Short answer: B2B e-commerce (business to business) is sales to other companies, while B2C (business to consumer) is sales to private individuals. The biggest difference is that B2B has agreed prices per customer, several decision makers, invoice payment and closer connection to business systems. Therefore, a B2B store places higher demands on technology and structure.
What do B2B and B2C mean?
B2Cis what most people think of as "normal" e-commerce: a private person finds a product, puts it in the shopping cart and pays by card or Swish.B2Bis when your customer is a business that buys for its business – a restaurant that orders raw materials, a workshop that buys spare parts, an office that stocks consumables.
They look the same on the surface, but under the hood they function very differently.
What makes B2B different from B2C?
Prices are rarely the same for everyone
In B2C, everyone sees the same price. In B2B, different customers often have different prices – based on the contract, volume or how long they have been a customer. A big customer can have a 20 percent discount that no one else sees. The store must therefore display the correct price for the correct logged-in customer.
More people are involved in the purchase
A private individual decides for himself. In a company, one person can place the order, another approve it, and a third pay the invoice. It is often calledpurchasing flowand the store may need to support forwarding an order for approval before it is shipped.
Payment usually takes place against an invoice
Companies rarely pay by card at checkout. They want an invoice with payment terms, for example 30 days. It requires a credit check and a connection to the accounting.
Larger and recurring orders
B2B orders are often larger, placed regularly and contain many items. The customer wants to be able to reorder a previous order, upload a list of article numbers or see their own price list.
The logic behind the purchase
A private person can act on instinct. A company buys to solve a business need – it's about price, delivery security and avoiding hassle. The relationship is longer and more rational.
What does a B2B store require technically?
Because the logic is more complex, higher demands are placed on the system. A B2B platform usually needs:
- Customer-specific prices and price listslinked to login.
- Login and customer accountswhere only approved companies see the store and their own conditions.
- Invoice paymentwith support for credit control and payment terms.
- Integration with the business system(also called ERP) so that stocks, prices, orders and invoices are connected automatically and do not have to be entered by hand.
- Quick reorder– order history, favorite lists and uploading article numbers.
- Roles and Approvalsso that several people at the same company can have different rights.
The most common trap in B2B e-commerce is treating it like a B2C store with a login. It rarely is – the requirements for prices, payment and integration are completely different.
Do you have to opt out of B2C?
No. Many companies sell both to companies and private individuals in the same store – this is sometimes called hybrid. Then the system shows different prices, payment methods and functions depending on who is logged in. It is entirely possible, but that is exactly why the structure needs to be thought through from the beginning.
That's how you think before you build
- Map how your customers actually buy: who orders, who approves, who pays?
- List which prices and discounts apply per customer.
- Decide the payment method – invoice, card or both.
- Find out what your business system needs to talk to the store about.
- Prioritize easy reordering – that's where loyalty lies.
B2B e-commerce is powerful but requires the technology to match the business.ZORCbuilds B2B stores with customer-unique prices, invoice payment and integration with business systems - so that your business customers can order quickly and you avoid manual duplication. Get in touch and we'll go over how your customers buy and what you need.
