B2B ordering portal for distributors: Shopify B2B or a custom build?
Shopify’s B2B features now cover a lot, even outside Plus. A custom build pays off when your rules live in your ERP or your products need configuring.
If your distributors need their own prices, payment terms and fast reordering, Shopify’s B2B features may be enough, and many of them now come with every plan. A custom build, or custom apps on top of Shopify, pays off when your rules live in your ERP: prices negotiated per customer, credit limits, approvals, or products that need configuring before anyone can order them.
What a distributor portal has to do
- Log in by company and location, with permissions for each buyer.
- Show each customer their catalog and their prices.
- Apply payment terms (net 30, net 60) and accept purchase order numbers.
- Enforce quantity rules: minimums, multiples, volume pricing.
- Make reordering fast: quick order lists, order history, one-click reorders.
- Show stock you can actually ship.
- Sync orders, customers and prices with your ERP.
What Shopify B2B includes, by plan
According to Shopify’s help center (B2B features by plan):
| Feature | Basic and Grow | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company profiles and locations, with permissions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Net payment terms, payment reminders, vaulted cards | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quantity rules and volume pricing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Draft orders, PO numbers, quick order list, reorders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| B2B catalogs | Up to 3 active | Up to 3 active | Unlimited, plus catalogs per company or location |
| Contextual storefront and checkout (Shopify Markets) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Deposits and partial payments | No | No | Yes |
Outside Plus, catalogs require the new Shopify Markets.
When Shopify B2B is enough
- You have a handful of price lists, by segment or region, rather than one price per customer.
- Your terms are standard: net 30 or 60, card or bank transfer.
- Customers order products as they are, by SKU.
- Your ERP can sync with Shopify through an existing connector or a simple scheduled import.
When to build custom, or extend Shopify
- Prices negotiated per customer that live in your ERP and change often.
- Credit limits and blocked accounts that must stop an order before it’s placed.
- Approval flows: a buyer proposes, a manager approves.
- Configurable or technical products: the customer picks a system, sizes or compatible parts before ordering.
- Project quotes: large orders that start as a quote.
- A bigger system: the portal is one piece of a sales reps’ app, field service or after-sales.
Often the best answer is a hybrid: Shopify B2B for the catalog, checkout and payments, plus custom apps for the ERP sync, the configurator or the approval flow.
Questions to answer before you choose
- How many distinct price lists do you really have, and where do they live today?
- Which rules must block an order: credit, stock, minimums?
- Who places orders at your customers, and who approves them?
- What has to sync with your ERP, in which direction and how often?
- Do your customers order by SKU, or do they need help choosing?
- Do you also sell to consumers, and should both live in one store?
What we did for Fischer
For Fischer España, part of the German fixing-systems multinational, we audited what wasn’t working on the website and applied the improvements, including in the B2B channel. The lesson that applies to any portal: start from how your distributors actually order today, and choose the platform after that.
How Qode can help
We build B2B portals on Shopify and custom ordering systems, and we can tell you which one fits in a 30-minute assessment. If your B2B team also spends hours answering order-status emails, see how to automate “Where is my order?”.
FAQ
Do I need Shopify Plus for B2B?
Not necessarily. Company profiles, payment terms, quantity rules and volume pricing are available on every plan. Plus adds unlimited catalogs, catalogs per company or location, deposits and partial payments.
Can Shopify B2B connect to my ERP?
Yes, through an existing connector, middleware or a custom integration. The right option depends on your ERP and on which data must sync, and how often.
Can B2B and B2C share one store?
Yes. Business customers log in and see their own catalogs, prices and terms, while consumers see the regular store. Some companies still prefer a separate store for B2B.