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BigCommerce is one of the strongest B2B ecommerce platforms on the market — but only if you configure customer groups, price lists, and NET terms correctly. Most stores treat B2B as 'just discount codes' and lose 6-figure accounts to platforms that handle quotes and approvals natively.
Who this is forBigCommerce owners selling to wholesale, corporate, or trade buyers. Especially relevant if you're getting requests for quotes, NET-30 terms, or per-customer pricing — those signals mean you're ready for B2B features but maybe not configured for them yet.
What you'll need
Step 1
BigCommerce B2B Edition is a paid add-on for Pro plans, included on Enterprise. Activates the Buyer Portal, quote requests, NET payment terms, and company accounts.
Confirm your plan supports B2B features. Standard and Plus plans have basic customer groups + price lists. Pro requires the B2B Edition add-on (talk to BigCommerce sales). Enterprise includes B2B Edition by default.
B2B Edition unlocks: company accounts (multiple users per company), quote requests, NET payment terms, sales rep dashboards, shared shopping lists, and the dedicated B2B Buyer Portal.
Without B2B Edition, you can still build a B2B-flavored store using customer groups + price lists alone — but you lose the buyer portal, quotes, and NET terms. Most stores doing $250K+/yr in B2B revenue need the full Edition.
After activation, find the B2B Edition admin at Customers → B2B Edition (separate from the standard Customers area). This is where company accounts, quotes, and B2B-specific settings live.
Step 2
Customers → Customer Groups → create tiers (e.g., "Retail," "Wholesale," "Distributor," "VIP"). Tag every existing customer into the right group.
Customers → Customer Groups → Add Customer Group. Create one group per pricing tier. Common B2B structures: "Retail" (default, public pricing), "Wholesale" (30% off, registered buyers only), "Distributor" (50% off, application required), "VIP" (custom per-account pricing).
For each group, configure: Discount Settings (% off all products or specific categories), Discount Rules (apply to subtotal, shipping, or both), Storefront Access (hide products, hide categories, restrict to logged-in buyers only).
Important: B2B customers typically need to see prices WITHOUT tax (B2B is usually tax-exempt or self-assessed). Retail customers need prices WITH tax (in EU/UK). Configure tax display per customer group under Store Setup → Tax → Tax Class.
Tag existing customers manually or in bulk via CSV import. Customers → All Customers → select → "Edit" → set Customer Group. For 100+ customers, use Bulk Edit via Customers → Export CSV → edit Customer Group column → re-import.
For new B2B signups: set up a separate "B2B Application" form (via the standard contact form or a third-party app) that captures business name, EIN, and reseller certificate. Manually approve and assign to the right customer group.
Step 3
Customers → Price Lists → create lists per customer group OR per company. Override prices, MSRPs, or hide products entirely. Far more granular than blanket % discounts.
Customer Groups handle blanket discounts ('30% off everything for Wholesale'). Price Lists handle product-level overrides ('Product X is $50 for Retail, $40 for Wholesale, $32 for Distributor, and $28 for Acme Corp specifically').
Customers → Price Lists → Add Price List. Name it (e.g., "Wholesale Pricing 2026"). Choose which Customer Group it applies to (or a specific Company in B2B Edition).
Within a price list, you can override per-product: Sale Price (the price shown), Retail Price (the MSRP shown as strikethrough), and Calculated Price (used for analytics).
For 100+ SKU price lists, use CSV import. Download the template, fill in your SKU + variant ID + Wholesale Price columns, re-import.
Validation: log out, log back in as a test B2B customer. Browse the catalog. Confirm: prices reflect the price list, MSRPs show as strikethrough where set, and any hidden products are actually hidden.
Step 4
Store Setup → Payments → enable "Purchase Order" payment method. Restrict to specific customer groups. Configure invoicing workflow.
Store Setup → Payments → "Offline Payment Methods" tab → enable "Purchase Order."
In Purchase Order settings: set the display name ("NET-30 Terms" works for clarity), description (terms language, e.g., "Net 30 days from invoice date"), and restrict to specific customer groups (Wholesale, Distributor — NOT Retail).
