How to Simplify B2B Onboarding – Company Account Request Form in Shopify
You don’t have to launch with a fully custom portal, gated access, and complex logic from day one. The key is to start small—solve one problem, make one process more efficient, and build from there.
B2B on Shopify has so much depth to it that a lot of merchants get overwhelmed to the point where they don’t get started. And when you’re dealing with complex buyer relationships, pricing structures, and custom workflows, that hesitation is understandable. Many of our previous posts, for example, focus on specific B2B features in the hopes a retailer on Shopify Plus will see it and realize they can start small and incrementally add features over time.
You don’t have to launch with a fully custom portal, gated access, and complex logic from day one. The key is to start small—solve one problem, make one process more efficient, and build from there.
One of the easiest ways to start is to create a company account request form.
What Is a Company Account Request Form?
Think of this as the front door to your B2B store. Rather than manually vetting and onboarding every new company that wants to buy from you, a company account request form allows interested buyers to submit their information directly through your website. You can then review and approve them within Shopify before granting access.
This simple step can save hundreds—if not thousands—of hours over the lifetime of your store.
Here’s How to Set It Up
- Use the Shopify Forms App
Start by installing the Shopify Forms app (it’s free and available through the Shopify App Store). This app makes it easy to build branded, embeddable forms without writing any code.
- Add Key Fields
You’ll want to capture important business details so you can properly vet requests. Common fields include:
- Company name
- Business address
- Phone number
- Customer name/contact
- Email address
- Any custom info relevant to your sales process
By default, Shopify will store these responses as metaobjects, which makes it easy to manage and reference them later.
- Customize Field Types
The Shopify Forms app gives you flexibility to tailor the form to your needs. You can use:
- Text fields (single or multi-line)
- Drop-down lists
- Radio buttons
- Multiple choice options
- Date pickers
- File upload fields (useful for documents like resale certificates or tax IDs)
- Review Submissions in Shopify Admin
Once your form is live, every submission flows into your Shopify Admin. From there, your team can review and approve new accounts manually.This ensures that only qualified and approved companies are granted access to your B2B catalog and pricing. Once approved, you can assign customer tags, price lists, and payment terms as needed.
Why This Matters
A company account request form is a perfect example of starting small. It doesn’t require heavy development, but it unlocks real automation in your business. Instead of fielding back-and-forth emails or spreadsheets of company data, you can onboard customers in a streamlined, professional way.
Even better: once this system is in place, you can layer in more B2B features like:
- Custom pricing per company
- Net payment terms
- Order drafts or reordering workflows
- Shopify’s B2B-specific checkout experience
If you’re on Shopify Plus and thinking about dipping your toes into B2B, this is a great first move. A simple form might not seem like a game-changer—but it sets the foundation for everything else.
Have any questions or need help thinking through a challenge or opportunity?
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