On April 2, 2026, Shopify opened several native B2B features to the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans, at no extra cost. In practice, a merchant who is not on Plus can now manage up to 3 B2B catalogs, create company profiles, apply payment terms (net 7 to net 90) and use quantity-based pricing. Unlimited catalogs, deposits and partial payments remain exclusive to Shopify Plus.
This announcement moves the entry threshold for B2B on Shopify. For years, as a Shopify Expert agency, we worked with brands torn between three options: stay pure D2C, cobble together B2B with third-party apps (Bold, Wholesale Club), or jump straight to Plus with a monthly bill multiplied by five or six. There is now a real middle tier. The question is no longer "do you need Plus to do B2B?" but "at what level of commercial complexity does Plus become necessary?". This article gives you the decision framework.
Table of contents
The April 2, 2026 announcement in two minutes
On April 2, 2026, Shopify released a major update to its B2B offering. For the first time since Shopify B2B launched (until now reserved for Plus), a significant share of the native features is included in the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans, at no extra cost. Merchants can sell wholesale from their usual admin, without installing a third-party app, without migrating to Plus, and without rebuilding their commercial logic.
Five building blocks become available on all paid plans:
- Up to 3 active B2B catalogs, assigned through Markets
- Company profiles in the admin, with multiple locations
- Payment terms (net 7, net 15, net 30, net 45, net 60, net 90)
- Quantity-based pricing and quantity rules (min, max, increments)
- US ACH payments and saved credit cards
At the same time, Shopify keeps four key functions locked to Plus only: unlimited catalogs, direct assignment of catalogs to companies and locations, partial payments and deposits. This split is not incidental. It draws precisely the new tipping point between Plus and non-Plus for B2B projects.
The five B2B features now available outside Plus
Each of these building blocks addresses a specific operational need that our clients have been raising for a long time. Here is what they concretely change in production.
Up to 3 B2B catalogs through Markets
A Shopify B2B catalog lets you assign a specific customer segment its own product list, price list and commercial rules. With 3 catalogs, a merchant can for example serve a "France resellers" catalog at -30%, a "Benelux distributors" catalog at -35% with a higher minimum order, and a "strategic partners" catalog with exclusive products. For a DNVB launching its wholesale channel with a dozen trade accounts, that is more than enough.
Company profiles in the admin
This is the end of workarounds based on customer tags or manual draft orders. Each business customer is now structured as a distinct "Company" entity, with its locations (several shipping addresses for the same account), its multiple contacts, its assigned catalog, its payment terms and its tax exemptions. The Shopify admin becomes a true lightweight B2B CRM, without having to buy a third-party tool.
Payment terms from net 7 to net 90
Upfront payment is not the norm in B2B. Business buyers work on net 30, net 45 or net 60 depending on commercial agreements. Shopify now lets you configure these payment terms directly in the admin, attach them to a specific company, and automate reminders. For finance teams, this means better visibility on the cash cycle and more predictable cash-in.
Quantity-based pricing and quantity rules
In practice, this means a product sold at €2 per unit can drop to €1.80 from 300 units ordered, then to €1.60 from 1,000. Quantity rules also let you enforce a minimum order (e.g. 50 units per SKU) or multiples (e.g. sold in cases of 12). For wholesalers, distributors or manufacturers, this is a fundamental building block that until now required a paid third-party app or custom development.
ACH payments and saved cards
ACH applies to the US market only and will be of little direct interest to French merchants. Saved credit cards (tokenization), on the other hand, are valuable: a recurring business buyer can reorder without re-entering their card, which reduces friction on repeat orders and improves the B2B conversion rate.
What remains reserved for Shopify Plus
Shopify has not watered down Plus. On the contrary, the platform keeps on Plus the functions that become critical as soon as a B2B project reaches a certain maturity. Four structural differences remain.
Unlimited catalogs. Three catalogs are enough for simple B2B, but as soon as a merchant needs to segment customers finely (by region, partnership tier, product type, years of loyalty), the limit is quickly reached. A network of 20 resellers with individually negotiated agreements justifies Plus on its own.
