• Shopify now lets you publish or unpublish individual variants across sales channels, regional markets, and B2B catalogs.
• The parent product and the individual variant must both be published for the variant to appear.
• You can use variant publishing to show bulk packs only to B2B buyers or restrict region-specific SKUs.
• Variant publishing controls product availability. It does not replace customer-specific locks for pages, prices, or other store content.
• Newly created variants are published by default unless you change their publishing settings before saving.

Shopify released variant-level publishing on 7 May 2026. It lets merchants hide product variants by market or B2B catalogue and control where each product variant appears across sales channels. You can hide a wholesale case pack from retail shoppers or limit a country-specific SKU to the correct market without duplicating the product. 

In this quick guide, we will learn how to hide product variants by market or by B2B catalogue on your Shopify store.

What Is Variant-Level Publishing on Shopify?

A product may contain several sizes, colours, pack quantities, or regional versions. Variant-level publishing controls which options a buyer can see.

For example, one coffee product could contain a 250-gram bag, a 1-kilogram bag, and a 12-pack case. The smaller packs can remain available to retail customers while the case pack appears only to B2B buyers.

An unpublished variant is hidden from the selected channel or catalogue. This is different from an out-of-stock variant, which may still appear on the product page. 

Where Can You Control Variant Availability?

Shopify can apply variant publishing across three main types of selling contexts.

These controls can work together. For example, a wholesale case pack may need to be published to the Online Store sales channel and a specific B2B catalogue. If the variant is unpublished from either required context, the buyer will not see it.

Steps to Hide Product Variants by Market or B2B Catalogue on Shopify

How to Hide Product Variants by Market on Shopify

Use regional catalogues to keep a variant out of a specific market. For example, a UK plug can appear in the United Kingdom while a US plug is shown in the United States.

1. Open Products in your Shopify admin.
2. Select the product you want to update.
3. In Variants, click All or the publishing icons beside the variant.
4. In Manage publishing, find the relevant Region catalogs.

5. Deselect the market catalogue where the variant should be hidden.

6. Click Done, then Save.

The parent product must remain published to the required channel and market. If every variant is unpublished from a catalogue, the complete product is hidden there. 

How to Hide Product Variants by B2B Catalogue on Shopify

A common setup is to sell single units to retail customers and cartons of 12 or 24 to wholesale buyers.

1. Publish the parent product to the Online Store and required B2B catalogue.
2. Open Manage publishing for the wholesale case-pack variant.
3. Unpublish it from the Region catalogs used by retail customers.
4. Publish it to the appropriate B2B catalog.
5. Log in with a B2B account and confirm that it appears.

The buyer must belong to a company location or B2B market that can access the selected catalogue.

Basic, Grow, and Advanced stores can assign up to three active catalogues across their B2B markets. Shopify Plus supports unlimited B2B market catalogues and direct assignment to company locations. 

Variant Publishing vs Locking Store Content

Variant publishing controls where a product option is available. It does not provide complete customer-based access control across your storefront.

You may still need another setup if you want to:

• Hide product prices until a customer logs in
• Lock a collection or page
• Restrict content using customer tags
• Hide the add-to-cart button
• Create an application and approval process
• Show different store content to different customer groups

For these requirements, Shopify’s publishing controls may need to be combined with a private wholesale area or an access-control app.

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B can hide products, collections, prices, pages, or purchase buttons based on login status and customer tags. This is useful when the restriction goes beyond the availability of one product variant.

Summary

Shopify variant-level publishing gives wholesale stores better control over individual SKUs without requiring duplicate products or theme workarounds.

You can use it to hide wholesale case packs from retail buyers, limit regional variants, prepare new SKUs, or offer channel-specific product options. The main product and the variant must both be published to the correct context, so testing each buyer and market experience is important.

For stores that also need private pricing, locked pages, customer-tag access, or approval workflows, variant publishing can be combined with a broader wholesale access-control setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Wholesale orders usually have lower handling costs per unit, but they introduce freight, EDI, labeling, pallet preparation, and retailer compliance costs.
• Retailer chargebacks can quickly reduce your margin when shipments arrive late, use the wrong labels, or fail to follow routing guides.
• Parcel shipping may work for smaller wholesale orders, while larger shipments are often cheaper and safer to send through LTL freight.
• Wholesale pricing should be based on landed cost, fulfillment, shipping, chargebacks, and other channel costs instead of a standard discount from retail.
• Before choosing a 3PL, check whether it has experience with EDI, retailer routing guides, pallet shipments, and compliance requirements.

Landing your first big wholesale order feels like a milestone. And it should, because it’s a big deal. It means a retailer wants your product on their shelves, and their quantities are bigger than anything you’ve likely ever shipped direct-to-consumer. The revenue looks great on paper, too, which never hurts.

Then you read the purchase order. There’s a lot of fine print.

You need to make sure pallets are stacked in certain ways. Barcodes need to be on every carton. And you might need to send an advance ship notice in a format you’ve never heard of. In short, you have to keep fulfillment costs in check.

This is when DTC brands discover that wholesale fulfillment plays by different rules. The systems and the shipping and the cost structure that got you here won’t necessarily carry over. Wholesale, after all, isn’t just “DTC but bigger.” It’s an entirely different way to ship and to sell. If you price it like your DTC business, fulfillment costs can eat away at the margin you thought you were adding.

That’s the failure mode, though. Here’s what you can do to prevent that from happening.

Also read: Shopify Wholesale Guide (2026): Pricing, Discounts, and B2B Setup

Why wholesale breaks DTC fulfillment math

Direct-to-consumer fulfillment is a volume game at the level of individual purchases. You ship a constant stream of small, single-unit orders in branded packaging to hundreds or thousands of separate addresses. Wholesale is an entirely different profile: fewer orders, far larger quantities, packed in cartons or on pallets, headed to a handful of retailers or distributors.

For the most part, DTC orders cost more than wholesale orders, at least when you divide by the number of items involved. Every order carries its own pick and pack fees, branded box, and a return rate that seems to climb every day. Wholesale orders trade that for different costs: pallet building and wrapping, freight coordination, and retailer compliance requirements. So you can’t compare apples to apples.

This naturally impacts the margins, and it’s why DTC channels usually need higher gross margins to survive. Customer acquisition cost, returns, and per-order handling all compound at the unit level. Wholesale comes with lower operating costs per unit thanks to bulk handling and predictable order patterns. A lower gross margin can be just fine here if you are properly accounting for the new costs.

The stakes per order also go up in wholesale. In DTC, a bad shipment annoys one customer. You might see one bad review. In wholesale, fewer transactions hold more weight. Missing one ship window is not a huge problem in DTC, but in wholesale, it can keep you off the shelves for an entire season.

Hidden costs that can erode wholesale margin (if you don’t know about them)

DTC brand owners are savvy. You have to be to build a brand or manage one. So they already price in storage and labor. What’s harder to price in is retail compliance costs, in part because they’re not as legible to those operating outside of that world.

Most retailers have detailed routing guides that dictate how shipments must arrive. They will specify which carriers to use, how to schedule delivery appointments, how to configure pallets, and what load standards to meet. Each retailer sets its own requirements, and they can change at any time. Deviating from the rules can lead to penalties. You can’t just FedEx stock to Macy’s.

Most major retailers require full electronic data interchange (EDI) capability. The advance ship notice, the EDI 856 that tells the distribution center what’s arriving before the truck shows up, is one of the most common places brands trip up. If you’ve never set up EDI, budget time and money for it before your first PO ships. There’s a learning curve.

Retailers want specific label and bar code formats, GS1-128 barcodes carrying an SSCC on every carton and pallet, and exact placement. A label in the wrong spot or a barcode that won’t scan counts as a violation even if the product inside is otherwise perfect. This is retail-compliant kitting and assembly work that most DTC operations have simply never had to do. 

Chargebacks are also an issue, and they play out differently than DTC. When a shipment doesn’t meet retailer requirements, they deduct a penalty from the invoice. Industry estimates show that this happens to between 5–15% of manufacturer invoices. These deductions can add up to 2–10% of a manufacturer’s total revenue.

Individual penalties, much like tolls on roads, sound small until they stack up. A missed delivery window can cost around a 3% deduction. A mislabeled carton can run $7 to $10 per box. Walmart’s on-time, in-full penalty alone is 3% of the cost of goods on non-compliant cases. For a brand shipping $10 million per year into retail, even a chargeback rate of 2% is roughly $200,000 in avoidable losses. And that’s straight out of the margin.

Parcel vs. freight: how shipping economics change with scale

In DTC, shipping is simple: nearly everything goes parcel through UPS, FedEx, or USPS. Wholesale gives you an entirely new decision to make: freight or parcel.

The rough dividing line is weight and packaging. Parcel carriers handle shipments up to about 150 pounds and price them on dimensional weight. That means they account for the size of the box, not just its weight. Once you’re moving 150 pounds or more on pallets, you’re doing less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, which is priced on freight class and density. That’s an entirely different kind of shipping. That works in your favor, in fact, because LTL is typically 30–65% cheaper per pound than shipping the same goods as parcels.

Once you have around four or five cases going to a destination, it’s usually time to stop shipping loose boxes and put them on a pallet. This is where LTL starts to pay off. It’s at least worth getting a quote.

But there is a catch: accessorial fees. These can take the savings away if you’re not careful. A liftgate can add $50 to $150 per shipment. If you’re not careful about commercial versus residential delivery, that could lead to surcharges as well. When a shipment is near the line between parcel and freight, the right move is to quote it both ways and compare the total, accessorials included. This is where having a partner versed in freight and customs can help a great deal.

There’s also a compliance bonus to freight that is easy to miss if you’re not familiar with wholesale. Namely, shrink-wrapped pallets go through far fewer handling touches than a dozen loose boxes. That lowers the damage rate and the chargebacks that can come from the retailer as a result.

For most brands, you’ll probably end up splitting parcel for DTC orders and LTL or full truckload (FTL) for wholesale replenishment. Brands that split by order type instead of forcing everything onto one mode tend to save somewhere in the range of 12–22% on total transportation cost.

Baking fulfillment cost into wholesale pricing

It’s very easy to set your wholesale price as a flat discount off retail. But it’s far better to set your price based on your true cost to serve.

The first thing you need to know is your landed cost per unit. Add freight, duties, customs brokerage, insurance, port and handling fees, and domestic freight to the warehouse. That landed figure often runs 15–30% above the invoice price.

Then keep going, because landed cost isn’t the cost to sell. You also need to consider your per-unit fulfillment cost (picking, packing, shipping) plus any channel-specific fees. If you’re not sure what that per-unit number is for wholesale orders, here’s an in-depth breakdown on how to estimate fulfillment cost. 

As you do this, you’ll find it helps to think about contribution margin by channel rather than a blanket discount for wholesale. For each channel, take your revenue and subtract landed cost, fulfillment and shipping, platform and payment fees, returns, and channel-specific costs like chargebacks and co-op. DTC and wholesale will end up in very different places, and that’s the point. You want to see the difference, as clear as you possibly can, before you make hard commitments.

To that, add a couple of wholesale-specific line items you’ll want to consider. Build in a chargeback buffer of around 5%. If you run a tight ship, your chargebacks might be more like 1–2%, but new brands can easily see 6–10%. And also budget for co-op or marketing development funds, which some retailers expect around 2–5% of revenue.

This is the same logic that says a company’s marketing budget should be set from its unit economics. Your wholesale price is downstream of all your real costs tallied up. If a SKU cannot clear your target margin with all the costs factored in, it’s better to know that early. It means you can raise the minimum order quantity, adjust the discount, or change freight terms. You can also keep it DTC-only if that’s the only way to make the economics work. Not every item needs to go to wholesale, after all.

