In this article
Talk to our experts- B2B portal
- A B2B portal is an online ordering site where a supplier's business buyers browse products, place orders, track shipments, manage invoices and get personalized pricing. Unlike a public storefront, it is built for business transactions: bulk ordering, contract-based pricing, multiple users per account, purchase order workflows and company-specific product catalogs.
Also called: B2B customer portal, B2B ecommerce portal
How it works
On Shopify, B2B customers must sign in before they can see B2B products and pricing or place B2B orders, so only authorized customers reach the wholesale offering. Shopify describes the portal as connecting to backend systems such as the ERP, CRM and inventory management, to give buyers real-time stock levels, order statuses and account histories.
On Shopify, a B2B order through customer accounts runs like this:
A B2B order through a Shopify customer account
The buyer enters the email tied to a company location and a one-time code. No password is required.
A buyer assigned to more than one company location selects which one they are ordering for.
The buyer adds products to the cart at the prices set in the catalog for that company location.
Shipping and billing addresses come from the company profile, and the buyer can enter a PO number.
On net terms the buyer clicks Submit and the order shows as Payment pending. If the location only allows draft orders, the buyer clicks Submit for approval.
From their account, buyers track orders, pay orders on terms before the invoice is due, and reorder from a past order.
What a B2B portal includes
Shopify's guide to B2B customer portals and its B2B help pages describe these features:
- Account management: buyers update their own information, and a Shopify B2B buyer with the Location admin role can edit addresses.
- Order history and reorders: buyers see their complete order history and duplicate past purchases.
- Invoices and payments: buyers retrieve and pay invoices on demand, including orders placed on payment terms.
- Personalized pricing and catalogs: each account sees its own prices, discounts and product catalog.
- Bulk ordering and real-time inventory: buyers order in volume and see stock levels and order status.
- Integration: the portal connects to the ERP, CRM and other business systems.
For a manufacturer that sells through dealers, see dealer portal.
Example
A buyer for a regional contractor signs in to a supplier's portal. Last month the contractor ordered 12 cases of fasteners at $45 a case: 12 x $45 = $540.
The buyer opens that order in their account and reorders it, so every item lands in the cart without retyping. They raise the quantity to 15 cases (15 x $45 = $675), enter PO 7781 at checkout, and click Submit because the company location is on Net 30 terms. The supplier sees the order with a Payment pending status, and the buyer's order status page shows the due date and the PO number.
On Shopify
Shopify B2B is available on all plans, and merchants must activate customer accounts to use it. Legacy customer accounts can't be used for B2B. By default a B2B store is publicly accessible, with B2B pricing, products and content visible only to signed-in B2B customers, and a dedicated B2B store can restrict access to logged-in B2B customers only.
Catalogs set custom pricing and product availability. On the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans, a store can assign up to 3 active catalogs across its B2B markets; on Shopify Plus, catalogs are unlimited and can be assigned directly to company locations. Payment terms range from Net 7 to Net 90 or due on fulfillment. For features beyond the native account, apps and custom builds can extend customer accounts with Customer Account UI Extensions.
How Uncap helps
Uncap Portal gives trade accounts a self-serve home on Shopify: catalogs, pricing, reorders, invoices, and users, so buyers help themselves and reps stop fielding the same requests.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How to start selling B2B?
On Shopify, B2B works on every plan. Activate customer accounts, create companies and company locations with their payment terms and catalogs, then send invitation emails so buyers can sign in and order.
What features should a B2B portal have?
Self-service account management, order tracking, personalized pricing, bulk ordering, real-time inventory and multiple payment options, integrated with the ERP, CRM and other business systems.
How is a B2B portal different from a public online store?
Unlike a public-facing online store, a B2B portal is designed for the complexities of business transactions: bulk ordering, contract-based pricing, multi-user account access, purchase order workflows and company-specific product catalogs.
