Setting Up B2B vs. B2C Payment Option Filtering

Here's the deal: you're selling to restaurants AND regular folks, and they want completely different payment options at checkout. Your wholesale customers need invoice terms and purchase orders. Your retail customers want credit cards and digital wallets. Show both groups everything? You've just created a confusing mess.

We solve this by filtering payment options based on who's buying. Standard Shopify checkout doesn't do customer-specific payments, but Sway Functions does. You can detect B2B versus B2C customers and show each group exactly what they need.

The Business Case for B2B/B2C Payment Filtering

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Access the Payment Functions Section

1. From your Shopify admin, open the Sway Functions app
2. You'll see Payment Functions card on the dashboard. Click Create.
3. Select "Conditionally Remove Gateways" option

2. Create a New Payment Function for B2B Customers

1. Click "Create function"
2. From the modal, select "Conditionally Remove Gateways"
3. You'll be taken to the function editor

3. Configure Basic Settings

1. Enter a descriptive campaign name (e.g., "Wholesale Account Payment Options")
2. Set the function status to "Active"

4. Define B2B Customer Segment

This is where you'll specify how to identify wholesale customers:

1. Under "Customer Qualifier," select "Customer Tags"
2. Choose the condition "contains"
3. Enter tags that identify B2B customers (e.g., "wholesale", "b2b", "approved_account")
4. This ensures the function only applies to tagged wholesale accounts

5. Configure B2B Payment Options

Now define which payment options should be available for B2B customers:

1. Under "Payment Gateway Actions," select "Show Only"
2. Choose "Gateway Name Contains"
3. Add your B2B-appropriate payment options (e.g., "Invoice", "Purchase Order", "Net 30")
4. This ensures B2B customers only see wholesale-appropriate payment methods

6. Create a Second Function for B2C Customers

1. Create a new payment function
2. Name it "Retail Customer Payment Options"
3. Under "Customer Qualifier," select "Customer Tags"
4. Choose the condition "does not contain"
5. Enter the same B2B identifier tags
6. Under "Payment Gateway Actions," configure to show only consumer payment methods
7. Add consumer payment options (e.g., "Credit Card", "PayPal", "Shop Pay")

7. Save and Test

1. Save both functions
2. Test thoroughly with both B2B and B2C customer accounts

Advanced Configuration Options

Tiered B2B Payment Privileges

Not all wholesale accounts are equal. Here's how to tier them:

1. Create multiple B2B payment functions with different tag qualifiers
2. For example:
   • New wholesale accounts: Purchase order only
   • Established accounts: Purchase order + Net 30 invoice
   • Premium accounts: Purchase order + Net 30/60/90 options
3. Set appropriate priority levels to ensure the correct function applies

Better customers get better payment terms.

Order Value-Based Payment Options

Order size matters for payment flexibility:

1. Add cart total qualifiers alongside customer tag conditions
2. Create different payment option sets for different order values
3. For example:
   • B2B orders under $1,000: Credit card or purchase order
   • B2B orders $1,000-$5,000: Credit card, purchase order, or Net 30
   • B2B orders over $5,000: Purchase order, Net 30, or Net 60

Bigger orders = better payment terms. Simple.

Hybrid Account Payment Options

Some customers buy for work AND home:

1. Create hybrid payment functions for dual-purpose accounts
2. Use a combination of customer tags and cart attributes
3. For example: Show all payment options to hybrid accounts but prioritize business methods for larger orders

Flexible payment options work best for dual-purpose customers.

Implementation Example: Food Manufacturer

Here's a real-world example from a food manufacturer serving both restaurants and direct consumers:

1. B2C Customer Experience:

   • Available payment options:
     • Credit/Debit Card
     • PayPal
     • Shop Pay
     • Apple Pay / Google Pay
     • Afterpay (orders under $1,000)
   • No invoice or purchase order options shown

2. New B2B Customer Experience:

   • Available payment options:
     • Credit/Debit Card
     • Purchase Order (requires approval)
     • ACH Direct Transfer
   • No consumer payment options shown
   • No invoice terms available yet

3. Established B2B Customer Experience:

   • Available payment options:
     • Purchase Order
     • Invoice - Net 15
     • Invoice - Net 30 (for orders under $10,000)
     • ACH Direct Transfer
   • Credit card option only shown for orders under $2,000

Merchandising Your B2B Payment Approach

Make your payment strategy work harder:

• Wholesale Benefits Pages - Highlight payment terms as a key benefit
• B2B FAQs - Answer invoice and term questions upfront
• Application Materials - Show how to qualify for payment privileges
• Marketing Integration - Feature payment flexibility in wholesale materials
• Account Dashboards - Display available payment methods clearly

Payment terms are a competitive advantage. Use them.

Real Results: Food Manufacturer Case Study

One food manufacturer nailed this approach:

• 42% jump in wholesale account signups
• 36% fewer payment support tickets
• 28% of B2B customers increased order sizes for better terms
• 18% faster payment collection
• 24% more repeat B2B business

Clean payment experiences drive real results.

Measuring Success

Track what matters:

• B2B Acquisition Rate - More wholesale signups?
• B2B Order Value - Bigger wholesale orders?
• Payment Method Split - What's popular in each segment?
• Days Sales Outstanding - Faster payment collection? • Support Volume - Fewer payment questions?

Numbers don't lie about payment strategy success.

Common Issues and Solutions

Next Steps

Ready to sort your payment chaos? Here's your roadmap:

1. Define your B2B and B2C customer segments clearly
2. Build a consistent customer tagging system
3. Decide appropriate payment methods for each segment
4. Create your payment gateway filtering functions
5. Develop educational content about payment options

Need help with your B2B payment strategy? Book a consultation with our team.