For B2B Edition users: the Buyer Portal supports more sophisticated NET workflows — assign credit limits per company, require sales-rep approval over a threshold, integrate with QuickBooks/NetSuite for invoicing.
Critical: have an invoicing process OUTSIDE BigCommerce. The PO method captures the order, but invoicing (sending the invoice, tracking payment, collections) typically happens in QuickBooks or NetSuite. Wire the integration via BigCommerce Channel Manager or a third-party connector (Zapier, MyWorks, OneSaas).
Test: log in as a B2B test customer, place an order using "NET-30 Terms" as payment method. Confirm: order appears in BigCommerce admin with status "Awaiting Payment" (NOT "Awaiting Fulfillment"). Confirm invoice email fires (or webhook to your invoicing tool).
Step 5
Customers → B2B Edition → Buyer Portal → enable + customize. Buyers get a dedicated portal: order history, quotes, reorder lists, shared shopping lists, user permissions within their company.
In B2B Edition admin → Buyer Portal → Settings. Enable the portal and choose a URL slug (e.g., /portal or /buyer).
Configure visible features per customer group: Quotes (allow quote requests on the storefront), Shopping Lists (multi-user shared lists within a company), Quick Order (paste SKUs to add to cart in bulk — huge time saver for re-orders), Approval Workflows (orders over $X require manager approval), Invoice History.
Company structure: under B2B Edition → Companies, each B2B account is a Company with multiple Users (Buyer, Approver, Administrator roles). Users see only what their role allows. Admins can manage their own users without contacting your sales team.
Branding: the Buyer Portal inherits your storefront theme but has additional B2B-specific layouts. Verify on desktop AND mobile — many B2B portals are desktop-only by oversight.
Pilot with 2-3 friendly customers. Walk them through: log in, place a re-order via Quick Order, request a quote, view past invoices. Their feedback catches workflow gaps you cannot see from admin.
Step 6
B2B buyers in the US often have resale certificates and should not be charged sales tax. Customer Groups + Tax Class combination handles this.
Store Setup → Tax → Tax Classes → ensure you have a "Non-taxable" or "Tax-Exempt" tax class.
Customer Groups → Wholesale (and Distributor, VIP) → Tax Settings → set "Customer Tax Exemption" — applies the Tax-Exempt class to all orders from this group.
CRITICAL: only tax-exempt customers with valid resale certificates on file. Tax-exempting a customer without paperwork is a tax-audit risk. Collect resale certificates via a third-party form (Avalara CertCapture, JotForm) and approve before assigning to the group.
For multi-state nexus: validate that customers exempted from Texas sales tax are NOT also exempted from California sales tax (different states have different resale rules). Avalara CertCapture handles this automatically; manual setup requires per-customer per-state validation.
Test: log in as a wholesale customer, add a $100 product to cart, proceed to checkout. Tax line should show $0.00. If it shows a tax amount, the customer group → tax class assignment is broken.
Step 7
B2B Edition lets buyers submit Quote Requests from the cart or PDP. Configure routing (which sales rep), SLA (24-hour response), and follow-up.
B2B Edition → Quotes → Settings. Enable "Quote Requests" on cart, PDP, or both. Set the maximum cart total below which quotes are NOT allowed (e.g., quotes only on orders over $500).
Sales Rep Assignment: assign incoming quote requests by customer group, geography, or round-robin. Sales reps log into the B2B Edition admin and see their quote queue.
Quote Workflow: rep reviews the cart, adjusts pricing (one-off discount), adds items, sets quote expiration (typical: 14 days), and sends. Customer receives an email with a link to accept the quote — accepting converts directly to an order in their cart.
SLA: most B2B buyers expect a quote response within 24 hours. Set up an internal alert if a quote sits >24 hrs without rep response (via Zapier from BigCommerce webhooks).
Validation: place a test quote request as a B2B customer. Confirm: sales rep gets notification, rep can adjust pricing in admin, accepting the quote converts to an order with the agreed pricing.
Common mistakes
Using discount codes for B2B pricing instead of customer groups
What goes wrong: B2B buyers have to remember and enter codes. Codes get shared and used by retail buyers. Pricing is inconsistent across customer accounts. The whole B2B economic model leaks.