In-house vs. 3PL fulfillment for wholesale

Once you have a sense of true cost, the last question is: who does the work? For wholesale, that decision comes down to three capabilities most DTC operations were never built for: EDI, retail compliance, and freight.

A single retail account at moderate volume is often manageable in-house. You can learn one routing guide, set up EDI, and stay on top of the retailer’s rules. But once you start adding second and third retailers, it gets harder. The workload compounds, and your attention is increasingly split.

If you outsource to a third-party logistics provider (3PL), bear this in mind: the 3PL will control the operations that decide if you’re compliant. If they mess up, it’s still your penalty to pay. That means any fulfillment partner you choose needs to have retail-compliance experience. Chargebacks can easily wipe out the savings from a lower rate. As you’re evaluating partners and looking for all the usual red flags before committing, make sure you also check for evidence of retail capabilities.

A gut-check before you say “yes” to wholesale

Before you accept a big purchase order, run your numbers and then run through this checklist:

• Do you know your landed cost per unit?
• Have you calculated contribution margin separately for wholesale and DTC?
• Do you have a chargeback buffer built into your wholesale price?
• Are you mode-splitting on shipping?
• Can you meet the EDI, advance-ship-notice, and labeling requirements for the retailers you’re targeting?
• Who owns routing-guide compliance?

If you have clean answers to these questions, wholesale can be an amazing channel for you. And you’ll be able to truly enjoy the steadier orders, bigger volumes, and lower per-unit handling costs.

Final Thoughts

Wholesale isn’t DTCx100. It’s a different kind of channel entirely with its own routing guides, freight, EDI, and chargebacks built into it from order number one.

If you price in fulfillment early, you’re a lot more likely to keep your margin. And it’s here that it helps to do the math before you sign so that shelf space stays profitable.

Thinking about the jump into wholesale and want the physical side handled by a US-based team? Fulfillrite has spent over a decade shipping for product brands so the operations don’t become the thing that eats your margin. Get a custom quote and we’ll help you figure out what wholesale-ready fulfillment looks like for your catalog. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Locksmith vs Wholesale Lock Manager B2B by Wholesale Helper – Both access management apps on Shopify help merchants control their storefront visibility.
• Locksmith is best for stores that need broad, flexible access rules across different use cases and not only wholesale. Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is better suited for Shopify stores that need wholesale-specific access control.
• If your main goal is setup login to view price, hiding add-to-cart, locking wholesale collections, or running retail and wholesale from one store, Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is usually the cleaner choice. Locksmith may be better if you need advanced custom rules using Liquid, API-based logic, geolocation, purchase history, or date-based access.
• Native Shopify B2B can help with company accounts, catalogs, product availability, and B2B pricing, but many stores still use access control apps when they need more storefront-level visibility rules.

Access control becomes important on Shopify when different customers should not see the same things. For a wholesale store, that can mean keeping wholesale prices away from public visitors. It can also mean showing certain products only to approved buyers, hiding add-to-cart buttons until login, or keeping dealer resources private. Two apps that often come up for this are Locksmith and Wholesale Lock Manager B2B.

Locksmith vs Wholesale Lock Manager B2B: Quick Comparison

Let us quickly compare the two apps. Locksmith vs Wholesale Lock Manager B2B.

What Locksmith Does

Locksmith is a flexible Shopify lock app built for broad access control.

It can restrict products, collections, pages, prices, variant options, or even the full storefront. Access can be opened through rules such as customer tags, email addresses, passcodes, secret links, customer location, purchase history, date and time, Liquid logic, or API-based conditions. That makes Locksmith useful beyond wholesale.

A merchant may use it for a members-only collection. Another may use it for a private product launch. A store may want to open certain products only in selected regions. A developer may want more control over how access rules are written.

That flexibility is the main reason merchants choose Locksmith.

The tradeoff is that wholesale merchants may not always need that level of control. If the job is simply to hide wholesale prices, restrict B2B collections, or show pages/prices only after login, a wholesale-focused app can feel more direct.

What Wholesale Lock Manager B2B Does

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is built around the type of storefront restrictions B2B merchants usually need.

It helps Shopify stores lock products, collections, pages, URLs, prices, add-to-cart buttons, and the full storefront. Access can be controlled using customer tags, login status, email, passcodes, or hidden links. This fits many wholesale setups.

For example, a store may want retail shoppers to browse the public catalog while approved dealers see extra products after login. Another store may want to show product details publicly but keep prices hidden until a buyer signs in.

Some merchants also use it to protect distributor pages, reseller resources, wholesale-only collections, or private B2B URLs.

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is not trying to cover every access control use case. It is more focused than that. Its strength is that it solves the visibility problems wholesale merchants usually run into.

Where Wholesale Lock Manager B2B Wins

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is the stronger fit when the store is actually a wholesale or mixed retail and B2B store. Price visibility is where the difference becomes easiest to understand.

Many wholesale merchants do not want everyone to see B2B pricing. They want buyers to apply, get approved, log in, and then view prices. This is one of the core workflows Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is designed to support.

It is also useful when certain collections should stay invisible until the right buyer logs in. For example, a merchant may have a public retail collection and a private dealer collection inside the same store. Retail shoppers see the normal catalogue. Approved wholesale buyers see the additional B2B products after logging in. That setup is common because many brands do not want to run two separate Shopify stores.

The app also works well when customer tags are already part of the wholesale workflow. Tags like “wholesale,” “dealer,” “distributor,” or “VIP” can decide which customers get access.

Where Locksmith Wins

Locksmith is better when the access rules are more custom. For example, a merchant may want a product page to open only for visitors in selected regions, or make a collection available only during a launch window.

Another store may want to give access through a secret link. Another may want to unlock content based on purchase history. A developer may want to build custom rules using Liquid or an API.

These are not always wholesale problems. They are broader access control problems. That is where Locksmith has an advantage. It gives merchants more ways to build unusual rules and edge-case workflows.

So Locksmith wins for flexibility. Wholesale Lock Manager B2B wins when the access problem is mostly about wholesale visibility.

Hiding prices: which app is a better fit?

For wholesale stores or wholesale+B2C stores, Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is usually the better fit.

Hiding prices is not just about removing a number from the product page. It changes the buying flow because customers cannot compare prices, add products, or place orders until they meet the access rule.

Some merchants want public visitors to request access before seeing prices. Some want only approved accounts to view B2B rates. Some want the add-to-cart button hidden until a buyer logs in. Wholesale Lock Manager B2B handles these needs directly.

Locksmith can also help with price hiding, but it is a broader tool. If price visibility is part of a wholesale setup, WLM feels closer to the actual workflow.

Locking Products and Collections

Both apps can lock products and collections. The right app depends less on the locked item and more on the reason behind the lock.

If the product is locked for a private campaign, early-access drop, or location-based launch, Locksmith may be the better option. If the product is locked because only approved wholesale buyers should see it, Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is the cleaner fit.

Passwords, Private Links, and Hidden Pages

Both apps can be useful when you want to password protect content or share private links. Locksmith is better when the private access flow has several conditions. For example, a secret link plus a time window plus customer location.

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is better when the private content belongs to the wholesale buyer journey. That could be a dealer resource page, a private collection, a reseller page, or a B2B-only product list.

Since both apps can restrict content, the useful comparison is about which workflow feels easier to manage. If the content is tied to wholesale access, Wholesale Lock Manager B2B usually makes more sense.

Retail and Wholesale on One Shopify Store

A lot of Shopify brands do not want a separate wholesale store. A second store can mean more theme work, more reporting issues, more product updates, and more confusion for the team. A single store is easier to manage, but only if access is set up properly.

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B helps merchants separate what retail shoppers and wholesale buyers can see. Retail visitors can still browse the public storefront. Approved B2B buyers can log in and see private products, collections, prices, pages, or buttons meant for them.

Locksmith can also support a mixed-store setup, but Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is built closer to how wholesale teams usually think about access.

What About Shopify Native B2B?

Shopify’s native B2B features can help merchants manage company accounts, catalogUEs, product availability, pricing, payment terms, and checkout rules. That is important. If a merchant is building a serious B2B setup, native Shopify B2B should be part of the conversation.

But native B2B and access control apps are not exactly the same thing. Native B2B helps define what company buyers can access and how they buy. Access control apps help manage storefront visibility, especially around what visitors can see before or after login.

For example, you may still want to hide prices from logged-out visitors. Or lock a public URL. Or hide add-to-cart buttons. Or keep a wholesale resource page private. That is where an app like Wholesale Lock Manager B2B can still be useful. Some stores may use native Shopify B2B and Wholesale Lock Manager B2B together.

Pricing and Value

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is usually easier to justify when the store mainly needs wholesale access control. It covers the core use cases many B2B merchants care about without forcing them into a more complex rule setup.

Locksmith costs more on its listed entry plan, but it also offers broader flexibility. That can be worth it if your store needs custom conditions, developer logic, or access rules outside wholesale.

Simple Decision Table – Locksmith vs Wholesale Lock Manager B2B

Which App Should You Choose?

Choose Locksmith if you need flexible access control for different types of restricted content. It is a good fit for stores that need rules based on location, purchase history, date, time, secret links, or custom developer logic.

Choose Wholesale Lock Manager B2B if you need access control for a wholesale store. It is a better fit if you want to hide prices, lock wholesale collections, hide add-to-cart buttons, restrict B2B pages, or show private products only to approved buyers.

For a typical Shopify wholesale store, WLM is the more focused choice.

Final Verdict on Locksmith vs Wholesale Lock Manager B2B

Locksmith is the stronger general access control app. Wholesale Lock Manager B2B is the stronger wholesale access control app. That distinction matters.

A store running memberships, private launches, restricted drops, or complex access rules may prefer Locksmith. A wholesale store that wants to control pricing visibility, product access, collection access, and B2B-only content will usually be better served by Wholesale Lock Manager B2B.

So the winner depends on the use case.For flexibility, Locksmith wins. For wholesale, Wholesale Lock Manager B2B wins.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Shopify is generally easier to launch and maintain because hosting, security, checkout, platform updates, and core B2B tools are managed in one system. WooCommerce offers more control over hosting, code, pricing logic, registration forms, user roles, and custom wholesale workflows.
• Shopify Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans support native company profiles, payment terms, volume pricing, vaulted cards, and up to three active B2B catalogues. WooCommerce does not include a complete wholesale system by default. Most stores need one or more wholesale extensions.
• WooCommerce can be cheaper for a simple setup, but hosting, premium plugins, development, security, and maintenance should be included in the total cost.
• Shopify is usually the better option for merchants who want a predictable and easier-to-manage setup. WooCommerce may suit businesses that already use WordPress and have technical resources available.

Shopify B2B and WooCommerce can both support wholesale selling, but they approach it very differently.

Shopify is a hosted ecommerce platform with native B2B features, a managed checkout, and an app ecosystem for additional wholesale workflows. WooCommerce is an open-source WordPress plugin that gives merchants more control, but wholesale functionality usually needs to be added through extensions or custom development.

The right option depends on how much flexibility you need, how comfortable your team is with technical maintenance, and whether you want your wholesale tools built into the platform or assembled separately. So let’s start this comparison guide on Shopify B2B vs WooCommerce Wholesale.

Shopify B2B vs WooCommerce Wholesale: Quick Comparison

What Is Shopify B2B?

Shopify B2B is Shopify’s native system for selling to business buyers.

Merchants can create companies and company locations, assign B2B customers, control product availability, offer wholesale prices, set payment terms, collect purchase order numbers, and allow buyers to reorder through their customer accounts.

