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A wholesaler ordering portal lets business customers order on their own, at their prices and on their terms, from a catalog synced with the ERP. Allow $6,800 to $22,400 (€6,000–€20,000)excl. VAT for a focused portal, and $16,800 to $39,200 (€15,000–€35,000)excl. VAT for a portal connected to the ERP with credit limits, deliveries and invoices.
For a wholesaler or distributor, a large share of orders are reorders: the same customers, the same SKUs, the same quantities, sent by phone, email or spreadsheet, then re-entered in the ERP. An online ordering portal turns this flow into clean orders that go straight into your systems. Here is what it should do, how it differs from a standard online store, and what it costs.
Why a standard online store is not enough
A store designed for consumers shows one price, a cart and card payment. Wholesale works differently:
- thousands of SKUs, with sales units, case quantities and pack sizes;
- prices specific to each customer: price lists, discounts by product family, negotiated net prices;
- payment terms of 30 or 45 days, with a credit limit to watch;
- logistics constraints: delivery days by area, minimum order, free shipping threshold;
- an ERP that is the source of truth for items, prices, stock and invoicing.
E-commerce platforms are making progress on these points: Shopify, for example, opens its B2B features to several plans, but limits assigning a catalog to a specific company to the Plus plan, according to its page on B2B features by plan (checked October 2026). For a wholesaler where every customer has their own prices, this is often where custom software becomes simpler than adapting a platform.
What the portal must do
| Feature | For the customer | For you |
|---|---|---|
| Private catalog | Their SKUs, their prices, their pack sizes | One master catalog, fed by the ERP |
| Quick ordering | Entry by code, usual list, file upload | Less data entry, fewer errors |
| Availability | Stock or indicative lead time | Fewer calls to check |
| Sales rules | Minimum, free shipping threshold, delivery day shown | Rules applied automatically |
| Credit limit | Ordering allowed within the approved limit | Alert or block beyond it |
| History | Orders, deliveries, invoices, credit notes | Fewer requests to customer service |
| Sales rep area | — | Ordering on behalf of customers, account tracking |
Pricing complexity deserves its own page: see customer-specific prices, discounts and terms. Catalog presentation is covered in a private, up-to-date online B2B catalog.
The ERP connection, at the heart of the project
The portal is only valuable if it talks to your back-office systems. In practice:
- items, prices and customers flow from the ERP to the portal;
- available stock is updated regularly;
- approved orders reach the ERP without re-entry;
- statuses, delivery notes and invoices flow back to the portal.
The method depends on your ERP: API, database access, or scheduled file exchange. Scoping starts there, because it weighs the most on budget and timeline.
Budget and timelines
These ranges exclude VAT and cover a first version running in production, based on my public price list.
| Portal | What it includes | Indicative budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused portal | Customer accounts, catalog and customer prices, quick ordering, history | $6,800 to $22,400 (€6,000–€20,000)excl. VAT | 1 to 3 months |
| Connected portal | The above + ERP sync, credit limits, logistics rules, invoices | $16,800 to $39,200 (€15,000–€35,000)excl. VAT | 3 to 5 months |
| Distribution platform | Several companies or depots, sales and supplier areas, field app | Custom quote | 4 to 6 months and more |
With more than 50 users, my estimator applies a 1.2 multiplier; between 10 and 50, 1.1. Data migration counts for $900 (€800)excl. VAT and each connection $2,300 (€2,000)excl. VAT. The estimator calculates your range, and how much a B2B portal costs breaks down each item.
When it is not the right choice
- Your ERP offers a customer portal that works. If it covers your needs, even imperfectly, try it first: you avoid a sync to maintain.
- A few dozen customers on identical terms. A well-configured off-the-shelf B2B store will cost less.
- Item data in poor shape. If your product records, prices and pack sizes are not reliable in the ERP, the portal will show those errors to your customers. Clean up first.
- A budget under $6,800 (€6,000)excl. VAT, the floor for reliable business software.
How the project works
- A 30-minute call (free): your customers, your terms, your ERP.
- Scoping (1 to 2 weeks): review of the ERP connection, pricing and sales rules, fixed quote and schedule.
- Clickable mockups, tested by your sales reps and a few customers.
- Development in batches: catalog and prices, then ordering and ERP, then credit limits, invoices and the rep area.
- Gradual go-live, customer by customer or area by area, with three months of included support.
The portal is built on the same technical foundation as the client portal I offer for other uses.
Frequently asked questions
Does the portal replace our sales reps?
No. It takes over repetitive orders and frees up time for advice, prospecting and negotiation. Reps can also place orders from the portal on behalf of their customers.
What if our ERP is old?
As long as it can export and import data, through an API, its database or files, it can be connected. The method is chosen during scoping, after reviewing what the ERP can do.
What about customers who still order by phone?
We do not force them. The sales team enters their orders in the same portal, which keeps a single history. Many customers switch on their own once they see their prices and history online.
Can the portal show available stock?
Yes, based on ERP stock, updated at regular intervals or in real time depending on what the ERP allows. It can show a quantity, or just an indication such as in stock, low or made to order.