How to Configure B2B Customer Synchronization Between Business Central and Shopify

For manufacturers and wholesalers using Shopify B2B, synchronizing company and customer data with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is essential for seamless operations. When configured correctly, customer synchronization ensures pricing accuracy, proper order attribution, and consistent data across your e-commerce and ERP systems.

This guide focuses specifically on B2B customer and company synchronization, helping you set up a reliable integration that supports your wholesale and manufacturing business operations.

Understanding B2B Synchronization Architecture

Before diving into configuration, it's important to understand how B2B customer data flows between Business Central and Shopify.

Key Structural Differences

Shopify B2B uses a company-based structure:

• Companies - Business entities that purchase from you
• Locations - Physical addresses for each company (headquarters, branches, warehouses)
• Contacts - Users associated with each company who can place orders

Business Central uses a simpler structure:

• Customers - Single entity that handles both individual and business customers
• Ship-to Addresses - Multiple delivery locations per customer
• Contacts - Separate contact management system

This structural difference means the connector maps Shopify companies to Business Central customers, with some important implications for how you configure synchronization.

Why B2B Synchronization Matters

Proper company synchronization enables:

Accurate Order Processing:

• Orders automatically assign to the correct Business Central customer
• Company-specific pricing applies correctly
• Payment terms transfer properly

Financial Reporting:

• Revenue attributes to the right customer accounts
• Accounts receivable tracking stays accurate
• Customer profitability analysis works correctly

Operational Efficiency:

• No manual customer lookup or creation for online orders
• Automatic application of negotiated pricing and terms
• Consistent customer data across sales channels

Customer Experience:

• Customers see their specific pricing online
• Order history syncs between channels
• Account managers have unified customer view

Configuring B2B Company Import (Shopify to Business Central)

Most manufacturers start by importing existing Shopify B2B companies into Business Central. Here's how to configure it properly.

Step 1: Configure Company Import Settings

Navigate to your Shopify Shop Card in Business Central and configure these B2B-specific settings:

Company Import from Shopify

Choose how companies flow from Shopify to Business Central:

• All Companies - Proactively import all Shopify B2B companies
• None - Don't automatically import companies
• With Order Import - Import companies only when they place orders

Recommendation for Manufacturers: Use "All Companies" if you're onboarding existing wholesale customers to Shopify. Use "With Order Import" if you're gradually rolling out Shopify B2B.

Important: Company information always imports with orders regardless of this setting. This controls whether you proactively import companies before they order.

Step 2: Choose Your Company Mapping Strategy

This is the most critical B2B configuration decision. It determines how the connector matches Shopify companies to existing Business Central customers.

Company Mapping Type Options:

By Email/Phone:

• Matches companies based on main contact's email address or phone number
• Best for preventing duplicate customer records
• Requires accurate contact information in both systems
• Use when: You have existing customers in Business Central with reliable email/phone data

By Tax ID:

• Matches based on tax registration numbers (VAT, EIN, etc.)
• Most reliable for business matching
• Requires proper tax ID configuration in both systems
• Use when: You collect tax IDs and they're unique identifiers for your customers

Always Take the Default Company:

• All Shopify B2B orders assign to a single default Business Central customer
• Simplifies setup but loses company-specific tracking
• Use when: You're testing or have specific accounting reasons to consolidate

Recommendation for B2B: Use "By Tax ID" if you collect tax registration numbers. Otherwise, use "By Email/Phone" for reliable matching.

Step 3: Configure Tax ID Mapping

If using "By Tax ID" mapping, specify where tax information stores in Business Central.

Company Tax ID Mapping:

• Registration Number - Uses the Registration No. field on Customer Card
• VAT Registration No. - Uses the VAT Registration No. field

Choose based on:

• Your country's requirements (EU typically uses VAT Registration No.)
• How you use these fields in Business Central
• Your existing customer data structure

Best Practice: Before enabling sync, ensure your Shopify B2B companies have tax IDs populated if using this mapping method.

Step 4: Enable Automatic Company Creation

Auto Create Unknown Companies

Enable this to automatically create Business Central customers for new Shopify B2B companies that don't match existing records.

