Creating B2B companies

A company in Shopify represents a company that you sell to with B2B. Companies can have multiple locations, each with separate catalogs, payment terms, checkout options, and shipping addresses. When a B2B customer logs in to your store, they choose the location that they're purchasing for and are offered the prices, payment terms, and checkout that you assigned to that company location.

To store custom information about your B2B customer, you can add metafields to a company or a location. Metafields enable you to customize the functionality and appearance of your Shopify store by letting you save specialized information that isn't usually captured in the Shopify admin. Learn more about metafields.

Create a company

Only a company name is required when you first create a company. Additional information can be added later.

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Customers >Companies.
  2. Click Add company.
  3. Enter a company name. Customers see this name when they log in.
  4. Enter a company ID. You can use an existing external ID, or create a unique ID.
  5. Select a main contact. You can select a customer from the profiles that already exist in your store, or create a new customer profile. Customer profiles must have an email address to be used as a main contact.
  6. Enter a shipping address and a billing address.
  7. Add a location ID. You can add an existing external ID, or create a unique ID.
  8. In the Catalogs section, select the catalogs to apply to the company.
  9. In the Orders and payments section, select whether the customer must submit their order as a draft order.
  10. In the Orders and payments section, select the payment terms for the company from the following:
    • No payment terms - Orders must be paid for immediately upon checkout.
    • Net (period) - Orders can be paid immediately or at any time during the specified time period.
  11. Optional: In the Taxes section, enter the company's tax ID and tax exemptions.
  12. Optional: In the Metafields section, add information for any metafields that you've added.
  13. Click Save.

Add a location to an existing company

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
  2. Select the company to add a new location to.
  3. In the Locations section, click Create new location.
  4. Select one of the following:
    • To copy the billing address, location contacts, catalogs, and payment terms from an existing location, select Copy an existing location.
    • To enter location information manually, select New company location.
  5. Enter a shipping address and a billing address.
  6. Add a location name and a location ID.
  7. Select a main contact. You can select a customer from the profiles that already exist in your store, or create a new customer profile. Customer profiles must have an email address to be used as a main contact.
  8. Select permissions for the main contact from the following:
    • Ordering only - The customer can make purchases for the company location and see the list of orders that they have placed.
    • Location admin - The customer can make purchases for the company location and see the list of orders that all customers have placed for that location.
  9. In the Catalogs section, select the catalogs to apply to the company.
  10. In the Checkout section, select the payment terms for the company from the following:
    • None - Orders must be paid for immediately upon checkout.
    • Net (period) - Orders can be paid immediately or at any time during the specified time period.
  11. Optional: In the Taxes section, enter the company's tax ID and tax exemptions.
  12. Optional: In the Metafields section, add information for any metafields that you've added.
  13. Click Save.

Delete a company

When you delete a company, all locations for that company are deleted. All customers are removed from the company, but remain in your customers list unless you delete them. Companies can’t be deleted if there are open orders for that company.

Steps:

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
  2. Click the company to delete.
  3. Click Delete company.
  4. Review the deletion information and then click Delete company.

Delete a location from a company

  1. In your Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
  2. Click the company to delete a location from.
  3. In the Locations section, click the location's name.
  4. Click Delete location.

Allow B2B customers to enter a flexible shipping address at checkout

You can decide for each company location whether buyers placing orders are able to enter a new one-time address at checkout. This setting is deactivated by default. When you create a new company or company location, you can activate the option at the same time.

You can deactivate this for a company or company location at any time by returning to the checkout settings and deselecting the option.

The shipping address that a B2B customer provides at checkout is applied only to the specific order that it was added to. It's not stored for future use. The B2B customer can't edit the shipping address for the order after you accept it.

Allow flexible shipping addresses for an existing location

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
  2. Select the Company, and then select the Company Location where you want to allow B2B customers to enter a shipping address at checkout when buying from that location.
  3. In the Location Profile under Checkout, click Edit.
  4. In the checkout settings, select Allow customers to ship to any address.
  5. Click Save.

Allow flexible shipping address for all existing locations associated with a company

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
  2. In the Company section, click ...
  3. Click Edit checkout settings
  4. Select Allow customers to ship to any address in the Edit Checkout settings.
  5. Click Save.

Create a new company with flexible shipping addresses allowed

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
  2. Click Add Company.
  3. Enter the relevant information on the New Company and select Allow customers to ship to any address in the Checkout setting.
  4. Click Save.

Create a new company location with flexible shipping addresses allowed

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers > Companies.
  2. Select the Company for which you would like to create a new Company Location.
  3. Click Add Location.
  4. Enter the relevant information on the New Company Location and select Allow customers to ship to any address in the Checkout setting.
  5. Click Save.

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