Shopify can support a dedicated wholesale store or a blended store that serves retail and wholesale customers from the same backend.

Basic, Grow, and Advanced stores can assign up to three active B2B catalogues across their B2B markets. Shopify Plus supports unlimited catalogues and lets merchants assign catalogues directly to individual companies and company locations.

Shopify Plus also retains certain advanced features, including customer-specific deposits and partial payments.

What Is WooCommerce Wholesale?

WooCommerce is an e-commerce plugin for WordPress. The core WooCommerce plugin supports products, orders, checkout, inventory, payments, taxes, and shipping, but it does not provide a complete wholesale system by default. Merchants normally add wholesale capabilities through extensions.

Depending on the extension, a WooCommerce wholesale store may support:

• Different prices for different user roles
• Tiered and quantity-based pricing
• Wholesale registration forms
• Manual customer approval
• Hidden prices and products
• Quote requests
• Minimum order requirements
• Private wholesale areas
• Role-specific shipping and payment methods
• Bulk order forms
• Tax exemption workflows

This gives merchants considerable flexibility. It also means the quality and reliability of the wholesale setup depend on the plugins, theme, hosting provider, and custom code being used.

There is no single standard version of “WooCommerce Wholesale.” Two WooCommerce stores can use completely different plugins and workflows while both being described as wholesale stores.

Which is better? Shopify B2B vs WooCommerce Wholesale

1. Setup and Ease of Management

Shopify is usually easier to set up, especially for merchants who do not have an internal developer.

Hosting, SSL, checkout, platform updates, payment integrations, security infrastructure, and the main e-commerce admin are included in the platform. Native B2B tools also sit inside the same Shopify admin used for products, customers, orders, discounts, and analytics.

WooCommerce requires more separate decisions.

You need a WordPress website, hosting, a compatible theme, WooCommerce, payment integrations, and one or more wholesale plugins. You may also need tools for backups, security, caching, email delivery, spam prevention, and performance monitoring.

This is not necessarily a disadvantage for experienced WordPress teams. It gives them control over every part of the store. For merchants without technical support, however, it can create more work and more opportunities for plugin conflicts.

Winner for ease of management: Shopify

2. Wholesale Pricing and Product Catalogues

Shopify B2B uses catalogues to control the products and prices available to business buyers. Merchants can set custom product prices, percentage-based adjustments, quantity rules, and volume price breaks.

For stores with a few broad customer groups, this can cover the main requirements without another wholesale pricing tool.

The limitation becomes more noticeable when a business has many buyer groups, negotiated customer prices, or separate pricing structures for different locations.

Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans share a limit of three active B2B catalogues across all B2B markets. Directly assigning a catalogue to a particular company or company location requires Shopify Plus.

WooCommerce pricing is normally controlled through user roles and plugin rules. Depending on the extension, merchants may be able to set:

• A fixed price for each wholesale role
• Percentage discounts by category
• Customer level prices
• Different prices for product variations
• Cart total discounts
• Quantity-based price breaks
• Minimum and maximum order quantities

WooCommerce may provide more pricing flexibility, but only when the selected plugin supports the required rules. Merchants should check compatibility before building their pricing structure around a particular extension.

Winner for structured native pricing: Shopify

Winner for highly customized pricing logic: WooCommerce

3. Wholesale Customer Management

Shopify has a clear B2B customer structure built around companies and company locations.

A company can have multiple locations, buyers, shipping addresses, payment terms, tax settings, catalogues, and contact permissions. This is useful when one business customer operates several branches or allows multiple employees to place orders.

WooCommerce normally manages wholesale customers through WordPress user roles. A plugin may create roles such as wholesaler, distributor, dealer, gold customer, or trade buyer.

This system is flexible and familiar to WordPress developers. However, it does not provide the same standardized company and location structure unless a plugin or custom build adds it.

For straightforward customer tiers, WooCommerce roles can work well. For businesses that need several buyers and locations under one company account, Shopify’s native model is generally easier to manage.

Winner for company account management: Shopify

4. Registration and Customer Approval

Shopify supports company account request forms that let potential buyers apply for B2B access. Merchants can collect business information before creating or approving a company account.

Shopify wholesale apps can add more control when a business needs longer forms, document uploads, custom approval rules, customer tagging, or different application flows.

WooCommerce wholesale extensions often include detailed registration forms and manual approval. Merchants can add business fields, assign approved customers to user roles, request tax information, or collect supporting documents.

WooCommerce can be more flexible here, especially when the business has an unusual application process. The trade-off is that the entire workflow depends on the selected plugin.

Winner for flexible registration forms: WooCommerce

Winner for a simpler native company setup: Shopify

5. Bulk Ordering and Reordering

Wholesale customers often know exactly what they want to buy. Opening individual product pages for every SKU can make a large order unnecessarily slow.

Shopify B2B customers can view their order history and duplicate previous orders through customer accounts. Shopify also supports quick order lists that let buyers add multiple variants of a product from its product page.

A full catalogue order form, where buyers can search and add several different products from one page, will normally require an app.

For example, the WSH Order Form & ReOrder app can add a single-page ordering experience for buyers who regularly purchase multiple products or repeat previous orders on your Shopify wholesale store.

WooCommerce can also support bulk order forms, requisition lists, saved lists, and repeat orders through wholesale plugins. The exact buyer experience will depend on the extension and theme.

Both platforms can provide a good wholesale ordering flow. Shopify offers a more standardized account and checkout experience, while WooCommerce gives developers more freedom to change how the order form works.

6. Payment Terms, Purchase Orders and Quotes

Shopify B2B supports payment terms at the company location level. Merchants can also collect purchase order numbers, create draft orders, send invoices, and require certain orders to be submitted as drafts for review.

Customer-specific deposits and partial B2B payments remain Shopify Plus features.

A formal request-a-quote system is not a standard part of the core Shopify B2B experience. Merchants that negotiate prices before confirming orders may need an app or custom workflow.

WooCommerce can offer invoice payments, delayed payment methods, quotes, payment restrictions, and role-specific gateways through extensions.

This can make WooCommerce attractive for businesses with unusual payment or quote processes. However, these features may come from different plugin developers and may not always work as one connected system.

Winner for built-in payment terms and purchase order workflows: Shopify

Winner for custom quote workflows: WooCommerce

7. Store Customization and Technical Control

WooCommerce gives merchants full access to their WordPress files, database, hosting environment, themes, templates, and plugin code.

A development team can build a highly specific wholesale experience without being limited by a hosted platform. WooCommerce can also connect with a wide range of payment providers, ERP systems, warehouse tools, and custom databases.

The downside is that every customization becomes something the business must maintain.

Shopify places more boundaries around the platform, particularly around checkout and backend infrastructure. However, it provides themes, apps, APIs, Shopify Functions, customer account extensions, and other tools for customizing B2B workflows.

For most merchants, Shopify offers enough flexibility without requiring them to maintain the core platform. Businesses with highly unusual requirements may still prefer the control WooCommerce provides.

Winner for complete technical control: WooCommerce

Winner for customization with less maintenance: Shopify

8. Security, Updates and Store Performance

Shopify manages the e-commerce hosting environment and provides PCI-compliant infrastructure for its stores. Platform updates are handled centrally, so merchants do not need to update Shopify itself or manage a server.

Apps and themes still need to be selected carefully, but the main infrastructure is managed by Shopify.

With WooCommerce, the merchant and hosting provider are responsible for keeping WordPress, WooCommerce, PHP, themes, and plugins updated. Regular backups and testing are important because an update to one extension can sometimes affect another part of the store.

WooCommerce can support large and complex businesses when it has strong hosting and experienced technical management. Poor hosting or an overloaded plugin stack can create performance and reliability problems.

Winner for lower technical maintenance: Shopify

9. Shopify B2B vs WooCommerce Wholesale Cost

Shopify has a clear monthly platform subscription. Additional costs may include themes, apps, payment processing, custom development, or a Shopify Plus subscription for more advanced requirements.

The cost is usually easier to predict because hosting and the main ecommerce infrastructure are included.

WooCommerce itself is free and open source, but a functioning wholesale store may still need:

• Web hosting
• A domain
• Premium wholesale plugins
• A paid theme
• Backup and security tools
• Performance optimization
• Developer support
• Ongoing maintenance

A simple WooCommerce store can cost less than Shopify. A heavily customized wholesale store may become more expensive once development and maintenance are included.

The better comparison is total cost of ownership, not just the platform fee.

Can Shopify Apps Close the Flexibility Gap?

Shopify’s native B2B features now cover many standard wholesale requirements. Apps remain useful when a merchant needs workflows that do not fit neatly inside the native company and catalogue structure. Shopify B2B apps like Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B, Sparklayer, BSS B2B Solution, and Wholesale Gorilla significantly help elevate your storefront experience and also close this flexibility gap for your wholesale customers.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Shopify B2B when:

• You want hosting, checkout, security, and platform updates managed for you.
• Your team does not want to maintain WordPress and multiple plugins.
• You need company profiles, company locations, payment terms, catalogues, purchase order numbers, and reordering in one system.
• You sell both retail and wholesale from the same store.
• You want predictable platform behaviour and a large app ecosystem.
• You are comfortable using apps when native features do not cover a workflow.

Choose WooCommerce Wholesale when:

• You already operate a successful WordPress or WooCommerce store.
• You have reliable WordPress developers or an agency.
• You need complete control over hosting, code, database access, and checkout logic.
• Your wholesale workflow requires detailed user roles, custom forms, unusual pricing rules, or quote processes.
• You are prepared to manage updates, compatibility, performance, backups, and security.
• Migrating away from your existing WooCommerce setup would create more work than improving it.

Final Summary

Shopify B2B is the better choice for most merchants who want to launch or grow wholesale without taking on additional technical maintenance.

Its native B2B features now cover company accounts, catalogues, volume pricing, quantity rules, payment terms, purchase order numbers, and reordering across Shopify’s paid plans. Apps can fill gaps such as advanced pricing, private product access, and full catalogue order forms.

WooCommerce Wholesale remains a strong option for businesses that already use WordPress or need complete technical control. It can support highly customized wholesale operations, but the business must take greater responsibility for hosting, plugins, updates, security, and development.

Do not migrate an established WooCommerce store only because Shopify appears easier. Likewise, do not choose WooCommerce only because its core plugin is free. Compare the complete wholesale workflow, the technical resources available to your team, and the long-term cost of maintaining the store.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Shopify’s built-in B2B tools are now included with its main paid plans, although some capabilities remain limited to Advanced or Plus.
• Basic, Grow, and Advanced give merchants three active B2B catalogue assignments in total across their B2B markets.
• Shopify Plus removes the catalogue ceiling and permits direct catalogue assignment to a particular company or company location.
• Wholesale apps can provide more control over pricing groups, storefront access, customer applications, POS pricing, and bulk order entry.
• Using an app alongside native B2B may be possible, but the app must support the account, catalogue, checkout, and customer account setup being used.

Shopify Native B2B vs Third-party apps is now a strong debate, as Native B2B features include a broad set of B2B tools on Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans. A merchant can manage business buyers, create wholesale product assortments, apply quantity conditions, offer net terms, collect purchase order numbers, and let customers reorder from their accounts without building a separate system. 

However, built-in tools do not remove the need for wholesale apps. Some businesses have negotiated prices for many customer groups, detailed approval processes, private sections of the storefront, in-store wholesale sales, or buyers who need to order dozens of SKUs from one screen.

The decision comes down to how closely your wholesale process fits Shopify’s company, market, and catalogue structure. In this guide, we will see the difference between them and what setup makes the most sense for your store.

