Most manufacturers and distributors still run their wholesale business on Excel sheets, email orders and phone calls. Too many middlemen, tiring order processes, messy invoicing, fragmented dealer relationships. Over the past two years, however, Shopify Plus completely rewrote its B2B feature and turned this equation into a solved problem.
As of 2024, Shopify Plus is now a full-featured enterprise wholesale platform that runs both B2C and B2B on a single store, offers per-dealer price lists, enforces minimum order rules via code, and tracks corporate payment terms automatically. In this guide we walk through how to build a professional B2B wholesale portal from scratch, step by step.
What Is Shopify Plus B2B? What Changed After 2024?
For years, Shopify recommended spinning up a separate Expansion Store for B2B needs. Since 2024, that approach is obsolete. You can now sell to both retail customers and approved dealers from the same Shopify Plus store, on top of the same product catalogue.
Old B2B vs New B2B
Under the old system (pre-2023):
- Separate stores for B2C and B2B (double the licence cost)
- Inventory, products and customers managed separately
- Checkout customised via third-party apps
- Price lists managed manually through metafields
Under the new system (post-2024):
- Single store — dealers see their custom catalogue and pricing after login
- Multi-tier dealer hierarchy via Company and Location model
- Built-in payment terms (Net 30, Net 60, Net 90) and deposit/balance flows
- Custom MOQ and discount rules via Shopify Functions (in code)
- Automatic country-based tax and pricing via Shopify Markets
10 Steps to Build a B2B Portal
A professional Shopify Plus B2B portal implementation typically takes 6–12 weeks. The 10 steps below cover critical architectural decisions and technical details.
Step 1: Shopify Plus Subscription and Infrastructure Decision
Shopify Plus starts at $2,300 per month and scales with revenue. Full B2B feature access is Plus-only. Before subscribing, clarify these questions:
- Single store or multiple regional stores? Shopify Markets covers most needs on a single store, but some enterprise scenarios (different currencies + different VAT IDs + different legal entities) are better served by separate stores.
- Existing ERP/accounting integration: Plan product, inventory, price and order sync with Logo, Mikro, SAP or Netsuite from day one.
- Dealer count and volume: If you have more than 50 dealers, Company hierarchy becomes critical.
Step 2: Customer Account Hierarchy — Company, Location, Contact
Shopify Plus B2B's biggest strength is its three-layer customer model:
- Company: The parent dealer entity. For example, "Berlin Hotel Group GmbH".
- Location: Different branches or purchasing units of the same company. Berlin Hotel Group's purchasing points in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich can be defined as separate locations. Each has its own shipping address, VAT number and payment terms.
- Contact: Real people. Multiple contacts per company, with role-based access control (purchasing, approval, view-only).
Step 3: Catalogue Management — Per-Dealer Product Pool
In Shopify Plus B2B, each Company can be assigned one or more Catalogues. A catalogue determines which products that company sees, at what price, and which MOQ rules apply.
A typical catalogue structure for a wholesale distributor:
- Tier 1 Distributors: all products, wholesale price -35%, MOQ 500 units, Net 90 terms
- Tier 2 Dealers: core products, -25%, MOQ 100 units, Net 60 terms
- Tier 3 Retail Chains: private label excluded, -15%, MOQ 50 units, Net 30 terms
- New Dealer (Trial): bestsellers only, -10%, MOQ 25 units, prepayment
The same dealer can access multiple catalogues — e.g. "Core Range", "Seasonal Collection" and "Limited Edition" simultaneously.
Step 4: Price Lists — The Price Lists API
Price Lists are the main mechanism for applying custom pricing per dealer group. There are three ways to assign prices:
- Percentage discount: catalogue-wide automatic discount (e.g. -30%). Applies automatically to new products too.
- Fixed price per product: custom price on specific SKUs. Especially useful for private label.
- CSV upload: Excel-style bulk pricing for thousands of products. For ERP-integrated setups, automated via API.
