Exporter’s Dilemma: Should You Send Free Samples to Foreign Buyers?

If you are a new exporter, the very first question you will face from a foreign buyer is:

👉 “Can you send me a sample?”

At that point, a thousand questions run through your mind:

How should I send it?
How much will it cost me?
Should I send free samples, or should I ask the buyer to pay?
If it’s a food product like tea or spices, do I need any special certificates?
Are there any government subsidy schemes in India to support me?

I have faced these exact doubts when I started my journey as a tea and spices exporter. Let me share my experience and some practical advice that can help you avoid costly mistakes.

How to Send Samples to a Foreign Buyer

When I received my first overseas inquiry, I had no idea about logistics. After asking senior exporters, I learned there are three main options:

International couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS, Aramex) – fast, reliable, but costly.
India Post EMS/Speed Post – much cheaper, but slower.
Hand-carry during buyer visits or exhibitions – works if you are meeting face-to-face.

👉 My tip: If the destination is nearby like Dubai or the Middle East, courier charges are low. But for Europe, USA, or Africa, be ready for higher expenses.

The Big Question: Free Samples or Paid Samples?

This is where every exporter struggles. Let me be honest – I have tried both.

Sometimes I sent free samples, hoping the buyer would place an order.
Sometimes the buyer agreed to pay for both the product sample and courier charges.
For very far destinations (like USA or South Africa), I never send free samples. If the buyer is truly serious, they should respect your cost.

💡 Real story from my journey:
One of my biggest buyers today first paid me for samples. He later placed large orders of tea from me. That experience taught me that genuine importers do not hesitate to pay for samples.

Food Samples: Certificates You Cannot Ignore

If your product is food-based (like tea, spices, rice, or dry fruits), there’s another important step.

When I send even the smallest packets of tea or spices, I must obtain a Phytosanitary Certificate (PSC). It doesn’t matter whether the sample is 50 grams or 5 kilos – importing countries are strict. Without PSC, your samples might be rejected at customs.

So, remember: Certificates are not optional. Always check the importing country’s requirements before shipping.

Cost of Sending Samples

The cost depends on:

Package weight & size
Courier service chosen
Destination country

📌 Example from my experience:

Sending 1 kg of tea samples to Dubai → fairly cheap.
Sending the same 1 kg to Germany or South Africa → almost double or triple the cost.

This is why evaluating whether to send free or paid samples becomes so important.

Subsidy Schemes for Indian Exporters

The good news is that the Indian government provides financial assistance to exporters for sample costs. Some useful schemes include:

APEDA – reimburses costs of sending food product samples (including tea, spices, rice).
Tea Board of India & Spices Board – both have special programs for exporters to promote Indian products abroad.
Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme – covers part of expenses related to product promotion, exhibitions, and samples.
Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) – many councils have sample reimbursement schemes under specific conditions.

👉 If you are serious about exports, you should register with your product’s export promotion board and keep an eye on their circulars. Many new exporters don’t know these schemes exist and end up spending unnecessarily.

Final Advice to New Exporters

Sending samples is a necessary investment in the export business, but it should be done smartly:

✅ Use cheaper courier options for nearby markets (like the Middle East).
✅ Always get required certificates for food products.
✅ Don’t blindly send free samples everywhere – evaluate buyer’s seriousness.
✅ Use subsidy schemes to recover part of your expenses.

💡 Remember from my journey: One buyer who insisted on free samples never placed an order, but the one who paid for samples turned out to be my long-term client. That’s the difference between time-wasters and genuine customers.