How to avoid: Use Customer Groups + Price Lists. Discounts apply automatically to logged-in buyers in the right group. Never use public discount codes for B2B pricing.
Treating quotes like email threads instead of using the Quotes feature
What goes wrong: Sales reps spend 30+ minutes per quote in Gmail. Quotes get lost. There is no audit trail. Customers cannot self-serve to view their own past quotes.
How to avoid: Use B2B Edition Quotes. Reps build quotes in admin (cart-based, with adjusted pricing), send via the platform. Customers accept inside the buyer portal — one click converts to order.
Tax-exempting customers without resale certificates on file
What goes wrong: State tax auditor visits. You owe back-taxes on every exempt sale without a valid certificate — sometimes 6-figures for a $1-2M B2B business.
How to avoid: Collect resale certificates BEFORE exempting. Use Avalara CertCapture or a manual review process. Re-verify annually (certs expire).
No approval workflow for orders over a threshold
What goes wrong: Junior buyer at a customer company places a $50K order without manager approval. Customer disputes the order. You eat the freight and restocking, or worse, take a chargeback.
How to avoid: B2B Edition → Approval Workflows → require manager approval for orders over $X (commonly $5K or $10K). Sets correct expectations on the buyer side and reduces dispute risk.
Single login per company instead of multi-user company accounts
What goes wrong: All buyers at a customer company share one login. No audit trail of who placed each order. When an employee leaves, you have to reset the password — but they've already taken the credentials to a competitor.
How to avoid: B2B Edition → Companies → enable multi-user accounts. Each buyer has their own login, role-based permissions, and the customer admin manages their own user list.
No NET-terms credit limits
What goes wrong: Customer on NET-30 terms places $200K of orders over 60 days without paying. Now you have 200K of A/R outstanding and the customer is dragging payment. Cash flow collapses.
How to avoid: B2B Edition supports credit limits per company. Set a credit limit (e.g., $25K open balance) at onboarding. Orders that would exceed the limit require pre-payment or manager approval.
Recap
Done — what's next
How to set up a BigCommerce store from scratch
Read the next tutorial
Hand it off
B2B configurations are where BigCommerce really earns its premium. A vetted specialist who has launched 10+ B2B stores can configure customer groups, price lists, quotes, NET terms, and tax exemptions in 1-2 weeks at $14-16/hr — typically $1,000-2,000 total for a clean B2B launch.
See specialist rates
Customer Groups + Price Lists alone handle: tiered pricing, restricted catalog access, tax-exempt status. Good enough for stores doing under $500K/yr B2B. B2B Edition adds: Buyer Portal, multi-user company accounts, quote requests, NET terms management, approval workflows. Worth it for stores over $500K/yr B2B or with complex buyer organizations.
B2B Edition is a paid add-on for Pro plan stores (contact BigCommerce sales for pricing — typically $500-1,500/mo on top of the Pro plan). Included free on Enterprise plans. ROI is usually clear within 30 days for stores doing $50K+/mo in B2B revenue.
Yes. Customer Groups segment the experience — Retail (B2C) and Wholesale (B2B) see different prices, different catalogs, different payment methods. The same domain serves both. For a fully separated experience (different theme, separate cart), use multi-storefront on Enterprise.
Yes via the BigCommerce App Marketplace (Celigo, OneSaas, MyWorks, Boomi). These sync orders, customers, and inventory bi-directionally with NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, or Acumatica. Plan a 1-2 week implementation for the integration plus reconciliation period.
Yes. B2B Edition → Sales Rep Login → "Order on Behalf of" → search the company → build the order. The rep enters card or PO. The order goes through under the customer's account. Used heavily by traditional B2B businesses transitioning to self-service.
For a simple B2B setup (3 customer groups, ~50 SKUs of price overrides, basic NET-30 terms): 2-3 days of configuration + 1 week of testing. For complex B2B with multi-user company accounts, approval workflows, tax exemptions, and ERP integration: 3-6 weeks. Most owners underestimate by ~50%.
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