How to Set Up Wholesale on Shopify in 2026 (Without Upgrading to Plus)

In this article

• Can you sell wholesale on Shopify without Plus?
• What changed for Shopify B2B in 2026?
• How to set up wholesale on Shopify, step by step
• Where native B2B falls short (and how to fix it)
• How should you price wholesale orders?
• How do net terms and tax exemption work?
• Frequently asked questions

Can you sell wholesale on Shopify without Plus?

Yes. For years, serious wholesale on Shopify meant paying for Shopify Plus at around $2,300 a month, or bolting on a third-party app. That changed in 2026. Native B2B features now ship on the Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans, so a small or mid-sized brand can open a wholesale channel without a five-figure annual upgrade.

The trade-off is that the entry-level B2B tools are deliberately limited. They are enough to take orders from a handful of known buyers, but they leave out the pieces most growing brands need: a way for new buyers to register and get approved, more than three pricing tiers, and a fast bulk order form. We will cover the full setup, then exactly where it stops and what to do about it.

What changed for Shopify B2B in 2026?

On April 2, 2026, Shopify expanded native B2B well beyond Plus. On every paid plan you now get company accounts with multiple buyers and up to 50 locations per company, up to three active pricing catalogs, net payment terms, purchase order numbers at checkout, self-serve buyer ordering, and quick order lists.

That is a real step forward. A brand that used to run wholesale through spreadsheets and emailed invoices can now let approved buyers log in, see their own prices, and check out on terms. The villain here is not Shopify, it is the old manual way: rekeying orders, chasing pricing in a spreadsheet, and a clumsy buyer experience that costs you reorders.

How to set up wholesale on Shopify, step by step

Here is the core workflow, whether you use native B2B or a wholesale app to extend it.

1. Create company profiles for your buyers

In your Shopify admin, go to Customers, then Companies, and add each wholesale account. Capture the legal company name, the primary contact, billing and shipping addresses with tax details, the payment terms you have agreed, and which pricing tier they belong to. Each company can have multiple buyers and multiple locations.

2. Build a B2B catalog with wholesale prices

Go to Products, then Catalogs, and create a catalog. Choose whether it shows all products or specific collections, then set wholesale pricing as a fixed amount off, a percentage discount, or exact per-product B2B prices. Assign the catalog to the relevant companies so buyers automatically see their own prices when they log in.

3. Add volume pricing and minimum order quantities

Wholesale buyers expect to be rewarded for buying more. Add quantity breaks (for example, a better unit price at 50 and again at 100) and set minimum order quantities so an order has to clear a sensible floor before checkout. This is also where pack sizing matters if you sell in cases or multiples.

4. Assign net terms and tax exemption

For buyers you trust, assign net payment terms such as Net 30 or Net 60 on the company profile so the option appears at checkout. Flag tax-exempt accounts so qualifying buyers are not charged sales tax. Then test the full flow as a buyer before you invite anyone in.

Where native B2B falls short (and how to fix it)

Native B2B on the non-Plus plans is genuinely useful for a short, known buyer list. It starts to hurt the moment you want to grow the channel. There is no built-in registration form that captures, qualifies, and approves new buyers, so every account is added by hand. You are capped at three active catalogs, which is tight if you price by region, by buyer type, or by season. There is no fast bulk order form, and no tag-based pricing for the segmentation many brands rely on.

A dedicated wholesale app closes those gaps on the plan you already have. Here is how the two approaches compare on the things that actually slow brands down.

How should you price wholesale orders?

Standard wholesale discounts run about 30 to 50 percent off retail, depending on your margins and the buyer's volume. Many brands use tiered pricing: a smaller discount for opening orders and a deeper one as volume climbs. A common structure is 30 percent off at 10 to 49 units, 40 percent at 50 to 99 units, and 50 percent at 100 or more.

Pair that with sensible minimum order quantities. First orders often sit in the $250 to $1,000 range, with lower reorder minimums. The goal is to protect your margin and keep fulfillment efficient without scaring off a buyer's first test order. With more than three tiers or buyer-specific pricing, you will quickly run into the native catalog cap, which is where unlimited app-based tiers earn their keep.

How do net terms and tax exemption work?

Net terms let approved buyers place an order now and pay later, typically within 30 or 60 days. You assign the terms to a company profile, and the matching payment option appears for that buyer at checkout. Offer them selectively, to buyers with a track record, and keep an eye on aging invoices.

Tax exemption matters because many wholesale buyers resell your products and provide a resale certificate. Flag those accounts as tax-exempt so qualifying buyers are not charged sales tax at checkout, and keep their documentation on file. Handling both correctly is a big part of why a proper B2B setup beats running wholesale through manual invoices.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Shopify Plus to sell wholesale?

No. As of April 2026, native B2B features including company accounts, up to three pricing catalogs, and net terms are available on the Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans. Plus adds unlimited catalogs and deeper customization, but you can launch wholesale without it, and a wholesale app can extend a non-Plus plan further.

Can I sell wholesale and retail from the same Shopify store?

Yes. You can run B2B and direct-to-consumer from one store, with buyers seeing wholesale prices only after they log in to an approved account. Running one store means you maintain a single catalog, inventory, and checkout instead of two.

How do I hide wholesale prices from regular shoppers?

Use gated access so prices and B2B products are only visible to logged-in, approved buyers. Native B2B handles this in a limited way; a wholesale app gives you full control, including hidden prices, restricted products, and a registration form that approves buyers before they see anything.

What is a minimum order quantity (MOQ)?

An MOQ is the smallest order a wholesale buyer can place, set by units or order value. It keeps small, unprofitable orders out and reflects how you pack and ship. First-order minimums of $250 to $1,000 are common, with lower reorder minimums.

How long does it take to set up a wholesale channel?

A basic native setup can be done in an afternoon for a short buyer list. A fuller channel with registration, tiered pricing, MOQs, and terms takes longer. With PortalSphere, a specialist sets it up on a draft version of your store before it goes live, so you launch with everything configured.