Requirements:

• Must use "By Email/Phone" or "By Tax ID" mapping
• Company must have required information in Shopify
• Customer template must be properly configured

When to Enable:

• You're onboarding new wholesale customers through Shopify
• You trust Shopify B2B company data quality
• You want automatic customer creation workflow

When to Disable:

• New wholesale customers require credit approval
• You manually vet all new business customers
• You need to review company data before creating customers

Step 5: Configure Customer Templates for B2B

Customer templates define default values for automatically created customers. This is critical for proper financial setup.

Customer/Company Template Code

Create B2B-specific templates that include:

Mandatory Fields:

• Gen. Business Posting Group - Business customer posting group
• Customer Posting Group - Receivables account for wholesale customers
• VAT Bus. Posting Group - Appropriate tax treatment for B2B sales
• Payment Terms - Default terms (often NET 30 or NET 60 for wholesale)
• Payment Method - Default payment method

Recommended B2B Template Fields:

• Credit Limit (LCY) - Set appropriate credit limits for wholesale
• Prices Including VAT - Typically FALSE for B2B
• Invoice Disc. Code - Volume discount code if applicable
• Salesperson Code - Default account manager
• Customer Price Group - Wholesale pricing group

Example B2B Templates:

Template Code: B2B-DOMESTIC

- Gen. Business Posting Group: DOMESTIC

- Customer Posting Group: WHOLESALE

- Payment Terms: NET 30

- VAT Bus. Posting Group: DOMESTIC

- Prices Including VAT: No

- Customer Price Group: WHOLESALE

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Template Code: B2B-EXPORT

- Gen. Business Posting Group: EXPORT

- Customer Posting Group: WHOLESALE

- Payment Terms: NET 60

- VAT Bus. Posting Group: EXPORT

- Prices Including VAT: No

- Customer Price Group: WHOLESALE-INTL

Step 6: Configure Country/Region-Specific B2B Settings

B2B businesses often have different requirements by country. Configure defaults per region.

Navigate to Customer Setup by Country/Region:

Default Customer No.

• Override mapping for specific countries
• Useful if all customers from a country should map to one Business Central customer (e.g., export customers)

Customer Template Code

• Use country-specific B2B templates
• Ensures proper tax and posting configurations

Tax Area Configuration

• Critical for US-based manufacturers selling across state lines
• Ensures correct sales tax calculation on B2B orders

Example Configuration:

Country

Template

Tax Area

Notes

US

B2B-DOMESTIC

State-based

Domestic wholesale customers

CA

B2B-CANADA

Province-based

Canadian wholesale customers

Other

B2B-EXPORT

Export

International wholesale customers

Step 7: Enable Company Updates from Shopify

Shopify Can Update Company

When enabled, changes to company information in Shopify update the matched Business Central customer.

Updates Include:

• Company name changes
• Location address updates
• Main contact information
• Tax ID changes

Enable When:

• Customers manage their own information in Shopify
• You want company updates to flow automatically
• Shopify is your customer-facing system of record

Disable When:

• Business Central is your master customer database
• Company changes require approval or review
• You have strict data governance requirements

Recommendation for B2B: Enable this if customers self-manage their Shopify B2B accounts. Disable if your sales team manages customer data in Business Central.

Step 8: Understanding B2B Data Import

When companies sync from Shopify to Business Central, here's how data maps:

Source Location for Customer Creation: The oldest company location in Shopify becomes the primary address in Business Central.

Imported Company Data:

• Company name → Customer Name
• Company locations → Ship-to Addresses (oldest location as primary billing address)
• Main contact information → Contact fields
• Payment terms → Payment Terms Code (if mapped)
• Tax IDs → Registration No. or VAT Registration No. (based on your mapping)

Main Contact Import: Only the main contact imports to Business Central. Additional Shopify contacts don't sync automatically.

Payment Terms Mapping: If the Shopify company has payment terms that match a record on the Shopify Payment Terms Mapping page, those terms automatically assign to the Business Central customer.

Setting Up Payment Terms Mapping:

1. Search for Shopify Payment Terms Mapping
2. Create mappings between Shopify and Business Central terms:

Shopify Payment Term

Business Central Code

Description

Net 30

NET30

30 days net

Net 60

NET60

60 days net

Net 90

NET90

90 days net

Due on receipt

CASH

Immediate payment

This ensures customer payment terms transfer correctly when companies sync.

