# Shopify Companies

URL: https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/shopify/companies
Applies to: Shopify

How SparkLayer works alongside your Shopify B2B companies: draft orders linked to the right company, contact and location, vaulted cards and limitations.

> **Quick summary**
>
> - Prices, payment methods and order rules come from SparkLayer, not from Shopify catalogs or payment terms.
> - SparkLayer links its draft orders to the buyer's Shopify company and location, so orders show under the company and customers can use Shopify's vaulted cards.
> - Companies are optional: customers without one buy at their customer group's settings. Using Shopify Companies may mean extra transaction costs from Shopify, so check with Shopify Support.

## How it works

**Shopify Companies** is part of Shopify's native B2B features, now on every Shopify plan. You find it at **Customers > Companies** ([open in the Shopify admin](https://admin.shopify.com/companies)). A Shopify company has a profile, **locations** (offices, branches or warehouses, each with its own addresses) and **customers** (the contacts who buy for it).

SparkLayer works with those records. It links its draft orders to the buyer's Shopify company, contact and location, so orders show under the company in your Shopify admin.

SparkLayer still identifies B2B customers by their `b2b` customer tag and puts them in customer groups by their group tag (such as `b2b-trade`). 

## Do you need Shopify Companies?

Companies are optional. Use this table to decide before you set them up.

| If you want to… | Then |
| --- | --- |
| See B2B orders grouped by company in your Shopify admin | Use companies. SparkLayer links their orders automatically. |
| Sell to individual B2B customers on the same terms | You don't need companies. Customer groups handle everything. |

## How draft orders are linked to companies

When SparkLayer creates a draft order for a buyer at a company, it links the order to their Shopify **company**, **contact** and **location**. This keeps your Shopify orders and reports accurate.

Linking a SparkLayer order to a Shopify company:

1. **Buyer orders**: A buyer at a company places an order through SparkLayer
2. **Draft order created**: SparkLayer creates a draft order in Shopify
3. **Company linked**: The order is linked to the buyer, their company and the location
4. **Shown in Shopify**: The order appears under both the customer and the company

This means:

- Orders from SparkLayer appear under the company in your Shopify admin. On the orders list, you see the company name under the customer's name.
- Shopify's reports recognise them as B2B orders from that company.
- It resolves Shopify's warning that "Some apps may not attribute B2B orders correctly on your current plan. Check that B2B orders are assigned to a company, not just an individual customer."

## Use vaulted credit cards

Because SparkLayer links draft orders to the customer's company and location, your B2B customers can use [Shopify's vaulted credit cards](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/b2b/checkout-and-orders/vaulted-cards). They save a card once and reuse it on later orders.

Vaulted cards belong to a **company location**. When a customer saves a card, at checkout or in their customer account, it's available to every customer linked to the same company location. With SparkLayer, they work in 2 ways:

- **Pay Online by Card**: when a customer chooses **Pay Online by Card** in the SparkLayer checkout, the cards saved for their company location appear under **Credit card** in the Shopify checkout. They can choose one, or click **Use a different card**.
- **Draft orders and invoices**: when a customer uses another payment method (for example Pay by Invoice), you can charge a vaulted card on the resulting draft order from your Shopify admin. On the draft order, click **Collect payment** and choose the saved card.

### Before you start

- **Shopify Payments turned on.** Vaulted cards need Shopify Payments as your payment provider.
- **Customers linked to a Shopify company.** The customer must be a contact of a company in your Shopify admin.
- **A saved card.** Someone at the company location must have saved a card during a checkout or in their customer account. Once it's saved, every customer at that location can use it.

There's nothing to set up in SparkLayer. Vaulted cards work in the SparkLayer checkout as long as customers are linked to Shopify companies and Shopify Payments is active. They're available on every Shopify plan that has the Companies feature. Check any transaction fees with Shopify Support.

### Control who can use vaulted cards

To stop some of a customer's team from using vaulted cards, use SparkLayer's [company users](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/company-users.md) feature. Give those team members the **Limited** role. They can browse and build an order, but they can't check out: their order goes to the main company user for approval instead. Because limited users never reach the Shopify checkout, they can't charge a card saved for the company location.

## Limitations

- **Shopify catalogs and payment terms aren't used**: prices, product visibility and payment rules come from SparkLayer's price lists and customer groups. The catalogs and payment terms on Shopify company records are ignored. 
- **Customers linked to several companies**: if a customer is a contact of more than one Shopify company, their draft order may not be linked to a company. 
- **Customers not in a company**: their orders are linked to the customer only.

## FAQs

**Do I need Shopify Companies to use SparkLayer?**

No. Customers who aren't in a company buy at their customer group's settings, and you add them to a group with a tag. Use companies to see B2B orders grouped by company in Shopify, or to let colleagues share vaulted cards.

**Can I use SparkLayer and Shopify's native B2B checkout at the same time?**

Not for the same customer session: the ordering experience is either SparkLayer or Shopify's native B2B checkout. Your Shopify companies still hold the business, its locations and its contacts, and SparkLayer uses them for ordering.

**Should I tag customers or set up Shopify companies?**

Both work together. Tags make someone a B2B customer and put them in a customer group. Companies group the people who buy for the same business.

**Do I need Shopify Markets to use Shopify Companies?**

Not for SparkLayer pricing. Companies and Markets are separate features, but on plans other than Plus they're closely linked.

You can create company records without Markets. They work as structured customer profiles with locations, contacts and payment terms. But to give those companies their own Shopify pricing catalogs, you need Markets: on the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans, catalogs are assigned through Markets (customer groupings), not directly to companies. On Shopify Plus, you can assign catalogs directly to company locations without Markets.

SparkLayer doesn't use either for pricing. Your price lists and customer groups are managed in SparkLayer, whether or not you use Markets.

**What about Shopify's warning that apps may not attribute B2B orders correctly?**

SparkLayer handles it. It links draft orders to the right Shopify company and location, so B2B orders are attributed correctly in your Shopify admin.

## Next steps

- [Add B2B customers on Shopify](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/shopify/invite-customers.md): Tag a customer you already have, or add a new one, so they see trade prices
- [Customer groups](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/customers/customer-groups.md): Set the pricing and rules your B2B customers get in SparkLayer
- [Shopify limitations](https://docs.sparklayer.io/help/platforms/shopify/limitations.md): What SparkLayer can and can't do on Shopify