B2B Ordering Portal Development for Wholesalers & Distributors
Let trade customers order online at their own prices, reorder in seconds and see invoices and order status, with every order flowing straight into your inventory and accounting.
Why wholesalers move ordering online
In many wholesale and distribution businesses, orders still arrive by phone, email, PDF and WhatsApp, and someone re-types each one into the accounting or inventory system. Every customer has different prices and terms, so mistakes are easy and slow to catch. Sales reps spend their time taking orders instead of selling.
A B2B ordering portal gives each trade customer a login where they see their own catalogue, prices and terms, place and repeat orders at any hour, and check order status and invoices themselves. Orders go straight into your systems, so nobody re-keys them.
What the portal does
Customer-specific pricing and catalogues
Price lists, volume breaks, contract prices and products visible only to certain accounts, read from your system of record where possible.
Fast reordering
Order history, saved lists, quick order by SKU and CSV upload for large orders.
Terms, credit and approvals
Pay on account, credit limits, purchase-order numbers and approval steps for buyers with several users.
Stock and delivery information
Live availability, delivery dates and order tracking, so customers stop calling to ask.
Invoices and statements
Customers download invoices and statements and see what is due.
Back-office integration
Orders, customers, stock and invoices synced with your inventory, ERP or QuickBooks/Xero.
Off-the-shelf B2B platform or custom portal?
| B2B SaaS platform | Custom portal | |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | Standard price lists and a supported accounting system | Complex pricing, unusual workflows or systems without a ready connector |
| Time to start | Days to weeks | Weeks, with a focused first release |
| Ongoing cost | Monthly subscription, often by orders or users | Hosting and maintenance; no per-order fees |
| Ownership | Vendor owns the platform | You own the code and data |
Compare both options in detail: off-the-shelf B2B portal vs custom.
How a portal project runs
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1
Order and pricing review
How orders reach you today, how prices and terms are set, and which systems hold the truth.
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2
First release scope
Usually login, catalogue, customer pricing, ordering and order sync. Everything else is phased.
-
3
Build and pilot
Launched with a handful of friendly customers first, then rolled out.
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4
Roll out and improve
Customer onboarding, then features such as approvals, statements or a mobile app.
What a B2B ordering portal costs
Portals are priced as ecommerce builds. DevGlim ecommerce projects start from $900, with a normally scoped store typically in the range of $900–$2,500. B2B portals with ERP or accounting sync, complex pricing rules and multi-user approvals usually go beyond that range and are quoted from a written scope.
What you always get
- You own the source code, the data and the accounts the system runs on.
- A written scope with a price and timeline per phase before work starts.
- Working software to review at every milestone, not one reveal at the end.
- Documentation, so another team could maintain the system later.
Frequently asked questions
What is a B2B ordering portal?
A private, login-only website where trade customers see their own catalogue, prices and terms, place and repeat orders, and check order status and invoices without calling or emailing.
How much does a B2B ordering portal cost?
DevGlim ecommerce projects start from $900. A wholesale portal with customer pricing and accounting or ERP sync is quoted from a written scope after a short call about your pricing and systems.
Can it use the prices already in our accounting or ERP system?
Usually, yes. Reading prices from your system of record avoids keeping a second copy that drifts out of date. We confirm what your system's API allows during scoping.
Will our customers actually use it?
Adoption is planned, not assumed: a pilot with a few customers, reorder shortcuts that save them time, and sales reps showing it on their next visit.
Can we keep taking phone orders too?
Yes. Staff can place orders on behalf of customers in the same system, so every order ends up in one place.
Related guides and services
- Custom E-commerce — We design and build custom ecommerce platforms for businesses that have outgrown what Shopify, BigCommerce or WooCommerce can do: B2B pricing, ERP and inventory integration, headless storefronts and a checkout built around your rules.
- Retail Inventory — Real-time stock visibility across every store and sales channel — POS and ecommerce always in sync.
- API Integration — Connect the systems you already pay for, such as ecommerce, POS, accounting, CRM, payments and messaging, so orders, stock and customer data move on their own instead of being re-keyed.
- Off-the-shelf B2B portal vs a custom build
- RetailOS project: inventory, POS and fulfilment
- Moving from QuickBooks to an ERP
Pricing
E-commerce projects from $900
Typical investment: $900–$2,500
Final pricing depends on features, integrations, design complexity and project requirements. Complex projects are quoted based on scope.
Still taking orders by phone, email and WhatsApp?
Send us a sample price list and how orders reach you today. We will outline a first version of your portal with a price and timeline.
See pricingGet a scoped estimate
Tell us what you need. We reply within 24 hours with questions, next steps and a realistic cost range.
- A clear scope and cost range before you commit
- Fixed-scope proposal or phased estimate
- You own the code and the data
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