# Glossary URL: https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/glossary Plain-English definitions of the SparkLayer terms used in these docs, from customer groups and price lists to sales agents, quotes and net terms. Plain-English definitions of the terms used in the SparkLayer docs. Each entry links to the guide that covers it. ## The basics ### B2B Business to business: selling to other businesses, such as retailers, trade customers and distributors, usually at trade (wholesale) prices. SparkLayer adds B2B ordering to your existing store. See [How SparkLayer works](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/get-started/how-sparklayer-works.md). ### DTC Direct to consumer: selling to the public at your normal retail prices, also called B2C (business to consumer) or retail. A [hybrid store](#hybrid-store) serves DTC and B2B customers from the same store. ### SKU Stock keeping unit: the product code on each product and variant in your eCommerce platform. SparkLayer matches B2B prices to products by SKU, so every product needs one, and each must be unique. See [Check your products have unique SKUs](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/get-started/launching.md#check-your-products-have-unique-skus). ### Tag A keyword on a customer record in your eCommerce platform's admin (on Wix, a label does the same job). SparkLayer reads tags to know who is a [B2B customer](#b2b-customer) (`b2b`) and which [customer group](#customer-group) they're in (such as `b2b-vip`). See [Assign customers to a customer group](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/add-customers-to-a-group.md#assign-customers-to-a-customer-group). ### CSV A spreadsheet file saved as comma-separated values, which most spreadsheet apps can export. You can upload exact B2B prices to a price list as a CSV file. See [Price lists](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/managing-pricing.md). ### Setup checklist The **Setup** screen: 5 steps from your first price list to SparkLayer showing on your store's theme, each ticking itself off when it's done. It's **Setup** in the Shopify app's menu, or **Open Setup** on Home in the SparkLayer Dashboard. See [Get started](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/get-started.md). ### Try it out A screen where you place a test order on your own store as a B2B buyer would, without inviting anyone. Test orders don't count towards your plan. See [Try it out](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/get-started/launching.md#place-a-test-order). ## Customers and accounts ### B2B customer A customer who sees your B2B pricing and ordering rules when they sign in to your store. On Shopify, that's a customer tagged `b2b`. See [Customers](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers.md). ### Customer group A set of ordering rules shared by a group of B2B customers, such as their price lists, payment methods and order limits. On Shopify, an extra tag such as `b2b-vip` puts a customer in a group. See [Customer groups](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/customer-groups.md). ### Base customer group The customer group every SparkLayer account starts with. B2B customers who don't have another group's tag are in it. See [Customer groups](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/customer-groups.md). ### Company user A colleague a B2B customer invites to share their account, so the team sees the same orders, shopping lists and addresses. Sometimes called a sub-account. See [Company users](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/company-users.md). ### Main user The company user who sends the invitations, controls who can access the company account and approves orders from limited users. See [Company users](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/company-users.md#how-it-works). ### Limited user A company user who can build orders but not complete them. Their orders go to the main user for approval. See [Limited access](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/company-users.md#limited-access). ### Sub-account Another name for a [company user](#company-user). In the [Ignite](https://docs.sparklayer.io/ignite.md) docs, it also means the customer accounts created for company users on the eCommerce platform. ## Sales reps ### Sales agent A member of your team who signs in to place orders and manage accounts on behalf of B2B customers, also called a sales rep. Their role controls what they can do. See [Sales rep setup](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/sales-reps.md). ### Sales agent role A set of permissions that controls what a sales agent can see and do in SparkLayer. See [Roles](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/sales-reps/roles.md). ## Pricing ### Price list A set of B2B prices for your products, keyed by SKU. You assign price lists to customer groups or individual customers. See [Price lists](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/managing-pricing.md). ### Automatic price list A price list calculated from your store's own prices, for example 50% off retail. See [Price lists](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/managing-pricing.md). ### Manual price list A price list where you set exact prices, usually by uploading a CSV file. See [Price lists](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/managing-pricing.md). ### Price editor A tool in the SparkLayer Dashboard for one-off price changes to individual