ONEWING GROUP LIMITED › RELX HERC 12000 › 10 Questions to Ask a Vape Supplier Before Your First Order

10 Questions to Ask a Vape Supplier Before Your First Order

By ONEWING GROUP LIMITED · Updated 2026 · Reading time: 7 min

The first order with a new vape supplier is the highest-risk transaction a retailer makes: the product is unfamiliar, the compliance is opaque, and the margin maths is unverified. The right questions separate a supplier worth graduating with from one worth walking away from — and these ten, stated for trade buyers, are the due diligence that matters.

The compliance cluster: questions 1 to 3

Question one: “Can you provide TGA compliance documentation for every nicotine-containing product in this order?” A supplier who cannot is a supplier who cannot ship lawfully — and the documentation is the shelf’s insurance, not a formality.

Question two: “Are all nicotine strengths at or below 20mg/mL?” The TGA cap is the regulatory ceiling; a device above it is not lawful for general supply in Australia, and a supplier who offers one is a supplier who does not understand the market.

Question three: “Do you carry UN38.3 transport test summaries for every lithium-cell device?” The battery safety standard is a shipping requirement, and a supplier without it is a supplier whose freight may be seized at customs — and whose device safety cannot be verified.

The product cluster: questions 4 to 6

Question four: “What coil technology does this device use, and how is it calibrated to the tank volume?” Mesh on an 18ml tank is an honest pairing; wound wire on an 18ml tank is a device that will fade. The coil material and the tank volume must be matched — and the HERC’s mesh-plus-regulation is the reference.

Question five: “What is the cell capacity (mAh), and does it cover the full tank without recharging?” A 2600mAh cell on an 18ml tank is a charge-free device; a 650mAh cell on a 20ml tank is a rechargeable device. Both are legitimate; the supplier should state which honestly.

Question six: “Can you walk me through the manufacturing pipeline — coil winding, tank fill, pair-testing, carton QC?” A supplier who can describe their line can hold their line; one who cannot is running a patchwork. The build process is a due-diligence tool, and our manufacturing guide covers the stages in detail.

The commercial cluster: questions 7 to 10

Question seven: “What are your MOQ tiers, and what is the unit price at each tier?” A tiered MOQ is a transparent structure; a single MOQ with a negotiable price is a hidden premium. The HERC’s wholesale programme runs on stated tiers — and the tier is the economics, not a negotiation.

Question eight: “What is your lead time from order to dispatch, and what is your reorder window?” The lead time sets the inventory planning; the reorder window sets the shelf’s replenishment rhythm. A supplier who cannot state both is a supplier whose logistics are not under control.

Question nine: “What is your field complaint rate — leaks, dead-on-arrival, flavour drift — and what is your returns policy?” A rate below 0.5 per cent is honest; above is a problem. The returns policy is the shelf’s safety net, and a supplier without one is a supplier whose risk is yours.

Question ten: “Do you provide a landed-cost calculator and a competitor price survey for my trade area?” A supplier who helps you price is a supplier whose margin maths is honest; one who does not is one whose unit price may not survive contact with your overhead. The margin calculator is the shelf’s pricing tool — and our worked examples show the maths.

The Ten-Question Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I ask a vape supplier before my first order?

Ten questions across three clusters: compliance (TGA documentation, 20mg/mL cap, UN38.3 battery tests), product (coil-to-tank matching, cell capacity, manufacturing pipeline) and commercial (MOQ tiers, lead time, complaint rate, landed-cost support). A supplier who answers all ten honestly is a supplier worth graduating with.

Why is TGA documentation the first question?

Because without it the order cannot ship lawfully. Nicotine vaping products in Australia require compliance documentation for pharmacy-channel supply, and a supplier who cannot provide it is a supplier whose product may be seized at customs — and whose shelf insurance is worthless.

What complaint rate should a trade buyer accept?

Below 0.5 per cent for leaks, dead-on-arrival and flavour drift combined. Above that rate, the supplier’s manufacturing line is not under control, and the returns volume will erode the margin. Ask for the field rate and the returns policy together — the policy is the safety net.

Should a supplier help me with pricing?

Yes. A supplier who provides a landed-cost calculator and a competitor price survey is a supplier whose unit price is honest and whose margin maths is transparent. One who does not is one whose unit price may not survive contact with your overhead — and the margin is the shelf’s viability test.