# Add customers to a group

URL: https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/add-customers-to-a-group

Put B2B customers in the right customer group with a tag or label in your eCommerce platform, check they've synced, then sign in as one to test.

> **Quick summary**
>
> - Each B2B customer belongs to one [customer group](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/customer-groups.md), which sets their prices, payment methods and ordering rules.
> - You add customers to a group in your eCommerce platform. On Shopify, tag them `b2b` plus the group's tag, for example `b2b-trade`.
> - Check SparkLayer has matched them to the right group at **Customers** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/customers/list)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Customers** in the Shopify app, then sign in as a test customer to see what they'll see.
> - Works on every plan. On Shopify, new customers can also [apply for a trade account](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/approve-trade-applications.md) for you to approve.

## Ways to add customers

| If you're adding | Do this |
| --- | --- |
| **One customer**, or moving one to another group | Change their tags or labels in your platform. See [Add a customer to a group](#assign-customers-to-a-customer-group). |
| **Your existing trade customers**, all at once (Shopify) | Follow [Move your existing wholesale customers onto SparkLayer](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/move-existing-customers.md): tag them in bulk, bring across their terms, then ask them to sign in. |
| **New customers who apply** for a trade account (Shopify) | Follow [Let new trade customers apply, and approve them](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/approve-trade-applications.md). Approving an application creates the customer in the group you choose. |

## Add a customer to a group

A customer can belong to only one customer group. To give a customer more than one price list, [assign several price lists](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/customer-groups.md#assign-price-lists) to their group, or [give the customer their own](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/customer-pricing.md). If different customers need different mixes of price lists, create one group for each combination, for example **Trade** with the Trade list, and **Trade and clearance** with the Trade and Clearance lists.

To add a customer to a group or to move them to another group, change their tags or labels in your platform:

**Shopify:**

SparkLayer uses Shopify **customer tags**. When a tagged customer signs in to your store, they see their group's prices, payment methods and rules.

- **Every B2B customer has the `b2b` tag**, even if they're also in another group.
- **Other groups need their own tag as well.** You'll find it under the group's name at **Customers > Groups** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/customers/groups)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Customers > Customer groups** in the Shopify app, for example "Tag: b2b-trade".
- **No more than two B2B tags per customer.** `b2b` and `b2b-trade` is correct; `b2b`, `b2b-trade` and `b2b-vip` is not.

To tag a customer:

1. In your Shopify admin, go to **Customers** ([open in the Shopify admin](https://admin.shopify.com/customers)) and open the customer.
2. In the **Tags** box, type `b2b` and choose it, or add it as a new tag.
3. To add them to another group, also add its tag, for example `b2b-trade`. If the tag doesn't exist yet, create it as a new tag and you can reuse it for other customers.
4. Save the customer.

To tag many customers at once, or add a new customer from scratch, see [Add B2B customers on Shopify](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/shopify/invite-customers.md).

**Wix:**

SparkLayer uses Wix contact **labels**. It only syncs contacts that have the `b2b` label and are **Site Members**.

1. In your Wix dashboard, go to **Customers & Leads > Contacts** and create or edit a contact.
2. Add a valid address and fill in every address field. Note the email address: the customer uses it to sign in.
3. Click **Add Label** and add `b2b`. For a group other than Base, also add that group's label exactly as shown at **Customers > Groups** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/customers/groups)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Customers > Customer groups** in the Shopify app, for example `b2b-additional-group`.
4. Check the contact is a **Site Member** (shown under **Member info**), so they can sign in to your store.

Don't edit a label after you've added it. Once at least one contact has a group's label, you can manage that group's rules at **Customers > Groups** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/customers/groups)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Customers > Customer groups** in the Shopify app.

**Other platforms:**

| Platform | How customers join a group |
| --- | --- |
| BigCommerce | SparkLayer syncs your BigCommerce customer groups whose names start with `B2B`, once at least one customer is in them. Assign customers to those groups in BigCommerce. See [Install on BigCommerce](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/bigcommerce/install.md). |
| WooCommerce | Give the WordPress user a **SparkLayer Role** that matches the group, such as "SparkLayer B2B: Base". See [Install on WooCommerce](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/woocommerce/install.md). |
| Magento | SparkLayer creates a Magento customer group, prefixed "B2B", for each group you create. Assign customers to it in Magento. See [Install on Magento](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/magento/install.md). |

Moving a customer to another group doesn't remove them from SparkLayer. To remove customers altogether, see [Remove a customer from B2B](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/managing-customers.md#remove-a-customer-from-b2b).

## Check a customer has synced

To check SparkLayer has picked up a customer in the right group, find them at **Customers** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/customers/list)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Customers** in the Shopify app. The **Group** column shows the customer group they've been matched to. Open them to see more. See [Find and manage customers](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/managing-customers.md).

If a customer is missing, check the sync banner at the top of Customers and click **Show errors**: see [Fix customer sync errors](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/managing-customers.md#fix-customer-sync-errors).

## Test as a B2B customer

Before your customers start ordering, place a test order as a B2B customer and check their group's rules.

**Shopify only:**

In the Shopify app, [Try it out](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/get-started/launching.md#place-a-test-order) does this for you: it creates a test customer with the `b2b` tag, gives them a price list and opens your store signed in as them.

- **Prices** match the group's price lists.
- **Payment methods** at checkout are the ones the group allows.
- **Order limits** stop checkout when the order is below the minimum or above the maximum.