products. See [Price editor](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/price-editor.md). ### Quantity pricing Lower unit prices when a customer buys more, for example 1 at $10 or 10 at $8. Also called tiered pricing or price breaks. See [Quantity pricing](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/quantity-pricing.md). ### Unit of measure pricing Prices set for different units, such as boxes, cartons or pallets. See [Unit of measure pricing](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/quantity-rules.md#unit-of-measure-pricing). ### Pack size The multiple a product must be ordered in, for example units of 6. See [Pack sizing](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/quantity-rules.md#product-pack-sizing). ### RRP Recommended retail price, also known as MSRP. You can show it alongside a customer's B2B price. See [How prices are shown](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/pricing-display.md). ### B2B discounts SparkLayer's own discounts and promotions, such as money off an order, volume tiers and coupon codes, which work on top of price lists. They need the Growth plan. You may also see them called the Discount Engine. See [Discounts](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/pricing/discounts.md). ## Ordering and payment ### Draft order An order saved for review rather than completed straight away. On Shopify, orders paid with offline methods, such as Pay on Account and Pay by Invoice, arrive as draft orders by default. See [Shopify payment methods](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/shopify/customisations/payment-methods.md). ### Upfront payment Paying online by card, through your eCommerce platform's checkout, when the order is placed. See [Payment methods](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/payment-methods.md). ### Pay by Invoice An offline payment method where the customer places the order and pays later against an invoice, often on net terms. See [Payment methods](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/payment-methods.md). ### Pay on Account An offline payment method that charges the order to the customer's account balance, within their credit limit. See [Credit, net terms & invoicing](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/credit-net-terms-and-invoicing.md). ### Net terms The number of days a customer has to pay for an order they didn't pay for at checkout, because they used Pay on Account or Pay by Invoice. For example, Net 30 gives them 30 days. Net terms are on every plan. See [Let trusted customers pay later on Net 30](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/net-terms.md). ### Credit limit The maximum balance a customer can have outstanding on their account. It applies to Pay on Account orders, and is on every plan. See [Credit, net terms & invoicing](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/credit-net-terms-and-invoicing.md). ### Awaiting merchant An order the customer has placed in SparkLayer that isn't a completed order in your store yet. Usually it's a Pay on Account or Pay by Invoice order that's still a draft order, waiting for you to complete it (or for **Auto-complete draft orders** to do it); it can also be an order whose sync to your platform hasn't finished. It has a purchase ID, such as P#1264, and shows as **Awaiting merchant** in **Orders** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/activity)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Orders** in the Shopify app and in the customer's [My Account](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/interfaces/my-account.md#order-statuses). Once the order is completed in your store, it becomes a normal order. See [Orders](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard/orders.md). ### Quote A customer's request (or a sales agent's offer) for a price on a set of products, which can be negotiated and then converted into an order. See [Set up quotes](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/quoting.md). ### Shopping list A named list of products a customer saves so they can reorder quickly. See [Shopping lists](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shopping-lists.md). ### Intelligent Cart AI features in the cart, on the Starter plan and above: **Upload a file** builds a cart from a PDF, photo or forwarded email, and camera barcode scanning adds products by their barcode. Importing a CSV or spreadsheet of SKUs works on every plan. See [Intelligent Cart (AI)](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/intelligent-cart.md). ### Timeline The record of messages, internal notes and events on an order or quote. See [Timeline & communications](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/timeline.md). ## Setup and storefront ### SparkLayer Dashboard The admin area at [app.sparklayer.io](https://app.sparklayer.io), with a grouped sidebar, where you manage pricing, customers, settings and integrations. On Shopify, the same screens are also in the [SparkLayer Wholesale](#sparklayer-wholesale) app. See [Find your way around SparkLayer](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard.md). ### SparkLayer Wholesale SparkLayer's app inside Shopify admin, under **Sales channels**. It has the same screens as the SparkLayer Dashboard, except Forms and Data tables, with one menu item per area and its pages as tabs. See [Two versions of the same app](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard.md#two-versions). ### Explore