Many DTC brands reach a point where they want to add wholesale — selling to retailers, distributors, or corporate buyers alongside their direct consumer business. The challenge is that B2B and DTC operate differently: wholesale customers need custom pricing, net terms, minimum order quantities, and account-level service that Shopify’s standard DTC setup wasn’t originally designed to handle.
In our experience, the biggest mistake brands make when adding wholesale to Shopify is trying to bolt it onto their existing store without a clear architecture. The result is a messy setup that creates operational confusion and a poor experience for wholesale buyers. This guide covers the right way to structure B2B on Shopify — and the tools available depending on your Shopify plan and business complexity.
Your Options for B2B on Shopify
Option 1: Shopify B2B (Shopify Plus Only)
Shopify B2B is a native feature for Shopify Plus merchants. It allows you to create company profiles for wholesale customers, assign custom price lists per company, set minimum order quantities, and offer net payment terms — all within your Shopify admin without third-party apps.
Key features:
- Company accounts with multiple locations and contacts
- Custom price lists per company or segment
- Net payment terms (net 30, net 60, etc.) billed as invoices
- Minimum order quantities and deposit requirements
- Dedicated B2B storefront or shared store with customer-specific pricing
- Draft orders and quote-to-order workflows
Best for: Brands with significant wholesale volume who are on Shopify Plus (starts at ~$2,300/month) or who plan to scale B2B to justify the Plus upgrade.
Option 2: Wholesale Apps (Any Shopify Plan)
Several Shopify apps enable wholesale functionality on standard Shopify plans. These are good options for brands testing or scaling B2B before committing to Shopify Plus.
Leading wholesale apps:
- Wholesale Club — Adds wholesale pricing tiers for tagged customer groups, minimum order quantities, and a wholesale signup form. Clean setup, works well for straightforward wholesale pricing models.
- Wholesale Gorilla — Similar functionality with additional features like net terms payment options and custom order forms.
- Bold Custom Pricing — Highly flexible pricing rules, supports complex tiered wholesale schedules.
Option 3: Separate Wholesale Storefront
Run a completely separate Shopify store (at a different URL) for wholesale customers. Simpler from a technical standpoint — each store is configured independently — but creates operational overhead with two separate inventories, order streams, and storefronts to manage.
When this makes sense: When your wholesale and DTC assortments are significantly different, or when you want completely separate branding for the trade channel.
Key B2B Features to Configure
Custom Pricing Tiers
Standard wholesale pricing uses tiers based on customer type:
- Keystone pricing: Wholesale price = 50% of retail (standard in many consumer goods categories)
- Tiered volume pricing: Price breaks based on order quantity (e.g., 1–11 units at $X, 12–23 units at $Y, 24+ at $Z)
- Custom per-account pricing: Large accounts often negotiate custom rates
Net Terms and Invoice Management
Most wholesale buyers expect net payment terms — they receive inventory first and pay within 30, 45, or 60 days. Managing this in Shopify requires either Shopify B2B’s native invoicing or an app like Wholesale Gorilla that supports net terms.
For order management and tracking of open invoices, integrate with your accounting software (Zoho Books, QuickBooks, Xero) so aging receivables are visible in one place.
Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs)
Wholesale orders need to be large enough to be operationally worthwhile. Set minimum order values or quantities at the product, variant, or order level. Make these clear in your wholesale ordering experience to avoid small orders that cost more to process than they earn.
Wholesale Customer Approval Process
Unlike DTC, you don’t want just anyone placing wholesale orders. Build a simple approval flow:
- Wholesale application form (business name, website, reseller certificate)
- Manual or automated review
- Account activation with tag-based access to wholesale pricing
Draft Orders for Custom Quotes
For large or custom wholesale orders, Shopify’s draft orders feature lets you build a custom order for a specific customer with negotiated pricing, then send them an invoice link to pay. This avoids the need for a formal CPQ tool for most smaller wholesale businesses.
Operational Considerations for Wholesale
Inventory Allocation
If you sell DTC and wholesale from the same inventory, large wholesale orders can create stockouts for DTC customers. Consider inventory allocation rules — hold a portion of stock for DTC, only make a portion available for wholesale.
Fulfillment Differences
Wholesale orders ship differently from DTC — typically palletized or in cases, with retailer-specific shipping requirements (ASN documents, routing guides, compliance labels). Make sure your 3PL or warehouse team knows which orders are wholesale vs. DTC and what the fulfillment requirements are for each wholesale account.
Cash Flow Impact of Net Terms
Net-30 and net-60 terms mean you’re shipping inventory 30–60 days before you get paid. At scale, this creates meaningful working capital requirements. Build your accounts receivable aging into your cash flow forecasting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you do wholesale on regular Shopify (not Plus)?
Yes. Apps like Wholesale Club, Wholesale Gorilla, and Bold Custom Pricing add wholesale functionality to standard Shopify plans. Shopify B2B is exclusive to Plus, but most smaller wholesale operations can be managed effectively with third-party apps.
What is Shopify B2B and how is it different?
Shopify B2B is a native wholesale feature exclusive to Shopify Plus. It supports company accounts, custom price lists, net payment terms, and quote-to-order workflows — all in the Shopify admin. More integrated than app-based solutions, but requires the Plus plan (~$2,300+/month).
Should I use a separate Shopify store for wholesale?
Only if your wholesale and DTC assortments are very different, or you need separate branding. For most brands, a single store with tag-based pricing tiers is simpler operationally and avoids managing two separate inventory pools.
How do I offer net payment terms on Shopify?
Shopify B2B (Plus) supports net terms natively. On standard plans, use Wholesale Gorilla or draft orders plus manual invoicing via accounting software. Integrate with Zoho Books, QuickBooks, or Xero to keep receivables visible.
Ready to launch or scale your wholesale channel on Shopify? OpsStack Consulting helps e-commerce brands set up B2B operations — pricing architecture, order management, and the systems to handle wholesale without creating chaos. Book a free discovery call.
