The verdict in three sentences
A Montreal wholesaler opening its catalog online to 2,000 trade customers must show each of them its negotiated terms: discounts by product family, net prices, quantity breaks and free shipping thresholds. Depending on complexity, native Shopify B2B or a Sylius build will do, but the real cost is syncing terms from the ERP, between 20,000 and 70,000 CAD in 2026, with a price cache to keep pages under 2 seconds. A wrong price shown online costs more in disputes and credit notes than the module itself.
The four levels of pricing complexity
Not every wholesaler runs the same pricing logic. Before choosing a solution, classify your terms: the most complex level used by your 50 largest customers decides the technology.
| Level | Example of term | Typical rule volume | Suitable solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Catalogs by segment | Contractor price list, reseller price list | 3 - 10 lists | Shopify B2B, standard Sylius |
| 2. Discount by family and customer | 18% off plumbing for customer X | 5,000 - 30,000 lines | Shopify B2B with sync, Sylius |
| 3. Negotiated net prices per item | 1,200 net prices for a national account | 50,000 - 500,000 lines | Sylius or custom, cache required |
| 4. Breaks, shipping thresholds, stacked promos | Break at 50 units, free shipping at 600 CAD, live campaign | Combined rules | Dedicated price engine or ERP computed prices |
At level 3, a wholesaler with 2,000 customers and 15,000 SKUs can reach several hundred thousand net prices. Computing them on every page view brings the site down: they must be precomputed and cached per customer. In Quebec, the Charter of the French language also requires the catalog and checkout to be available in French, which doubles the content work.
Shopify B2B, Sylius or custom: 2026 costs
| Criterion | Shopify B2B (Plus) | Sylius (open source) | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription or license | From about 2,300 USD a month | Free (paid Plus edition) | None |
| Store setup | 40,000 - 100,000 CAD | 60,000 - 140,000 CAD | 110,000 - 230,000 CAD |
| ERP terms sync | 20,000 - 50,000 CAD | 25,000 - 70,000 CAD | 25,000 - 70,000 CAD |
| Practical limit | Catalogs and price lists, capped logic | Flexible, extensible in PHP | None |
| Hosting | Included | 450 - 2,200 CAD a month | 450 - 2,200 CAD a month |
| Typical timeline | 3 - 4 months | 4 - 6 months | 6 - 9 months |
Shopify B2B handles company catalogs, price lists and payment terms well, but hits its limits with hundreds of thousands of net prices or stacked promotions. Sylius, an open source framework built in France, adapts to almost any logic at the cost of a longer build.
How to make displayed prices reliable
| Technical measure | Role | Indicative cost (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Incremental export of terms from the ERP | Only transfer changed prices | 6,000 - 15,000 |
| Precomputed per customer price cache | Pages under 2 seconds, even at level 3 | 8,000 - 18,000 |
| Automatic ERP vs site gap check | Alert if a price differs by more than 0.5% | 3,000 - 9,000 |
| Price validation at order time | ERP confirms price before invoicing | 5,000 - 12,000 |
| Log of displayed prices | Evidence in case of customer dispute | 2,500 - 6,000 |
Mini case study
Julien, CIO of an industrial supplies wholesaler in Montreal, manages 2,000 accounts, 15,000 SKUs and about 180,000 net prices. On 30,000 orders a year, 1.2% led to a credit note for a price error during a first test without checks, at an average cost of 130 CAD per dispute (sales time, credit, freight), so 46,800 CAD a year. By choosing Sylius with incremental sync, per customer cache and gap checks for 45,000 CAD of pricing components, he brings disputes down to 0.2% and saves about 39,000 CAD a year. On top of that come evening orders placed without a sales rep, which the team estimates at 15% of volume after one year.
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FAQ
How much does customer specific pricing cost in a B2B webshop in 2026?
Syncing terms from the ERP costs 20,000 to 70,000 CAD on top of the store itself. The price cache adds 8,000 to 18,000 CAD once you have more than 50,000 net prices.
Is Shopify B2B enough for a wholesaler?
Yes for segment catalogs and family discounts across a few thousand customers. Beyond 100,000 net prices or with stacked promotions, Sylius or a custom build is safer.
Should prices be computed in the store or left to the ERP?
The most reliable approach keeps the ERP as the reference and precomputes prices for the site. The ERP then confirms the price at order time, which avoids 90% of disputes.
What page load time should we target?
Under 2 seconds for a catalog page with customer prices. Without a cache, a level 3 catalog often exceeds 5 to 8 seconds.
How long does a full project take?
Plan 3 to 4 months with Shopify B2B, 4 to 6 months with Sylius and 6 to 9 months custom, including 4 to 6 weeks for the ERP sync.
Let's scope your project. We review your pricing terms and your ERP, then recommend the right solution with an indicative budget and a launch schedule. 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.
