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Short answer: to choose a dropshipping supplier in the USA, judge it on two things that US sources actually define. First, you are the seller: under the FTC’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, the business soliciting the order, not the agent fulfilling it, answers for late shipment and refunds. Second, for medical and laboratory products, FDA registration attaches to the manufacturer, importer or relabeler behind the product, not to a distributor that only passes it on. This page is general information, not legal or medical advice.
What a US dropshipping supplier is
In a dropshipping arrangement you take the customer’s order and the supplier ships the goods. The FTC’s business guide addresses this party as a “fulfillment house or drop shipper” and describes it as “the agent fulfilling” the order. A US dropshipping supplier is simply one that ships from inside the United States; dropshipping wholesale suppliers and US dropshipping suppliers are overlapping labels for the same supplier role, so one vetting process covers all three phrases. Our guide to drop shipping medical supplies covers the FDA and FTC rules in more depth, and whether dropshipping is legal covers the legal question itself; this page is only about choosing the supplier.
How to choose a dropshipping supplier
Most supplier directories rank suppliers on speed, quality and price. Those are business judgments. The checks below are the ones a federal source gives you a reason to make. Each is phrased as a question to put to a supplier before you list its products.
1. Can it ship within the time you promise?
The FTC guide states: “If you make no shipment statement, you must have a reasonable basis for believing that you can ship within 30 days.” Ask the supplier what lead time it can support, and make sure the shipping time you publish is one it can meet.
2. How will delays reach you in time?
If shipment will be late, the FTC guide says “you must seek the customer’s consent to the delayed shipment.” Because the supplier ships but you answer to the customer, ask how and how quickly it will tell you about a delay or a stock-out.
3. What happens when an order cannot ship?
The guide says that if you will not ship you must promptly cancel and refund, and that for most payment methods the refund is due “within seven working days after the order is cancelled.” Ask whether the supplier can confirm cancellations quickly enough for you to meet that timeline.
4. Which role does it play for each product?
For medical and laboratory devices, ask the supplier to state whether it is the manufacturer, a contract manufacturer, an importer, a relabeler or repackager, or a distributor. The answer decides whether FDA registration applies to it (see the table below).
5. Who is the registered party behind the product?
If the supplier is a distributor, ask for the name of the manufacturer, importer or relabeler, then check that party’s registration. Our FDA registration lookup guide explains how.
Who is the seller, and who is registered with FDA
Under the FTC rule the seller is the party soliciting the order. The guide’s question on fulfillment houses answers directly: “The seller is.” So choosing a supplier does not move legal responsibility to it.
FDA’s page “Who Must Register, List and Pay the Fee” sets out which device activities require establishment registration. Checked on 2026-11-01:
| Activity (FDA chart) | Must register with FDA |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer, including kit assembler | Yes |
| Contract manufacturer or contract sterilizer | Yes |
| Initial importer | Yes (registers; importers do not list devices) |
| Relabeler or repackager | Yes |
| Domestic distributor that does not import devices | No |
| Wholesale distributor that is not a manufacturer or importer | No |
FDA defines a relabeler as an establishment that changes the content of the labeling from that supplied by the original manufacturer for distribution under its own name, and says merely adding a name to unchanged labeling does not make a relabeler. The practical consequence is that a dropshipper listing “FDA registered” on its site may be describing someone else. See also our guides to medical supplies suppliers and wholesale medical supply procurement.
Common misunderstandings
“The supplier ships it, so the supplier answers for it.”
The FTC guide says the opposite for the order rule: the person soliciting the order is the seller.
“A distributor must be FDA registered.”
FDA’s chart lists a wholesale distributor that is not a manufacturer or importer, and a domestic distributor that does not import, as not required to register. The registration to check is that of the manufacturer, importer or relabeler.
“US dropshipping suppliers and wholesale suppliers are different things to vet.”
The checks above apply to either label: shipment time, delay handling, refunds and product role. For equipment categories, see medical equipment suppliers.
FAQ
How do I choose a dropshipping supplier?
Confirm it can support the shipping time you publish (30 days if you state none), that it will warn you of delays so you can get customer consent, that you can cancel and refund within seven working days, and, for medical or lab products, which FDA role it plays and who the registered manufacturer, importer or relabeler is.
Who is responsible if a dropshipped order is late?
The seller, meaning the business that took the order, according to the FTC’s guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule.
Does a dropshipping supplier need to be registered with FDA?
Not if it is only a wholesale or domestic distributor, per FDA’s chart. Manufacturers, importers and relabelers behind the product do need to register.
Sources
- FTC, Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, checked 2026-11-01.
- FDA, Who Must Register, List and Pay the Fee, checked 2026-11-01.
