For years, selling wholesale with Shopify meant resorting to third-party apps, developing custom solutions, or considering Shopify Plus to access advanced B2B tools.
In 2026, that changed.
Shopify began extending its native B2B functionalities to Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans, allowing more manufacturers, distributors, importers, and brands to manage wholesale sales from the same platform they use for direct-to-consumer sales.
It's now possible to manage company customers, B2B catalogs, special prices, volume discounts, minimum quantities, payment terms, and self-service orders without Shopify Plus being mandatory to get started.
However, there are significant differences between the plans and also between the needs of each business.
In this guide, we explain what Shopify B2B includes in 2026, what you can do with the Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans, when Shopify Plus still makes sense, and how to determine if this solution can adapt to your wholesale operation.
What is Shopify B2B?
Shopify B2B is Shopify's set of native tools designed for businesses to sell products from one business to another.
Instead of treating all buyers as end consumers, Shopify allows organizing customers as companies and adapting their shopping experience according to the corresponding commercial conditions.
For example, a brand could sell the same product in this way:
End customer: $100 per unit
Retail store: $75 for 12+ units
Distributor: $65 for 50+ units
The above values are for illustrative purposes only and can be configured in the currency corresponding to the market where each business operates.
The B2B buyer can log in, access the corresponding catalog, and purchase using the commercial conditions configured for their company, customer group, or market.
Shopify allows managing B2B and D2C operations from the same store or creating an experience exclusively for business buyers.
This can be especially useful for:
- Manufacturers
- Importers
- Distributors
- Wholesalers
- Fashion brands
- Textile companies
- Industrial suppliers
- Cosmetics and beauty
- Food and beverages
- Spare parts and auto parts
- Business supplies
- Brands that combine wholesale and retail sales
Does Shopify B2B require Shopify Plus?
Not necessarily anymore.
On April 2, 2026, Shopify announced that its fundamental B2B features would also be available on Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans, without an additional specific cost to activate these capabilities.
This represents a significant change for the Shopify ecosystem.
Currently, Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans can use B2B features such as:
- Companies and B2B customers
- Company branches or locations
- Up to 3 active B2B catalogs
- Custom pricing through catalogs
- Quantity rules
- Volume pricing
- Payment terms
- Self-service orders
- Shopify Flow
- Integrations and automations
Shopify Plus continues to offer the most advanced B2B capabilities and considerably higher limits.
Therefore, the question should no longer be:
Do I need Shopify Plus to sell wholesale?
But rather:
What level of complexity does my B2B operation have?
For many businesses just starting to digitize their wholesale channel, Shopify Basic, Grow, or Advanced may be sufficient.
For operations with multiple commercial segments, company-specific pricing, numerous markets, large volumes, or advanced enterprise integrations, Shopify Plus may still be the most appropriate option.
What can you do with Shopify B2B?
1. Create company customers
Shopify allows structuring B2B buyers as companies and creating different branches or locations within the same company.
This is different from simply registering a traditional customer.
A company can have different authorized buyers, addresses, and commercial conditions.
For example:
ABC Distributor
- North Branch
- Central Branch
- South Branch
Each location can have authorized buyers and specific configurations according to business needs.
This is especially useful when a company sells to retail chains, regional distributors, franchises, or corporations with multiple purchasing centers.
2. Create wholesale catalogs
One of the most important features of Shopify B2B is catalogs.
A catalog can determine:
- Which products a B2B customer can buy
- Which products are excluded
- What prices they will see
- What quantity rules they will have
- What volume prices will apply
Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans currently allow up to 3 active B2B catalogs across all B2B markets.
Shopify Plus allows unlimited catalogs and additional capabilities to assign them directly to specific companies or branches.
Example
Catalog 1 – Retailers
General discount of 20%.
Catalog 2 – Distributors
General discount of 35%.
Catalog 3 – International Wholesalers
Specific products, prices, or conditions for certain markets.
This way, not all buyers need to access the same products or commercial conditions.
3. Configure wholesale prices
B2B catalogs also allow modifying the prices the buyer will see.
Suppose a product has a public price of:
$100
For wholesale customers, we could set:
B2B Price: $75
The business customer who logs in accesses the corresponding B2B experience and can purchase using the conditions configured for their segment.
This helps eliminate a very common situation in wholesale businesses:
Contact us for wholesale pricing.
When the commercial structure allows it, the buyer can consult products, prices, and place orders directly from the store.
That can significantly reduce the manual work of the sales team.
4. Create volume pricing
Shopify B2B allows setting different prices based on the quantity purchased.
For example:
| Quantity | Unit price |
|---|---|
| 1–11 units | $80 |
| 12–49 units | $72 |
| 50+ units | $65 |
Thus, a distributor who buys larger quantities can automatically receive a different price.
Shopify allows combining B2B catalogs with volume pricing and quantity rules.
This is particularly interesting for manufacturers and distributors who currently manage these conditions through spreadsheets, email, WhatsApp, manual quotes, or external applications.
5. Set minimum quantities and purchase multiples
Not all wholesale products should be available for purchase one by one.