To test by hand:

**Shopify:**

**Step 1.** **Turn on customer accounts**

In your Shopify admin, go to **Settings > Customer accounts** ([open in the Shopify admin](https://admin.shopify.com/settings/customer_accounts)) and choose either **Customer accounts** or **Legacy accounts**. Both work with SparkLayer.

**Step 2.** **Add a test customer**

In Shopify, go to **Customers** ([open in the Shopify admin](https://admin.shopify.com/customers)), open or add a customer with an email you can sign in to, fill in every field **including the address**, and add the `b2b` tag plus the group's tag.

**Step 3.** **Sign in as the customer**

Go to your store's login page (for example `www.yourstore.com/account`) and sign in. With Customer accounts, enter the code sent to your email. With Legacy accounts, activate the account from the invite email first. SparkLayer loads and you can browse as a B2B customer. If the login page doesn't load, check customer accounts are turned on.

**Other platforms:**

Create a test customer in your platform, add them to a B2B group as described in [Add a customer to a group](#assign-customers-to-a-customer-group), then sign in to your store as them. See your platform's install guide under [Platforms](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms.md) for details.

## Troubleshooting and FAQs

A customer seeing the wrong prices, payment methods or shipping usually comes down to their tags or their group.

**Diagnose: Wrong prices, payment methods or shipping for a customer?** Check the customer’s tags and customer group.

1. **What is the customer seeing?** Pick the closest match.
   - Wrong prices: go to question 2
   - Wrong payment methods: go to question 2
   - Wrong shipping options: go to question 2
2. **Are you checking while signed in as the customer?** B2B prices, payment methods and shipping only apply once a B2B customer signs in.
   - Yes: go to question 3
   - No / not sure: go to fix A (Sign in as the customer first)
3. **Does the customer have the `b2b` tag?** Check the spelling exactly, with no extra spaces or characters. Where to look: Customers > select the customer > Tags (Shopify admin).
   - Yes: go to question 4
   - No: go to fix B (Add the `b2b` tag)
4. **Should they be in a customer group other than Base?** Customers with only the `b2b` tag are in the Base customer group.
   - Yes: go to question 5
   - No, Base is right: go to question 6
5. **Does the customer have that group’s tag, spelt exactly as it is on the group?** Each group shows its Shopify tag. It’s usually `b2b-` followed by the group’s handle, for example `b2b-vip`. Where to look: Customers > Groups (SparkLayer).
   - Yes: go to question 7
   - No: go to fix C (Fix the group tag)
6. **Are the price lists / payment methods / shipping set up on that customer group?** Open the group and check its settings. Where to look: Customers > Groups (SparkLayer).
   - Yes: go to question 8 for prices; fix D (Tags look right: check plan and terms) for payments; fix E (Tags look right: check your shipping setup) for shipping
   - No: go to fix F (Set them up on the group)
7. **Does the customer have only `b2b` and that one group tag?** Look for older group tags left over from a previous setup. A customer can only be in one group. Where to look: Customers > select the customer > Tags (Shopify admin).
   - Yes: go to question 6
   - No, there are others: go to fix G (Remove the extra tags)
8. **Is the product in more than one of the group’s price lists?** SparkLayer uses the first price list on the group that contains the SKU. An automatic list covers every product, so if it’s first it always wins. Where to look: Customers > Groups (SparkLayer).
   - Yes: go to fix H (Put the most specific price list first)
   - No / not sure: go to fix I (Tags look right: check the price itself)

**Fixes**

- **A. Sign in as the customer first** Signed-out visitors see retail prices and checkout. Sign in as the customer, or use Place a test order, and check again. Where: Orders > Place a test order (SparkLayer).
- **B. Add the `b2b` tag** Without it the customer shops as retail, with retail prices and checkout. Add the tag and save. Where: Customers > select the customer > Tags (Shopify admin).
- **C. Fix the group tag** A tag that doesn’t match a group is ignored, and the customer gets Base settings. Copy the tag from the group and add it to the customer. If the group doesn’t exist yet, create it. Where: Customers > Groups (SparkLayer).
- **D. Tags look right: check plan and terms** Some payment methods depend on your plan, and Pay on Account needs the customer’s credit limit and terms set. See [Payment methods](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/payment-methods.md).
- **E. Tags look right: check your shipping setup** The customer is in the right group, so the cause is in your shipping settings. Next: Shipping not working as expected?
- **F. Set them up on the group** Add the missing price lists / payment methods / shipping to the customer’s group, save, then sign in as the customer to check. Where: Customers > Groups (SparkLayer). See [Customer groups](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/customer-groups.md).
- **G. Remove the extra tags** SparkLayer only uses `b2b` and one customer group tag. Extra B2B or group tags can put the customer in the wrong group. Remove the ones you don’t need, save, and ask them to sign out and back in. Where: Customers > select the customer > Tags (Shopify admin).
- **H. Put the most specific price list first** The first list on the group that contains the SKU sets its price. Move your specific lists above any automatic list, and save. Where: Customers > Groups (SparkLayer). See [Price list order](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/managing-pricing.md#price-list-order).
- **I. Tags look right: check the price itself** The customer is in the right group, so the difference is coming from the price list or your tax settings. Next: Prices or tax looking wrong?

**Can a customer be in more than one customer group?**

No. Each customer belongs to one customer group. If you need a customer to see prices from several price lists, assign several price lists to their group, or give the customer their own price lists in [Prices for one customer](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/customer-pricing.md). If customers need different mixes of price lists, create one group for each combination.

**What happens if a customer has no group tag?**

They're in the [Base customer group](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/customer-groups.md#the-base-customer-group), as long as they have the `b2b` tag (or your platform's equivalent). Without it, they aren't a B2B customer and see your retail store.