TL;DR
- Shopify B2B store is a native feature from Shopify Plus ($2,300/month or ~9,500 PLN). On cheaper plans: workarounds via apps or custom code.
- Key B2B features: separate pricing for customers, net30/net60, draft orders, hidden prices for non-logged users, company contact segregation.
- Shopify Basic/Grow for B2B: possible, but requires additional apps ($15-50/month) or custom pricing logic.
- Cost of building a Shopify B2B store: from $920 (~4,000 PLN) basic to $3,450 (~15,000 PLN) full ERP/BaseLinker integration.
- ROI: faster order process, fewer errors in wholesale orders, self-service B2B customer experience.
Shopify B2B store: native or through apps?
Before you start configuring a shopify b2b store, one key decision: Shopify Plus or not?
Shopify Plus ($2,300/month or 0.25% revenue) has native B2B: company organizations, differentiated pricing for each company, net30/60 payment terms, B2B-only products, and dedicated B2B storefront. Everything without additional apps.
Shopify on lower plans (Basic, Grow, Advanced) has no native B2B. You have three options:
- B2B apps (Wholesale Club, B2B/Wholesale Solution, Bold Custom Pricing): $15-50/month each, covering 80% of basic B2B needs
- Customer tags + price rules: free, but limited (one price list per tag group)
- Custom code: full flexibility, one-time cost $1,150-3,450 (~5,000-15,000 PLN)
For most businesses without 50+ B2B customers: Basic/Grow plan + B2B app is a sufficient and cheaper solution than Plus.
How does a Shopify B2B store work on Plus?
Shopify B2B is a separate Admin section with company organizations.
Organizations: Each B2B customer is a "company" with assigned contacts (buyers) and locations (delivery addresses). One company can have multiple buyers.
Differentiated pricing: Each organization can have its own price list (fixed percentage discount, or fixed prices at product level). Customer logs in and sees only their prices.
Payment terms: Net30, net60, net90, or payment upfront. Draft orders can be processed manually after verification. Invoices generated automatically.
B2B storefront: Separate subdomain (b2b.yourstore.com) or same store with hidden prices for non-logged users. B2B products can be invisible to retail.
Order management: Draft orders (order proposals for approval), minimum order limits, required order fields (PO number).
How to configure a Shopify B2B store without Plus?
Approach 1: Wholesale Club app ($39/month)
Most popular B2B app for Shopify. Creates separate "wholesale" portal through customer tags. Hides retail prices, shows wholesale prices after login. Minimum orders. Automatic net-X at checkout.
Limitations: one price level per tag (e.g., all with "wholesale" tag get -20%). No individual price lists per company.
Approach 2: Bold Custom Pricing ($20/month)
Individual prices per customer or segment. More flexible than Wholesale Club for differentiated customer relationships. Works with Shopify native checkout.
Approach 3: Customer metafields + Liquid customization
Free (developer work only). Each customer has metafield with % discount. Liquid template calculates price in cart view. Limitation: Shopify checkout doesn't see individual prices, so you need to use draft orders or custom checkout.
From my experience: for 10-50 B2B companies, Bold Custom Pricing or Wholesale Club costs $20-40/month (~85-170 PLN) and eliminates the need for Plus. With 100+ companies with different terms: Plus becomes sensible, because admin time for manual management grows.
Shopify B2B store: key features to implement
Hidden prices for non-logged users
B2B typically doesn't show prices publicly. Shopify allows this configuration through theme (hide price fields) or app. Customer sees products, but "log in to see prices".
Minimum orders
Minimum amount or minimum quantity per SKU. Implementation: app or custom Liquid + checkout validation.
Draft orders (orders for approval)
Instead of immediate checkout: customer completes order, submits request. Admin verifies and approves. Shopify Draft Orders is a native feature on all plans.
PO number in order
Required purchase order number field. Custom fields in checkout through Shopify Functions (Plus) or metafields with Liquid (all plans).
Separate shipping rates
Separate shipping rates for B2B (e.g., free shipping on orders above $115 or ~500 PLN, company courier). Shopify shipping zones + rate rules.
Integrating Shopify B2B with external systems
B2B store rarely works in isolation. Typical integrations for businesses:
ERP (Subiekt, Optima, SAP): Synchronization of inventory levels, orders, and invoices. Requires middleware (n8n, custom API). Integration cost: $1,840-4,600 (~8,000-20,000 PLN) one-time.
BaseLinker: Aggregation of B2B and retail orders in one place, shipping management, label printing. Native integration with Shopify.
Invoicing (iFirma, Fakturownia, Symfonia): Automatic invoices on order approval. Through API or Zapier/n8n.
Managing B2B customers: what Shopify Admin offers
Shopify B2B admin panel (on Plus) is a dedicated "Companies" section. Each company is a separate record with: assigned contacts (multiple purchasing persons), locations (delivery addresses), payment terms, and order history.
Management: you can manually create organizations and invite contacts via email. With large numbers of companies: CSV import or API. Shopify API (available on all plans through apps) allows synchronizing company data with external CRM.
What does a Shopify B2B store cost?
Basic variant (Shopify Basic + app):
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Shopify store build | from $920 (~4,000 PLN) |
| B2B app configuration | $230-575 (~1,000-2,500 PLN) |
| Existing catalog migration | $115-460 (~500-2,000 PLN) |
| Total one-time | $1,265-1,955 (~5,500-8,500 PLN) |
| Monthly (Shopify + app) | $92-138 (~400-600 PLN) |
Advanced variant (Shopify Plus + ERP):
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Shopify Plus setup | $690-1,840 (~3,000-8,000 PLN) |
| ERP integration | $1,840-4,600 (~8,000-20,000 PLN) |
| Custom B2B checkout | $1,150-2,760 (~5,000-12,000 PLN) |
| Total one-time | $3,680-9,200 (~16,000-40,000 PLN) |
| Monthly (Plus subscription) | ~$2,185 (~9,500 PLN) |
Full Shopify B2B store implementation offer available at Soft Synergy services. Shopify store from $920 (~4,000 PLN), B2B configuration quoted separately based on scope.
When is a Shopify B2B store not the right answer?
Fewer than 10 regular B2B customers with similar terms: Excel or PDF price list sent by email + manual orders is simpler to maintain.
Regulated industries (pharma, medical, alcohol): Shopify doesn't natively handle purchase authorization verification (e.g., tax ID, alcohol trade permit). Custom logic needed.
Very complex product configurators (custom manufacturing): Shopify variants have limits (100 variants per product). CPQ (Configure-Price-Quote) systems are a better choice.
For standard B2B e-commerce (wholesaler, manufacturer, distributor): Shopify B2B is the right tool. More about e-commerce strategy for businesses.