Shopify Wholesale Channel: What Happened and How to Sell Wholesale in 2026

In this article

• What was the Shopify Wholesale Channel?
• Why did Shopify retire it?
• What replaced it: B2B on Shopify
• Wholesale Channel vs B2B on Shopify vs a wholesale app
• How to sell wholesale on Shopify in 2026
• Do you still need Shopify Plus?
• FAQ

What was the Shopify Wholesale Channel?

The Shopify Wholesale Channel was a separate, password-protected storefront that Shopify Plus merchants could bolt on to their main store to sell to business buyers. It gave you a private B2B shop with its own login, wholesale price lists, and buyer accounts, kept apart from your public retail store.

If you have landed here looking for where to switch it on, here is the short version: it is gone. Shopify retired the standalone Wholesale Channel and folded wholesale into the core platform instead. The rest of this guide explains what happened, what took its place, and the fastest way to start selling wholesale today.

Why did Shopify retire the Wholesale Channel?

Shopify announced the change in late 2023 and officially discontinued the Wholesale Channel on April 30, 2024. Two reasons drove it. First, the channel leaned on browser behavior that was changing, including how browsers handle third-party cookies, which made the separate-storefront approach fragile. Second, it never saw broad adoption: it was Plus-only, it lived outside the tools merchants already used every day, and running a second storefront added friction for both the merchant and the buyer.

Rather than patch the old model, Shopify rebuilt wholesale as a native part of the platform. Merchants who used the Wholesale Channel were asked to migrate to B2B on Shopify before the shutoff date.

What replaced it: B2B on Shopify

The Wholesale Channel was replaced by B2B on Shopify, a set of wholesale features built directly into the normal Shopify admin. Instead of a second storefront, you get company accounts, customer-specific pricing catalogs, quantity rules, and payment terms inside the same store and the same admin you already run. You can sell wholesale from a blended store that also serves retail, or from a dedicated B2B store.

The bigger shift came on April 2, 2026, when Shopify extended the foundational B2B feature set to every paid plan, not just Plus. Merchants on Basic, Grow, and Advanced can now use company profiles for wholesale buyers, up to three custom catalogs with tailored pricing, volume discounts and quantity rules, payment terms, and vaulted credit cards at no extra cost.

Wholesale Channel vs B2B on Shopify vs a wholesale app

Native B2B on Shopify covers the essentials well. Where merchants still hit walls is deeper access control, catalog limits, and workflow. Here is how the retired channel, native B2B, and a dedicated wholesale app compare on the things wholesale operators actually ask about.

How to sell wholesale on Shopify in 2026

You no longer install a channel. You turn on B2B in your store and, if you need more control, layer a wholesale app on top. Here is the path most merchants take.

1. Turn on native B2B on Shopify

In your Shopify admin, create your first company account, then build a catalog with the pricing that company should see. On Basic, Grow, and Advanced you get up to three catalogs; Plus removes that limit. This alone lets approved buyers log in and order at their own prices. Our Shopify B2B portal setup guide walks through the account and catalog steps in detail.

2. Decide how buyers see wholesale pricing

In a blended store, retail prices show by default and B2B pricing appears once a buyer is logged in to a company. If you want prices or entire products hidden from the public until a buyer is approved, native B2B does not gate the storefront on its own. This is the most common reason merchants add an app. PortalSphere lets you hide prices, hide products, and require registration so only approved wholesale buyers see your catalog.

3. Set tiered pricing, minimum orders, and pack sizes

Wholesale rarely means one flat discount. Set price tiers by customer group and volume, add minimum order quantities so buyers meet your economics, and enforce case packs or pack sizing where you sell in fixed units. See how to set up tiered wholesale pricing for the pricing side, and layer MOQs and pack sizing on top.

4. Offer net terms and tax exemption

Business buyers expect to pay on terms, not always by card at checkout. Native B2B supports payment terms such as Net 30, 60, and 90. If you also sell to tax-exempt resellers, make sure your setup applies exemptions cleanly. Our guide to net 30 terms for Shopify wholesale covers how to offer terms without chasing invoices by email.

5. Choose native, app, or both

If your wholesale is simple, native B2B may be all you need. If you need gated catalogs, unlimited pricing groups, richer approval flows, or MOQs and pack sizing, add a wholesale app. Compare your options in our roundup of the best Shopify wholesale apps in 2026.

Do you still need Shopify Plus for wholesale?

For most merchants starting or scaling a wholesale channel, no longer. Since April 2026 the foundational B2B tools ship on every paid plan. Shopify Plus still matters for advanced needs: unlimited pricing catalogs, a dedicated B2B storefront on its own domain, vaulted credit card storage for buyer accounts, deposits and partial payments, and checkout extensibility through Shopify Functions.

If the gap you are trying to close is control and buyer experience rather than raw scale, a wholesale app on a standard plan often gets you further than upgrading to Plus. You can read Shopify's own overview of B2B on Shopify for the native feature list.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Shopify Wholesale Channel still exist?

No. Shopify discontinued the standalone Wholesale Channel on April 30, 2024. Wholesale is now handled by B2B on Shopify, which is built into the Shopify admin, plus wholesale apps for merchants who need more control.

What is the difference between the Wholesale Channel and B2B on Shopify?

The Wholesale Channel was a separate, password-protected storefront available only on Plus. B2B on Shopify is native functionality inside your regular store, with company accounts, custom catalogs, quantity rules, and payment terms. As of April 2026 the foundational features are available on every paid plan.

Can I sell wholesale on Shopify without Shopify Plus?

Yes. Since April 2026, Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans include company accounts, up to three custom pricing catalogs, volume discounts, payment terms, and vaulted credit cards. Plus is only required for advanced needs like unlimited catalogs, a dedicated B2B storefront, deposits, and partial payments.

How do I hide wholesale prices until a customer logs in?

Native B2B shows wholesale pricing to buyers logged in to a company, but a blended store still shows retail prices to the public. To hide prices or products entirely until a buyer is approved, use a wholesale app such as PortalSphere that gates access with registration and approval.

Do I need to migrate if I used the old Wholesale Channel?

Any store that used the Wholesale Channel had to migrate to B2B on Shopify before the April 30, 2024 shutoff. If you never migrated, you would rebuild your wholesale setup using native B2B or a wholesale app today.