Can you set up Shopify B2B without Plus? Shopify offers four different pricing plans, but the Wholesale/B2B sales is a Plus-only feature. Many wonder whether it’s possible to sell B2B on Shopify Basic. The answer is yes; there is a trick to this. This article offers an ultimate guide on how to set up Shopify B2B without Shopify Plus.
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What is B2B on Shopify Plus?
Business-to-business sales, or B2B sales, refers to the practice of selling a product or service from one business to another. In simple words, instead of selling directly to an individual consumer, you will sell your stuff to a business. This business will buy your goods in bulk.
To sell B2B online, it often requires a strong eCommerce platform. Due to the complexities of B2B sales, you will need some B2B-specific features, such as customer groups, advanced pricing rules, procurement workflows, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
The feature B2B on Shopify Plus is designed to handle all this. But the subscription fee for Shopify Plus starts at $2,300/month, and this number may vary depending on business sizes and needs. For most Shopify sellers, it’s quite pricey.
Do You Need Shopify Plus for B2B?
The short answer is no. You don’t need to upgrade to Shopify Plus for B2B, and it is totally possible to set up a decent B2B/Wholesale store on Shopify Basics.
B2B selling is a Plus-only feature, but there are alternatives and third-party apps that offer great B2B features. However, it’s important to note that Shopify Basics doesn’t support B2B sellers. So you will need to invest some time to study some new software and resources.
Read more: How To Sell B2B Products: A Definitive Guide
How To Set Up Your Shopify B2B Without Shopify Plus
This section covers the seven essential steps to set up a Shopify B2B on Shopify Basics without coding. This guide works for either setting up a B2B store from scratch or integrating an B2B option into your DTC (direct to customer) store.
To set up Shopify B2B without Plus, follow the following steps:
1. Choose the Right B2B Apps
As aforementioned, B2B sales involve B2B-specific features. Since Shopify Basics doesn’t come with such features, you will need to install third-party apps. Look for solutions that support:
- Wholesale pricing
- Customer segmentation (register form customization and customer tagging automation)
- Product visibility
2. Configure Customer Accounts
Next, you will enable customer accounts in Shopify admin, so your B2B client can actually create accounts. Customer accounts are hidden by default. To configure customer accounts, follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to Settings > Customer Accounts on your Shopify Admin.
Step 2: In the Login links section, turn on the toggle button next to the Show login links section.
Step 3: Then, choose the Customer accounts option under the Choose which version of customer accounts to link to.
Step 4: Setting up the Customer accounts section according to your preferences. Then click Switch to customer accounts to complete the process.
3. Customize Registration Forms
Because your customer is a business, it’s important to gather extra information in the registration forms. This involves gathering proof of tax-exempt status (VAT/tax ID) and setting up customer tagging for workflow automation and customer segmentation.
To do this, use your chosen B2B apps. They will allow you to add such fields. Remember, customer tagging will group your customers into distinct segments. Each customer segment can have its own pricing and rules, so make sure to organize and assign these tags carefully.
Find out more: How to Create a Wholesale Registration Form with Shopify
4. Pricing Strategy Setup
Now, it’s time to set up pricing. Use the B2B app to create different pricing lists and discount rules for each segment.
5. Catalog Customization
Customize your product catalog. Depending on the items you are selling and the store’s layout, you can:
- Hide some products from DTC customers if needed.
- Highlight wholesale-only items for B2B customers.
- Add a dedicated wholesale page if possible.
Consider updating the store navigation to make the wholesale page easy to find.
6. Checkout and Payment Customization
Finally, optimizing checkout and payment settings according to the customers’ needs. Here are some suggestions:
- Adding fields for VAT/Tax ID or purchase order numbers.
- Enabling payment options specific to wholesale (e.g., invoicing, bank transfer).
And there you go. You have successfully set up Shopify B2B without Plus.
7. Test Your Setup Before Launch
Before promoting your store, it’s also important to verify every aspect. Go through the register and login features, check out the tags and the corresponding pricing, and recheck the product catalog.
You will also want to experience the overall look and feel of the site. Place a test order to confirm the checkout process works as expected.
Shopify B2B Without Shopify Plus Through Apps
To run B2B without Shopify Plus, using alternative apps is a must. Below are some of the best Shopify B2B alternatives to integrate into your Shopify store.
B2B & Wholesale Solution
Pricing: Free; Premium starts at $25/month.
If handling wholesale seems like a headache, this app simplifies it all. B2B & Wholesale Solution built to manage everything from custom pricing to order complexity with ease, so you can focus more on your business and less on backend chaos.
Key features:
- Tailored pricing
- Quantity discounts
- Simplified B2B onboarding
SparkLayer
Pricing: Starts at $49/month.
If you want to kick your Shopify store up a notch for B2B without splurging on Shopify Plus, SparkLayer has got you covered. It seamlessly bridges B2B and B2C operations, integrating smoothly into your current setup without any fuss.
Key features:
- Automated B2B pricing
- Easy integration
- Customer segmentation
Wholesale Order Form & ReOrder
Pricing: Free; Premium starts at $15.99/month.
For those of you with customers who buy in bulk or often come back for more, here’s a game-changer. Wholesale Order Form & ReOrder streamlines the whole process with easy-to-use order forms and a handy reorder feature.
Key features:
- Intuitive order forms
- Reorder capability
- Quick product search
Locksmith
Pricing: Starts at $12/month.
And for those concerned with keeping things tight and secure, Locksmith is your go-to. This app lets you set who sees what in your store, offering customizable rules based on customer tags, ensuring everyone gets just the experience you want them to have.
Key features:
- Content access control
- Rule customization
- Plug-and-play Setup
Shopify B2B Without Plus: Potential Limitations
Despite being budget-friendly, setting up B2B without Shopify Plus relies a lot on third-party apps and plugins. Below are some challenges:
- Limitations of app-based solutions: Other than not getting every feature that Shopify Plus offers, sometimes these apps don’t play nice together.
- Performance considerations: Adding multiple apps can slow things down, which might have a negative effect on your site and customer experience.
- Manual management requirements: Without the automation perks of Shopify Plus, you might end up doing more grunt work yourself, managing orders and customer data manually.
In addition, it doesn’t work as smoothly as B2B on Shopify when it comes to complex pricing structures or robust customer segmentation.
Bottom Line
That wraps up our guide on Shopify B2B without Plus. In addition to how to set up B2B on Shopify Basics, we have also touched on the limitations of this approach. Hopefully, this article gives you some jumping-off points to get started. If you find our content helpful, feel free to visit BSS Commerce for more insights and tips!
