This post was written in collaboration with Fortisa built-in payment platform that directly integrates with WooCommerce and supports end-to-end business transactions.
E-commerce checkouts are not one-size-fits-all. While most digital businesses are built around the fast-changing needs of individual consumers, business-to-business (B2B) buyers follow a different playbook—contracts, workflows, and organizational nuances.
In the business-to-consumer (B2C) world, transactions are usually simple and instant. Buyers browse, click and check out in minutes. But for B2B merchants – especially those using customizable WooCommerce checkouts – the path to purchase can be more complex.
Business buyers often need invoicing flexibility, custom pricing, enterprise resource planning (ERP) integration, and payment options such as automated clearing houses (ACH) or purchase orders.
If you’re not sure if your store is optimized for B2B buyers, here’s a quick overview to help you identify.
B2C vs B2B checkout: What’s the difference?
| Features | B2C checkout | B2B checkout |
| Payment methods | Credit card, PayPal | ACH, orders, clean terms, markup |
| A typical buyer | Individual | Enterprises, purchasing teams |
| Order volume | Small and frequent | Large and contracted |
| Approval workflow | Single buyer | Multi-user, multi-level approval |
| Invoicing/Billing | One time | Repetitive and own |
| System integration | Separate | ERP and accounting systems |
| Prices | Corrected | Multi-level or custom |
These differences in buyer needs are more than just trends – they have a direct impact on how businesses should approach their online checkout. As McKinsey reports, more than two-thirds of B2B buyers now prefer digital or remote interactions, and Forrester found that 74% do most of their research online before engaging with a sales representative.
This means that your checkout must not only be functional, but also self-service, flexible and in line with business workflows.
“Today’s B2B buyers expect the same speed and simplicity as consumers, but with flexibility and control over their workflows,” says Kevin Shamoun, SVP Product & Innovation at Fortis. “A checkout that aligns with these expectations isn’t just convenient—it’s a competitive differentiator.”
For many B2B marketers, the real complexity begins after the buyer clicks to checkout. Credit cards remain the mainstay, but ACH payments and purchase orders are often preferred for larger transactions.
Accepting ACH payments
Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments are wire transfers processed through the US Financial Network, which enables electronic payments and direct deposits. Commonly used for payroll, bill payments and B2B transactions, they offer a cost-effective alternative to credit cards.
Unlike credit cards, ACH payments do not provide instant confirmation, so they are more similar to digital checks. Merchants can wait two to four business days for a bank response, creating risk and uncertainty about cash flow.
Despite these risks, offering ACH can still be a win, especially for repeat customers where the relationship is strong and the payment history is reliable. Flexibility matters.
When you know your shopper, you can tailor checkout to their needs, making the experience less transactional and more like a partnership. In fact, offering ACH as part of a flexible billing strategy can support account-based relationships and negotiated terms—two pillars of the B2B buying experience.
When paired with buyer-specific workflows (such as multi-level approvals or purchase thresholds), ACH allows merchants to offer convenience and control without compromising back-office processes.
Accepting purchase orders
Purchase orders (POs) allow buyers to initiate a purchase based on pre-agreed terms, usually approved internally before the order is shipped. This is especially useful for organizations with purchasing policies where multiple parties may sign off before a transaction is completed.
With PO support, B2B merchants can align with their customers’ internal processes, reduce payment friction, and strengthen contractual trust. Fortis supports these workflows natively – a valuable feature for WooCommerce merchants selling to enterprise buyers.
Implementing compliant overloading
Merchants looking to offset processing costs may consider regulatory markup, which allows credit card charges to be passed on to customers within legal limits. This practice is permitted in some parts of the US, but prohibited or restricted in others, and is currently not supported in Canada.
Navigating compliance includes understanding state-level regulations as well as how tax is applied to surcharges.
In many cases, combining payment options—such as credit cards with surcharges in addition to ACH or PO—offers businesses the flexibility to manage costs while allowing buyers to choose how they pay. This balanced approach supports a wider range of B2B checkout scenarios, from one-off orders to continuous invoicing to account.