features A screen that lists what SparkLayer can do, with the plan each feature needs and a way to set it up or preview it. See [Explore features](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard/plan-and-features.md#explore-features). ### Theme setup The Shopify screen that shows which SparkLayer blocks are on your theme, and opens the theme editor at any of them. See [Theme setup](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/shopify/theme-setup.md). ### Platform connection The link between SparkLayer and your eCommerce platform (Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, WooCommerce or Magento). See [Managing integrations](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations/managing-integrations.md), or [Platform connection](https://docs.sparklayer.io/ignite/platform-connection.md) if you're building an Ignite integration. ### API key A pair of credentials (a client ID and a secret) that lets another system, such as your ERP, read and write your SparkLayer data. You create it at **Settings > API** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/configuration/api)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Settings > API** in the Shopify app (Pro plan) for your developer or integration partner, and treat it like a password. See [API](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard/settings.md#api). ### iPaaS Integration platform as a service: a tool such as Patchworks or Zynk that connects systems which don't talk to each other directly, such as an ERP and SparkLayer. See [Integrations](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations.md). ### Source of truth The one system whose data wins when 2 systems disagree. If your ERP is the source of truth for prices, you change prices there and the change flows into SparkLayer, not the other way round. See [Integrations](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations.md). ### Site ID The unique identifier for your SparkLayer site, used when setting up frontend interfaces, forms and the API. See [Your account and team](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard/account.md#edit-your-account-details). ### Site environment A store connected to your SparkLayer account. With test mode, one account has a live (production) environment and a test (staging) environment. See [Test mode](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard/test-mode.md). ### Test mode A way to switch the SparkLayer Dashboard between your live store and a test store, so you can try changes without affecting live customers. See [Test mode](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/dashboard/test-mode.md). ### Product and customer sync The process that copies product and customer data from your eCommerce platform into SparkLayer (also known as data sync). Product sync has its own screen, **Integrations > Product sync** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/integrations/products-sync)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Integrations > Product sync** in the Shopify app, and customer sync problems show as a banner on **Customers** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/customers/list)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Customers** in the Shopify app. See [Product and customer sync](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations/data-sync.md). ### Metafields Extra fields stored against products or customers in your eCommerce platform, which SparkLayer reads for settings such as pack sizes. See [Metafields](https://docs.sparklayer.io/developers/data/metafields.md). ### Core Script The SparkLayer code in your store's theme that loads SparkLayer on your storefront, added when SparkLayer is installed. You don't normally need to touch it, but your developer or agency may change its settings for advanced changes, such as custom checkout fields or changing text in code. See [Add a Core Script setting](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/storefront-options.md#add-a-core-script-setting). ### Frontend interfaces The B2B components SparkLayer adds to your storefront, such as My Cart, My Account and product pricing. See [Storefront widgets](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/interfaces.md). ### Widgets Another name for SparkLayer's [frontend interfaces](#frontend-interfaces): the B2B pricing, cart and account area your customers see on your store. You add them to your theme from **Storefront > Widgets** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/configuration/frontend/core)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Storefront > Widgets** in the Shopify app. ### Custom slots Places in SparkLayer's frontend interfaces where you can add your own HTML content. See [Custom slots (targets)](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/interfaces/custom-slots.md). ### Hybrid store A single store that serves both retail (DTC) and B2B customers. The alternative is a standalone B2B store. See [Shopify B2B store setup](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/shopify/customisations/store-setup.md). ### B2B Catalogs A free Shopify app that controls which products and variants each customer group can see. See [B2B Catalogs](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/storefront/b2b-catalogs.md). ### Ignite SparkLayer's framework for connecting platforms that don't have a ready-made integration. See [SparkLayer Ignite](https://docs.sparklayer.io/ignite.md).