Shopify Native B2B vs Third-Party Apps : Quick Comprison

Let us look at a quick comparison between Shopify Native B2B vs Third-Party Apps.

Most core B2B functions are available across Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. Advanced and Plus receive additional storefront and checkout contextualisation, while several advanced payment controls remain exclusive to Plus. 

How Shopify’s Native B2B System Works

Shopify B2B is built around business accounts rather than ordinary retail customer profiles. A business is created as a company. Each branch, warehouse, office, or purchasing unit can then be added as a company location. Contacts are connected to those locations and can receive permission to place orders or manage the location.

From there, Shopify uses catalogues and Markets to determine what products and prices a signed-in buyer receives. A native setup can cover five important parts of wholesale selling:

• Business account management: Companies can contain several locations and buyer contacts. This is useful when one customer has different delivery addresses, purchasing teams, or account settings.
• Wholesale products and prices: A catalogue can contain the products a buyer is allowed to purchase. Merchants can adjust prices across the catalogue or enter fixed rates for selected products.
• Ordering conditions: Shopify supports minimum order quantities, maximum quantities, ordering increments, and lower unit prices when customers purchase larger amounts.
• Payments and order review: Merchants can assign net terms, collect purchase order numbers, send invoices, route checkout orders into drafts, and review orders before final confirmation.
• Buyer self-service: Authorised customers can sign in, view their business information, access the correct assortment, check previous purchases, place repeat orders, and manage eligible returns. 

Where Native Shopify B2B May Become Restrictive

Shopify now covers much more than it did previously, but the native system still has boundaries.

Lower-plan catalogue capacity: The main issue on Basic, Grow, and Advanced is not access to B2B itself. It is the number of active B2B catalogue assignments. These plans provide three assignments across the store’s B2B markets. Using all three within one market leaves no remaining assignment for another B2B market.

Storefront visibility : Signed-in B2B customers can access their assigned products, prices, and account information. More detailed restrictions may still need another solution. For example, a merchant may want to hide one resource page, remove prices from visitors, protect a dealer collection, or display different content based on a customer tag.

Highly individual pricing: Native catalogues work well when buyers can be placed into a manageable number of groups. The problem is whether the store’s commercial agreements can be represented cleanly within its catalogue structure.

App and checkout compatibility: Not every Shopify app works correctly with companies, B2B catalogues, the current customer accounts, or B2B checkout. Shopify lists some third-party apps among the areas that may be incompatible and advises merchants to contact the developer. Native B2B also requires the current version of customer accounts rather than legacy accounts. 

What Third-Party B2B Apps Add

Shopify wholesale apps usually fall into a few practical categories. A merchant may use one focused app or combine several depending on the store’s needs.

More flexible wholesale pricing: Pricing apps can create wholesale groups without requiring every buyer segment to be represented by a native market catalogue.

For example, Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B supports customer and tag-based discounts, variant-level custom prices, quantity breaks, wholesale shipping rules, account applications, net terms, multi-currency pricing, and Shopify POS support. The features available depend on the selected app plan. 

Detailed storefront access rules: A store may need to reveal products to one buyer group while hiding them from everyone else. Some merchants also want visitors to browse products but sign in before seeing a price.

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B can apply access rules to prices, products, collections, pages, URLs, the add-to-cart button, or the storefront. Rules can be based on customer groups, login status, passwords, or access codes. 

Faster ordering across a large assortment: Shopify’s native quick order list helps buyers select several variants of one product from its product page. Buyers can also recreate an earlier order from their account. 

A dedicated bulk order form serves a slightly different purpose. It can bring a wider range of products, variants, SKUs, inventory details, and quantity fields into one ordering interface.

WSH Order Form & ReOrder lets buyers add multiple items through a single-page form and provides tools for repeat purchases, product matrices, SKU display, and large carts. 

Which Setup Should You Start With?

Can Native B2B and Apps Be Used in the Same Store?

They can, but the combination needs to be planned. A merchant might use Shopify’s companies and locations to organise business accounts while adding one app for a requirement that the native system does not handle well.

For example:

• Shopify manages companies, buyer roles, and account history.
• A pricing app handles customer-tag rules or POS prices.
• An access app protects selected pages or hides prices.
• An order-form app helps buyers submit large multi-SKU orders.

This does not mean every app can be added to every native B2B setup. The merchant should confirm how the app handles companies, B2B catalogues, Markets, customer accounts, checkout, and existing discount rules.

Summing Up

Shopify’s native B2B system is now a credible starting point for merchants who want structured business accounts, wholesale catalogues, quantity controls, payment terms, and customer self-service.

Third-party apps remain relevant because wholesale businesses rarely operate in exactly the same way. Negotiated pricing, restricted content, POS sales, specialised onboarding, and large catalogue ordering can require controls that Shopify does not provide in the required format.

Start by documenting the wholesale rules your team follows today. Then check which of those rules Shopify handles without workarounds. Add an app only for the gaps that would otherwise create manual work or a poor buying experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Shopify Payments is Shopify’s built-in payment provider for eligible stores.
• It lets merchants accept major cards, Shop Pay, accelerated checkouts, and selected local payment methods from inside Shopify.
• Shopify Payments is available only in supported countries and regions, and each country has its own verification, bank account, payout, and payment method requirements. In the UAE, Shopify Payments is currently in early access and available only to eligible Shopify Plus merchants.
• Stores using Shopify Payments do not pay extra third-party transaction fees on orders processed through Shopify Payments, Shop Pay, Shop Pay Installments, PayPal Express Checkout, or manual payment methods. 
• If you sell internationally in local currencies, Shopify Payments may charge a currency conversion fee when the customer pays in a currency different from your payout currency. 
• Wholesale and B2B merchants should also think about payment terms, manual payment methods, purchase orders, deposits, and invoice-based workflows.

Shopify Payments is Shopify’s built-in payment solution. It lets eligible merchants accept card payments, Shop Pay, accelerated checkouts, and some local payment methods directly through Shopify.

The main advantage is simple: you can manage payments, payouts, refunds, fraud checks, and checkout settings from your Shopify admin without setting up a separate payment gateway. But Shopify Payments is not available in every country, and the fees, payout rules, supported payment methods, and bank account requirements can change depending on where your business is based.

In this guide, we’ll explain what Shopify Payments is, how it works, how to set it up, where it is supported, what fees to expect, and what wholesale or B2B merchants should keep in mind in 2026.

What Is Shopify Payments?

Shopify Payments is Shopify’s own payment provider. It lets eligible merchants accept customer payments directly through Shopify without setting up a separate third-party payment gateway or merchant account.

When Shopify Payments is active, merchants can accept major payment methods through Shopify checkout. This can include credit and debit cards, Shop Pay, accelerated checkouts, and local payment methods depending on the country where the business is based.

The biggest benefit is that payments stay connected to the Shopify admin. You can view orders, payouts, refunds, payment status, fraud analysis, and chargeback information from one place.

Shopify describes Shopify Payments as the simplest way to accept payments online because it removes the need to enter credentials from a separate payment provider. Shopify also notes that stores using Shopify Payments are automatically set up to accept major payment methods when the store is created.

For merchants selling internationally, Shopify Payments is also important because selling in multi-currency requires Shopify Payments and Shopify’s international sales tools.

Read Also:

• Shopify Markets – Your Key To Unlock Global Potential
• Shopify VAT –  For US, EU, UK & non-EU Businesses

Benefits of having Shopify Payments in your Store

Choosing Shopify Payments for your e-commerce store can bring multiple benefits that help you streamline your operations, enhance customer experience, and potentially increase your revenue and profitability. Let us now look at some of them.

#1. Seamless integration with your Shopify store

Shopify Payments is built directly into Shopify. You do not need to manage a separate payment gateway account for normal card payments.

You can review payments, payouts, refunds, payment status, and customer orders from your Shopify admin. This makes payment management easier, especially for small teams that do not want to switch between multiple tools.

#2. Reduced transaction fees

One of the top benefits you get from Shopify Payments is the reduction of transaction fees on orders. When you use third-party payment gateways, Shopify charges an additional fee. By using Shopify Payments, these fees are waived, and this leads to higher profit margins for your business. 

#3. Access to international selling with Shopify Markets

Stores that have Shopify Payments enabled can make the most of Shopify Markets. With Shopify Markets, any store can start selling internationally on their existing store and offer a personalized shopping experience to their global customers. With Shopify Payments enabled, customers can see and purchase products in their local currency, while Shopify Payments handles currency conversion automatically.

#4. Fast and simple checkout process

Since Shopify Payments is integrated within the Shopify dashboard, users get to complete the order without jumping to another payment provider’s page, which makes the payment process for the user simple and fast. 

#5. Enhanced payment security

Having a secure platform is super important for any payment gateway, and Shopify Payments adheres to PCI compliance to help secure the payment data of customers. Additionally, it also includes built-in fraud analysis and risk assessment tools that help detect and prevent transactions that could be fraudulent. 

#6. Offer “Buy Now Pay Later” to your customers

Shopify Payments also enables you to set up the ‘buy now, pay later’ feature in your Shopify store with Shop Pay. This functionality increases the conversion rate of your store as customers who don’t have the money available at the time can still buy from you and pay later. 

7 Steps to set up Shopify Payments in your Store

Since we now know what Shopify Payments is and its benefits, let us now look at the steps to set it up in your store. 

Step 1: Check if you’re in an eligible country

Start by checking Shopify’s official supported countries page. Availability does not always mean that every merchant in that country can activate Shopify Payments. Some launches may be limited by plan, business type, or early-access eligibility. For example, Shopify Payments in the UAE is currently available only to eligible Shopify Plus merchants.

Step 2: Access payment settings

Log in to your Shopify admin dashboard and head to “Settings” in the bottom left corner. Then select “Payments” to manage the payments in your Shopify store. 

Step 3: Activate Shopify Payment

If Shopify Payments is available in your country, you will see an option to click on the “Activate Shopify Payments” button. 

If you’re switching from another payment provider, you might need to click “Change provider” before you can select Shopify Payments.

Step 4: Enter Your Business Details

In the next step, you’ll have to fill in various details about your business. This includes your business type, address, and tax information. 

Step 5: Set Up Your Bank Account

Next, you have to enter the details of the bank account where you want your money to come in. Ensure that the bank account details are accurate to avoid any sort of technical issues and smooth remittances in your account. 

Also, there are different bank account requirements for specific countries for Shopify Payments, and one has to comply with them to enable Shopify Payments in their store. 

Step 6: Configure payment methods

Select which payment methods you want to accept through Shopify Payments. This can include major credit cards, digital wallets, and other applicable payment options.

Step 7: Do a test payment

Before making all your Shopify Payments live, it’s a good idea to test the payment system on your store to ensure everything is working correctly.For example, you can place a test order on your store or use Shopify’s test modes to simulate transactions without actually charging a card.

Countries where Shopify Payments is Supported in 2026

Shopify Payments is not available in every country. Before setting it up, check Shopify’s official supported countries page because eligibility, payment methods, payout currencies, and document requirements can vary by country.

At the time of this update in July 2026, Shopify’s Help Centre lists Shopify Payments support for the following countries and regions. Access conditions can vary, so merchants should still review the individual requirements for their country.

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Hong Kong SAR
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Singapore
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Arab Emirates (Currently in early access for eligible Shopify Plus merchants)
• United Kingdom
• United States

Note: If Shopify Payments isn’t available in your country, you can still set up your Shopify store using alternative payment gateways. Here’s what you can do:

• Research Supported Payment Gateways: Check Shopify’s list of supported third-party payment gateways to find ones that operate in your country. Popular options include PayPal, Stripe
• Consider Alternative Payment Methods: In addition to traditional payment gateways, explore other options like manual payments (bank transfers, cash on delivery) or digital wallets (Google Pay, Apple Pay, etc.) if they are available in your region.