Direct assignment of catalogs to companies and locations. Outside Plus, catalogs go through Markets, which ties them to geographic regions or segments. On Plus, each catalog can be attached directly to a specific customer company or to one of its locations. The granularity changes completely, especially for strategic accounts that expect a tailored catalog.
Partial payments. Allowing a business buyer to pay part of their order on delivery and the balance at 30 days is standard practice in mature B2B. Outside Plus, it is impossible.
Deposits. For any project involving pre-orders, made-to-order manufacturing, special orders or commercial security, a deposit is the norm. Shopify reserves this function for Plus, which automatically rules out the standard plans for these business models.
For a complete analysis of B2B architecture on Shopify Plus and advanced use cases, see our analysis of B2B e-commerce on Shopify and Shopify Plus.
Comparison table: Basic, Grow, Advanced vs Shopify Plus
This table summarizes the new feature split between the standard plans and Shopify Plus since April 2, 2026.
| B2B feature | Basic, Grow, Advanced | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Number of active B2B catalogs | Up to 3 | Unlimited |
| Catalog assignment | Through Markets only | Through Markets + direct assignment to companies and locations |
| Company profiles | Yes | Yes |
| Payment terms (net 7 to net 90) | Yes | Yes |
| Quantity-based pricing | Yes | Yes |
| Quantity rules (min, max, multiples) | Yes | Yes |
| US ACH payments | Yes | Yes |
| Saved credit cards | Yes | Yes |
| Partial payments | No | Yes |
| Deposits | No | Yes |
The strategic takeaway is clear. The standard plans now cover serious but simple B2B: few segments, few customer-specific rules, standard deferred payment. Plus remains essential as soon as segmentation becomes fine-grained or the financial logic requires deposits and split payments.
Which Shopify plan should you choose for your B2B project?
There is no longer a single right answer. It depends on your commercial profile, the number of customer segments, your pricing logic and your payment model. Here are four typical scenarios we encounter as an agency, with our recommendation.
A DNVB testing a wholesale channel
A D2C brand that wants to start a wholesale channel with 5 to 15 resellers, a single trade catalog, volume discounts and standard net 30. Recommendation: Advanced is more than enough. No need for Plus at this stage. The ROI lies first in testing the commercial channel, not in the platform.
A food or cosmetics brand with an existing reseller network
A brand with 2 to 3 distinct reseller segments (delicatessens, concept stores, regional distributors), differentiated price lists and tiered minimum orders. Recommendation: Advanced if you fit within 3 catalogs and do not require deposits, Plus if you plan to scale up quickly or if some partners require a deposit at order time.
A manufacturer with pre-orders or made-to-order production
A manufacturer that takes orders with a deposit at signing and the balance on delivery, to secure its production cycles. Recommendation: Plus is essential. The deposit function is not available natively anywhere else, and working around it with third-party apps creates technical debt on a critical process.
A B2B pure player with a catalog per strategic account
A B2B company where each customer account has its own negotiated catalog, with partial payments according to agreements. Recommendation: Plus, no question. Unlimited catalogs and direct assignment to companies are non-negotiable for this model.
Quick decision rule
- If you need deposits or partial payments, go with Plus.
- If you have more than 3 distinct pricing segments, go with Plus.
- If you want to assign a specific catalog to a specific account (and not to a Markets region), go with Plus.
- In all other simple to intermediate B2B cases, Advanced is now enough.
How to activate Shopify B2B on a Basic, Grow or Advanced plan
Activation does not require heavy technical work. The steps are available from the standard admin, with no custom development.
- From the Shopify admin, go to Customers then Companies to create your first B2B entity.
- Fill in the company's locations (shipping addresses, contacts).
- Create a first B2B catalog through Products then Catalogs, and define its price list.
- Attach the catalog to a market (Markets) to activate it.
- Configure the applicable payment terms (net 30, net 60 depending on your agreements).
- Set up quantity rules on the relevant products.
- Check that your theme properly displays price tiers and B2B rules.