Step 9: Perform Initial Company Import

Import Companies from Shopify:

1. Search for Shopify Shop
2. Select your shop
3. Choose Sync Company action
4. Review the log for any errors

Alternative methods:

• Use Start Company Sync on Shopify Company page
• Search for Sync Company batch job

What Happens During Import:

• Connector searches for matching Business Central customers based on mapping type
• If match found and "Can Update Company" enabled, updates customer information
• If no match and "Auto Create Unknown Companies" enabled, creates new customer using template
• Imports company locations and main contact
• Maps payment terms if matching records exist

Review Results:

1. Search for Shopify Companies
2. Review imported companies
3. Check Customer No. field to see Business Central customer assignment
4. Review any companies that failed to import in log entries

Configuring B2B Company Export (Business Central to Shopify)

Once import is working, you can enable existing Business Central customers to order through Shopify B2B.

Step 1: Configure Export Settings

Can Update Shopify Companies

Enable this to push company updates from Business Central to Shopify.

When Enabled:

• Changes to customer information in Business Central sync to Shopify
• Useful when Business Central is your master customer database
• Keeps Shopify B2B company data current

Export Requirements:

• Customer must have valid email address
• Country/Region field must have ISO Code populated
• Phone numbers must be unique and in E.164 format

Step 2: Configure Contact Permissions

Default Contact Permissions

Set default permissions for main contacts when exporting companies:

Permission Levels:

• None - Contact can view company but not place orders
• Ordering only - Contact can place orders but not manage settings
• Location admin - Contact can manage location settings and place orders

Recommendation: Use "Ordering only" for most B2B customers. Use "Location admin" for customers who need to manage their own locations and users.

Step 3: Enable Automatic Catalog Creation

Auto Create Catalog

When enabled, the connector creates a product catalog with all products for each exported company.

Why This Matters for B2B:

Shopify B2B uses catalogs to:

• Control which products each company can see
• Enable customer-specific pricing
• Restrict access to certain product lines

Benefits of Auto Create Catalog:

• Enables automatic price calculation based on Customer No.
• Applies Business Central customer price groups to Shopify
• Supports customer-specific product visibility

When to Enable:

• You have customer-specific pricing in Business Central
• You use customer price groups or special prices
• You want to restrict product visibility by customer
• Business Central is your pricing master

When to Disable:

• All B2B customers see the same products at the same prices
• You manually manage Shopify catalogs
• You don't use customer-specific pricing

Recommendation for Manufacturers: Enable this if you have negotiated pricing or customer-specific catalogs. It ensures Shopify displays the correct prices for each company.

Step 4: Configure Tax ID Export

Company Tax ID Mapping

Determines which Business Central field provides tax details when exporting:

• Registration Number - Uses Registration No. field
• VAT Registration No. - Uses VAT Registration No. field

Match this to your import configuration to ensure consistency.

Step 5: Perform Initial Company Export

Export Customers to Shopify:

1. Search for Shopify Company
2. Click Add Company action
3. Enter Shop Code
4. Define filters to select customers to export

Example Filters:

Customer Posting Group: WHOLESALE

Country/Region Code: US|CA

Blocked: <blank> (not blocked)

1. Click OK

What Happens During Export:

• Companies and customers created in Shopify B2B
• Catalogs created if "Auto Create Catalog" enabled
• Main contact created with specified permissions
• Payment terms transferred if mapped
• Company ID field populated with Business Central Customer No.

Important: This initial export ignores the "Can Update Shopify Companies" setting. It creates companies regardless of the toggle.

Step 6: Working with Multiple Company Locations

Many B2B customers have multiple locations (headquarters, branches, distribution centers). Here's how to handle them.

Add Business Central Customer as Shopify Location:

Use this when a single company has multiple Business Central customer records (e.g., different billing entities or branches).

