Why B2B Checkout Differs from B2C

A B2C customer buys a $50 product, pays with a credit card, gets it tomorrow. B2B buying is fundamentally different:

  • Payment terms: The buyer doesn't pay immediately. Net 30 (pay in 30 days) is standard. Net 60 and net 90 are common for high-volume accounts.
  • Purchase orders: Most B2B buyers issue a formal PO before ordering. They need an order confirmation with a PO number tied to their internal budgeting.
  • Bulk ordering: $2,000+ average order values are normal. The buyer needs volume discounts, tiered pricing, and inventory negotiation.
  • Approval workflows: Large orders (>$10,000) often require approval from finance/procurement before purchase.
  • Account setup: B2B customers don't re-enter company details every purchase. They have an account with verified company information, tax ID, and credit terms.

Shopify's standard checkout handles none of this. B2B Checkout is a separate product that does. If you're selling B2B, you're using the wrong checkout out of the box.

Shopify B2B vs Standard Shopify

Here's the difference:

Feature Standard Shopify Shopify B2B
Payment terms (net 30/60/90) No Yes, native
Purchase order workflow No Yes, with PO capture + confirmation
Custom catalogs per buyer Limited Yes, per company account
Bulk pricing tiers Variants only Yes, quantity-based automatic pricing
Credit limit enforcement No Yes, via Bold Credit integration
Account management Single user Admin can manage multiple users per company
Quote-to-order workflow No Yes, can quote before PO
EDI integration Requires custom app Yes, more easily integrated

Most B2B wholesale merchants need Shopify B2B, not standard Shopify.

Setting Up B2B Payment Terms

Step 1: Enable Shopify B2B

In your Shopify admin:

  1. Settings → Apps and integrations
  2. Install "B2B Edition" (creates a new sales channel)
  3. Configure the B2B store URL (e.g., b2b.yourstore.com or b2b-yourstore.myshopify.com)

Step 2: Configure Payment Terms

In Shopify B2B settings:

  1. Navigate to B2B Edition → Payment Terms
  2. Set available terms:
    • Immediate payment (credit card)
    • Net 30 (pay within 30 days)
    • Net 60 (pay within 60 days)
    • Net 90 (pay within 90 days)
  3. Set default term (usually Net 30)

Step 3: Link to Credit Verification (Bold or Custom)

Shopify doesn't verify credit natively. You need Bold Credit:

  1. Install Bold Credit app from Shopify App Store
  2. Configure credit check settings:
    • Auto-approve orders under $5,000 (common threshold)
    • Require manual review $5,000-$25,000
    • Auto-decline over $25,000 until credit is verified
  3. Buyers create account → system runs Experian/Dun & Bradstreet credit check → assigns credit limit

This takes 24-72 hours. Most buyers auto-approve.

Step 4: Set Up PO Number Capture

In B2B Checkout settings:

  1. Enable PO number field (optional or required)
  2. If required, customers can't complete checkout without PO number
  3. Store PO with order in Shopify admin for accounting reference

Configuring Bulk Pricing for B2B

B2C stores use single prices. B2B stores use volume tiers.

Example: Wholesale Widget Distributor

Quantity Unit Price Bulk Discount
1-9 $25.00 List price
10-49 $22.50 10% off
50-99 $20.00 20% off
100+ $17.50 30% off

How to set this up in Shopify B2B:

  1. Create a product "Widget 500ml"
  2. In inventory, set unlimited stock (B2B catalogs are usually infinite)
  3. In B2B settings, create a "Wholesale Pricing" rule:
    • Quantity 1-9: $25.00
    • Quantity 10-49: $22.50
    • Quantity 50-99: $20.00
    • Quantity 100+: $17.50
  4. Assign this pricing to specific buyer companies (or all B2B buyers)

When a B2B buyer orders 75 units, they automatically see $20.00/unit pricing. No manual calculation.

PO Number Workflow

Scenario: ABC Manufacturing orders 200 widgets on net 30 terms.

