Nvidia fires back at rumors it will require upfront payment from clients for H200 orders — company says that it ‘would never require customers to pay for products that they do not receive’

Nvidia has denied rumors that it would require upfront payment from Chinese customers for H200 orders, clarifying that it does not ask clients to pay for products they have not received. The company's statement comes amid uncertainty about whether Beijing will permit Chinese tech firms to purchase Nvidia H200 GPUs. While Chinese tech giants like Alibaba and ByteDance are reportedly interested in ordering these chips, the H200 is an older model superseded by newer, more advanced options. Nvidia has also announced the Vera Rubin architecture, which offers enhanced performance and efficiency compared to previous-generation GPUs. The company's decision not to demand upfront payment for H200 chips from Chinese customers may reduce risk while awaiting approval from Beijing and help maintain goodwill with Chinese companies and the government.