B2B Shopify Store Net Terms: Step-by-Step Guide for 2026

B2B suppliers that offer net terms often face the same operational tradeoff: buyers want flexibility, but sellers still need predictable cash flow, reliable collections, and a process that does not create extra work for finance teams. On Shopify, net terms let wholesale buyers place orders now and pay later on an agreed schedule such as Net 15, Net 30, Net 60, or Net 90. The challenge is that Shopify can support the checkout experience, but it does not replace the credit, receivables, and payment workflows that sit behind a strong B2B program.

That is why most merchants end up following one of three paths. Shopify Plus merchants can use native B2B company profiles and payment terms. Standard Shopify merchants can use a more manual draft-order workflow. Merchants that want a more embedded approach can layer in B2B net terms through Resolve, which combines buyer credit decisions, receivables workflows, and payment operations in one system. Resolve also supports broader accounts receivable automation and commerce and ERP integrations for teams that want less manual work after checkout.

This guide walks through each setup path, what it takes to run it day to day, and how to choose a workflow that supports both buyer flexibility and healthier cash flow.

Key Takeaways

• Shopify net terms can be set up three ways: Most merchants use Shopify Plus company profiles, manual draft orders, or Resolve depending on plan level and workflow needs.
• Native checkout does not replace credit operations: Even when terms appear in Shopify, merchants still need a way to qualify buyers, track invoices, and manage collections.
• Manual workflows work best at a smaller scale: Draft orders can support early B2B programs, but they become harder to manage as buyer count and invoice volume grow.
• Resolve adds a more embedded net terms flow: Resolve combines buyer underwriting, receivables workflows, and payment operations in a single B2B payments platform.
• Cash flow planning matters as much as checkout setup: Extending terms changes when money arrives, so your invoicing and collections process needs to be defined before launch.
• The strongest setup matches your operating model: The right answer depends on your Shopify plan, buyer mix, internal finance capacity, and how much credit risk you want to manage yourself.

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is for teams building or improving a B2B Shopify storefront with payment terms for wholesale buyers. That includes:

• Wholesale suppliers and distributors adding self-serve ordering to Shopify
• DTC brands expanding into B2B and setting up a wholesale buying experience
• Finance and operations teams that need a cleaner process for buyer approval, invoicing, and collections
• Shopify merchants on any plan comparing native workflows with a platform like Resolve

If your store is already live and you mainly need a better process for buyer qualification, invoicing, or collections, jump straight to Step 2 and Step 4.

Prerequisites

Before you configure terms, make sure you have four basics in place:

• A Shopify store and B2B structure: either Shopify Plus company profiles or a standard-store workflow for wholesale buyers
• A buyer qualification process: this can include a credit application, business verification, trade references, or a business credit check workflow
• An AR workflow: invoices, due dates, reminders, escalation, and payment posting need a clear owner
• A decision on risk and collections: decide whether your team will manage these processes internally or through a platform such as Resolve’s net terms management

Net Terms at a Glance: Net 15 vs Net 30 vs Net 60 vs Net 90

Before setup, decide which term lengths fit your buyers and your cash cycle.

Net 30 is common in many B2B environments, while longer terms are often used when buyers need more time to receive, stock, or resell inventory. The longer the terms, the more important your receivables process becomes. This is one reason many merchants pair checkout terms with AR automation or a more structured B2B payments platform.

Why B2B Net Terms on Shopify Are Harder Than They Look

Shopify can support B2B checkout experiences, but a working net terms program depends on more than showing a delayed-payment option at checkout.

The most common friction points are:

• Buyer qualification: you still need a way to review or automate credit decisions before extending terms
• Receivables tracking: invoices, due dates, and follow-up steps usually sit outside the storefront
• Collections workflow: if a payment is late, someone has to send reminders and manage next steps
• Cash flow timing: you ship today, but the buyer may not pay for weeks
• System handoffs: ecommerce, accounting, and ERP data need to stay aligned

This is why many merchants move beyond a checkout-only setup and look for connected integration workflows that cover credit, invoice data, reconciliation, and collections.

According to Shopify’s B2B commerce report, a growing share of B2B buyers now expect to complete purchases online. That makes the buying experience important, but the back-office process behind it matters just as much.

