Shopify B2B: Features, Pricing & Custom Logic [2026]

Shopify was long a purely B2C platform. That has fundamentally changed. Since Shopify Plus natively integrated B2B features and many of these features are trickling down to regular Plus plans (and partially Standard plans), Shopify is a serious B2B option.

But: B2B on Shopify isn't "just activate it". It requires architecture decisions, custom logic, and an understanding of what works natively and where the limits are.

In this guide, we show you everything you need to know about Shopify B2B — based on our experience with B2B stores like Bekateq.

Shopify B2B: The Native Features

Company Accounts

Shopify's Company Account system is the centrepiece of B2B functionality:

What it can do:

Companies as their own entity (not just customers)
Multiple locations per company (Locations)
Multiple buyers per company (Company Contacts)
Individual catalogues per company
Individual payment terms per company
Tax exemption per company

How it works: A B2B customer logs in. Shopify recognises they belong to a company. The store automatically shows the correct prices, the correct catalogue and the correct payment terms. All in a single store — no separate B2B shop needed.

B2B Pricing: Price Lists & Catalogs

Price Lists: You create individual price lists per company or company group:

Fixed prices per product/variant
Percentage discounts on the standard price
Volume pricing
Prices in different currencies

Catalogs: A Catalog defines which products a company sees:

Not all products visible to all customers
Exclusive products only for specific companies
Combinable with price lists

Net Payment Terms

B2B customers rarely pay immediately. Shopify supports:

Net 15, Net 30, Net 60, Net 90
Custom Payment Terms
Automatic reminders when overdue
Payment status tracking in the admin interface

Draft Orders & Quick Order

Draft Orders: For manual orders (phone, email). The seller creates the order, the customer confirms.

Quick Order: A simplified order form for B2B customers ordering large quantities. Table format, variant quick selection, bulk add-to-cart.

Where Shopify Natively Hits Its Limits

Limits of Native B2B Features

1. Customer-specific prices per individual item Price lists work well for group discounts. But: if Customer A needs a different price for Product X than Customer B — per individual product — native price lists become unwieldy.

Our solution: Custom Metaobjects for "Customer-Specific Pricing" + Cart Transform Function. We implemented this at Bekateq: 4,400+ lines of custom code instead of 12 apps.

2. Complex volume discounts Shopify's Volume Pricing is linear: from X units, it costs Y. But: tiered volume discounts (1-10: full price, 11-50: -10%, 51-100: -20%) require custom logic.

Our solution: Shopify Functions (Discount Functions) with tiered logic. Server-side, no performance impact, no app.

3. Order approval / Approval Workflows In many B2B companies, a purchasing manager must approve orders above a certain value. Shopify has no native approval workflow.

Our solution: Custom app with webhook-based workflow. Order is created, requests approval when value > X, only processed after approval.

4. ERP Integration Shopify must communicate with the ERP: inventory data, prices, customer data, invoices. There's nothing native for this. Middleware (e.g. Make, Celigo, or custom) is needed.

5. B2B + B2C in One Store One store for end customers AND business customers. Natively possible, but the UX is challenging: different prices, different catalogues, different payment methods — all in the same theme.

Architecture Decisions for B2B

Decision 1: One Store or Two?

One Store (Hybrid B2B/B2C):

Advantages: One inventory, one admin, less effort
Disadvantages: More complex theme, UX compromises
Recommendation: When B2B <30% of revenue

Two Stores (Dedicated B2B + B2C):

Advantages: Clear separation, optimal UX per target group
Disadvantages: Double admin, double inventory (or sync)
Recommendation: When B2B >30% of revenue or significantly different requirements

Decision 2: Native Features or Custom?

Native features are sufficient when:

Your B2B requirements are standard (price lists, catalogs, net terms)
You have fewer than 50 business customers
Your pricing logic is simple (group discounts, no per-item pricing)

Custom logic is needed when:

Customer-specific prices per individual item
Complex volume discounts or tiered pricing
Approval workflows
ERP integration with real-time sync
Automated reorder processes

Decision 3: Apps or Custom Code?

We've covered this question in detail with the 18-month problem. Short version for B2B:

Apps make sense for:

ERP connectors (for standard ERPs like SAP, Dynamics, etc.)
PDF invoice generation
Tax calculation (e.g. Avalara)

Custom code makes sense for:

Pricing logic (Cart Transform Functions)
Volume discounts (Discount Functions)
Approval workflows (Custom App)
Customer-specific data structures (Metaobjects)

In Practice: B2B Setup with Shopify — Step by Step

Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1-2)

Activate Company Accounts
Create first companies
Set up price lists
B2B-specific theme customisation (pricing display, Quick Order)

Phase 2: Custom Logic (Week 3-6)

Define Metaobjects for customer-specific data
Develop Cart Transform Functions for pricing logic
Checkout Extensions for B2B-specific fields (PO Number, company name)
Testing with real B2B customers

Phase 3: Integration (Week 7-10)

ERP connection (middleware or direct API)
Automatic inventory synchronisation
Invoice workflow
Reorder functionality

Phase 4: Optimisation (ongoing)

Quick Order optimisation based on usage data
Automate pricing updates
Reporting for B2B-specific KPIs (AOV, reorder rate, payment terms compliance)

Case Study: Bekateq — B2B Without Apps

Bekateq is a B2B store for industrial coatings. Requirement: customer-specific volume discounts per item, 100+ business customers, integration with existing inventory management system.

Before:

12 apps installed (pricing, discounts, PDF invoices, etc.)
€2,500 monthly app costs
No app communicated with the others
Every price change required manual intervention in 3 systems

After (smplx. Architecture+):

0 apps
8 Custom Metaobjects (Customer Pricing, Volume Pricing, Approved Vendors, etc.)
4,400+ lines of custom code in 4 custom apps
Monthly costs: €400 (down from €2,500)

Result:

84% cost reduction in app costs
Pricing updates automated (CSV upload instead of manual entry)
A new employee can understand the system in 2 weeks (instead of 2 months)

Shopify Plus vs. Standard: What Do You Need for B2B?

Feature	Standard	Plus
Company Accounts	No	Yes
B2B Catalogs	No	Yes
Price Lists	No	Yes
Net Payment Terms	No	Yes
Quick Order	No	Yes
Checkout Extensions	Limited	Full
Shopify Functions	Yes	Yes
Draft Orders	Yes	Yes
Wholesale Channel	No	Yes

Bottom line: For serious B2B, you need Shopify Plus. The native B2B features (Company Accounts, Catalogs, Price Lists) are Plus-exclusive. Cost: from €2,300/month.

Alternative: If you only need simple B2B (a few business customers, standard discounts), apps like "B2B Wholesale Club" on Standard plans can cover a lot. But: that's the app trap we describe in the 18-month problem.

Conclusion: B2B on Shopify Is Possible — With the Right Architecture

Shopify is not a B2B platform like SAP Commerce or Magento. But: for most mid-market B2B requirements, Shopify is sufficient — if the architecture is right.

The critical questions:

Are native features enough or do you need custom logic?
One store (hybrid) or two (dedicated)?
Apps or custom code?

If you answer these questions wrong, you end up with the 18-month problem. If you answer them right, you have a system that scales.

We help you find the answers. Our Technical Audit analyses your current B2B requirements and gives you a clear architecture recommendation. Or we build your B2B system as part of Architecture+.