Short answer: In Shopify B2B, a catalog combines a product selection with a price list, and you assign it to company locations. Build one catalog per pricing tier, set the price list as a percentage or fixed price, add volume pricing for quantity breaks, and test each tier as a buyer before launch. Plan limits on catalogs can differ, so confirm yours in the Shopify admin.
01. The Building Blocks: Catalogs, Price Lists, and Quantity Rules
Wholesale pricing in Shopify B2B is not one setting. It is four pieces that work together, and most pricing confusion comes from mixing them up. This table separates them.
| Building block | What it does | How it works in Shopify B2B |
|---|---|---|
| Price list | Sets the base price | Percentage off retail, or a fixed price per variant |
| Volume pricing | Rewards bigger orders | Unit price drops at quantity breaks inside a price list |
| Quantity rules | Controls what can be ordered | Minimums, maximums, and case-pack increments |
| Catalog | Decides who sees what | Products plus a price list, assigned to company locations |
| Market | Sets currency and region | CAD for Canadian buyers, USD for US buyers |
If you are still deciding what Shopify B2B includes on your plan, start with our guide to Shopify B2B without Plus and the complete Shopify B2B features guide.
Why it matters: Treat the catalog as the unit you assign to buyers and the price list as the unit you maintain. Keeping them distinct is what lets you add a tier without rebuilding everything.
02. Design Your Tiers Before You Touch the Admin
Most wholesalers end up with a pricing spreadsheet that has grown for years. Before you rebuild it in Shopify, reduce it to a small number of tiers. A common structure for Canadian manufacturers and distributors looks like this.
- 1. Group buyers by behaviour, not by name. Distributor, dealer, and retail partner is easier to maintain than one price list per account.
- 2. Set each tier as a rule. For example, a percentage off your retail price, so a price change in the base flows through every tier.
- 3. Add quantity breaks only where margin supports them. Two or three breaks per product family is usually enough. More breaks make orders harder to compare and quotes harder to explain.
- 4. Decide which products each tier can see. A dealer may see your full range while a retail partner sees a curated subset.
- 5. Write down the exceptions. Contract prices and one-off deals belong in their own catalogs, with an owner and a review date.
Pair this with minimum order quantities and case packs so the price a buyer sees is always the price for a quantity you can actually ship.
Why it matters: A tier is a business rule you commit to, not a spreadsheet row. If you cannot explain a tier in one sentence, buyers and your own team will not be able to either.
03. Setting Up Catalogs and Price Lists in Shopify B2B
The exact screens change as Shopify updates its admin, so confirm the steps below against Shopify's current documentation. The sequence stays the same.
- 1. Create a catalog per tier. Name it after the tier, such as Dealer or Distributor, so anyone on your team can tell what it is for.
- 2. Choose the products. Include everything the tier may buy, or a subset for restricted ranges.
- 3. Build the price list. Apply a percentage adjustment to your base price or set fixed prices for specific variants.
- 4. Add volume pricing and quantity rules. Set quantity breaks, minimums, and increments on the products that need them.
- 5. Assign the catalog to company locations. Attach it to the buyers in that tier. Use location-level assignment when one company has branches on different terms.
- 6. Test as a buyer. Log in as a test company in each tier and check the price, quantity breaks, and checkout total, including tax.
Buyers who log in should land on a clean ordering experience, so review your wholesale order form and reorder flow once pricing is live. New accounts should only get a tier after wholesale account approval.
Why it matters: A catalog assigned to the wrong location shows the wrong price to a real buyer. A short test checklist before launch costs far less than correcting an invoice.
04. Pricing in CAD and USD
Canadian wholesalers who also sell in the United States face a second pricing question: currency. Price lists can be tied to a market, so buyers in Canada see CAD and buyers in the US see USD.
- Let Shopify convert from a base price if your US prices simply track the exchange rate.
- Set fixed prices per currency if you want stable US pricing regardless of exchange-rate swings.
- Review fixed prices when tariffs, freight, or exchange rates move your costs.
- Confirm how duties and taxes are shown to each market so landed cost is not a surprise at checkout.
