Nvidia is reportedly asking Chinese customers to prepay for H200 AI chips

Nvidia is now asking its customers in China to pay for the H200 AI chips although Beijing’s approval is uncertain, Reuters reportedciting unknown sources.

The chipmaker is not leaving any room for refunds or order changes, the report said.

While some customers may be allowed to use commercial insurance or a property bond, the terms are more stringent than Nvidia’s previous policy, which sometimes allowed for a small deposit, Reuters reported.

Nvidia declined to comment.

China is expected to allow Nvidia to sell H200 chips in the country, on Bloombergalthough Beijing wants to restrict the chips from being used by its military, state-owned companies, and financial concerns.

Despite the problems, the demand for Nvidia H200 remains strong, and Chinese companies have it he says ordered more than 2 million GPUs in 2026, prompting the machine manufacturer to ramp up production.

Nvidia is trying to thrive amid strong demand for its chips while managing political risks in the US and China. US chipmaker faced expensive obstacles when the Trump administration said it would need permission to export H20 chips to China, forcing the company to write down a $5.5 billion fine.