Selling internationally with Shopify Payments

With Shopify Payments enabled, stores can launch their business in multiple countries and provide a localised experience to their customers with Shopify Markets. Shopify Payments allows stores to accept multiple currencies and payment methods, which is super crucial for global e-commerce. 

This seamless integration between Shopify Markets and Shopify Payments allows your international customers to see and purchase products in their local currency from your store.

Shopify Markets further supports your international expansion by helping you to tailor your store’s settings for different regions. You can set specific pricing, including duties and taxes, customise shipping options, and even implement local marketing strategies. This level of customisation ensures that your store delivers a shopping experience that feels local and personal to your global buyers. 

Shopify Payments Transaction Fees and Prices

Shopify Payments fees depend on your country, Shopify plan, card type, transaction type, and whether the transaction is online or in person.

In general, Shopify Payments can involve:

• Card processing fees
• International card fees
• Currency conversion fees
• Chargeback fees
• Manual or local payment method rules
• Different rates for online and in-person payments

Shopify Payments processing fees vary based on card type and location. The fee is charged when you capture payment for an order, and it is paid in your payout currency. 

Also, credit card rates vary depending on the Shopify plan and can differ between online and in-person transactions. 

Shopify Payments vs third-party transaction fees

When you use Shopify Payments, you pay Shopify Payments processing fees, but you avoid extra third-party transaction fees for eligible payment methods.

When you use a third-party payment provider, Shopify can charge additional transaction fees depending on your plan. Your third-party payment provider may also charge its own processing fees separately. 

Currency conversion fees

If a customer pays in a currency different from your payout currency, Shopify applies a currency conversion rate and a currency conversion fee.

Conversion fees and credit card fees are not returned when you issue a refund, but you are not charged an additional conversion fee when issuing a refund or receiving a chargeback. 

Shopify Payments for Wholesale and B2B Stores

Shopify Payments works well for many normal ecommerce orders, but wholesale and B2B payment workflows can be more complex.

A retail customer usually pays at checkout. For wholesale buyers, you may also need net payment terms on Shopify so approved customers can place larger orders and pay later.

Shopify B2B supports different payment options for B2B customers. Shopify says B2B customers may pay upfront at checkout or pay full or partial amounts later using payment terms. 

For wholesale stores, this means Shopify Payments should be viewed as one part of the payment setup. You may also need:

• Net payment terms
• Manual payment methods
• Purchase order support
• Draft order review
• Partial payment workflows
• Customer-specific payment rules
• Wholesale pricing before checkout
• Clear invoice and payment instructions

If you sell both D2C and B2B from the same Shopify store, keep checkout simple for retail buyers but add the right payment options for approved wholesale accounts.

This is where the native B2B features and Shopify wholesale apps can work together. Shopify Payments can handle online payments, while wholesale tools can help with account-specific pricing, order forms, product visibility, and B2B buying workflows.

When Shopify Payments may not be the Right Fit

Shopify Payments is a good option for many merchants, but it may not work for every business.

You may need a third-party payment provider if:

• Shopify Payments is not available in your country
• Your business category is not supported
• Your preferred local payment method is not available through Shopify Payments
• You need a specific payment provider for accounting, ERP, banking, or regional reasons
• Your B2B buyers prefer offline payment, bank transfer, invoice payment, or custom terms
• You operate in a high-risk or restricted category

If Shopify Payments is not available, Shopify lets merchants use supported third-party payment providers. Just remember that third-party transaction fees may apply depending on your Shopify plan.

Summing up

Shopify Payments helps you simplify your store’s payment transactions and offer your customers a fast checkout experience. Moreover, with the Shopify Multicurrency capability, which comes along with Shopify Payments, the complexities of global expansion are eradicated.

However, a kind of a big concern with Shopify Payments is its availability. As discussed above, it is currently only available for stores in 40 countries as of May 26, though Shopify continues to expand the reach of its Shopify Payment feature.

Frequently Asked Questions on Shopify Payments

• Shop Pay is Shopify’s accelerated checkout that lets customers save their payment, contact, billing, and shipping information for faster future purchases.
• Shop Pay and Shopify Payments are different. Shopify Payments processes transactions, while Shop Pay provides the customer-facing checkout experience.
• Eligible businesses can now add Shop Pay to a non-Shopify commerce platform without migrating their existing store.
• Adding Shop Pay to another platform requires Shopify Payments eligibility and an API integration using the Shop Pay Wallet API.
• Customers can purchase eligible products directly through Microsoft Copilot and complete payment using Shop Pay.
• Shop Pay supports cards and selected local payment methods through Shopify Payments. Availability depends on the customer’s market.
• The Shop app now offers improved product discovery, personalized recommendations, shoppable posts, and more control over Shop product pages.
• Shop Pay Installments is a separate buy-now-pay-later option with its own country, currency, product, and merchant eligibility requirements.

Offering flexible payment and checkout options to customers on your Shopify e-commerce store is a great way to ensure their transaction process runs smoothly. On the market now, there are so many convenient checkout software and applications, such as PayPal, Stripe, and AfterPay. However, we believe that Shop Pay (Shop app) stands out as the most tightly integrated option for Shopify merchants.

If you’re curious about Shop Pay and the advantages of using it, keep reading. This comprehensive guide will cover everything from understanding what Shop Pay is to how you can add it to your Shopify store. Let’s get ready to optimize your checkout process with Shop Pay.

What is Shop Pay?

Shop Pay is an accelerated payment processing service/app designed for online stores. It helps reduce the checkout process time by allowing your customers to save their information and complete transactions quickly.

Shop Pay helps you securely store any shopper’s shipping and billing addresses, payment options, and order history at one secure storage location. This makes shopping on your e-commerce store more convenient than ever before.

Shop Pay supports credit and debit cards along with selected local payment methods processed through Shopify Payments. The payment methods available to a customer depend on their market.

Why do I need Shop Pay?

Shop Pay offers much more than just an efficient checkout process. It also allows you to keep track of your customers’ orders, receive payments quickly and securely, and monitor their order status.

Plus, Shop Pay integrates with major e-commerce platforms such as Shopify (here’s the link to the Shop app for Shopify stores) and WooCommerce, which makes it extremely easy to add it to your e-commerce store. The service comes with no setup fee or monthly subscription cost (excluding commission per transaction).

Shop Pay is also becoming available beyond traditional Shopify storefronts. Businesses using other commerce platforms can integrate it through Shopify’s API, while Shopify merchants can use the Shop app to reach customers through search, recommendations, posts, and AI-assisted shopping experiences.

With and without Shop Pay checkout

In a survey of 10,000 customers conducted by Shopify, it was discovered that the Shop Pay-enabled stores had conversions up by 50% relative to guest checkout, and outpaced other accelerated checkouts by at least 10%. This statistic shows how much value and convenience can be added to any customer experience. More recent data tells an even bigger story:

• 40%+ of all Shopify checkouts are now completed through Shop Pay.
• Shop Pay reduces cart abandonment rates by approximately 18%.
• During Black Friday–Cyber Monday 2025, Shop Pay usage grew 39% year-over-year and accounted for nearly one-third of all orders across the Shopify platform.
• Mobile conversion rates with Shop Pay are nearly 1.91x higher compared to traditional checkout flows.

Who can use Shop Pay?

Shop Pay can be used by eligible Shopify merchants and by businesses using other commerce platforms.

Shopify merchants can activate Shop Pay through their payment settings. A business that does not use Shopify’s online store can add Shop Pay to its existing checkout without migrating its website to Shopify.

To add Shop Pay to another commerce platform:

• The checkout must collect the customer’s email address before payment.
• The business must be eligible for Shopify Payments.
• The business must be located in a country where Shopify Payments is supported.
• The setup must be completed using the Shop Pay Wallet API.

Businesses without API development experience may need help from a developer or Shopify Partner.

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Is Shopify Payments and Shop Pay the same?

No, Shopify Payments and Shop Pay are not the same. While both services offer secure checkout experiences, they are actually quite different in terms of functionality and purpose.

Shopify Payments is a backend merchant service offered by Shopify that allows you to accept payments directly from your customers. It integrates with your online store to handle payment processing as well as refunds, deposits, and taxes.

Shop Pay is an accelerated checkout experience that lets customers save their contact, shipping, billing, and payment information. They can then use those saved details for faster checkout on participating stores. Shop Pay supports cards and selected local payment methods, depending on the customer’s market.

Benefits of Shop Pay

Overall, Shop Pay offers an extremely convenient and secure checkout experience for customers, as well as a range of benefits for online merchants. It’s an excellent payment processing solution that can help you increase sales and grow your business quickly and easily.

How to add Shop Pay to your Shopify store? (Step-by-Step)

If you would like to start using Shop Pay on your e-commerce store, follow these simple steps:

#Method 1: If you’re using Shopify Payments as the default payment provider and want to add Shop Pay

Steps:
(1) Go to your Shopify admin dashboard and click on Settings.
(2) Go to the Payments tab and activate Shopify Payments.

(3) After you fill in all the required details and activate Shopify Payments, you’ll see a Manage button; simply click on it.

(4) Scroll down to Shop Pay and select the checkbox Shop Pay.

(5) Click Save.

If you desire to accept credit cards, but not through Shopify Payments, there are still more than 100 payment providers that can suit the needs of your Shopify store.

Note: Just make sure you also have this Shop app installed from the Shopify App Store.

#Method 2: If you’re using a third-party payment processor and want to add Shop Pay

Steps:
(1) Go to your Shopify admin dashboard and click on Settings.
(2) Go to the Payments tab.
(3) Then go to the third-party payment provider section and click on Manage.
(4) Now, go to Shop Pay and select the Shop Pay checkbox.
(5) Hit the Save button.
(6) In the Shop Pay section, enable it to click on Complete setup.
(7) Finally, save your changes by clicking on the Save button.

#Method 3: Add Shop Pay to a Non-Shopify Commerce Platform

Businesses using another commerce platform can now add Shop Pay without migrating their website to Shopify.

The general process is:

1. Sign up for Shop Pay to access a Shopify admin.
2. Set up and verify Shopify Payments.
3. Connect the domains used by your existing checkout.
4. Retrieve the Shop Pay API credentials from the Shop sales channel.
5. Use the Shop Pay Wallet API to add Shop Pay to your product pages, cart, and checkout.
6. Customize your business details and branding displayed in Shop.

This setup requires API development. Merchants who do not have an in-house developer can work with a Shopify Partner.

What is ‘Shop Pay Installments’ and how to enable it?

Shop Pay Installments is Shopify’s built-in buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution, powered by Affirm. It lets your customers split purchases into interest-free or monthly payments without leaving your store.

How to Enable Shop Pay Installments:

• Go to your Shopify admin dashboard and click Settings.
• Then go to Payments.
• Scroll down to the Shopify Payment section and click on Manage.
• Now, go to Shop Pay and select the checkbox to Enable Shop Pay Installments.
• Click Save to save your changes.

Prerequisites to enable Shop Pay Installments on a Shopify store

Before you can start accepting installment payments from customers, there are a few prerequisites that must be met:

1. Your store must have both Shopify Payments and Shop Pay activated.
2. Your store must be based in the US, UK, and Canada and should accept payments in USD, GBP, and CAD respectively.

How much fee does Shop Pay installments take for a purchase on net payment terms?

Shoppers who spend between $50 and $999.99 can take advantage of interest-free, four/biweekly plans, while those spending over $150 have the option to spread their payments out every month at an APR rate ranging from 10% – 36%. Purchase amounts determine whether customers can pay in three, six, or twelve months.