For many WooCommerce merchants, shopping carts are table stakes. But in B2B they are often left out altogether. Why?
Closed own prices
Price privacy is a significant factor. In B2B, pricing can be highly customized based on contracts, order volume or customer history. Many marketers do not want this information to be displayed to the general public.
Instead, they limit price visibility after logging in. WooCommerce supports this access through extensions and customizations that can control access based on role, login status, or approval level.
Buyer verification before purchase
Another key reason: customer vetting. Unlike consumer checkouts, which are open to everyone, B2B merchants may need to verify buyers before allowing them to browse or order. Whether it’s verifying credit terms or confirming business legitimacy, protected access is often part of the process.
Fortis works with merchants to ensure the checkout environment supports these workflows while still being modern and efficient for the shopper.
Understanding the mechanics of B2B payments is one thing – seeing them in real-world situations is another. Here are four common B2B use cases that highlight where WooCommerce stores can run into friction and how the right payment infrastructure can solve them:
1. Wholesale distribution
The regional distributor processes hundreds of orders each month, many through net terms or purchase orders. Their WooCommerce store doesn’t yet support ERP sync, so finance spends hours manually reconciling orders. Delays and errors are common.
Solution:
- ERP integration: Automatically synchronize order, inventory and payment data between WooCommerce and back-office systems such as NetSuite or Acumatica.
- Billing based on account: Allow recurring billing or payment terms tied to customer accounts rather than one-off transactions.
- PO support: Allow approved buyers to place purchase orders directly at checkout, matching their internal purchasing workflows.
2. Production
The custom parts manufacturer uses WooCommerce for direct sales, but each client has their own negotiated prices. The store does not account for these differences, so the sales team issues manual invoices for each order.
Solution:
- Prices by roles: Display different prices based on user roles or account types, such as sellers or preferred buyers.
- Dynamic billing: Create real-time invoices that reflect custom pricing, quantities, and terms.
- NetSuite or Acumatica integration: Ensure pricing, orders and financials are always in sync with manufacturers’ systems.
3. Professional services
The agency offers advances and project work. They need recurring billing associated with completing milestones. Current extensions do not match their invoicing cadence, so invoices are sent manually, causing delays and additional administrative overhead.
Solution:
- Native subscription billing: Automate recurring payments for deposits, subscriptions or ongoing services.
- Milestone Billing: Trigger invoices as project phases are completed, not on a fixed schedule.
- Saved credentials: Securely store client payment information for faster invoicing and fewer follow-up steps.
4. Field services
A multi-location HVAC provider charges on-site after the job is done, but payments are centralized. Without mobile billing, technicians email task notes and customers are billed days later. This slows down payment collection and frustrates customers.
Solution:
- Mobile Payment Tools: Let technicians capture payments on the spot using tablets or mobile devices.
- Centralized invoicing: Consolidate invoices and payments from multiple jobs or locations into one streamlined process.
- Support for ACH and Checks: Offer low-cost, familiar payment options that work well for larger, delayed payments.
Behind every smooth B2B checkout stands a robust system that handles everything from inventory to accounting. This is where ERP integration comes in. Fortis supports platforms such as Acumatica, Sage and NetSuite, making it easy to sync payments with your back office.
Whether you’re generating invoices, tracking orders or monitoring inventory, seamless integration reduces manual work and ensures accurate reporting. And with established connector applications, this synchronization happens automatically – keeping finance, operations and sales in line.
B2B-ready checkout isn’t just a more robust B2C flow – it’s a system designed for longer sales cycles, multi-stakeholder approvals, flexible invoicing and real-time data flow. Fortis brings it all to WooCommerce merchants through embedded payments, deep integrations and customizable workflows.
Whether you need to offer ACH and surcharges, securely store card data, or customize checkout based on user roles, Fortis supports the way your buyers actually shop.
What challenges do you face in B2B checkout? Are there WooCommerce features or payment options you’re still looking for?
Send a message to the Fortis team at sales@fortispay.com.
Latoya is a Partner Marketing Manager at Woo with experience in B2B tech marketing. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking his native island of Jamaica and traveling. She climbed to the top of the Blue Mountain three times.