Shopify B2B
B2B quotes on Shopify: the complete guide
By Jahangir Alam · August 12, 2026 · Updated August 22, 2026 · 9 min read
A B2B quote is how most business-to-business deals actually happen on Shopify: instead of adding to cart at a listed price, a business buyer asks for a price, you send a proposal, you may negotiate it, and the agreed deal becomes an order on terms. This guide covers what a B2B quote is, why B2B buyers buy this way, and how to run the whole B2B quote workflow on Shopify - from the request to a paid order - with the features and native B2B tools that make each step work.
What is a B2B quote?
A B2B quote (or request for quote) is a priced offer a business buyer requests before ordering, instead of checking out at the published price. The buyer asks for a price - often on a volume order or at negotiated terms - and you respond with a proposal covering the line items, quantities, prices, and any terms. Once both sides agree, the accepted quote becomes an order the buyer pays, frequently on payment terms like Net 30 rather than an up-front card payment. It's the standard way B2B, wholesale, and made-to-order deals close, because the price isn't fixed until the deal is.
Why B2B buyers buy through quotes, not checkout
Retail checkout assumes a fixed, published price and immediate payment. B2B rarely works that way:
- Prices are negotiated. Volume, contract, and account-specific pricing mean the number depends on the deal.
- Buyers need terms. Businesses often pay on invoice (Net 30 or Net 60), not by card at checkout.
- Approvals are involved. Procurement or finance may need to sign off before an order is placed.
- Orders are large or custom. Bulk, made-to-order, and configured orders don't fit a one-click cart.
A B2B quote workflow gives each of those a home: a way to request a price, negotiate it, get sign-off, and turn the agreement into a real order - without the deal living in email and spreadsheets. For the app category itself, see what a B2B quote app is.
The B2B quote workflow on Shopify, step by step
Here's the full path from a buyer's request to a paid Shopify order, and where each step happens.
1. The buyer requests a quote
Add a "Request a quote" button to your storefront so business buyers can ask for a price instead of adding to cart - and hide retail prices from the buyers you target, so wholesale sees a quote path while retail checks out normally. See quote requests, forms, and hide price and how to add a request-a-quote button.
2. You send a proposal and negotiate
Respond with a priced proposal, take counter-offers, and record every round as a versioned snapshot, so the agreed number always has a history. See negotiation and counter-offers and how to negotiate B2B prices without the email chain.
3. The right people approve
For deals that need sign-off, route the quote through an approval workflow - on your side and the buyer's organization. See approval workflows and B2B approval workflows on Shopify.
4. The accepted quote becomes a Shopify order
When the buyer accepts, the quote converts into a native Shopify draft order with the negotiated prices carried over exactly - no re-keying, no separate system. See convert a quote to a draft order and Shopify draft orders for B2B.
5. Terms, deposits, and payment
The order can carry the buyer's payment terms (Net 30, Net 60) and, on Shopify Plus stores, a deposit collected at checkout - "50% down, balance Net 30." Businesses that buy on a purchase order pay this way too. See how to offer Net 30 on Shopify, how to accept purchase orders on Shopify, and how to take a deposit on a negotiated quote.
B2B quotes and native Shopify B2B (Companies & price lists)
A B2B quote workflow sits alongside Shopify's native B2B, which handles standing relationships: Companies, Locations, customer-specific price lists, and payment terms. Native B2B is built for published, standing pricing; a quote workflow adds the price conversation native B2B doesn't have - requesting, negotiating, approving, and converting a one-off deal. Used together, a company-aware quote can start from the buyer's B2B catalog price and end as a Shopify draft order with their terms. See Shopify B2B (Companies & Plus), Shopify B2B features explained, and B2B catalogs and company pricing.
Do you need Shopify Plus for B2B quotes?
No. A B2B quote workflow - request, negotiate, approve, convert - works on any Shopify plan through a quote app, and you can quote tag- and segment-based wholesale buyers without native B2B at all. Shopify's own B2B features (Companies, price lists, payment terms) are capability-based since the 2026 rollout, so they extend to Basic, Grow, and Advanced stores with B2B enabled - not just Plus. Deposits at checkout stay Plus-only, alongside unlimited catalogs and assigning a catalog directly to a company - the full plan split is in do you need Shopify Plus for B2B?.
FAQ
What is a B2B quote?
A B2B quote is a priced offer a business buyer requests instead of checking out at the listed price: they ask for a price (often at volume or on terms), you send a proposal, you may negotiate it, and the accepted quote becomes an order paid on terms. It's how negotiated B2B and wholesale deals close, because the price isn't fixed until the deal is.
How do I create a B2B quote on Shopify?
Add a request-a-quote workflow with a quote app: the buyer requests a price (or you create the quote from your admin for an existing account), you send a versioned proposal and negotiate, and the accepted quote converts to a native Shopify draft order with the negotiated prices. You then invoice and collect payment in Shopify, on terms if you offer them.
What's the difference between a B2B quote and an order?
A quote is a proposed price the buyer hasn't committed to - it can be countered, revised, or expire. An order is the committed deal. In a Shopify quote workflow, the accepted quote converts into a native Shopify draft order, so the quote is the negotiation record and the order is what gets invoiced and fulfilled.
Do I need Shopify Plus for B2B quotes?
No. A quote app runs the request-negotiate-approve-convert workflow on any Shopify plan, and Shopify's native B2B features are capability-based (not Plus-exclusive) since 2026. Only checkout deposits are Plus-only.
Where QuotWay fits
QuotWay is a B2B quote and negotiation app for Shopify, built by EFOLI, that runs this whole workflow: a "Request a quote" button and hide price, versioned proposals and counter-offers, two-sided approvals, and one-click conversion to a native Shopify draft order with payment terms (and, on Shopify Plus, deposits). The free Lite plan runs the full quote → negotiate → draft-order loop, so you can try it on your own store; see the plans and pricing or add QuotWay on Shopify.
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