Unlocking B2B Growth with Shopify Plus Key Features

3 min read ● Silk Team

As more and more B2B businesses embrace ecommerce, choosing the right platform for their online stores is crucial. Shopify Plus, Shopify’s enterprise solution, is quickly becoming the preferred option for Shopify B2B merchants thanks to its many Shopify B2B features that simplify complex purchasing processes and improve the shopping experience.

In this article, we explore the key Shopify B2B features of Shopify Plus, such as custom pricing, business profiles, and order-to-order, which allow businesses to serve their wholesale customers more efficiently.

1. Custom Pricing: Tailored Pricing Strategies for Business Customers

One of the key strengths of shopify b2b ecommerce is the ability to offer different pricing tiers based on the customer or group of customers. Shopify Plus allows merchants to seamlessly implement customer-specific pricing through the Wholesale Channel and Wholesale Pricing apps, or through native Shopify B2B features like Shopify’s Wholesale Pricing API.

How it works:

• Custom Price Lists: Shopify Plus allows merchants to create multiple price lists assigned to individual businesses, customer groups, or even specific users within an organization.
• Segmented Discounts and Volume Pricing: Businesses can implement tiered pricing structures based on order volume or customer status.
• Personalized Shopping Experiences: When a logged-in shopper visits your store, the system automatically displays prices tailored to their account. This improves the user experience and reduces friction. This feature ensures Shopify B2B buyers receive accurate pricing that reflects negotiated offers or contract terms without manual intervention, accelerating the sales cycle.

2. Business Profiles: Simplified Account Management for Complex Organizations

Unlike B2C buyers, Shopify B2B buyers often purchase through their businesses and therefore need the ability to create multiple users, define roles, and centrally manage billing and shipping. Shopify Plus supports Business Profiles through integrations with apps built on the Shopify platform or through custom development at the flexible API layer.

What Business Profiles offer:

• Multiple users per account: Assign different permission levels to users representing a single business and enable roles such as buyer, approver, or finance manager.
• Centralized Billing and Shipping Addresses: Manage a single profile for all your purchasing needs, simplifying invoicing and shipping.
• Credit Limits and Payment Terms: Control your buying power by setting account-specific credit terms, improving risk management.

These features replicate organizational buying hierarchies typical of Shopify B2B transactions and foster closer customer relationships by aligning with procurement workflows.

3. Purchase Order Ordering: Support for Purchase Orders and Invoice Payments

Shopify B2B buyers typically make purchases using purchase orders (POs) rather than credit cards. Shopify Plus addresses this requirement with:

• Net Payment Terms and Invoice Payments: Use custom apps or scripts to offer payment methods such as Net 30, Net 60, or custom terms.
• Order number capture at checkout: Customize the checkout process to require order numbers, link orders to official procurement documents, and simplify supplier reconciliation.
• Manual order approval workflows: Some merchants implement order approval processes where orders submitted with order numbers are manually reviewed before fulfillment.

Shopify Plus’ flexible checkout process and API capabilities allow merchants to integrate these complex payment workflows into their ecommerce system, ensuring compliance with traditional Shopify B2B procurement practices.

Additional B2B Features of Shopify Plus

Beyond its core features, Shopify Plus offers many other features tailored to Shopify B2B needs:

• Advanced Integration with ERP/CRM: Robust APIs enable seamless synchronization with back-office systems, ensuring inventory, pricing, and customer data are always up-to-date.
• Customized Checkout Experiences: Fully customizable checkout, tailored to Shopify B2B requirements.
• Wholesale Channel: Shopify Plus supports a dedicated wholesale channel that can be used alongside retail, allowing for separate pricing, products, and workflows.

Conclusion: Shopify Plus as a Powerful Shopify B2B Ecommerce Platform

Shopify Plus is no longer just a tool for direct sales businesses; Its growing range of Shopify B2B-specific features, such as custom pricing, business profiles, and order-based ordering, make it a serious contender in the Shopify B2B ecommerce space. With Shopify Plus, Shopify B2B retailers can streamline complex purchasing processes, improve customer relationships, and create scalable digital stores tailored to the intricacies of wholesale. Whether you’re a manufacturer, retailer, or wholesaler, Shopify Plus offers the flexibility and power to meet the complex needs of Shopify B2B sales and unlock new growth opportunities.