The verdict in three sentences
For a Munich distributor that wants trade customers to reorder online at their negotiated prices, a B2B e-commerce portal costs 40,000 to 180,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026, depending on account volume, pricing complexity and the depth of the SAP integration. The integration is the line most often underestimated, typically 25 to 35 % of the build. Ask for a quote broken down into person-days per work package, with recurring costs listed separately, so you compare like with like.
Three project tiers and what they cover
| Tier | Budget 2026 (excl. VAT) | Trade accounts | Pricing logic | Integrations | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 40,000 to 70,000 EUR | Up to 300 | Price lists per customer group | Nightly file import from ERP | 10 to 12 weeks |
| Advanced | 70,000 to 120,000 EUR | 300 to 1,500 | Customer-specific prices, volume breaks | SAP API, hourly stock sync | 12 to 18 weeks |
| Enterprise | 120,000 to 180,000 EUR | 1,500 to 5,000 | Contracts, credit limits, approval workflows | SAP near real time, PIM, CRM | 18 to 26 weeks |
Most German distributors start at Advanced, because buyers expect to see their own net prices the moment they log in. Enterprise becomes relevant when purchasing departments need approval chains, cost centres and several delivery addresses per account.
A sample quote, line by line
An Advanced tier project, at a blended day rate of 1,000 EUR (2026 estimate for a qualified team in southern Germany).
| Work package | Days | Amount (excl. VAT) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery, workshops, wireframes | 8 | 8,000 EUR | Buyer journeys, pricing rules, user roles |
| Catalogue and product data | 7 | 7,000 EUR | 5,000 to 15,000 SKUs, packaging units |
| Trade accounts and company users | 9 | 9,000 EUR | Account approval, multiple buyers per company |
| Customer pricing engine | 12 | 12,000 EUR | Net prices, quantity breaks, contract prices |
| Checkout: invoice, SEPA direct debit, cards | 6 | 6,000 EUR | Purchase on account with credit check |
| EU VAT and tax handling | 4 | 4,000 EUR | VAT ID validation via VIES, reverse charge invoices |
| SAP integration | 25 | 25,000 EUR | Stock, prices, orders, invoices, delivery status |
| Testing, training, go-live | 10 | 10,000 EUR | 2 weeks of pilot with 15 customers |
| Total | 81 | 81,000 EUR | Excluding 19 % German VAT |
If your SAP system already exposes clean APIs or uses a standard connector, the integration can drop to 15 days. If it runs on older interfaces such as IDoc exchanges with custom fields, plan 30 days or more.
Recurring costs to budget
| Recurring cost | Monthly range 2026 | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Application maintenance | 800 to 3,500 EUR | Updates, fixes, backups, monitoring |
| Hosting in Germany or the EU | 300 to 1,500 EUR | Cloud sized for 300 to 5,000 accounts, GDPR compliant |
| Platform or licence fees | Public price varies by vendor and edition | B2B commerce platform or open source support |
| Payment and credit check fees | Per transaction, by contract | Card, direct debit, invoice risk check |
| Ongoing improvements | 2,000 to 6,000 EUR | 2 to 6 days a month of new features |
Over three years, an 81,000 EUR build with 1,800 EUR of maintenance and 600 EUR of hosting a month comes to roughly 167,000 EUR before improvements and licences. That is the figure to compare across vendors.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Thomas, sales director at an industrial supplies distributor in Munich, serves 900 trade customers. His inside sales team keys 3,000 orders a month from email and phone at 7 minutes each, or 350 hours a month.
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With an Advanced portal at 81,000 EUR, 65 % of orders move online within 6 months. Keying time falls to 122 hours, freeing 228 hours, roughly 1.4 full-time roles at 4,500 EUR a month fully loaded, or 6,300 EUR. Pricing errors, estimated at 1 % of 1,200,000 EUR monthly revenue, are halved: 6,000 EUR recovered a month. Monthly gains of 12,300 EUR minus 2,400 EUR of running costs pay back the project in just over 8 months.
FAQ
What is the minimum cost of a B2B portal in Munich in 2026?
Plan at least 40,000 EUR excluding VAT for trade accounts, customer group pricing and a basic ERP import. Below that you usually get a catalogue with a request form, not real online ordering.
Can buyers pay on invoice?
Yes, purchase on account is standard in German B2B and expected by most trade customers. Add 3 to 6 days for credit limits, payment terms of 14 to 60 days and dunning status synced from SAP.
How is EU cross-border VAT handled?
The portal validates the buyer's VAT ID through the EU VIES service and issues reverse charge invoices for intra-community deliveries. Budget around 4 days for this, plus testing with your tax adviser.
How long does the SAP integration take?
Between 15 and 30 days of development depending on the interfaces available. Stock usually syncs every 15 to 60 minutes, while orders flow into SAP in near real time.
What maintenance budget is realistic?
Between 800 and 3,500 EUR a month depending on account volume and service levels. For 300 to 1,500 accounts, 1,500 to 2,000 EUR covers updates, monitoring and a few hours of fixes.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your account volume, SAP setup and pricing rules, and we will return a scope in person-days, an indicative EUR budget and a rollout plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.