Step 1: Set Up Your B2B Storefront

Before you add terms, separate your wholesale workflow from your retail workflow.

For Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus includes native B2B functionality built around company profiles and locations. In general, the process looks like this:

1. Set up B2B in your Shopify admin
2. Create company records for wholesale buyers
3. Add contacts and assign permissions
4. Configure company locations and shipping details
5. Apply catalogs, payment settings, and terms by company or location

This structure is useful for merchants serving buyers with multiple ship-to locations or different terms by branch, subsidiary, or account.

For Standard Shopify

Standard Shopify does not include the same native B2B company structure, so merchants usually build a simpler workaround:

1. Tag approved wholesale buyers in the customer record
2. Use a wholesale app or account gating workflow if needed
3. Route wholesale orders through draft orders or a dedicated process
4. Keep wholesale pricing and buyer communications separate from retail

This can work well when your B2B program is still small, but it usually requires more manual oversight from operations or finance.

Step 2: Build Your Buyer Qualification Process

Net terms are a credit decision, not just a checkout setting. Before a buyer is approved, define how your team will assess risk.

A practical process usually includes:

1. Application intake: collect company details, tax ID or EIN, billing contact, and trade or purchasing information
2. Verification: confirm the business is legitimate and that the information matches public or bureau data
3. Credit review: review payment history, references, or a third-party credit source
4. Limit assignment: set an initial credit line or order threshold
5. Terms assignment: decide whether the buyer starts on Net 15, Net 30, or a longer schedule

This is also the step where many teams decide whether they want a manual process or an embedded one. Resolve positions its credit check workflow and credit automation tools around reducing friction in this part of the process.

Dun & Bradstreet remains one of the most common external reference points for commercial credit data, but many merchants also combine bureau information with their own payment history and order context.

Step 3: Configure B2B Shopify Store Net Terms

This is where the three setup paths begin to differ.

Three-path comparison

Path A: Shopify Plus native payment terms

For Shopify Plus merchants, native B2B functionality is the cleanest way to assign payment terms inside Shopify itself.

A typical setup looks like this:

1. Open the buyer’s company record
2. Select the relevant company location
3. Choose the payment term configuration for that buyer or location
4. Save the settings and test the checkout experience

This is a strong option when your team already knows the buyer, is comfortable managing credit internally, and wants to keep the buying experience inside Shopify.

You can also use automation tools such as Shopify Flow to route exceptions, flag large orders, or notify your finance team when a review is needed.

Path B: Standard Shopify with manual net terms

For merchants on standard Shopify, a manual workflow is the most common starting point.

1. Receive the wholesale order or request
2. Confirm the buyer is approved for terms
3. Create a draft order
4. Apply pricing, quantities, and notes
5. Send the invoice or order confirmation
6. Track the due date in your accounting or AR system
7. Follow up on unpaid balances

This works when B2B volume is still manageable and your team is comfortable handling approvals and invoice follow-up internally.

Path C: Resolve on any Shopify plan

Resolve is designed for merchants that want net terms to connect more directly with buyer underwriting, receivables workflows, and payment operations.

At a high level, the setup usually involves:

1. Installing and connecting Resolve to your Shopify environment
2. Configuring which buyers or buyer groups can access terms
3. Enabling the checkout or order-flow experience for net terms
4. Letting Resolve handle buyer approval workflows, invoicing, and collections steps tied to the program
5. Syncing activity into connected accounting or ERP systems through Resolve integrations

Resolve describes its platform as combining payments, credit, and liquidity in one infrastructure, with support for ecommerce and accounting connections and a branded payment portal. It also positions itself as a modern alternative to manual net terms administration and disconnected receivables processes.

Step 4: Set Up Your AR Workflow

Once you extend terms, the operational work shifts to receivables. This is where many Shopify merchants feel the strain.

Your minimum viable AR workflow should include:

1. Invoice creation: generate the invoice when the order is fulfilled or billed
2. Due date tracking: every invoice needs a clear due date and owner
3. Reminder sequence: define when reminders go out before and after the due date
4. Escalation policy: decide when a late balance triggers account review, credit hold, or a collections step
5. Payment posting: make sure payments are recorded cleanly in your accounting workflow

Merchants that want fewer manual steps often add accounts receivable automation so reminders, reconciliation, and payment workflows are not managed from spreadsheets or inboxes.

