Buyer's guide · updated September 2026

Matcha samples.
Compare 12 suppliers.

Compare sample sizes, costs, shipping locations, and product details in one place. Find a program that fits the way you want to test matcha.

Supplier Free? Who qualifies Sample size Ships from Dispatch / arrival What the sample tells you After the sample First order
Japan Matcha PrimeJapan · sample stock in Dallas, TX Free, no order or card US food & beverage businesses (name, address, website/IG) 2 grades × 2 × 10 g (40 g) Dallas, Texas Within 48 h · 2–4 days by USPS Origin, harvest, cultivar, lot number, milling date on every sachet Reply in 24 h, tasting call, landed quote Small first orders; two grades can be combined
NAKAIJapan Free "Verified cafés" (2-field form) Not published Japan Within 48 h · about 1 week Origin and cultivar published per lot on the site Founder replies in 24 h, founder tasting call From 3 kg (site also mentions 1 kg)
matcha.com (bulk)Arizona "Request free sample" by phone; 30 g listed at the 500 g price on product pages Not stated 30 g listed Arizona Not published Grade name only; first flush stated on one product Phone-led 500 g
Jade Leaf MatchaUS Free samples via wholesale program Wholesale account Not published US Not published Grade and organic status Wholesale portal with published prices 1 lb units, case sales
Mizuba Tea Co.Oregon Free Verified; waitlist as of mid-2026 Not published Portland, OR Not published Uji origin Training, newsletter, bar-flow support Not published
MatchafulNew York Not stated (application) Application; partners limited Not published New York Not published Single-origin Shizuoka, organic Hands-on training Not published
EnchaUS / Uji Not stated (application form) Wholesale application Not published US Not published Organic Uji, three grades Grade selection Not published
KettlNew York / Fukuoka Not published Wholesale accounts Not published New York Not published Single-farm lots, cultivar named Comprehensive training included 1 kg bags
UnDNew York Paid sample pouches After wholesale access is approved 20 g (about 10 servings) New York Not published Uji / Yame origin Wholesale shop 1 kg
AZ MatchaUS Free organic sample Wholesale buyers Not published US Not published Organic Quote Not published
Full Leaf Tea CompanyOregon Paid "Cafe Sample Kit" Anyone Kit product Oregon Standard shipping Grade names Wholesale site By the pound
Aiya AmericaCalifornia No sample program listed Reseller license / TIN required Torrance, CA Grade names Individual consultation Bulk from 10 kg

Compiled from each supplier's public website in August–September 2026. "Not published" means the site does not state it; the supplier may still offer it on request. Programs change, especially during the 2026 supply shortage (Mizuba's waitlist and Ippodo's pause on new US wholesale accounts are examples). If you run one of these programs and something is out of date, email us and we will correct it.

How to read the table

  • Free with conditions is the norm. Verification (a real business), an application, or a first-order credit are all common. Programs with no conditions at all are rare and usually mean a consumer-sized pouch rather than a café test.
  • Size decides what you can test. 10 g is a one-person tasting. 20 g lets you whisk it straight, run it at 2 g and 3 g in your own milk, and give staff a cup. Ask for the size before you assume.
  • Shipping origin decides speed. Japan-based suppliers are usually a week or more away once customs is counted. US warehouses are days. A supplier that mills in Japan but holds sealed samples in the US gets you both.
  • Disclosure decides whether the reorder matches. If the sample does not tell you the origin, harvest, and lot, you cannot check that the kilo you buy is the same tea. Ask for a spec sheet with the sample, not after.
  • Minimums decide your risk. A 3 kg or 10 kg minimum on a first order means committing to a lot you tasted once. Look for suppliers that let a first order stay small, or combine two grades.

What a good sample program looks like for a café

Free for a verified business, at least 20 g per grade, chosen for your menu rather than a random assortment, shipped from US stock in days, with the origin and lot on the label, and a short call afterwards instead of a sales sequence. That is the standard we set our own sample program against, and the column you should hold every supplier to.

Before you request

Decide the drink you will test (your best seller), the milk, and the dose. Then ask each supplier the same three questions: what is in the sample, where does it ship from, and will the reorder be the same lot. The answers sort the list faster than any tasting. Our guide to matcha for cafés has the test protocol.

FAQ

Which matcha suppliers send free samples to cafés?

As of September 2026, Japan Matcha Prime, NAKAI, Mizuba, AZ Matcha, and matcha.com publish free sample offers for businesses, usually with verification. Others sell sample packs (UnD, Full Leaf), credit the cost against a first order (AKI), or only send samples after a wholesale application (Matchaful, Encha, Jade Leaf).

How much matcha is in a typical wholesale sample?

Between 10 and 30 g per grade. 10 g is about five drinks at 2 g each; 20 g is enough to whisk it straight, test two milks, and have staff taste it. Japan Matcha Prime sends 20 g per grade as two sealed 10 g sachets; UnD sells 20 g pouches; matcha.com lists 30 g.

How long do matcha samples take to arrive?

Suppliers shipping from Japan typically quote about a week after dispatch. Suppliers with US stock ship in 2 to 4 days. Japan Matcha Prime holds sealed samples in Dallas, Texas and dispatches within 48 hours; NAKAI dispatches within 48 hours from Japan.

Request samples

Two grades for your menu, from Dallas in 48 hours

Free for US cafés, boba shops, restaurants, bakeries, and retailers. Origin, harvest, cultivar, lot, and milling date on every sachet.