Features of Shop Pay

1. Instant Checkout

Customers can complete their purchase in just two clicks with Shop Pay’s instant checkout feature.

2. Autofill Shipping and Billing Details

Shop Pay remembers customers’ shipping and billing details so they don’t have to enter them every time they purchase something from your store.

3. Multiple Currency Support

Shop Pay is available in multiple currencies – AUD, NZD, CAD, USD, GBP, and EUR, allowing customers from all over the world to shop on your store without any difficulty.

4. Seamless Integrations with Shopify

Shop Pay is built into Shopify, making it easy for eligible Shopify merchants to activate from their payment settings.

Businesses using other commerce platforms can also integrate Shop Pay through the Shop Pay Wallet API. This lets them offer Shop Pay without moving their existing online store to Shopify.

5. Fraud Protection

Shop Pay utilizes advanced fraud detection technologies to help protect customers and merchants from eCommerce fraud. The platform is PCI-compliant, ensuring buyers’ credit card data is handled to the highest security standards.

6. Local Pickup and Delivery

If you’re offering local pickup or delivery to your customers, then they shall be able to opt for it when they checkout with Shop Pay.

7. Installments (BNPL)

Shop Pay also offers your customers a convenient way to purchase your products in weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly installments.

With these features, Shop Pay makes it easier than ever for merchants to offer a secure and convenient checkout experience to their customers. Whether you’re just starting out or already have an established online store, it’s definitely a payment processing platform worth considering.

8. In-Store (POS) Installments

If you sell at a retail location using Shopify POS in the United States, you can now offer Shop Pay Installments for in-person checkouts. Eligible purchase amounts and APR rates are the same as the online experience.

9. Social Commerce Checkout

Shop Pay is expanding beyond the standard online store checkout.

Customers can purchase directly through Microsoft Copilot and pay using Shop Pay without leaving the AI shopping experience. Shopify has also announced plans to support purchases through Meta ads. Shop Pay can also be added to non-Shopify commerce platforms through the Shop Pay Wallet API.

10. Shop App Subscriptions

Beginning June 2025, customers are able to view and purchase subscription products directly through the Shop app. Merchants can manage subscriptions in the Subscriptions section of their Shopify admin.

11. Product Variant Display

Shop Pay and the Shop app now support displaying both color and text-based variants on product pages, making it easier to showcase product options accurately without leaving the checkout flow.

12. Checkout Add-Ons Support

Accelerated checkout through Shop Pay now supports purchasing products with add-ons directly from the product page — useful for merchants offering bundles, gift wrapping, or other upsells at the product level.

13. Shop Pay Analytics Dashboard

Shopify added Shop Pay-specific metrics to the analytics dashboard in 2025. Merchants can now see Shop Pay conversion rates, average order values, and installment usage data — making it straightforward to measure the direct impact of Shop Pay on your business.

Spring ’26 Updates to the Shop App

The Shop app has also received several updates designed to improve product discovery and give merchants more control over their Shop Store.

Conversational and Personalized Search

Customers can discover, compare, and research products through conversational search. Recommendations can be shaped by their interests and previous activity in Shop.

Custom Shop Product Pages

Merchants can use Shop Editor blocks to add content below their product details, including:

• Images and videos
• Slideshows
• Related product groups
• Shoppable videos
• Product recommendations

These Shop product page templates are managed separately from the merchant’s online store theme.

Posts in the Shop App

Merchants can create shoppable image and video posts through the Shop sales channel. Published posts can appear in:

• The Shop home feed
• The merchant’s Shop Store
• The following feed for existing followers

Merchants can tag products or collections within a post.

Demand and Inventory Indicators

Shop product pages can show when an item is trending or running low on inventory. These indicators can help customers understand product demand and availability.

Connecting Online and In-Person Shopping

Local customers can discover nearby retail stores through Shop. Where supported, customers can choose in-store pickup or begin an eligible in-store return through the Shop app.

Shop Pay vs PayPal vs Stripe vs After Pay

Read Also:

• Showdown: Shopify vs Etsy
• Selling on Faire Marketplace Vs Having Your Wholesale Store: Which Option Is Better?

It’s important to note that each payment processing platform offers different features and benefits, so it’s best to research them all before deciding which one is right for your business needs. In any case, Shop Pay is certainly a great option if you’re looking for a fast and secure way to accept payments from customers. Plus, it’s already integrated with Shopify, so you can get started right away.

Conclusion

With its secure checkout process and flexible payment options, Shop Pay is certainly one of the best payment processing platforms out there. So if you’re looking for an efficient way to accept payments from customers, then Shop Pay should be your first choice. We recommend that you try it out and see for yourself how easy and convenient it is.

The Spring ’26 updates expand both Shop Pay and the Shop app beyond a faster Shopify checkout. Shop Pay can now be integrated into other commerce platforms, supports more local payment methods, and is being used for checkout in AI shopping experiences. The Shop app also gives merchants more ways to customise product pages, publish shoppable content, and connect online shoppers with physical stores.

You can find more information about Shop Pay on the official website or look at their help center articles if you have any queries.

FAQs

• Shopify Collective lets retailers sell products from other Shopify brands without holding inventory, and lets suppliers reach new sales channels without extra marketing spend.
• As of late 2025, Shopify removed the $50,000 minimum revenue requirement, making Collective open to smaller stores.
• Collective is now available in 35+ additional countries beyond the US following the Winter ’26 edition rollout.
• There is no additional subscription cost to use Shopify Collective and it works as a built-in sales channel.
• Shopify Collective is a retailer-supplier reselling network. It is distinct from Shopify’s native B2B features, which are designed for wholesale selling to business buyers.
• Shopify Payments must still be enabled, and stores must be on a paid Shopify plan to participate.
• Shopify Collective now gives retailers analytics and sourcing insights based on sales, orders, customer searches, product demand, and complementary product opportunities.
• Retailers can discover products using personalized recommendations, improved filters, public price lists, and instant product imports.
• Shopify has improved tax handling for Collective transactions, including tax-inclusive product pricing and automatic B2B tax calculations. UK and EU retailers must verify their tax registration status before using Collective.

Shopify Collective helps you launch an e-commerce store to resell products from famous brands worldwide. In this article, we will discuss everything about this feature – from understanding what it is, its benefits, and steps to set it up in your store.

So, let’s take a look.

What is Shopify Collective?

Shopify Collective is a feature by Shopify that aims to increase collaboration and growth among online merchants. The feature allows retailers) businesses to sell products from other Shopify stores (suppliers) directly on their websites. 

What does it do?

On the other hand, it allows supplier brands to establish a new distribution channel, reach out to more audiences through other stores, and increase their revenue.

Using this feature, merchants can seamlessly integrate their stores with the suppliers/buyers’ stores. This allows them to display the products that their partner stores offer on their store and enable customers to buy those products from them. This is achieved using Shopify’s platform, which handles the technical aspects of product syncing, order processing, and fulfillment.

When a customer visits the retailer’s Shopify store and places an order there, the order directly goes to the supplier’s dashboard, from where they can process and fulfill it. The retailer then makes a profit in the form of the price difference on the product that he can set up.

Read Also:

• Combining Discounts on Shopify – An Ultimate Guide
• Shopify Markets – Your Key To Unlock Global Potential

Supplier and Retailer side in Shopify Collective

As discussed above, in Shopify Collective there are two sides to the business. The supplier side and the retailer side. Let us discuss what they are one by one.

Suppliers side

In Shopify Collective, the supplier side involves businesses that offer their products to other Shopify merchants (retailers). Suppliers can list their products on the platform, making them available for retailers to add to their own online stores.

With this, suppliers can increase their reach and sales without investing in additional marketing efforts. They benefit from the expanded exposure provided by the retailers who choose to feature and sell their products. Additionally, suppliers maintain control over their inventory and fulfillment processes which ensures that they can maintain their brand image.

Retailers side

On the retailer side, merchants can browse products from various suppliers within Shopify and sell them in their stores. Retailers can select items that complement their existing product range and add them to their own stores. This provides their customers with a wider range of choices without the need for extra inventory management. 

This collaboration also allows retailers to test new products without incurring any product acquisition and stocking costs. By collaborating with suppliers, retailers can enhance their store’s appeal, attract more customers, and increase their revenue as they get the commission/extra fees by selling the supplier’s products in their store.

Shopify Collective also gives retailers personalised product recommendations and sourcing insights, helping them identify products that match customer demand on their store.

Benefits of Shopify Collective

1. More sales for both Suppliers and Retailers – With Shopify Collective, suppliers can increase their sales through multiple retail channels, while retailers can boost their revenue by offering a wider range of products.
   
2. More market exposure – The feature also allows suppliers to gain access to new markets and a broader audience by having their products featured in different online stores.
   
3. Better inventory management – Retailers do not have to worry about the complexities of inventory management since suppliers handle product fulfillment. This reduces the logistical challenges and costs associated with stocking and shipping products.
   
4. Managing costs more efficiently – The collaboration between retailers and suppliers can lead to reduced marketing and operational costs.
   
5. Flexibility in adding/removing products – Retailers have the flexibility to easily add or remove products based on customer demand and market trends as they can choose different suppliers of different products from time to time.
   
6. Improved Customer Experience – A diverse and extensive product range has the potential to bring in more visitors to your store since different customers have varied demands.
   
7. Lesser financial risks – With Shopify Collective, retailers can experiment with new products and explore emerging market trends with minimal financial risk as they don’t need to purchase and hold inventory upfront.
   
8. Streamlined automated operations – Shopify handles the technical aspects of product syncing, order processing, and fulfillment. This reduces the administrative burden on both suppliers and retailers.
   
9. Better sourcing decisions: Retailers can review Collective sales, earnings, supplier performance, product demand, customer search gaps, and complementary product opportunities before deciding what to add to their store.

Shopify Collective Analytics and Sourcing Insights

Shopify Collective now gives retailers more information about how imported products are performing. From Shopify Admin, go to Apps > Collective to view reports for:

• Collective sales
• Orders
• Earnings
• Sales by supplier
• Orders by product
• Orders by category

You can select a date range and open the complete reports in the Analytics section of your Shopify admin. Collective also displays sourcing insight cards based on activity in your store. These can include:

• Sales and product-view milestones
• Products customers search for but cannot find
• Popular product types
• Similar or complementary products that may fit your existing catalogue

For example, if customers repeatedly search for a product category that your store does not offer, Collective can highlight that demand and help you find relevant products through its Discovery section. The insights available to a store depend on how long it has used Collective and the amount of sales, orders, product views, and customer search data available.

Eligibility for setting up Shopify Collective in your store

Following are the requirements to set up Shopify Collective in your store.

• Shopify Collective started as a US-only feature but is now available across several supported countries and regions. Shopify added Australia in its Spring ’26 release. Check Shopify’s official Collective requirements page before setup because availability still depends on your store location and currency.
• Stores must be selling in a supported currency for their region. US stores continue to use USD.
• Shopify Payments must be enabled for your store to access Collective.
• Your store must be on a paid Shopify plan.
• Stores based in the UK or EU must use Shopify Tax, Basic Tax, or a supported third-party tax app where required. They must also verify their applicable VAT registration status and billing address inside the Collective app. Manual Tax is not supported for eligible UK and EU Collective retailers.

For suppliers, you must still be active on the Shop App and follow the Shop merchant guidelines.

Pricing for Shopify Collective

There is no additional price or subscription charge to set up and use Shopify Collective in your store. If your store fulfills all the criteria mentioned above, you can set it up without any sort of additional charges.