Step 5: MOQ, Case-Pack Selling and Shopify Functions
Classic Shopify had weak minimum-order rules. With Shopify Functions you can now write completely custom rules in JavaScript (or Rust). Example scenarios:
- "Minimum 48 units per SKU"
- "Cart total must be at least €5,000"
- "Only sell in multiples of 12 (case-pack)"
- "At least 3 different products in cart"
- "Automatic +5% discount for dealers with >€100K yearly volume"
Shopify Functions run at cart and checkout level, handle millions of evaluations per second, and can block checkout instantly.
Step 6: Payment Terms and Financial Flow
Instant payment is rare in B2B. Shopify Plus B2B's built-in Payment Terms feature offers:
- Net 30/60/90: payment window from order date, automatic reminder emails
- Deposit + Balance: 30% upfront on order confirmation, 70% after shipment
- Early payment discount: -3% if paid within 10 days
- Credit limit: per-dealer total outstanding debt cap (overdraft protection)
- Quote + conversion flow: quote approval first, then order
Step 7: Tax and International Sales — EU VAT, Reverse Charge
If you sell to EU dealers, configuring tax rules correctly is critical:
- Reverse Charge: an EU VAT-registered dealer pays VAT in their own country; you don't add VAT to the invoice. Shopify validates this automatically via the VIES API.
- Export from Turkey: international orders apply 0% VAT (zero-rated), and an e-Archive export invoice is issued. We cover this process in depth in our e-Invoice guide.
- Shopify Markets integration: country-based tax rates and pricing are automatic. Separate VAT is calculated for DE, FR, IT, ES.
Step 8: Document Automation — Pro Forma, Invoice, Packing List
Documents that need to be generated for every B2B order:
- Pro forma invoice (pre-order quote)
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List (box contents)
- Certificate of Origin
- Quality certificates like OEKO-TEX, GOTS, CE
- Bill of Lading — for container shipments
Shopify App Store apps like Order Printer Pro and Multi-Order Fulfillment generate these automatically. Setups with ERP integration typically use custom middleware.
Step 9: Dealer Approval and Sign-Up Flow
Not everyone should be able to self-register on your B2B portal. The approval flow should be:
- Dealer fills in an application form (company name, VAT number, annual revenue, reference, website)
- Automatic email notification to the sales team
- Sales team reviews the application (VIES VAT validation, company research)
- If approved, a Company is created, the right Catalogue is assigned, the dealer user is invited
- On first login the dealer sees an onboarding page
This flow can be automated with Shopify Flow.
Step 10: Analytics, Reporting and CRM Integration
Data is critical in B2B sales management. Shopify Plus Analytics provides per-dealer reports:
- Monthly/annual revenue per dealer
- Top-ordering companies
- Order frequency and average cart value
- Overdue payment terms
- Catalogue performance
Two-way integration between Shopify Plus and CRMs like HubSpot, Pipedrive or Salesforce is possible, letting the sales team manage the entire dealer relationship from one CRM.
Shopify Plus B2B vs Competitors
It's worth comparing Shopify Plus B2B with alternatives:
| Feature | Shopify Plus B2B | BigCommerce B2B | WooCommerce Wholesale Suite | Custom Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $2,300+ | $400+ | $300/year | $20,000+ one-off |
| Company hierarchy | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Limited | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom price lists | ✅ Price Lists | ✅ | ⚠️ Plugin | ✅ |
| MOQ rules (code) | ✅ Functions | ⚠️ Basic | ❌ | ✅ |
| Payment terms | ✅ Native | ✅ | ⚠️ Plugin | ✅ |
| Multi-currency | ✅ Markets | ✅ | ⚠️ | ✅ |
| B2C + B2B same store | ✅ | ⚠️ Separate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Setup time | 6–12 weeks | 6–16 weeks | 3–8 weeks | 6–12 months |
Shopify Plus B2B is the most balanced option for export-focused enterprise brands in setup speed, feature breadth and ecosystem size.
7 Critical Factors for a Successful B2B Portal
- Get the story right from day one. Starting with "we already have a B2C store, we'll bolt on B2B later" exposes dealers to retail prices. Have a clear migration plan.
- Don't explode catalogue and price list counts. Keeping them under 5 eases management and avoids dealer confusion.