Shopify allows using quantity rules to define:
- Minimum quantity
- Maximum quantity
- Purchase increments
For example:
Minimum purchase: 12 units
Increment: 6 units
This allows orders of:
12, 18, 24, 30 units...
instead of accepting any arbitrary quantity.
These rules allow the online store to adapt much better to the actual way a wholesale business operates.
6. Offer B2B payment terms
In B2B, not all operations are paid immediately.
It is common to find commercial agreements such as:
- Payment in advance
- Net 7
- Net 15
- Net 30
- Net 45
- Net 60
- Net 90
Shopify B2B allows configuring payment terms for companies and branches, so certain buyers can place an order under the established commercial conditions.
This brings Shopify much closer to the usual functioning of a wholesale operation.
The most advanced functionalities related to deposits, partial payments, and certain payment flows continue to have additional requirements and some remain associated with Shopify Plus.
In addition, the availability of certain payment methods may vary depending on the country, currency, and payment provider used by each company.
Can I sell B2B and B2C from the same Shopify store?
Yes.
And it is probably one of the most interesting advantages of Shopify B2B.
A company can serve:
B2C Customers
- Visit the store
- See public prices
- Make their purchase
- Pay using available methods
- Receive their order
And at the same time:
B2B Customers
- Log in
- Shopify identifies their company
- Access their B2B conditions
- Consult products and prices
- Purchase according to the corresponding catalog
Everything can be managed within the Shopify ecosystem.
This can avoid having to maintain:
retailstore.com
and separately:
wholesalers.retailstore.com
using two completely disconnected systems.
Depending on the operation, B2B and D2C can coexist within the same infrastructure.
This modality can be especially interesting for brands that sell directly to the consumer but, at the same time, distribute their products through stores, resellers, distributors, or corporate clients.
So, when do you need Shopify Plus?
Shopify Plus still makes sense when the business requires a considerably more complex B2B operation.
Many customer groups
If you need 20, 50, or 100 different commercial structures, the limit of three active catalogs in the Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans can quickly become a limitation.
Shopify Plus allows working with a much broader catalog architecture.
Company-specific pricing
When different corporate clients have contracts, price lists, or particular conditions, it may be necessary to assign catalogs directly to specific companies or branches.
This type of advanced customization is one of the scenarios where Shopify Plus becomes more relevant.
Advanced B2B payments
Deposits, partial payments, and certain advanced functionalities related to business payments remain associated with Shopify Plus.
Enterprise operations
Shopify Plus may also make more sense when there are:
- Multiple markets
- Large order volumes
- Numerous internal teams
- Complex automations
- Integrations with ERP
- Multiple warehouses
- International architecture
- Custom business processes
The decision should be made based on the actual requirements of the business and not solely on its sales volume.
A company can generate high revenue and have a relatively simple B2B operation.
Another may have a smaller volume but require an extremely complex commercial architecture.
Shopify B2B for manufacturers
Let's imagine a manufacturer who currently receives orders in this way:
Customer → email or WhatsApp → salesperson → spreadsheet → quote → confirmation → ERP → warehouse
Part of that flow could be transformed into:
B2B Customer → Shopify → wholesale catalog → order → ERP → warehouse
The buyer logs in, consults available products, views their prices, and places the order.
The sales team can still intervene when necessary, especially for negotiations, key accounts, or special orders.
The difference is that they no longer need to manually process all repetitive purchases.
This can allow salespeople to spend more time developing accounts and less time copying orders from messages or emails to other systems.
Shopify B2B for importers and distributors
An importer or distributor can handle different types of buyers.
For example:
End customer
Buys 1 unit.
Entrepreneur or reseller
Buys 6+ units.
Retail store
Buys boxes of 12 or 24 units.
Distributor
Buys 100+ units.
With Shopify B2B, it is possible to structure different purchase conditions according to how the business actually operates.
This does not mean that Shopify will automatically replace all internal company systems.
It means that the digital sales channel can integrate much better with them.
Shopify B2B for brands selling internationally
Shopify B2B can also be part of an international strategy.
For example, a company could sell:
- B2C in the United States
- B2B to distributors in Canada
- B2B to retailers in Europe
- B2B to buyers in Latin America
Commercial conditions do not necessarily have to be the same for all these markets.
Depending on the configuration, there may be differences in:
- Currency
- Available products
- Prices
- Taxes
- Discounts
- Payment methods
- Logistics
- Commercial conditions
Therefore, an international implementation of Shopify B2B must consider not only the store's design, but also the commercial structure of each market.
Shopify B2B + Markets
Shopify Markets becomes especially important when a B2B operation works with different customer groups or regions.
A company may need to organize buyers according to:
- Country
- Region
- Dealer type
- Sales channel
- Commercial level
- Negotiated terms
For example:
B2B Market – North America
Catalog and specific terms for buyers in that region.
B2B Market – Europe
Another commercial setup.
B2B Market – Latin America
Products or terms adapted to the market.
The exact structure will depend on the operation and the Shopify plan used.
For companies selling internationally, this organization can be much more scalable than trying to maintain multiple stores and completely separate processes.
