B2B on Shopify in 2026: Real Opportunities from Basic to Plus
Until recently, Shopify's B2B architecture was quite straightforward. If a company wanted to build organized and scalable wholesale operations, the choice most often came down to Shopify Plus. Anything less than that involved more or less complex workarounds, relying on apps and custom solutions. This has changed. Shopify has recently rolled out significant B2B functionalities for lower-tier plans as well. Key among these are company profiles, catalogs, and payment terms. As a result, the barrier to entry for B2B sales has significantly lowered, and the high cost of Shopify Plus is no longer the only path to implementing a viable wholesale model.
May 13, 2026
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Karol Śmieszek
1. B2B Functionalities Available in Basic and Shopify Plans - Solid Foundations
The lowest-tier plans are no longer limited exclusively to retail sales. Features that previously required external apps – often slowing down the store, causing code conflicts, and generating additional costs – have been built directly into the platform. This means an end to makeshift solutions like "WHOLESALE20" discount codes.
The introduction of company profiles changes how Shopify models B2B relationships. A customer is no longer a single record but begins to function as part of an organization. Users can be assigned to companies, their locations – for example, different recipient warehouses – and granted appropriate permissions. This makes it easier to reflect the actual business structure of your partners.
The second significant change is catalogs. They allow you to personalize product offerings in terms of pricing, quantity rules, discounts, and the visibility of specific products for selected customers.
At the same time, the limitations are very clear. The three-catalog limit becomes a fundamental constraint on the business model. In practice, this means the ability to serve a few main customer groups, such as distributors, partners, and VIP clients, with different discount levels.
This solution works well for simpler models. If a company operates with a limited number of segments and doesn't require individual commercial terms for each client, it can build a fully functional B2B channel without needing to invest in a higher plan. However, when the need for more granular price differentiation arises, the system starts to force compromises.
Another important feature is the ability to set payment terms for individual companies. With deferred payments – Net 7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 days – trusted customers can place orders without immediate payment. Shopify automatically sends invoice reminders as the due date approaches.
Additionally, it's possible to implement a manual order approval process by store staff before orders are accepted.
2. B2B Functionalities in Shopify Advanced - More Control, but No Fundamental Change
The Advanced plan is often seen as a natural step for growing businesses. However, in the context of wholesale features alone, it doesn't introduce a breakthrough. The catalog limit still applies, and the basic B2B mechanics remain the same as in lower plans.
Advanced, however, offers a functionality unavailable in cheaper variants: user experience personalization. This allows you to dynamically adapt the store's appearance to a specific customer type.
If a wholesaler should see a different set of banners, technical materials, or menu structure than other partners or retail customers, this feature significantly simplifies managing such a scenario.
3. B2B Functionalities on Shopify Plus - A Full-Fledged B2B System
At the Shopify Plus level, the platform's full capabilities are evident, tailored for larger scale and requiring no significant compromises.
The most noticeable change concerns catalogs. Their number is no longer a limitation, and the system allows them to be assigned at the level of specific companies. This provides the ability to reflect actual pricing policies without excessive simplifications.
Additionally, Shopify Plus allows for requiring an upfront deposit or accepting partial payments. This is particularly important for custom-made products or high-value orders.
Within the Shopify Plus plan, the checkout is also unlocked – an area largely inaccessible for modification in lower plans. This allows developers to implement custom logic that, for example, blocks an order from being placed if a credit limit is exceeded or dynamically changes payment terms according to established business rules.
Conclusions
The changes introduced by Shopify make entering B2B significantly easier today than before. Lower-tier plans are no longer makeshift solutions and have become a viable option for businesses starting wholesale operations.
If a business operates with a few customer segments and relatively simple pricing rules, the lower plans can be entirely sufficient. The problem arises when the number of exceptions, individual conditions, and dependencies grows.
The difference between plans, therefore, isn't solely about the number of features. It's primarily about whether the system supports business scaling or starts to hinder it.
In practice, exceptions are one of the biggest enemies of B2B scaling. Each one increases operational complexity and causes the team to spend more time managing the process than developing it. At some point, the cost of this complexity can outweigh the savings from choosing a lower plan.
