This publish was written in collaboration with Fortis, an embedded funds platform that integrates immediately with WooCommerce to help complicated enterprise transactions.
Ecommerce checkouts aren’t one dimension suits all. Whereas most digital storefronts are constructed across the fast-paced wants of particular person customers, B2B patrons comply with a special playbook — one formed by contracts, workflows, and organizational nuances.
Within the B2C world, transactions are sometimes easy and rapid. Patrons browse, click on, and take a look at in minutes. However for B2B retailers — particularly these utilizing WooCommerce’s customizable checkouts — the trail to buy will be extra intricate.
Enterprise patrons typically want invoicing flexibility, customized pricing, enterprise useful resource planning (ERP) integration, and fee choices like automated clearing homes (ACH) or buy orders.
For those who’re uncertain whether or not your retailer is optimized for B2B patrons, right here’s a fast side-by-side that can assist you self-identify.
B2C vs B2B checkout: What’s the distinction?
| Characteristic | B2C checkout | B2B checkout |
| Fee strategies | Bank card, PayPal | ACH, buy orders, internet phrases, surcharging |
| Purchaser sort | Particular person | Companies, procurement groups |
| Order quantity | Small and frequent | Massive and contract-based |
| Approval workflow | Single purchaser | Multi-user, multi-level approvals |
| Invoicing/billing | One-time | Recurring and customized |
| System integration | Standalone | ERP and accounting programs |
| Pricing | Fastened | Tiered or customized |
These variations in purchaser wants are extra than simply developments — they immediately affect how companies ought to strategy their on-line checkout expertise. As McKinsey experiences, over two-thirds of B2B patrons now want digital or distant interactions, and Forrester finds that 74% conduct nearly all of their analysis on-line earlier than participating with a gross sales rep.
This implies your checkout should not solely be practical, but additionally self-service-friendly, versatile, and aligned with enterprise workflows.
“As we speak’s B2B patrons count on the identical velocity and ease they expertise as customers, however with the pliability and management their workflows demand,” says Kevin Shamoun, SVP Product & Innovation at Fortis. “A checkout expertise that aligns with these expectations isn’t simply handy — it’s a aggressive differentiator.”
For a lot of B2B retailers, the actual complexity begins after a purchaser clicks checkout. Bank cards stay a staple, however ACH funds and buy orders are sometimes most well-liked for bigger transactions.
Accepting ACH funds
ACH (Automated Clearing Home) funds are bank-to-bank transfers processed by a U.S. monetary community that permits digital funds and direct deposits. They’re generally used for payroll, invoice funds, and B2B transactions, providing an economical different to bank cards.
Not like bank cards, ACH funds don’t present rapid affirmation, making them extra akin to digital checks. Retailers could wait two to 4 enterprise days for a financial institution response, creating threat and uncertainty round money move.
Regardless of these dangers, providing ACH can nonetheless be a win, particularly for repeat clients the place the connection is robust and fee historical past is dependable. Flexibility issues.
When you understand your purchaser, you possibly can tailor the checkout to their wants, which makes the expertise really feel much less transactional and extra like a partnership. In truth, providing ACH as a part of a versatile billing technique can help account-based relationships and negotiated phrases — two pillars of the B2B shopping for expertise.
When paired with buyer-specific workflows (corresponding to multi-level approvals or buying thresholds), ACH permits retailers to supply comfort and management with out compromising back-office processes.
Accepting buy orders
Buy orders (POs) enable patrons to provoke a purchase order based mostly on pre-negotiated phrases, sometimes accredited internally earlier than an order is submitted. That is particularly helpful for organizations with procurement insurance policies, the place a number of stakeholders could have to log out earlier than a transaction is accomplished.
By supporting POs, B2B retailers can align with their clients’ inside processes, cut back friction throughout checkout, and reinforce contractual belief. Fortis helps these workflows natively — a priceless functionality for WooCommerce retailers promoting to enterprise patrons.
Implementing compliant surcharging
Retailers trying to recoup processing prices may take into account compliant surcharging, which permits passing bank card charges to clients inside authorized boundaries. This observe is permitted in components of the U.S. however is prohibited or restricted in others, and isn’t at the moment supported in Canada.
Navigating compliance includes understanding state-level rules in addition to how tax is utilized to surcharges.
In lots of circumstances, providing a mixture of fee choices — corresponding to bank cards with surcharges alongside ACH or POs — provides companies the pliability to handle prices whereas letting patrons select how they pay. This balanced strategy helps a wider vary of B2B checkout situations, from one-time orders to ongoing account billing.