Shopify B2B + ERP: where a more advanced operation begins
For companies that already manage inventory, invoicing, warehouses, or accounting through other systems, a B2B implementation usually doesn't end with just setting up prices.
It might be necessary to connect:
Shopify
↕
ERP
↕
Inventory
↕
Invoicing
↕
Logistics
An integration can allow, for example, that:
- The customer places an order on Shopify.
- The order automatically reaches the ERP.
- Inventory is updated.
- The invoicing process is activated.
- The warehouse receives the order.
- Dispatch is processed.
- The status is synchronized back with Shopify.
The exact architecture will depend on the APIs and capabilities available in each external system.
For certain companies, it might be necessary to integrate Shopify with:
- ERP
- CRM
- WMS
- Accounting systems
- Invoicing platforms
- Logistics operators
- Order management systems
- Custom-developed internal tools
In these scenarios, Shopify functions as part of the company's technological ecosystem and not necessarily as an isolated system.
Does Shopify B2B work internationally?
Yes, Shopify B2B can be used as part of international commercial operations.
However, implementing B2B in different countries requires analyzing much more than just Shopify catalogs and prices.
Each market may have different requirements related to:
- Taxes
- IVA, VAT, GST or other duties
- Electronic invoicing
- Currencies
- Payment methods
- Bank accounts
- Credit terms
- Commercial regulations
- Data protection
- Logistics
- Customs
- Import and export
- Returns
- ERP and accounting systems
Shopify can handle a significant part of the commercial experience and the ordering process, but the architecture must adapt to each country and the operational model of each company.
For example, an implementation for the United States may have different requirements than an operation in Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Australia, or any other market.
For this reason, an international B2B implementation must be analyzed from three perspectives:
Shopify + commercial operation + local requirements.
Does Shopify B2B replace a wholesale pricing app?
It depends.
For years, it was common to install apps to gain functionalities such as:
- Different prices based on customer
- Minimum quantities
- Volume discounts
- Wholesale areas
- B2B forms
- Special conditions for certain buyers
Now, several of these functions exist directly within Shopify.
Therefore, before installing a wholesale app, it's advisable to check if native Shopify B2B already addresses the requirement.
Using fewer apps can mean:
- Fewer dependencies
- Fewer recurring costs
- Fewer conflicts
- Less third-party code
- Better performance
- An easier architecture to maintain
But there are still specific scenarios where a specialized app or custom development may be necessary.
For example, a company might need a very specific distributor approval system, particular business rules, advanced forms, integration with proprietary software, or processes that Shopify B2B does not directly cover.
The decision should be made after analyzing the entire business flow.
How much does it cost to implement Shopify B2B?
There is no single price.
A simple implementation could be limited to:
- Setting up companies
- Organizing B2B customers
- Creating catalogs
- Establishing wholesale prices
- Configuring quantity rules
- Implementing volume pricing
- Preparing the access experience
- Setting up payment terms
An advanced implementation can involve:
- Custom B2B UX/UI
- Distributor registration and approval
- Wholesale customer migration
- Price list migration
- Multiple markets
- Automations
- ERP
- CRM
- Inventory
- Invoicing
- APIs
- Custom business rules
- Logistics integrations
- Shopify Plus
Therefore, it is advisable to first analyze how the company currently sells.
A business that receives 20 wholesale orders monthly through messages has very different needs than a manufacturer with hundreds or thousands of corporate customers, multiple price lists, international markets, warehouses, and assigned sales representatives.
How to know if Shopify B2B is right for your business?
Before implementing Shopify B2B, it's advisable to answer some questions.
Who are your B2B customers?
Are they stores, distributors, resellers, franchises, businesses, or large corporations?
Do all of them have the same prices?
If there are multiple price lists, it's necessary to determine how they should be organized within Shopify.
Are there minimum quantities?
For example:
- Minimum 6 units
- Cases of 12
- Packs of 24
- Minimum orders per product
Do you offer volume discounts?
It may be necessary to configure different scales based on quantity.
Do your customers buy on credit?
Payment terms are an important part of many B2B operations.
Do you sell in multiple countries?
Then markets, currencies, taxes, logistics, and commercial terms need to be analyzed.
Do you use ERP or management software?
If Shopify needs to exchange orders, customers, products, or inventory with another system, integration will need to be evaluated.
How many price lists do you need?
This question can quickly determine if the Basic, Grow, or Advanced plans are sufficient or if Shopify Plus should be considered.
Shopify B2B opens a new opportunity for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers
The change introduced by Shopify in 2026 significantly lowers the entry barrier for companies looking to digitize their wholesale sales.
It is no longer necessary to automatically assume that a B2B operation requires Shopify Plus or building the entire experience through external applications.
For many manufacturers, importers, distributors, and brands, Shopify Basic, Grow, or Advanced may be sufficient to start.
For more complex operations, Shopify Plus continues to offer a considerably more powerful B2B architecture.
The key is to correctly design the entire process:
customers → markets → catalogs → prices → quantities → payments → inventory → invoicing → logistics.
Technology should adapt to the company's commercial process, not the other way around.
A good B2B implementation is not simply about displaying wholesale prices within an online store.
It's about transforming a company's commercial process into a scalable digital experience.