1. Open Shopify Company page
2. Select the company
3. Use Add customer as Shopify Location action
4. Select additional Business Central customer to add as location

Use Cases:

• Headquarters and branch offices with separate billing
• Multiple ship-to addresses that are separate Business Central customers
• Regional offices with different pricing or payment terms
• Distribution centers that order independently

How It Works:

• Multiple Business Central customers link to one Shopify B2B company
• Each customer becomes a separate location in Shopify
• Orders from different locations assign to correct Business Central customer
• Enables complex organizational structures

Automating B2B Synchronization

Manual synchronization doesn't scale. Set up automated batch jobs to keep data current.

Setting Up Recurring Company Sync

Create Job Queue Entry:

1. Search for Job Queue Entries
2. Create new entry
3. Object Type to Run: Codeunit
4. Object ID to Run: (Sync Company codeunit ID)
5. Set Recurrence:
   
   • Daily for most B2B operations
   • Every few hours during onboarding periods
   • Weekly for stable customer bases

Best Practices:

• Schedule during off-peak hours (early morning or late night)
• Monitor execution logs for failures
• Set up error notifications
• Start with daily sync, adjust based on needs

Monitoring Synchronization Health

Check Sync Status Regularly:

1. Search for Shopify Log Entries
2. Filter by Table ID (Customer/Company)
3. Review errors and warnings

Common Issues to Watch For:

• Missing required fields
• Tax ID format mismatches
• Phone number format errors
• Payment terms mapping failures
• Duplicate customer detection issues

B2B-Specific Best Practices

1. Plan Your Mapping Strategy Before Going Live

Do This:

• Audit existing customer data quality
• Ensure tax IDs are populated if using tax ID mapping
• Clean up email and phone data if using that mapping
• Test with a small subset of customers first

Avoid This:

• Enabling auto-create without testing mapping logic
• Assuming all data is clean and accurate
• Syncing all customers at once without validation

2. Configure Payment Terms Mapping Early

Do This:

• Set up Shopify Payment Terms Mapping before first sync
• Ensure Business Central payment terms codes match Shopify terms
• Test that terms transfer correctly

Avoid This:

• Skipping payment terms configuration
• Assuming terms will map automatically
• Discovering payment term issues after orders start flowing

3. Use Templates to Enforce B2B Defaults

Do This:

• Create separate templates for domestic and export B2B customers
• Include appropriate credit limits in templates
• Set correct VAT/tax treatment
• Define default payment terms and methods

Avoid This:

• Using the same template as B2C customers
• Missing mandatory fields in templates
• Inconsistent B2B customer setup

4. Handle Customer-Specific Pricing Correctly

Do This:

• Enable "Auto Create Catalog" if using customer-specific pricing
• Set up Customer Price Groups in Business Central
• Test that prices sync correctly to Shopify
• Document your pricing strategy

Avoid This:

• Expecting customer pricing to work without catalog creation
• Missing price synchronization configuration
• Inconsistent pricing between channels

5. Communicate with Customers About Data Management

Do This:

• Tell customers how to update their company information
• Explain which system (BC or Shopify) is master for different data
• Provide guidance on adding users and locations
• Document the self-service capabilities

Avoid This:

• Customers and internal teams both updating data, causing conflicts
• Unclear ownership of customer data
• Customers frustrated by data not syncing as expected

Troubleshooting Common B2B Sync Issues

Issue: Companies Won't Match Existing Customers

Symptoms:

• New customers created instead of matching existing
• Duplicate customer records
• Orders assign to wrong customers

Causes:

• Mapping type doesn't match available data
• Tax IDs don't match between systems
• Email/phone data is inconsistent

Solutions:

1. Review Company Mapping Type setting
2. Verify tax IDs match exactly (including format)
3. Check email and phone data consistency
4. Manually link companies using Customer No. field
5. Use filters to test with small data set first

Issue: Payment Terms Don't Transfer

Symptoms:

• Shopify companies have payment terms but Business Central customers don't
• Wrong payment terms applied

Causes:

• Shopify Payment Terms Mapping not configured
• Terms don't match between systems
• Mapping case-sensitive or includes extra spaces

Solutions:

1. Set up Shopify Payment Terms Mapping
2. Ensure exact name matches (case-sensitive)
3. Review Shopify B2B payment terms setup
4. Test with one company first

Issue: Company Export Fails

Symptoms:

• Customers won't export to Shopify
• Error messages in log

Common Causes & Solutions:

Missing Email:

• Ensure every customer has valid email address
• Email is required for Shopify B2B

Invalid Phone Format:

• Convert phone numbers to E.164 format
• Valid: +15551234567
• Invalid: (555) 123-4567

Missing ISO Country Code:

• Populate ISO Code field in Country/Region table
• Use standard ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes (US, CA, GB, etc.)

