Product Sourcing

Find the right supplier. Skip the guesswork.

Sourcing a product takes months of research, negotiations, and dead ends. Portless compresses that into days — vetted suppliers, negotiated pricing, and a warm handoff.

$0

Revenue we make from suppliers. Zero.

0%

Commission, kickback, or referral fee from factories.

100%

Flat fee from you. Nothing hidden, nothing baked in.

Open book

See every supplier quote raw, unedited, direct.

We're on your side. Structurally.

Most sourcing agents get paid twice — by you, and quietly by the factory. That's why their recommendations feel fishy. Our model is designed to make that impossible.

Traditional sourcing agents

Paid by you and the factory.

• ✕ Hidden kickbacks of 5–15% from factories, baked into your unit cost
• ✕ “Recommend” the supplier paying the biggest commission
• ✕ Markups layered on top of supplier quotes you never see
• ✕ Tooling, sampling, and relationship fees collected on the side
• ✕ Vague quotes. “Trust me” pricing. No paper trail.

Portless Sourcing

Paid only by you. Ever.

• ✓ Zero kickbacks, commissions, or referral fees from any supplier. In writing.
• ✓ We recommend the supplier that fits your specs and budget best — full stop.
• ✓ Supplier quotes passed to you raw, unedited. You see what we see.
• ✓ One flat fee. No tooling markups, no sampling margins, nothing else.
• ✓ Every dollar we negotiate down is yours to keep — that's the whole point.

This isn't a policy — it's our business model. We negotiate suppliers down hard because there's literally no other way we make money on sourcing.

Why it matters

Sourcing is a full-time job. We do it for you.

Most brands spend 3–6 months finding a reliable supplier — and still end up with bad pricing, missed lead times, or quality issues. We've done this thousands of times so you don't have to.

Save months of research

We tap our established supplier network to deliver a qualified shortlist within one week — not months of cold outreach.

Better pricing from day one

Our volume relationships unlock pricing you can't get as a single buyer. We negotiate on your behalf as a standard part of the process.

No surprises at the finish line

Every supplier we recommend has been vetted on lead times, quality, and reliability. We only make introductions when you're ready.

What's included

Everything you need to move fast.

Supplier research & vetting

We identify and qualify 2–3 options matched to your product specs and budget.

Price negotiation

We negotiate pricing with each supplier to get you the best unit economics from day one.

Full supplier details

MOQ, unit pricing, lead times, certifications, and production capacity — delivered in a clear comparison.

1 revision round

If the first shortlist isn't right, we go back and revise at no extra charge.

Sample coordination

We manage the sample process and can receive samples at our warehouse for quality review. Sample costs are paid by the merchant.

Formal introduction

Once you approve, we make the supplier introduction and hand off everything you need to place your first order.

Ready to skip months of supplier research?

Submit your brief in 2 minutes. We'll come back within 1 business day with next steps — and you'll have a vetted shortlist within a week.

How it works

From brief to supplier in weeks, not months.

1. Submit your brief
   Day 1
   Describe your product, target pricing, and any supplier requirements. Takes 2 minutes.

2. Initial review
   Day 1–2
   Our team reviews your request and follows up with any clarifying questions within 1 business day.

3. Supplier shortlist
   Within 1 week
   We research, qualify, and present 2–3 vetted supplier options with full pricing and details.

4. Sampling & approval
   1–4 weeks
   You review suppliers, request samples, and choose your preferred partner. We coordinate logistics — sample costs are paid by you directly.

5. Formal introduction
   ~1–2 months end-to-end
   Once you approve, we make the official introduction and hand off everything needed to place your first order.

Pricing

One flat fee. No supplier kickbacks.

No hourly rates. No hidden fees. No factory commissions. Pay for outcomes.

One-Off Project

$2,500
per project · paid only by you

• 2–3 vetted supplier options
• Price negotiation included
• 1 revision round
• Formal supplier introduction

Best value Monthly Subscription

$2,000/mo
unlimited projects/year · paid only by you

3-month minimum commitment, then cancel anytime.

• Up to 3 projects in parallel
• Unlimited projects per year
• All one-off services included
• 5 QC inspection days / year (non-transferable)
• 1 factory audit / year (non-transferable)
• Sample shipping from supplier covered by Portless

What we don't do

We're transparent about the scope so there are no surprises.

• ✕ We don't take a dime from suppliers
  Not a referral fee, not a commission, not a volume kickback, not “free” sampling coordination quietly paid by the factory. If you hear a sourcing agent claim they’re free to you — it’s because the factory is paying them, and it’s baked into your unit cost. Our model is the opposite: you pay our flat fee, and every dollar we save you on unit cost stays in your pocket.

• ✕ We don't manage your supplier relationship
  Once we make the formal introduction, the ongoing relationship — orders, payments, quality disputes — is between you and the supplier. We hand off cleanly and step back.

• ✕ We don't cover sample costs
  Samples are ordered and paid for by you directly. We coordinate the process, but the cost is yours.

• ✕ We don't guarantee supplier performance
  We vet suppliers rigorously, but we can't guarantee their production quality, lead times, or future behavior after introduction. That due diligence is shared.

FAQ

Common questions.

How do you make money? Do you take a cut from the factory?
No, and this is the core of how we work differently. Portless is paid exclusively by you — $2,500 per project or $2,000/month on subscription. We don't take commissions, referral fees, or kickbacks from suppliers. Ever. This is why we can recommend suppliers without bias and why we push hard on pricing — every dollar we save you is yours to keep.

What product categories do you source?
We source across all major consumer product categories — electronics, apparel, home goods, beauty, health, outdoor, and more. If you sell it, we can likely find a supplier for it.

Do I need to be a Portless fulfillment customer?
Yes, this service is available exclusively to Portless merchants. If you're not yet on Portless, reach out to our sales team.

What if I don't like the supplier options?
Every project includes one free revision round. We'll go back and refine the search based on your feedback.

Can you receive samples at the Portless warehouse?
Yes. When you submit your request, indicate that you'd like to send samples to the warehouse and we'll coordinate receipt and quality inspection.

How is the subscription billed?
Monthly, in advance. Cancel anytime with 30 days notice. Projects in flight at cancellation will be completed.

Ready to get started?

Stop spending months on sourcing.

Submit your brief today. Our team will review it and be in touch within 1 business day.