Our guides to cross-border tariffs for Canada and the US and Shopify Markets cover the market side in more detail.
Why it matters: Automatic conversion is convenient, but it moves your margin every time the dollar does. Decide on purpose which markets get fixed prices.
05. Native Catalogs, Apps, or Custom Pricing Logic
Native catalogs cover most wholesale tiers. The signal that you need more is usually a pricing rule that depends on something outside Shopify.
- Use native catalogs when tiers are by customer group and quantity breaks are standard.
- Add an app when you need features native tools lack, such as expiring contract prices or special rule types.
- Consider custom logic or an ERP-driven price feed when prices live in another system and must stay in sync.
- Whichever you choose, keep tiers simple, because messy tiers make every option harder.
If your pricing comes from an ERP, see Shopify ERP integration and AI dynamic pricing for B2B wholesale for what to automate and what to keep under human control.
Why it matters: Buying an app to fix a messy price structure just moves the mess. Simplify the tiers first, then decide what tooling you still need.
06. Common Wholesale Pricing Mistakes
- Building a catalog per customer instead of per tier, which becomes impossible to maintain.
- Letting retail and wholesale price changes drift apart because tiers are fixed prices instead of rules.
- Adding quantity breaks without matching case-pack and minimum rules.
- Skipping the buyer-view test, so errors surface on a real order.
- Forgetting to review contract prices when they expire.
Why it matters: Most pricing problems are maintenance problems. The setup is a day of work; keeping it accurate is the real job.
07. Key Takeaways
- A catalog decides who sees which products at which price. A price list sets the price. Volume pricing and quantity rules refine it.
- Design a small number of tiers by buyer behaviour before you build anything in the admin.
- Assign catalogs to company locations and test every tier as a buyer before launch.
- Decide on purpose where CAD and USD prices are converted and where they are fixed.
- Use apps or custom logic only for rules native catalogs cannot express, after your tiers are clean.
08. Frequently Asked Questions
What is a catalog in Shopify B2B?
A catalog is a bundle of two things: which products a buyer can see, and what price list applies to them. You assign a catalog to one or more company locations, so a distributor and a small retailer can see different products at different prices from the same store. Confirm the current limits for your plan in your Shopify admin.
How do I set up tiered pricing on Shopify?
Create a catalog for each pricing tier, such as distributor, dealer, and retail partner. Give each catalog a price list, then assign the catalog to the company locations in that tier. Within a price list you can adjust prices by a percentage or set fixed prices per variant, and add volume pricing for quantity breaks. Test each tier as a buyer before you invite real accounts.
What is the difference between a price list and volume pricing?
A price list sets the base price a buyer pays, either as a percentage off your retail price or as a fixed price per variant. Volume pricing adds quantity breaks on top, so the unit price drops as the order quantity rises. Quantity rules, such as minimums and case packs, are a separate control that decides what quantities can be ordered at all.
Can I give one customer a special price on Shopify?
Yes. Create a catalog with its own price list and assign it to that buyer's company location. Keep these exceptions rare, because every custom catalog is something your team has to maintain. If you find yourself building dozens, your tiers probably need redesigning rather than more exceptions.
Do I need Shopify Plus for B2B catalogs and wholesale pricing?
Native B2B tools are now available beyond Plus, but some limits, such as the number of catalogs or how catalogs are assigned, can differ by plan. Check Shopify's current plan comparison before you design your tier structure, and confirm whether your tiers fit within your plan's limits.
How do CAD and USD wholesale prices work on Shopify?
Price lists can be tied to a market and its currency, so Canadian buyers see CAD and US buyers see USD. You can let Shopify convert from a base price or set fixed prices per currency. If your US prices are not simple conversions of your CAD prices, set fixed prices so exchange-rate swings do not change your margin.
Should I use an app for wholesale pricing instead of native catalogs?
Start with native catalogs if your tiers are by customer group and your quantity breaks are standard. Consider an app or custom build when you need rules native tools do not cover, such as pricing by contract with expiry dates, complex bundles, or ERP-driven pricing. Moving from native tools to an app later is easier if your tiers are already clean.
Related Resources
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