Issue: Catalog Creation Doesn't Apply Pricing

Symptoms:

• Catalog created but all customers see same prices
• Customer-specific pricing doesn't work

Causes:

• Customer Price Groups not set up correctly
• Price synchronization not configured
• Business Central pricing not syncing to Shopify

Solutions:

1. Verify Auto Create Catalog is enabled
2. Check Customer Price Group assignments
3. Review price synchronization settings
4. Ensure prices exist in Business Central for customer price groups
5. Check Shopify catalog pricing configuration

Advanced B2B Scenarios

Scenario 1: Migrating Existing Wholesale Customers to Shopify B2B

Challenge: You have 500 existing wholesale customers in Business Central and want to enable Shopify B2B ordering.

Approach:

1. Phase 1: Prepare Data
   
   • Audit customer data for email, phone, tax ID completeness
   • Clean up inconsistencies
   • Ensure all customers have payment terms
2. Phase 2: Configure Export
   
   • Set up customer templates
   • Configure payment terms mapping
   • Enable "Auto Create Catalog" for customer pricing
3. Phase 3: Pilot with Small Group
   
   • Export 10-20 customers first
   • Validate company creation, catalogs, pricing
   • Test order flow end-to-end
   • Gather feedback
4. Phase 4: Gradual Rollout
   
   • Export customers in batches (50-100 at a time)
   • Monitor for issues between batches
   • Communicate with customers about new ordering channel
5. Phase 5: Ongoing Sync
   
   • Enable automated synchronization
   • Monitor sync health
   • Handle exceptions promptly

Scenario 2: Multiple Business Central Customers Per Company

Challenge: A large corporation has separate customer records for each division, but should appear as one company in Shopify.

Approach:

1. Export primary customer as main Shopify company
2. Use Add customer as Shopify Location for each division
3. Each division becomes a location in Shopify B2B
4. Orders from different divisions assign to correct Business Central customer
5. Corporate buyer sees all divisions in one Shopify B2B account

Benefits:

• Unified ordering experience for customer
• Separate billing and invoicing by division in Business Central
• Accurate order attribution
• Simplified customer management

Scenario 3: Selective Product Access by Customer

Challenge: Different wholesale customers should see different product catalogs.

Approach:

1. Enable Auto Create Catalog in export settings
2. Use Business Central item permissions or customer-specific price lists
3. Only products available to customer appear in their Shopify catalog
4. Alternatively, manually manage Shopify catalogs per company

Use Cases:

• Regional distributors see region-specific products
• Tiered customers (silver/gold/platinum) see different product lines
• Private label customers see only their branded products

For more details on ERP integration strategies, see our guide on Shopify ERP Integration.

Conclusion: Building a Reliable B2B Sync Foundation

Customer and company synchronization is the foundation of a successful Business Central-Shopify B2B integration. When configured correctly, it enables:

• Seamless order processing with correct customer attribution
• Accurate customer-specific pricing in Shopify
• Proper payment terms application
• Consistent customer data across channels
• Efficient wholesale operations

Key Takeaways:

1. Choose mapping wisely - "By Tax ID" for most reliable B2B matching
2. Configure templates thoroughly - Include all necessary B2B defaults
3. Set up payment terms mapping - Critical for B2B customer experience
4. Enable catalog creation - Essential for customer-specific pricing
5. Test before full rollout - Validate with small customer set first
6. Automate synchronization - Use batch jobs to keep data current
7. Monitor actively - Review logs and address issues promptly

Whether you're migrating existing wholesale customers to Shopify B2B or onboarding new companies, proper synchronization configuration ensures your integration runs smoothly and your customer data stays reliable.

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Ready to configure B2B synchronization? Review your customer data quality, set up appropriate templates and mapping, then test with a small group before rolling out to all wholesale customers. A solid foundation prevents data issues and enables smooth B2B operations.

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