How it really works (and where the margin is)
The flow: you publish products from a supplier in your store at a premium, the customer buys from you and pays you, you buy from the supplier, and the supplier ships directly to the customer. You never touch the product. Your real job is marketing, curation and customer service.
Typical numbers: You buy for $150-250 what you sell for $500-700. From this gross margin come advertising ($80-200 per sale at the beginning), payment commissions (3-4%) and returns. The healthy net margin is around 15-25% — with volume, it's a business; Without volume, it's an expensive hobby.
Suppliers: the decision that defines everything
- China suppliers (AliExpress, CJ Dropshipping): infinite catalog and low prices, but 10-25 day shipping to Mexico. Viable only if the product is worth it and you communicate it clearly.
- National suppliers and local wineries: lower margin but 2-5 day deliveries — the difference between 3% and 1% conversion. To climb in Mexico, sooner or later you need local stock.
- ALWAYS validate with trial purchases: order the product from your own home before selling it. Quality, packaging and real delivery time.
- Have supplier B for your winning products: when A runs out of stock in the middle of the campaign, plan B saves the month.
Taxes and customs: what the gurus leave out
Selling online in Mexico is a taxable activity: you need RFC (RESICO or business activity), invoice your sales and declare. Payment gateways report to the SAT — the "I'll formalize it later" catches up with you quickly.
On imports, orders above de minimis thresholds pay import taxes, and China's parcel rules have been tightened. Calculate your margins with taxes included, not just with the AliExpress price.
The 5 mistakes that break newbies
- 1. Choose a product by price and not by demand: the business is about solving something that people are already looking for, with a clear marketing angle.
- 2. Promising false delivery times: Leads to chargebacks, destructive reviews, and blocking your ad account.
- 3. Ignore customer service: in dropshipping YOU ARE the face of the order. WhatsApp with quick responses and proactive tracking is the difference between reviews and disputes.
- 4. Scaling ads without knowing their numbers: Without knowing your maximum allowed cost per acquisition, scaling is burning money faster.
- 5. Operate with loose tools: store on the one hand, orders in Excel, chats on the cell phone. Operational chaos kills before competition.
The right stack for serious trading
To operate dropshipping you need: online store, connection with suppliers to import catalog and synchronize stock, local charges (card, MSI, transfer, cash), WhatsApp for service, and order control with tracking.
In Aura you have that complete stack in a single system: store connected to dropshipping suppliers (CJ, AliExpress), collections with Aura Payments, WhatsApp inbox with AI for service and after-sales, and orders flowing with tracking. Instead of paying for 5 subscriptions, you operate everything from one — with a 14-day trial for $14 USD.
Aura Resources Mentioned
Stop sticking tools. Operate your entire business with Aura.
ERP, CRM, point of sale, billing, WhatsApp and more — in a single system with AI that works for you. Try 14 days for $14.
Start your trial →Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need to start dropshipping?
Realistic: $10,000-30,000 MXN for product testing and startup advertising, plus your platform. Whoever starts "with zero pesos" does not have the budget to learn what product works, which is the real cost of starting.
Is dropshipping legal in Mexico?
Completely. It is a commercial intermediation model. What you must comply with: RFC, billing of your sales, declarations, and respond for guarantees and returns to Profeco like any seller.
How much do you earn with dropshipping?
The healthy net margin is 15-25% on sales. An operation that sells $100,000 MXN/month leaves $15,000-25,000 before your salary. Those who earn a lot sell a lot — there is no magic, there is volume and a good product.
Dropshipping or own inventory?
Dropshipping is ideal for VALIDATING products without inventory risk. When a product proves a winner, buying local stock increases your margin 10-20 points and lowers delivery to 2 days. Mature businesses use both: validate with dropshipping and scale with stock.