No. Formal sourcing agents have clear tiered pricing: entry-level market research starts at just $29, full-process Growth Plan is 5–8% of order value, and Basic Service for existing suppliers is only 3–5%.
With industrial cluster resources and bulk bargaining power, agents typically help you reduce factory prices by 5–15%, while also helping you avoid hidden add-ons, quality losses, customs fines and other implicit risks. Overall, total procurement cost is actually more controllable. For small-batch orders, agents can also help you consolidate LCL shipments to further reduce logistics costs.