Step 7 is often underestimated. Many recent Shopify themes correctly display tiered pricing and the B2B customer account, but some older or heavily customized themes require a Liquid adjustment. For technical support on the full configuration, see our page Shopify agency for wholesale configuration.
Pitfalls to avoid before launching your B2B
We see the same mistakes come up on nearly every poorly scoped wholesale project. Four in particular are worth pointing out.
First pitfall: believing that activating B2B is enough, without rethinking the storefront. Displaying a trade price is not the same as offering a coherent B2B experience. You need to think through navigation (a clearly identified trade account), the reorder journey, the readability of price tiers and the clarity of the customer account. A business buyer who has to dig to find their price list does not order.
Second pitfall: undersizing the number of catalogs. Starting with 2 catalogs and thinking "we'll see later" is risky. Going from 3 to 4 catalogs means switching to Plus, which multiplies the monthly bill by five or six. You need to anticipate this switchover at the scoping stage, not suffer it in a rush.
Third pitfall: forgetting the ERP and connector side. As soon as B2B volume grows, the Shopify admin alone is no longer enough. You need to connect an ERP (Sage, Cegid, Odoo), a PIM (Akeneo) and sometimes a dedicated order-picking tool. This is a heavy workstream and must be budgeted from the start, or you will fall back into the same makeshift setup as before.
Fourth pitfall: failing to anticipate intra-EU B2B taxation. For business customers based in another European Union country, the intra-community VAT exemption (reverse charge) must be set up correctly in Shopify, with automatic verification of the VAT number. Neglecting this point generates accounting errors that are costly to fix.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify B2B really included for free on Basic, Grow and Advanced?
Yes, the five building blocks announced on April 2, 2026 (3 catalogs, company profiles, payment terms, quantity-based pricing, ACH and saved cards) are included at no extra cost in the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans. Only unlimited catalogs, direct assignment, deposits and partial payments remain exclusive to Plus.
Can you run serious B2B with only 3 catalogs?
Yes, for the vast majority of simple to intermediate wholesale projects. One catalog per major customer segment (for example standard resellers, premium distributors, strategic partners) already covers most of the needs of a DNVB or a brand launching its trade channel. The limit becomes restrictive beyond 3 distinct segments or when each large customer account requires its own dedicated catalog.
What is the difference between payment terms and deposits on Shopify?
A payment term (net 30, for example) means the buyer pays the full order 30 days after invoicing. A deposit means they pay a percentage at order time and the balance later. Payment terms are now available on all paid plans. Deposits remain reserved for Shopify Plus.
Does this opening make Shopify Plus unnecessary for B2B projects?
No. Plus keeps the critical functions for mature B2B: unlimited catalogs, direct assignment to companies, deposits and partial payments. This opening simply lowers the entry threshold for starting a wholesale channel; it does not remove the value of Plus for complex or high-volume projects.
How do you migrate from a third-party B2B app (Wholesale Club, Bold) to native Shopify B2B?
The migration requires mapping the existing rules (customer tags, price groups, automatic discounts), transcribing them into Shopify's native logic (companies, catalogs, payment terms), then gradually moving customers over while testing each profile. We always recommend a 2 to 4 week period of running both systems in parallel to secure the switchover before uninstalling the third-party app. For tailored scoping, our teams can support you on this migration.
Key takeaways
Opening Shopify B2B to the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans changes the picture of the B2B e-commerce market. For the first time since the feature launched, a merchant can test or structure a serious wholesale channel without switching to Plus right away. That is good news for DNVBs, brands starting their trade channel, and every company that had a semi-manual B2B setup made of tags and draft orders.
But this opening does not remove the trade-off. It shifts it. The right question now becomes: how many catalogs will I have in 12 months, will I need deposits, and is my theme ready to deliver a real B2B experience? These three questions deserve proper scoping before production starts. If you want to do this scoping with peace of mind, book a meeting with a Shopify expert from our team: 30 minutes are enough to identify your optimal plan and the levers to activate first.