- Prepare onboarding videos. Your dealers are using Shopify Plus B2B for the first time — 3–5 minute tutorials cut support load by 60%.
- Don't outsource ERP sync to off-the-shelf tools. Celigo, Alumio and Pipe17 are fine to start with but custom middleware is inevitable once you scale.
- Design a manual process for container logistics. Shopify's standard shipping apps do not handle 20' and 40' container dispatch. A logistics team must take over after the order is placed.
- Chase payment term overdues aggressively. Shopify Plus shows dealer payment status on the dashboard but automated reminder emails require Shopify Flow.
- Collect dealer feedback. Watch active usage of 10–15 dealers for the first 3 months, fix bottlenecks, then do a wider rollout.
B2B Shopify Setup Checklist
- ✅ Shopify Plus licence active
- ✅ Company, Location, Contact hierarchy defined
- ✅ Dealer segments identified (Tier 1/2/3/Trial)
- ✅ Catalogue per segment created
- ✅ Price Lists synced from ERP
- ✅ MOQ rules written via Shopify Functions
- ✅ Payment Terms configured (Net 30/60/90)
- ✅ EU VAT reverse charge rules active
- ✅ Pro forma and invoice automation in place
- ✅ Dealer approval and sign-up flow automated via Shopify Flow
- ✅ International shipping integration complete
- ✅ Two-way CRM sync
- ✅ Analytics dashboards ready
34Devs B2B Shopify Plus Implementation
34Devs has been delivering Shopify Plus B2B implementations across Turkey, Germany and Europe since 2020. From Denizli's textile giants and Izmir's export brands to German furniture manufacturers and Swiss premium cosmetics brands, we've shipped 30+ Shopify Plus B2B projects. In every project we've written custom Shopify Functions, integrated with ERPs (Logo, Mikro, SAP) and configured EU-compliant tax flows.
If you're planning a Shopify Plus B2B portal, we first want to understand your existing infrastructure and goals. Reach out to our Shopify Plus agency for a free consultation. In the first 45-minute call we walk through the setup feasibility, estimated timeline and budget range together.
You might also want to check our sector-specific B2B guides: B2B Shopify setup for Denizli textile exporters and From the Aegean to the Global Market: Exporting with Shopify Markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pay extra for Shopify Plus B2B?
No. All B2B features are included in the Shopify Plus subscription. There is no additional licence fee. However, some advanced Shopify Functions development may require developer resources (in-house or agency).
Can I upgrade my existing Shopify store to Plus and add B2B?
Yes. Upgrading to Shopify Plus happens on top of your regular Shopify account — store, products, orders and customer data are preserved. Once B2B features are activated, you configure Company hierarchy, Catalogues and Price Lists.
Can I show different stock for B2B and B2C on the same product?
Yes. Inventory Rules in Shopify Plus B2B let you segment stock per dealer group. With Shopify Locations you can also expose different warehouse stocks to B2B and B2C customers differently.
I don't know Shopify Functions — can I still write MOQ rules?
Ready-made templates exist for Shopify Functions (Cart Validation, Discount, Delivery Customization), and drag-and-drop tools now cover simple scenarios. But custom and complex rules need developer support.
Will my B2B customers see each other's order history?
No. Every Company and Contact only sees their own orders, invoices and balance. Shopify Plus B2B enforces strict customer data isolation.
Can I sell to non-EU dealers (US, Middle East) from the same portal?
Yes. With Shopify Markets you can define currency, language, tax and payment methods per region. Manage US, EU, Middle East and Asia dealers from a single portal.
How much does a B2B portal implementation cost?
A simple setup (10–30 dealers, standard price lists, basic MOQ rules) lands in the €30,000–€60,000 range. An enterprise setup (100+ dealers, ERP integration, Shopify Functions, custom checkout) is €80,000–€150,000 and a 4–6 month project.
Can Shopify Plus B2B integrate with Turkish e-Invoice?
Yes. For B2B stores operating in Turkey, GİB e-Invoice/e-Archive integration is set up via webhooks. Automatic invoice issuance, refunds and cancellations for every B2B order are managed via Shopify Flow. See our e-Invoice guide for details.