Flow:

  1. Buyer logs into B2B store with company account
  2. Adds 200 units to cart
  3. Reviews order: $4,000 total
  4. Proceeds to checkout
  5. System triggers credit check (instant auto-approve for ABC, existing customer with good credit)
  6. Buyer enters PO number: "ABC-2024-0087"
  7. System generates Shopify order confirmation tied to PO-0087
  8. Confirmation email sent to buyer and [email protected]
  9. Shopify generates invoice (due in 30 days)
  10. In Shopify admin, order shows PO number for accounting

Critical detail: PO number is for buyer's internal tracking. Your invoice is the binding document. Most B2B merchants generate a formal invoice (separate from Shopify's order confirmation) that includes:

  • Supplier name and address
  • Customer name and PO number
  • Line items with unit prices, quantities, total
  • Payment terms (net 30, due date)
  • Tax ID and invoice number

This requires a third-party invoicing app (Bold Invoice, HoneyBook, or custom integration).

Payment Terms and Cash Flow

Net 30 terms mean you ship the goods today but don't get paid for 30 days. This creates a cash flow problem at scale.

Example:

  • Monthly B2B revenue: $100,000
  • Payment terms: net 30
  • You ship in week 1, get paid in week 5
  • By week 5, you've already shipped month 2's orders
  • Total accounts receivable at any time: $100,000 (one month's revenue owed)

At 20% gross margin, that's $20,000 in gross profit floating unpaid. If you grow to $500K/month, that's $100,000 in gross profit tied up waiting for payment.

How to manage this:

  1. Manage customer credit limits per buyer (via Bold Credit). High-risk buyers get net 15, not net 30. Low-risk buyers get net 60.
  2. Build in a financing fee for net 60+. Example: net 30 at list price, net 60 at list price + 0.5%, net 90 at list price + 1.5%. This compensates for your working capital cost.
  3. Use supply chain financing (fintech for B2B). Providers like Tive or Fintech Collective buy your invoices at a small discount (2-3%), giving you cash immediately while the buyer pays in 30 days. Adds 2-3% cost but solves cash flow.
  4. Monitor DSO (Days Sales Outstanding). Ideal: 35 days for net 30 terms (30 days paid + 5 days grace). If DSO creeps to 50+, you have collection problems.

Account Management and Multi-User Access

B2B buyers often have multiple users (procurement manager, finance, production).

Setup:

  1. Buyer creates account with email
  2. Creates company profile (company name, address, tax ID)
  3. Adds additional users:
    • Admin user (can edit settings)
    • Purchaser user (can place orders)
    • Approver user (approves orders over threshold)
  4. Each user logs in with own email, sees same company catalog and pricing

In Shopify B2B admin, you manage company accounts:

  • View all users per company
  • Set credit limits per company
  • Customize catalog visibility per company
  • Monitor order history

Custom Catalogs Per Buyer

Different buyers need different products. Supplier A only buys red widgets. Supplier B only buys blue widgets.

Setup:

  1. In B2B settings, create product lists (collections)
  2. Assign collections to company accounts
  3. When that company logs in, they only see their assigned products
  4. Reduces cognitive load, improves conversion

Example: A distributor has 2,000 SKUs. Customer A (regional retailer) only carries 300 of them. Customer A's portal shows only those 300 products, reducing decision paralysis.

Approval Workflows for Large Orders

Some B2B buyers require approval before payment (e.g., orders over $10,000 need CFO sign-off).

Native Shopify B2B doesn't support approval workflows. You need a third-party app:

App Cost Features
Spiff $199-499/month Quote management, approval routing, custom workflows
SpringBoard Custom pricing Approval workflows, advanced permissions, audit trail
Kleene $499-999/month Procurement workflows, approval rules, advanced analytics

With Spiff:

  1. Buyer creates a quote request (instead of order)
  2. System routes to procurement manager for approval
  3. Manager approves/rejects in Spiff dashboard
  4. Approved quote converts to order
  5. Order processes as normal

Invoice and Tax ID Management

B2B buyers need proper invoicing, not just order confirmations.