For a lot of WooCommerce retailers, procuring carts are desk stakes. However in B2B, they’re typically skipped altogether. Why?
Gated customized pricing
Value privateness is a major issue. In B2B, pricing will be extremely personalized based mostly on contracts, order quantity, or buyer historical past. Many retailers don’t need that info seen to most of the people.
As a substitute, they limit pricing visibility behind a login. WooCommerce helps this strategy by plugins and customizations that may management entry by position, login standing, or approval degree.
Pre-purchase purchaser verification
One other key purpose: buyer vetting. Not like client checkouts, that are open to all, B2B retailers could have to confirm patrons earlier than permitting them to browse or order. Whether or not it’s validating credit score phrases or confirming enterprise legitimacy, gated entry is usually a part of the method.
Fortis works with retailers to make sure the checkout expertise helps these workflows, whereas nonetheless feeling fashionable and environment friendly for the client.
Understanding the mechanics of B2B funds is one factor — seeing them play out in real-world conditions is one other. Listed here are 4 widespread B2B use circumstances that spotlight the place WooCommerce shops can hit friction and the way the best fee infrastructure can remedy it:
1. Wholesale distribution
A regional distributor processes tons of of reorders every month, many by internet phrases or buy orders. Their WooCommerce retailer doesn’t help ERP sync but, so finance spends hours reconciling orders manually. Delays and errors are widespread.
Answer:
- ERP integration: Robotically sync order, stock, and fee information between WooCommerce and back-office programs like NetSuite or Acumatica.
- Account-based billing: Allow recurring invoicing or fee phrases tied to buyer accounts reasonably than one-off transactions.
- PO help: Enable accredited patrons to submit buy orders immediately at checkout, matching their inside procurement workflows.
2. Manufacturing
A customized components producer makes use of WooCommerce for direct gross sales, however every consumer has negotiated customized pricing. The shop doesn’t mirror these variations, so the gross sales crew points handbook invoices for each order.
Answer:
- Function-based pricing: Show totally different costs based mostly on person roles or account varieties, like resellers or most well-liked patrons.
- Dynamic invoicing: Generate invoices in real-time that mirror customized pricing, portions, and contract phrases.
- NetSuite or Acumatica integration: Guarantee pricing, orders, and financials are at all times in sync with the producers’ programs.
3. Skilled providers
An company affords retainers and project-based work. They want recurring billing tied to milestone completions. Present plugins don’t match their billing cadence, so invoices are despatched manually, creating delays and additional admin overhead.
Answer:
- Native subscription billing: Automate recurring funds for retainers, subscriptions, or ongoing providers.
- Milestone-based invoicing: Set off invoices when mission phases are accomplished reasonably than on a set schedule.
- Saved credentials: Securely retailer consumer fee particulars for quicker billing and fewer follow-ups.
4. Discipline providers
A multi-location HVAC supplier payments after on-site work, however fee is centralized. With out cellular invoicing, techs submit job notes by e mail, and clients get billed days later. This slows down fee assortment and frustrates shoppers.
Answer:
- Cell fee instruments: Let technicians seize funds on-site utilizing tablets or cellular gadgets.
- Centralized billing: Consolidate invoices and funds from a number of jobs or areas into one streamlined course of.
- Assist for ACH and checks: Provide low-cost, acquainted fee choices that work nicely for bigger, delayed funds.
Behind each clean B2B checkout is a sturdy system dealing with every part from stock to accounting. That’s the place ERP integration is available in. Fortis helps platforms like Acumatica, Sage, and NetSuite, making it simple to sync funds together with your again workplace.
Whether or not you’re producing invoices, monitoring POs, or monitoring stock, seamless integration reduces handbook work and ensures correct reporting. And with connector apps in place, this synchronization occurs mechanically — retaining finance, operations, and gross sales in alignment.
A B2B-ready checkout isn’t only a extra strong B2C move — it’s a system designed for longer gross sales cycles, multi-stakeholder approvals, versatile billing, and real-time information move. Fortis brings all of that to WooCommerce retailers by embedded funds, deep integrations, and customizable workflows.
Whether or not you could supply ACH and surcharging, retailer card information securely, or tailor the checkout based mostly on person roles, Fortis helps the best way your patrons really purchase.
What challenges are you dealing with in B2B checkout? Are there WooCommerce options or fee capabilities you’re nonetheless trying to find?
Drop the Fortis crew a be aware at gross [email protected].
Latoya is a accomplice advertising and marketing supervisor at Woo, with a background in B2B tech advertising and marketing. In her free time she enjoys mountain climbing throughout her house island of Jamaica and travelling. She’s hiked the Blue mountain peak thrice.
