Improve your Trade Assurance score (TA Score) to increase your chances of closing orders

1. Understand the B2B model on Alibaba and the role of Trade Assurance

How does the B2B model on Alibaba work?

• Unlike B2C platforms such as Shopee or Amazon (retail to consumers), Alibaba is a B2B (Business to Business) platform - a place that connects manufacturers and suppliers with wholesale buyers and distributors globally.

• Vietnamese businesses can open booths on Alibaba, display products, post detailed information, receive inquiries from international customers and conduct direct transactions through Alibaba's security system.

What is Trade Assurance?

• Trade Assurance (TA) is Alibaba's order protection policy, helping to ensure the rights of both buyers and sellers. When trading through Trade Assurance, buyers are protected if goods are not as described or are delivered late.

• TA Score is the commercial reputation score, reflecting the supplier's level of reliability, service quality and transaction history. The higher your score, the more likely buyers are to choose you over your competitors.

2. Benefits of maintaining a high TA Score

A good TA Score (over 80 points) gives businesses many competitive advantages on Alibaba:

• Increase product visibility in internal search engines.

• Priority is given to ranking booths in the "Verified Supplier" section.

• Increase inquiry response rate because buyers have more trust.

• Easily receive large orders and long-term contracts.

• Strengthen Vietnam's export brand in the eyes of international customers.

According to statistics from Alibaba Vietnam, suppliers with TA Score above 85 receive 3 times more traffic than average.

3. TA Score structure on Alibaba

TA Score is calculated based on four main groups of criteria:

4. Five mistakes cause TA Score to plummet

Not responding to inquiry on time

Buyers on Alibaba often send requests to multiple suppliers at the same time. If you respond more than 24 hours late, they will move on to another competitor.

How to fix:

• Maintain response rate above 95% and response time under 12 hours.

• Use the Alibaba Seller App to receive inquiry notifications immediately.

• Set an automatic reply message in case you are not online.

Do not update store information

Booths that are less professional or less active will have their "Active Seller" score reduced.

How to fix:

• Update new products at least twice a week.

• Post articles introducing the production process, customer feedback, and actual videos.

• Maintain operating index above 80% each month.

Orders are canceled or delivered late

If it is not delivered on time or the customer requests a refund, the Fulfillment score will drop sharply.

How to fix:

• Carefully check inventory and delivery schedule before confirming the order.

• Agree flexible delivery time in the contract.

• Only accept Trade Assurance Order when you are sure of production capacity.

Delivery does not match description

A common mistake of many Vietnamese businesses is that the actual quality is different from the sample or advertising image, causing buyers to give it a low rating.

How to fix:

• Standardize quality control (QC) processes before shipment.

• Use quality certificates, inspection videos, COAs to increase trust.

• Make sure product images and descriptions match 100%.

Customers are not encouraged to leave reviews after the transaction

Lack of positive feedback prevents your TA score from increasing even if you deliver on time.

How to fix:

• Send follow-up email asking for reviews after each order.

• Offer a small offer or discount code for your next purchase.

• Maintain friendly relationships to create loyal customers.

5. Seven ways to improve TA Score quickly and sustainably

Complete at least 5 TA orders per month

The more transactions protected, the higher the trust score. Start with small orders to increase your transaction history.

Upgrade your Verified Supplier account

Certified suppliers are given priority by Alibaba to display and earn TA points.

Post SEO standard products

• Optimize product titles and descriptions with keywords like “Vietnam handmade soap supplier” or “organic skincare exporter from Vietnam” to increase organic traffic.

• This helps the store attract organic buyers and improve performance indicators.

Using P4P advertising (Performance Ads)

Running internal ads helps increase views, clicks and inquiries - factors that indirectly increase TA scores.

Optimize inquiry responses with professional sample letters

Prepare a sample inquiry response letter in clear English, demonstrate professionalism, provide a quick FOB/CIF quote, and include actual product images.

Monitor weekly TA reports

Alibaba provides a Trade Assurance Report that shows score-reducing factors such as slow response or late delivery. Regular monitoring helps timely recovery.

Get advice on opening an Alibaba Vietnam booth

If you are just starting out, you should find a consulting unit to open a booth to get guidance on optimizing TA Score, product SEO and advertising strategies suitable for the export industry.

6. Conclusion: Improving TA Score - Raising Vietnam's exports

• Trade Assurance Score (TA Score) is not just a number but a measure of the reputation of Vietnamese businesses on the global e-commerce platform.

• When TA Score is high, businesses easily build trust with international buyers, close orders faster and expand markets to the US, Europe, and Japan.

ALIBABA VIETNAM COMPANY - EXPORT E-COMMERCE FLOOR

• Head office: 19th Floor, Saigon Center Building, No. 67 Le Loi Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

• Email:  [email protected]

• Phone: (+84) 987 258 510

• Branch 1: 10th Floor, Becamex Tower, 230 Binh Duong Avenue, Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong

• Branch 2: 9th Floor, TTC Plaza, Vo Thi Sau, Thong Thong Ward, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai

• Branch 3: 123 Cong Hoa, Ward 12, Tan Binh, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam