# Charge the right shipping on B2B orders

URL: https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/b2b-shipping

Choose your store's shipping rates or SparkLayer's own, set B2B shipping methods and bands by order total or weight, pre-select a method and test the costs.

> **Quick summary**
>
> - You'll end up with B2B customers seeing the right shipping methods and costs at checkout, for their country, customer group and order.
> - Allow about 30 minutes, longer if you have many countries or weight bands.
> - SparkLayer shipping rates need the Starter plan or above. They work on every platform, with an extra step on Wix and BigCommerce.

By default, B2B customers see your store's own shipping methods at checkout, with nothing to set up. Use SparkLayer's own shipping rates when B2B customers need different rates from retail, or different rates for each customer group.

## Before you start

- **Your B2B shipping costs**, for example £20 under £99 and free above.
- **The countries you ship to**, and which customer groups get which methods.
- **Product weights**, if you charge by weight. Weight bands always use grams.

## Set up your shipping

### Step 1. Choose where your rates come from

| Use | When |
| --- | --- |
| **Your store's shipping methods** (the default) | B2B and retail pay the same, or your rates need complex rules or a shipping app. On Shopify, B2B-only methods need an app such as [Intuitive Shipping](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/integrations/customer-experience/intuitive-shipping.md). |
| **SparkLayer shipping rates** | Different B2B rates for each customer group, by order total or weight, especially when retail and B2B share one store. |

B2B customers get one or the other, never both. To compare them, see [How it works](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#how-it-works) and [What SparkLayer shipping rules can do](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#what-sparklayer-shipping-rules-can-do).

If you keep your store's methods, skip to [step 5](#choose-which-method-is-pre-selected).

### Step 2. Turn on SparkLayer shipping rates

Go to **Settings > Shipping** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/configuration/shipping)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Settings > Shipping** in the Shopify app, tick **Use SparkLayer shipping rates** and click **Save**. Wix and BigCommerce need an extra step. See [Turn on SparkLayer shipping rates](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#turn-on-sparklayer-shipping-rates).

### Step 3. Create a shipping method

Click **Create shipping method**, give it a name customers will understand, such as "Standard Shipping", and choose its countries and, if it's only for some groups, its customer groups. For every field, see [Create a shipping method](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#create-a-shipping-method).

### Step 4. Add shipping bands

A method only shows at checkout once it has a band. Add bands by order total or weight until every order is covered, with no gaps: the first band an order matches sets its cost. For the fields and an example (£20 under £99, free above), see [Add shipping bands](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#add-shipping-bands).

### Step 5. Choose which method is pre-selected

**Shopify only:**

SparkLayer pre-selects one of your Shopify shipping methods at checkout. Customers can pick another. To stop a free rate becoming the default, go to **Settings > Shipping > Automatic shipping selection** in the SparkLayer Dashboard ([open](https://app.sparklayer.io/configuration/shipping)), or **SparkLayer Wholesale > Settings > Shipping > Automatic shipping selection** in the Shopify app, choose **Prefer cheapest paid method** and click **Save**. See [Choose which method is pre-selected](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#automatic-shipping-selection).

**BigCommerce and Wix and WooCommerce and Magento only:**

**Automatic shipping selection** is for Shopify. With SparkLayer shipping rates, set each method's **Priority order** to choose the order customers see them in, with 1 first.

### Step 6. Test your shipping rates

Sign in as a B2B customer and go to **Review & Pay** with different countries, customer groups, order values and weights. Check the right methods and costs show. See [Test your shipping rates](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#test-your-shipping-rates).

**Shopify only:**

[Try it out](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/get-started/launching.md#place-a-test-order) opens your store as a test buyer, and test orders don't count towards your plan.

## Check it worked

- **Each test order shows the methods you expect** for its country and customer group.
- **Each cost matches the band** for its order total or weight, including the free band.
- **The pre-selected method** is the one you chose.

## If something's not right

- **No shipping methods show at checkout.** The customer doesn't match any method, or the order falls in a gap between bands. See [No shipping methods show at checkout](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/troubleshooting.md#no-shipping-methods-show-at-checkout).
- **Free shipping isn't applied, or the wrong band wins.** The first band the order matches sets the cost, so check for overlapping ranges. See [Free shipping isn't applied, or the wrong rate shows](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#free-shipping-isnt-applied).
- **Free shipping is pre-selected when you'd rather it wasn't.** On Shopify, choose **Prefer cheapest paid method**. See [Choose which method is pre-selected](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#automatic-shipping-selection).
- **B2B customers see the same rates as retail.** That's how Shopify shipping works. Use a shipping app that sets rates by customer tag, or SparkLayer shipping rates. See [Show B2B-only shipping methods on Shopify](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#show-b2b-only-shipping-methods-on-shopify).
- **Shipping set up during a trial still shows after you change plan.** [Contact our support team](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/support.md) to switch it off. See [If you set up shipping during a trial](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#if-you-set-up-shipping-during-a-trial).
- **Costs at checkout don't match your bands.** Check your products have valid weights and prices, then contact support. See [Shipping costs don't match the shipping bands](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md#shipping-not-matching-the-shipping-bands).

## Next steps

- [Get B2B tax and VAT right](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/tax-and-vat.md): Make sure tax on products and shipping is right
- [Process your B2B orders in Shopify](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/guides/process-orders-in-shopify.md): Change shipping on a draft order before you complete it
- [Shipping rules](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/ordering/shipping-rules.md): Custom messages, local pickup and every setting