Shopify Collective vs. Shopify Native B2B — They are not the same thing

Since Shopify made its native B2B features available on all paid plans in April 2026, some merchants have asked whether that replaces Collective. It does not. Shopify’s native B2B features like company profiles, B2B pricing catalogues, net payment terms, etc. are built for selling wholesale to your own business buyers.

Collective is for sourcing or distributing products between independent Shopify stores. If you want to stock and sell another brand’s products on your site without holding inventory, that’s Collective. If you want to offer wholesale pricing to your own B2B customers, that’s native B2B.

How to set up Shopify Collective on your Shopify store?

Assuming that your store passes all the eligibility checks mentioned in the above sections to implement Shopify Collective, let us now look at the quick steps you can take to set it up in your store.

For Suppliers

1. Sign in to your Shopify store.
   
2. Head on to the Shopify Collective page, and click on ‘Get Started’. If your store is eligible for Shopify Collective, then you will see an option to send an invite to your Shopify store’s registered email.
   
   Note – If your store already fulfills all the criteria, Shopify must have sent you an email automatically. So you can go into your inbox and search for the same.
   
   
   
3. Click on the ‘Install Shopify Collective’ link in the invitation email received from Shopify.
   
   Or try directly adding the Retailer App from the Shopify landing page, click here to get the Supplier App >
   
4. If multiple stores are associated with one email, then select the store where you want to set up Shopify Collective sales channel.
   
5. Next, you have to click on ‘Add Sales Channel’ in the left navigation bar to integrate the Shopify Collective sales channel in your store.
   
6. Once you set up the basic details, you can add a button to your website to enable retailers to request you to resell your product. For instance ‘Become a distributor’ button on your website uses which retailers can request to resell your products.
   
7. Once you receive requests from retailers, you can choose to approve them or reject them.
   
8. Next, click on ‘Price Lists’ to create specific prices at which you want to sell products to retailers.

For Retailers

1. Install the Shopify Collective retailer app and review the eligibility requirements displayed in the app.
2. Open Apps > Collective > Discovery. You can browse suppliers and products by category, use filters, search for specific products, and review personalized recommendations for your store.
3. Review the supplier and product labels shown in Discovery:
   • Instant import: The product is included in a public price list and can be imported without waiting for supplier approval.
   • Margin on request: You can request access and ask the supplier to share its pricing.
   • Invite to Collective: The brand is not yet using Collective, but you can invite it to join.
4. Review the supplier’s information before importing products. Depending on what the supplier has provided, this can include its typical retailer margin, shipping regions, product reviews, brand description, social profiles, best-selling products, and shipping performance badges.
5. Select the products you want to sell. Products from public price lists can be imported immediately. Importing one of these products also connects your store to the supplier.
6. If pricing is not publicly available, click Request access and send the supplier an introductory message. The supplier can then accept the connection and share its price lists with you.
7. Review the imported product information, pricing, status, and sales-channel availability before publishing it to your store.
8. After you start receiving orders, use the Collective analytics and Insights sections to review sales, earnings, customer searches, product demand, and opportunities to add related products.

And that’s it. Following the above steps you can set up Shopify Collective in your store. You can also access Shopify Collective as both a ‘Supplier’ and a ‘Retailer’ simultaneously.

Summing up

Using the steps above, you can set up Shopify Collective as a retailer, a supplier, or both. If you were previously blocked by the old revenue threshold, that barrier is no longer there.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Combining discounts on Shopify allows your customers to use more than one discount on the same order.
• Shopify discounts are grouped into discount classes: product discounts, order discounts, and shipping discounts.
• You can combine discount codes and automatic discounts, but each discount must be configured to allow combinations.
• Shopify can combine product discounts, order discounts, and free shipping discounts depending on the combination settings.
• Not every discount combination is available to every store. Product + order and order + order combinations are limited to eligible merchants.
• Shopify Plus merchants can configure two product discounts to apply to the same item using discount tags and the GraphQL Admin API. Otherwise, Shopify applies the best eligible discount when product discounts conflict.
• For wholesale stores, discount combinations are useful for volume discounts, customer-specific pricing, free shipping, bulk order incentives, and B2B promotions.
• If you need advanced discount logic, customer-specific pricing, tiered discounts, or wholesale rules, a Shopify discount app may be easier than managing everything manually.

Shopify lets merchants combine eligible discounts across product, order, and shipping discount types. You can use this to create better promotions, but you also need to set the rules carefully so discounts do not stack in a way that hurts your margins.

In this guide, we’ll explain how Shopify discount combinations work, what types of discounts can be combined, how to set them up, and what to keep in mind if you run a wholesale or B2B store.

What is Combining Discounts on Shopify?

Combining discounts on Shopify means allowing customers to use more than one eligible discount on the same order.

For example, a customer may get:

• 10% off selected products
• $20 off the total order
• Free shipping

Shopify groups discounts into three main classes:

When you create a discount in Shopify, you can choose whether it can combine with other discount classes. Shopify’s own documentation says merchants can set up both automatic discounts and discount codes to combine, and each discount belongs to a class depending on what it applies to. 

Why is it important to combine discounts in the ecommerce industry?

There are many benefits to offering combined discounts on your store that help enhance your sales strategy and increase average order value. You can either configure automated discounts on your store OR you can allowyour customers to apply their discounts manually with discount codes.

Additionally, you can combine multiple discounts on Shopify and make it as a part of your Shopify loyalty program. Doing this will encourage your customers to shop more frequently on your store and build a lasting relationship with your brand.

With so much competition in the ecommerce industry, store owners need to find creative ways to display and market their brands on the Internet to quickly capture the attention of potential customers. And, combining discounts is one effective way to do this.

Types of discounts available on Shopify

Shopify offers merchants 4 types of discount settings:

1. Amount off products
2. Buy X get Y
3. Amount off order
4. Free shipping

Types of discount ‘combinations’ available on Shopify

In Shopify admin, when merchants/customers create discounts, it falls under these discount categories such as Product discounts, Order discounts, and Shipping discounts. We’ll learn more about how to set these discounts later in this article (below).

When you create a discount (code) for an order, you can combine this discount with any of the categories mentioned above. For example, if you create a discount code for free shipping, you can combine this discount code with 20% off on a specific product. So this becomes a combination of Shipping discount + Product discount.

Here are the common discount combinations you can create in Shopify.

• Product discounts with other product discounts on separate items
• Product discounts with free shipping discounts
• Order discounts with free shipping discounts
• Product discounts with order discounts
• Order discounts with other order discounts
• Product discounts with other product discounts on the same item

Product discounts on separate items, product discounts with free shipping, and order discounts with free shipping are available to all merchants. Product + order and order + order combinations are available only to eligible merchants. The store must not use checkout.liquid customizations or features and must not use the Licensify app.

Combining two product discounts on the same item is available only on Shopify Plus. It requires discount tags and configuration through Shopify’s GraphQL Admin API. A product discount, order discount, and free shipping discount can also apply to the same order when all three discounts are eligible and configured to combine.

How to implement combined discounts on Shopify?

A. Product + Product

A product + product discount combination means more than one product discount can apply in the same order.

For example:

• 10% off Product A
• 15% off Product B

If the customer buys both products, both discounts can apply to the order as long as the discounts are eligible and the combination settings allow it. This is useful when you want to promote multiple collections or product groups at the same time.

Product discounts that apply to separate items can be combined on all Shopify plans. For example, one discount can apply to Product A while another applies to Product B in the same order.

Shopify Plus merchants can now configure multiple product discounts to apply to the same item. For example, a percentage discount and a fixed amount discount could both apply to one product.

This is not enabled through the normal combination checkboxes alone. The discounts must have tags, and the permitted combinations must be configured using Shopify’s GraphQL Admin API. On other plans, Shopify applies the best eligible product discount when multiple product discounts target the same item.

How to combine product + product discounts:

1. In Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
2. Click Create discount.
3. Choose Amount off products.
4. Create your first product discount.
5. In the Combinations section, allow it to combine with product discounts if available.
6. Create the second product discount.
7. Make sure the second discount also allows the right combination.
8. Test the cart with eligible products before publishing the offer.

B. Product + Free Shipping

A product + free shipping combination lets customers receive a product discount and free shipping on the same order.

For example:

• 20% off selected products
• Free shipping on orders above $100

This works well when you want to promote specific products but also remove shipping friction at checkout.

How to combine product + free shipping discounts:

1. In Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
2. Create a product discount using Amount off products.
3. In the Combinations section, allow the product discount to combine with shipping discounts.
4. Create a free shipping discount.
5. In the free shipping discount’s Combinations section, allow it to combine with product discounts.
6. Add any minimum purchase requirement if needed.
7. Test the cart to make sure both discounts apply correctly.

C. Product + Order 

A product + order discount combination lets customers receive a discount on specific products and another discount on the full order.

For example:

• 10% off selected products
• $25 off orders above $250

This is useful when you want to promote specific products while also encouraging a higher cart value.

How to combine product + order discounts:

1. In Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
2. Create an Amount off products discount.
3. Allow it to combine with order discounts.
4. Create an Amount off order discount.
5. Allow it to combine with product discounts.
6. Add minimum purchase or customer eligibility rules if needed.
7. Test the cart with eligible products and order value.

D. Order + Free Shipping

An order + free shipping combination lets customers receive a cart-level discount and free shipping together.

For example:

• $50 off orders above $500
• Free shipping on orders above $500

This can work well for larger orders because the customer gets both a price incentive and a shipping incentive.

How to combine order + free shipping discounts:

1. In Shopify admin, go to Discounts.
2. Create an Amount off order discount.
3. Allow it to combine with shipping discounts.
4. Create a Free shipping discount.
5. Allow it to combine with order discounts.
6. Add minimum order value rules if needed.
7. Test the cart and checkout experience.

E. Order + Order

To combine an Order discount with another Order discount, you need to have at least 2 Order discounts created.

Order + order combinations are available only to eligible merchants. Your store must not use checkout.liquid customizations or features and must not use the Licensify app. Both order discounts must also be configured to allow combinations with other order discounts.

To do this combination, follow the steps mentioned just above for Order + Shipping and click on the Order discounts checkbox (as shown in below screenshot)

And, save all your settings by clicking on the Save button. There you go.

Discount codes vs automatic discounts

Shopify lets you create both discount codes and automatic discounts.

Discount codes give you more control and tracking. Automatic discounts reduce friction because customers do not need to enter a code.

You can use both, but make sure the combination settings are correct. If an automatic discount and a discount code are not eligible to combine, Shopify will only apply the best eligible discount.

Shopify’s discount documentation confirms merchants can create discount codes, automatic discounts, and sale prices for individual products. 

Best practices for creating effective and profitable discount combinations

Combining discounts can increase conversions, but it can also reduce margins if the rules are not planned properly. Here are some best practices:

1. Know the best time – This could be during seasonal sales, holidays, or even during slow business periods.
   
2. Use as an upsell opportunity – Offer a discount on a bundle of products or a certain minimum order amount to encourage customers to purchase more at once.
   
3. Make a strategy –  Instead of offering blanket discount on entire store, choose specific products or categories that you want to promote or need a sales boost.
   
4. Use tiered discounts for larger orders – Offering volume discounts or tiered pricing will not only encourage customers to buy more but also will help increase your store’s average order value (AOV).
   
5. Combine discounts with limited-time offers – To boost the effectiveness of your discounts, consider adding a time limitation to them. This will create a sense of urgency and scarcity, encouraging customers to act quickly before the offer expires.

Combining discounts for wholesale and B2B stores

Wholesale stores need to be more careful with discount combinations because wholesale pricing already has lower margins.