Resolve’s positioning is broader than checkout alone: it also covers invoicing, reminders, collections, reconciliation, and a buyer-facing payment portal.

Step 5: Test the Buyer Experience End to End

Before launch, test the process from both the buyer side and the finance side.

What to test

• Buyer login or account access
• Product visibility and pricing for wholesale users
• Availability of the terms option in the correct flow
• Order creation and invoice generation
• Due date accuracy
• Internal notifications and approval routing
• Payment posting and reconciliation
• Follow-up messaging for unpaid balances

A good test run should answer one core question: can your team move from checkout to posted payment without losing visibility or creating manual cleanup work later?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Treating net terms like a simple checkout feature

Net terms affect underwriting, invoicing, collections, and cash flow. Treating them as a front-end setting usually creates problems later.

2. Approving buyers without a clear credit policy

Even a simple approval framework is better than case-by-case judgment with no documentation.

3. Running AR from spreadsheets too long

Manual tracking may be workable early on, but it becomes harder to maintain as invoice volume grows. Many teams eventually move to net terms management software or a connected platform.

4. Mixing B2B and retail logic

Wholesale buyers need a different buying flow, pricing structure, and payment process than retail customers.

5. Ignoring cash flow impact

Longer terms can support larger orders, but they also extend the time between shipment and payment. A clearer cash flow plan makes the program easier to sustain.

Advanced Tips for Scaling Net Terms

Use buyer segmentation

Not every buyer needs the same credit line or payment schedule. Start with a structured framework for new, growing, and established accounts.

Review payment history regularly

A buyer’s actual payment behavior should influence future credit decisions, renewal of terms, or a move to longer schedules.

Connect ecommerce and finance systems

As B2B volume grows, syncing order, invoice, and payment data becomes more important. This is where connected ERP and ecommerce workflows become valuable.

Give buyers a cleaner payment experience

A branded portal and self-serve payment options can reduce friction after checkout and make follow-up easier for both sides.

Think beyond checkout conversion

Net terms can influence repeat ordering, average order size, and buyer retention when the program is managed well. Resolve’s content on larger B2B orders centers on this broader commercial impact.

Final Verdict

If your goal is simply to turn on B2B payment terms inside Shopify, Shopify Plus and manual draft-order workflows can both work. But if your goal is to run a stronger net terms program end to end, the bigger issue is everything that happens after checkout: buyer approval, invoice tracking, payment reminders, collections, reconciliation, and cash flow timing.

That is where Resolve stands out in this category. Resolve is built as an embedded B2B payments and net terms platform rather than a checkout-only tool. It combines net terms, AR automation, business credit checks, and integrations into one workflow designed for merchants that want to grow B2B sales without building a fragmented process around them.

For Shopify merchants that want a cleaner buyer experience and less manual receivables work behind the scenes, Resolve is the most complete path in this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I offer net terms on Shopify without Shopify Plus?

Yes. Merchants on standard Shopify can use a manual workflow such as draft orders, buyer tagging, and invoice-based fulfillment. Merchants that want a more embedded process can also use Resolve on non-Plus plans.

What is the difference between Net 30 and Net 60?

The difference is the number of days the buyer has to pay after the invoice date. Net 30 gives the buyer 30 days. Net 60 gives the buyer 60 days. Longer terms usually require tighter control over receivables and credit risk.

What does Resolve add to a Shopify net terms setup?

Resolve adds workflow beyond checkout. That includes buyer credit decisions, invoicing, collections, payment workflows, and integrations with ecommerce, ERP, and accounting systems.

Do I still need an AR process if I use Shopify Plus payment terms?

Yes. Shopify Plus can support the buyer-facing terms configuration, but your team still needs a process for qualification, invoicing, reminders, reconciliation, and collections.

How should I decide which buyers get longer terms?

Use a consistent approval framework. Review business verification data, credit information, order size, and payment history, then assign terms and limits based on risk and relationship strength.

This post is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult his or her own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this post. Resolve assumes no liability for actions taken in reliance upon the information contained herein.