and inventory can also be migrated synchronously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: Which is more suitable for factory sellers, Mercado or Amazon FBA?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A:Latin American markets are full of beauty pageant visitors<\/strong>(#1 platform in Latin America with far less competition and higher margins than Amazon);Choose Amazon for European and American Markets<\/strong>.. Suggested dual-platform parallel: Merkur eat Latin America incremental market, Amazon guard Europe and the United States stock market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We offer factory sellers a free onboarding assessment: A lot of factory sellers in the stationed in the United States more than stuck in the first step: \u201dI in the end should choose which model?\u201d Full hosting heard 0 cost, half hosting said can control their own price, overseas warehouse said shipping fast ...... all kinds of statements, the more you look at the more confused. This article will be 5 kinds of mode split to compare item by item, and then give you a clear decision-making path - after reading you will know how to choose.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":10008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,18,13,127],"tags":[1198,1199,1057,1055,920,892,891,822,819,373,358,302,164,165],"class_list":["post-10007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allguide","category-recomguide","category-guide","category-mexican-meikeduo","tag-1198","tag-1199","tag-1057","tag-1055","tag-920","tag-892","tag-891","tag-822","tag-819","tag-373","tag-358","tag-302","tag-164","tag-165"],"yoast_head":"\nparadigm<\/th> What sellers do<\/th> What the platform does<\/th> in a word<\/th><\/tr> fully managed<\/strong><\/td> Supply only, stocking into warehouse<\/td> Operation + Pricing + Logistics + After-sales + Marketing<\/td> You as a supplier, the platform as a seller<\/td><\/tr> semi-trusteeship<\/strong><\/td> Operations + Pricing + Customer Service<\/td> Warehousing + International Logistics<\/td> You manage the front-end, the platform manages the logistics<\/td><\/tr> Overseas warehouse (FBM)<\/strong><\/td> Operation + stocking in warehouse + customer service<\/td> Tailgate Distribution<\/td> You run everything. You just borrow the platform warehouse.<\/td><\/tr> Self-delivery (IDS)<\/strong><\/td> Full management (operation + delivery + after-sales)<\/td> Traffic + Platform<\/td> Total autonomy, total worry<\/td><\/tr> United States Forwarding Facility (USFC)<\/strong><\/td> Operations + Stocking US Warehouse + Customer Service<\/td> US\u2192Latin America Transit + Tailgate<\/td> Multi-country intermediate warehouse with high flexibility<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/qcyboss.oss-cn-shenzhen.aliyuncs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260512164822865.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nII. 8 dimensions of hard-core comparisons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
comparison dimension<\/th> fully managed<\/th> semi-trusteeship<\/th> overseas warehouse<\/th> self-service delivery<\/th> U.S. Forwarding Warehouse<\/th><\/tr> Entry threshold<\/strong><\/td> Average annual water flow \u2265 300,000 USD
Factories are exempt<\/td>\u2265 $300,000 per year<\/td> Monthly average \u2265 5000 USD<\/td> not required<\/td> Depends on policy<\/td><\/tr> commissions<\/strong><\/td> 0%<\/td> Foundation-50%<\/td> 16%-17.5%<\/td> 16%-17.5%<\/td> 16%-17.5%<\/td><\/tr> storage charges<\/strong><\/td> free (of charge)<\/td> Free 90 days in the warehouse<\/td> Charge by volume\/day<\/td> not have<\/td> charge per piece<\/td><\/tr> international shipping<\/strong><\/td> free (of charge)<\/td> platforms<\/td> Seller assumes headway<\/td> Seller assumes the entire<\/td> Seller assumes Central American segment<\/td><\/tr> speed of payback<\/strong><\/td> post-delivery 7 days<\/strong><\/td> post-delivery appointment 14 days<\/strong><\/td> post-delivery appointment 14 days<\/strong><\/td> post-delivery 14-20 days<\/strong><\/td> post-delivery appointment 14 days<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> operational difficulty<\/strong><\/td> \u2b50 Minimum<\/td> \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50 Medium<\/td> \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50 Higher<\/td> \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50 Highest<\/td> \u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50 Higher<\/td><\/tr> pricing rights<\/strong><\/td> Platform Pricing<\/td> Seller Pricing<\/strong><\/td> Seller Pricing<\/strong><\/td> Seller Pricing<\/strong><\/td> Seller Pricing<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Traffic Support<\/strong><\/td> Strongest Platform weighting<\/td> weighted exposure<\/td> normal flow<\/td> minimum weight<\/td> normal flow<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n III. Who is each model suitable for? (Factory seller perspective)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Full hosting model<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Semi-trusted model<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Overseas warehouse model (FBM)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Self-delivery mode (IDS)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIV. Profit simulation: real returns of the same product under different models<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Model A: Full hosting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Model B: Semi-trusteeship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Model C: Self-shipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nV. 3-step decision-making: 30 seconds to select the right model for you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Factory Seller Model Selection Decision Tree<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
VI. Recommended incremental upgrade path<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Phase 1<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
0 cost, 0 threshold
3-6 months<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhase 2<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
parallel operation
6-12 months<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhase 3<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Explosives to overseas warehousing
12 months +<\/p>\n\n\n\npoint<\/th> practice<\/th> goal<\/th><\/tr> Stage 1 (0-6 months)<\/strong><\/td> Fully managed onboarding, laying down 10-20 SKUs and letting the platform run the numbers<\/td> Verify which products have a market in Latin America, understand price bands and competitor landscape<\/td><\/tr> Phase 2 (June-December)<\/strong><\/td> At the same time open a semi-managed store, the full managed run out of the pop-up independent pricing operations<\/td> Improve profitability, build operational experience and brand equity<\/td><\/tr> Phase 3 (December+)<\/strong><\/td> Semi-custodial as the core, moving sales TOP SKUs to overseas warehouse speed up<\/td> Multi-modal parallelism, profit maximization, branded operation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n \n
VII. 5 Common Misconceptions of Factory Sellers Selecting Models<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#<\/th> fallacy<\/th> the actual facts<\/th> proper practice<\/th><\/tr> 1<\/td> \u201cFull escrow is so unprofitable that it's definitely not cost-effective.\u201d<\/td> Fully managed 0 commission + 0 shipping + 0 storage fees, actual net profit margin of about 15-25%<\/td> Lump sums instead of just looking at purchase price<\/td><\/tr> 2<\/td> \u201cSemi-custodial must make more money than full custodial.\u201d<\/td> Without operational capacity, the advertising and labor costs of semi-trusted hosting can eat up all the profits<\/td> Semi-custodial only if you have a team<\/td><\/tr> 3<\/td> \u201cSelf-shipment costs the least, do self-shipment first\u201d<\/td> International shipping $3-5\/piece + 12-25 day timeframe = very low conversion rate, hard to actually make a profit<\/td> Self-shipment for selection testing only, no more than 3 months<\/td><\/tr> 4<\/td> \u201cI turn on 5 modes at a time and cover them all.\u201d<\/td> Multi-modal parallelism requires sufficient manpower and capital, and newcomers are prone to lose out by spreading them out at the same time.<\/td> Focus on 1 mode to run through first<\/td><\/tr> 5<\/td> \u201cYou can't change it if you've chosen it.\u201d<\/td> Upgradable or switchable between all modes with no lock-in period<\/td> Get started at low cost and upgrade based on data<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\ncommon problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Not sure which model you fit into?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
According to your product category, capacity scale, team situation, 1 to 1 recommendation of the most suitable model<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"