Tax ID verification:

  1. Buyer enters company name and tax ID (EIN, VAT number) during account setup
  2. Shopify can integrate with tax verification services (optional)
  3. Store tax ID with company account for compliance

Invoice generation:
Shopify's native invoices aren't detailed enough for B2B. Use:

  • Bold Invoice: Integrates with Shopify, generates professional invoices with custom terms
  • Zapier → custom invoice service: Route order to external invoicing app (HoneyBook, Wave)
  • Custom app: If you have dev resources

Invoice should include:

  • Invoice number + date
  • PO number (from customer)
  • Line items (product, quantity, unit price, total)
  • Subtotal, tax, total due
  • Payment terms and due date
  • Seller and buyer addresses
  • Tax ID

Integration with Back-Office Systems

Most B2B suppliers use ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) or accounting software. Shopify orders need to sync automatically.

Common integrations:

  • Shopify → QuickBooks Online: Via Zapier or native integration. Creates invoices in QBO, syncs payments.
  • Shopify → SAP/NetSuite: Via custom API integration. Complex but standard for enterprise suppliers.
  • Shopify → EDI system: For large buyers who use EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), orders auto-import into buyer's procurement system.

Without integration, you manually enter orders into your accounting system. This creates errors and delays.

Real-World Example: B2B Setup

A packaging distributor selling corrugated boxes to manufacturers:

Aspect Setup
Platform Shopify Plus + B2B Checkout
Products 500 box types, unlimited inventory (made-to-order)
Pricing Tiered: 100 units at $0.85/box, 500 units at $0.72/box, 2,000+ at $0.58/box
Buyers 80 manufacturing companies
Payment terms Net 30 (standard), Net 60 for AAA-rated customers, Net 15 for new customers
Credit verification Bold Credit, auto-approve under $5,000; manual review $5K-$20K; require escrow over $20K
Approval workflows Orders under $10K auto-approve; $10K-$50K require manufacturing manager approval; >$50K require CEO approval (via Spiff)
Invoicing Bold Invoice, generates PDF invoice tied to PO number
Back-office sync Zapier → QuickBooks Online for invoicing, Zapier → Slack for order notifications
Multi-user accounts 3-5 users per buyer company; admin, purchaser, and approver roles
Results Sales cycle cut from 45 days to 8 days; 80% of orders placed with zero sales rep involvement

Ready to Launch Your B2B Checkout?

B2B e-commerce isn't optional anymore. Buyers expect it. Suppliers who offer net 30 terms, PO workflows, and self-service ordering win deals against competitors still using phone and email. Shopify B2B is the fastest way to build this.

We help B2B suppliers architect payment terms, credit workflows, and custom checkout flows. Let's talk about your B2B strategy.

[https://tenten.co/contact]

Editorial Note
The moment you move from B2C to B2B, everything changes. Your buyer expects payment terms, not credit card payment. They issue a PO. They have multiple users. Shopify's native checkout breaks for this motion. Shopify B2B fixes it. If you're selling B2B, you're using the wrong product out of the box.

Article FAQ

Q: Does Shopify B2B handle net 30/60/90 payment terms natively?
A: Yes. Payment terms are built into B2B Checkout. You set available terms (net 30, net 60, net 90) and default terms. Shopify generates invoices with payment due dates automatically.

Q: What credit verification does Shopify use for net 30 terms?
A: Shopify doesn't include credit verification natively. You integrate Bold Credit (pulls Experian/DNB data), which auto-approves/denies based on credit score and your thresholds. Most orders auto-approve in <1 minute.

Q: Can I require a PO number for all orders?
A: Yes. In B2B settings, you can mark PO number as required. Customers can't checkout without providing a PO number. You can also make it optional (recommended for flexibility).

Q: How do I handle orders over a customer's credit limit?
A: Bold Credit enforces per-company credit limits. If a customer tries to order over their limit, the system blocks the order and requires manual manager review or payment method upgrade. You override in Shopify admin if needed.

Q: Can different customers see different products in their B2B portal?
A: Yes. Create collections and assign them to specific company accounts. When that company logs in, they see only their assigned products. This reduces cognitive load and improves conversion.