Many brands start selling wholesale the same way: a few stockists email in, you send a PDF price list, and orders arrive by email. It works until it doesn't. Soon you want wholesale customers to log in, see their own prices, and order directly from your store.
Shopify Plus has the most complete B2B features, but at $2,300 a month it's out of reach for many growing brands. The good news: you can run a solid wholesale setup on standard plans.
What Wholesale Customers Usually Need
- Prices that differ from retail, often by tier (for example, 30% off, or 40% off for big accounts).
- Volume pricing: lower prices for larger quantities.
- Minimum order values or quantities.
- A login so retail customers don't see wholesale prices.
- Payment terms or invoice payment for trusted accounts.
- Quick ordering, such as an order form instead of browsing product by product.
Option 1: Customer Tags Plus Automatic Discounts
Tag wholesale customers (for example, "wholesale-tier-1") and use discounts or a discount function that applies only to those customers. This is simple and keeps one product catalog. The limitation: customers often see the retail price on product pages and only see the discount in the cart, unless your theme is customised to show the discounted price.
Option 2: Shopify's B2B Features
Shopify has expanded B2B features beyond Plus over time, including company profiles, catalogs with custom prices and quantity rules on some plans. Check what your current plan includes, because this is the most native option and it keeps wholesale logic inside Shopify.
Option 3: A Wholesale App
Wholesale apps add tiered pricing, registration forms, order forms and net terms. They're fast to set up. Watch out for apps that change prices with JavaScript in the browser (which can flash retail prices or be bypassed), and check how they work with your theme and checkout.
Option 4: A Separate Wholesale Store
Some brands run a second, password-protected Shopify store just for wholesale. It's clean and simple for customers, but you manage two stores, two sets of inventory (unless synced) and two sets of apps.
Option 5: Custom Setup With Shopify Functions
For more control, a custom solution can combine:
- Discount functions for tiered and volume pricing, calculated server-side.
- Theme changes so logged-in wholesale customers see their price on product and collection pages.
- Checkout validation for minimum order values and quantity rules.
- A quick order form for repeat buyers.
This costs more upfront than an app, but avoids monthly app fees and fits your exact rules.
Which Option Should You Choose?
- Few wholesale accounts, simple pricing: customer tags plus discounts.
- Growing wholesale channel: native B2B features (if your plan includes them) or a well-reviewed app.
- Complex rules or high volume: a custom Functions-based setup, or consider Plus if B2B is a big part of revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide wholesale prices from retail customers?
Yes. Wholesale prices can be shown only to logged-in, tagged customers.
Can wholesale customers pay by invoice?
Shopify supports payment terms for B2B on some plans. Apps and draft orders are alternatives on others.
How do I set minimum wholesale orders?
Use checkout validation or a rules app like Limitly. See our guide on minimum order values on Shopify.
Need a wholesale setup that fits your pricing rules? I build tiered pricing, wholesale order forms and checkout rules on standard Shopify plans. Get a free quote.
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