For example, a wholesale buyer may already receive customer-specific pricing or volume discounts. If they also receive an order discount and free shipping, the final margin can become too low.

For wholesale stores, it is better to create clear rules such as:

• Volume discounts only for approved wholesale customers
• Free shipping only above a minimum order value
• Discount codes only for selected customer groups
• Product discounts only on selected collections
• Net terms only for approved buyers
• Separate retail and wholesale promotions

Shopify’s Spring ’26 update also introduced Discounts by Market. Merchants on Basic plans and above who use the new version of Shopify Markets can assign automatic discounts and discount codes to selected markets.

These can include regional markets, retail location markets, and B2B company location markets. For example, a merchant can create a wholesale promotion that applies only to B2B buyers without making the same discount available to retail customers.

This is useful for stores that manage retail and wholesale customers from the same Shopify store.

If your store needs customer-specific pricing, volume discounts, or wholesale-only rules, it may help to compare top B2B apps for wholesale pricing and tiers on Shopify before deciding how to manage customer-specific discounts.

Conclusion

Shopify discount combinations can help you create better promotions by allowing eligible product, order, and shipping discounts to work together.

You can use combinations such as product + order, product + free shipping, order + order, and order + free shipping. However, some combinations depend on your store’s eligibility. Shopify Plus merchants can also configure multiple product discounts to apply to the same item using discount tags and the GraphQL Admin API.

Before launching any combined discount, check the discount type, combination settings, customer eligibility, minimum purchase rules, and final margin impact.

For regular stores, discount combinations can help increase conversions and average order value. For wholesale stores, they should be used more carefully because wholesale pricing already includes lower margins.

If you need more control over customer-specific pricing, volume discounts, or wholesale-only discount rules, using a Shopify wholesale pricing app can make the setup easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Shopify Native B2B features are now available on Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans.
• Basic, Grow, and Advanced include companies, company locations, volume pricing, payment terms, purchase order numbers, and up to three active B2B catalogues.
• Whereas the Shopify Plus plan supports unlimited B2B market catalogues and direct catalogue assignments to individual companies and company locations.
• Deposits, partial payments, and payment requests based on fulfilment are available only on Shopify Plus.
• A standard plan may be enough for a smaller wholesale programme with a few clear pricing groups. Plus becomes more useful when pricing varies by company, payments happen in stages, or the wider business needs enterprise-level checkout, integration, and store-management capabilities.

Until recently, Shopify’s native B2B features were mainly associated with Shopify Plus. Merchants that wanted company accounts, wholesale catalogues, payment terms, or B2B-specific pricing were often told that Plus was the native option. That changed on April 2, 2026.

Shopify made many of its core B2B features available on Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans at no additional cost. Merchants on these plans can now manage companies, create wholesale catalogues, offer volume pricing, set quantity rules, collect purchase order numbers, and give approved buyers payment terms.

This guide on Shopify Native B2B vs Shopify Plus compares the Basic, Grow, and Advanced Shopify plans against the additional B2B capabilities available on Shopify Plus and which makes the most sense for your store.

Shopify Native B2B and Shopify Plus Are Not Separate Products

The phrase “Shopify Native B2B vs Shopify Plus” can be confusing because Shopify Plus also uses Shopify’s native B2B system. Shopify Native B2B is the collection of features used to manage wholesale buyers within Shopify.

The difference is the level of access included with each Shopify plan. Basic, Grow, and Advanced include the main features needed to start selling B2B. Shopify Plus removes several limits and adds more control over account-specific pricing, payment collection, checkout, integrations, and store management.

Shopify Native B2B vs Shopify Plus: Quick Comparison

What Shopify Native B2B Includes Without Shopify Plus

Merchants on Basic, Grow, and Advanced can now create a proper company-based wholesale setup without immediately upgrading to Shopify Plus. Here is what these plans currently include.

#1 Companies and Company Locations

You can create a company profile for each wholesale account and add one or more locations beneath it. For example, a retail chain could have one company profile with separate locations for its London, Manchester, and Birmingham stores.

#2 Up to Three Active B2B Catalogues

A B2B catalogue controls which products buyers can purchase and the prices they receive. Within a catalogue, you can:

• Include or exclude products
• Apply percentage-based price adjustments
• Set fixed prices for products and variants
• Add quantity rules
• Create volume price breaks

Basic, Grow, and Advanced stores can use up to three active catalogues across their B2B markets. This is a total limit. It is not three catalogues for every country, market, or customer group.

#3 Quantity Rules and Volume Pricing

Quantity rules and volume discounts are available on Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus. This covers many common wholesale pricing requirements without an additional app.

#4 Automatic Discounts and Discount Codes for B2B

Shopify now lets merchants create automatic discounts and discount codes for B2B buyers. A discount can be assigned to a B2B market so that it is available only to the company locations included in that market. This can be useful for temporary wholesale promotions, seasonal campaigns, or discounts that need to apply on top of catalogue pricing.

#5 Net Payment Terms

Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus can offer net payment terms to B2B customers. This allows approved buyers to place an order and pay according to the terms attached to their company location rather than paying immediately at checkout.

#6 Shopify Flow for B2B Workflows

Shopify Flow can use B2B objects across the supported plans. For example, you could create workflows that notify your team when a company is added, flag a large B2B order for review, send an internal message when a payment becomes due, etc.

Where Standard Shopify Plans Start to Feel Limited

While the standard-plan version of Shopify Native B2B is enough for merchants just starting or testing their wholesale demand, its limitations become more noticeable as you scale.

The Three-Catalogue Limit

Three catalogues may be enough when most customers receive one of two or three standard pricing levels but the limit becomes harder to manage when you have:

• Retailers and distributors in several countries
• Different product availability by region
• Special pricing for national accounts
• Contract prices for individual buyers
• Separate catalogues for seasonal customers

You would need to combine some of those groups, remove pricing variations, use another pricing method, move to Shopify Plus or check out some Shopify wholesale applications.

No Direct Catalogue Assignment to Companies

On Basic, Grow, and Advanced, catalogues are assigned through B2B markets rather than directly to a company or company location. A non-Plus merchant can create a B2B market containing one specific company location and assign a catalogue to that market. This can approximate customer-specific pricing for a small number of accounts.

The limitation is that the catalogue still uses one of the three available catalogue assignments. Creating separate markets and catalogues for individual customers therefore becomes difficult once several buyers have negotiated prices.

Limited Advanced Payment Collection

Standard plans support payment terms, payment schedules, and eligible automated payment collection, but they do not include every advanced B2B payment feature.

For example, a custom furniture manufacturer may collect a 30% deposit before production, another payment before dispatch, and the remaining amount after delivery. That workflow is more difficult to manage using only the standard native features.

Contextual Storefront and Checkout Controls

Contextual storefront and checkout customisation through Shopify Markets is available on Advanced and Plus. Advanced merchants can customise parts of the experience for different markets.

However, theme-editor customisation specifically by customer type, such as creating different content for B2B and retail customers inside a blended store, is reserved for Shopify Plus.

What Shopify Plus Adds for B2B Stores

Shopify Plus includes the same main Native B2B system, but removes important limits and adds tools for more complex wholesale operations.

Unlimited B2B Catalogues

Shopify Plus merchants can create unlimited B2B market catalogues. You do not have to keep reorganising three catalogue slots whenever a new buyer group is introduced.

Direct Catalogues for Companies and Locations

Shopify Plus lets you assign catalogues directly to a company or company location. This is one of the most important differences between the standard Shopify plans and Plus. This is much easier to manage than creating a separate B2B market for every account with negotiated pricing.

Deposits and Partial Payments

Shopify Plus supports deposit requirements and partial payments. Instead of depending entirely on manual invoices or separate payment links, more of the payment schedule can be managed inside the Shopify order workflow.

Payment Requests Per Fulfilment

Some B2B orders are not shipped all at once. A distributor may order 5,000 units, but the merchant may fulfil the order in several batches. Shopify Plus can support payment requests linked to each fulfilment.

More Checkout Control

Shopify Plus provides more advanced checkout customisation through Shopify Extensions and checkout APIs. Core features such as purchase order numbers and payment terms are already available without Plus. The value of Plus becomes clearer when checkout needs to follow business-specific rules beyond Shopify’s standard options.

Broader Enterprise Capabilities

A merchant may upgrade to Shopify Plus for reasons that go beyond wholesale pricing.

Plus also includes or supports:

• Higher integration and API capacity
• More advanced staff and permission controls
• Nine expansion stores
• Unlimited staff accounts
• Priority support
• Advanced discount and checkout capabilities
• Additional development and testing resources
• More support for complex international operations
• The first 20 Shopify POS Pro locations

These capabilities matter when the business has several internal teams, high order volumes, ERP integrations, multiple storefronts, or more demanding development requirements.

Which Shopify Plan Is Best for Your B2B Store?

Choose Basic or Grow When:

• You are starting a wholesale programme
• You have one to three broad buyer groups
• Most customers receive similar product access
• Your pricing does not vary heavily by country
• Product-level quantity rules cover your requirements
• A B2B-wide order subtotal limit is sufficient
• Buyers can use standard payment terms
• You do not need market-specific storefront customisation
• You want to test B2B demand before making a larger platform investment

Choose Advanced When:

• You need contextual storefront or checkout experiences for different markets
• You sell internationally and need more regional control
• Your catalogue structure still fits within three active catalogues
• You do not need direct company-level catalogue assignments
• You do not need deposits or partial payments
• The wider reporting and operational features of Advanced fit your business

Choose Shopify Plus When:

• You need more than three B2B catalogues
• You negotiate different prices for individual companies
• Different company locations need separate product or pricing rules
• You collect deposits
• You accept partial payments
• You bill customers according to fulfilment stages
• Your checkout needs custom business logic
• You need different theme experiences for B2B and retail buyers
• Your ERP or other integrations require greater technical capacity
• You manage several stores, markets, teams, or high order volumes
• The wider business already has reasons to use Plus beyond B2B

As of June, 2026, Shopify Plus starts at $2,500 USD per month on a one-year term or $2,300 USD per month on a three-year term for standard setups.

Because the price difference is substantial, needing one extra pricing group does not automatically mean Shopify Plus is the right financial decision.

Can Wholesale Apps Fill the Gap Without Shopify Plus?

In many cases, yes.

A Shopify wholesale app can add flexibility when a standard plan covers your company accounts and B2B checkout but not your exact pricing, access, or ordering workflow.

For example, Wholesale Pricing Discount B2B can help manage wholesale prices using customer tags, customer groups, products, variants, quantities, and individual customer rules.

This can be useful when you need:

• More flexible pricing groups
• Customer-tag-based wholesale prices
• Per-customer discounts
• Different cart minimums by buyer group
• Additional tiered-pricing structures
• Wholesale shipping rules
• POS wholesale pricing
• Different rules for retailers, distributors, dealers, or VIP accounts

Wholesale Lock Manager B2B can control access to products, collections, pages, prices, or the entire store. This is useful when approved buyers should see content that is hidden from retail customers or public visitors.

WSH Order Form & ReOrder can provide a faster multi-product ordering experience for buyers who regularly purchase several SKUs.

Summing Up: Shopify Native B2B or Shopify Plus?

Basic, Grow, and Advanced now give merchants a much stronger starting point for wholesale. If your buyers fit into a few broad groups, standard Native B2B may provide everything you need.

Shopify Plus becomes more valuable when your wholesale structure is built around individual contracts, many catalogues, staged payments, advanced checkout rules, complex integrations, or enterprise-wide operational needs.

If the main problem is pricing flexibility, locked wholesale access, customer-specific order minimums, or bulk ordering, a focused app may be a more proportionate next step.

Frequently Asked Questions