Start with Shopify's Native B2B Features
Before evaluating any SAP integration, it is worth understanding what Shopify already provides for B2B out of the box. If you are on Shopify Plus, you get access to a full suite of native B2B capabilities:
These features exist independently of any ERP connector. Your SAP Business One integration should complement them, not replace them. For a broader overview, see our Essential Shopify Features for B2B guide.
Why Shopify Plus Is Required for B2B
This is the most important prerequisite: Shopify's native B2B features are only available on the Shopify Plus plan. If you are on a Basic, Shopify, or Advanced plan, you will not have access to companies, B2B catalogs, customer-specific pricing, or payment terms through Shopify's built-in tools.
Before investing in an SAP B1 integration that targets B2B workflows, confirm that:
- You are on Shopify Plus (or actively migrating to it).
- You have set up at least one B2B catalog and company profile to understand how Shopify structures B2B data.
- Your team understands the difference between Shopify's standard customer records and B2B company objects, since SAP customer data will need to map to one or the other.
If you are evaluating Shopify Plus for the first time, our guide on how to evaluate Shopify Plus partners for manufacturing businesses covers what to look for in an implementation partner.
What a SAP Business One Integration Needs to Cover
A full B2B integration between SAP Business One and Shopify typically needs to sync the following:
- Customers and companies: SAP B1 business partners mapped to Shopify B2B company profiles (not just standard customer records).
- Products and variants: SAP items and item groups mapped to Shopify products, variants, and collections.
- Price lists and catalogs: SAP price lists mapped to Shopify B2B catalogs with company-specific pricing.
- Orders: Shopify orders flowing into SAP B1 as sales orders or invoices.
- Inventory: Stock levels synced between SAP warehouses and Shopify locations, ideally bidirectionally.
- Payment terms: Net terms, deposits, and payment methods aligned between both systems.
The challenge is that not every connector handles all of these, and B2B-specific objects (companies, catalogs, B2B pricing) require Shopify's B2B APIs, which some integrations have not yet implemented.
Option A: The SAP Business One Shopify App
There is an app in the Shopify App Store called SAP Business One Integration by eShopSync. Here is what it currently offers:
What it syncs:
- SAP B1 item groups as Shopify collections/categories
- SAP B1 items as Shopify products
- Auto-update and scheduled sync capabilities
- Bulk import and CSV support
What it does not cover (as of this writing):
- Order sync (Shopify orders into SAP B1)
- Customer or company sync
- B2B catalog or pricing sync
- Inventory level sync
- Payment or fulfillment data
Pricing:
- $99/month ($1,070/year with annual billing)
- 7-day free trial
Technical requirements:
- SAP B1 version 10.0 or higher
- SAP Business Service Layer with DB-HANA
- Service Layer configuration (contact your SAP license provider if this is not already set up)
When this app makes sense: If your primary need is getting your SAP product catalog into Shopify and keeping it updated automatically, this app handles that specific use case. It is a reasonable starting point for product data, but it leaves the rest of the integration (orders, customers, inventory, B2B pricing) to be solved separately.
When it falls short: If you need a full bidirectional B2B integration covering orders, customers, company profiles, and pricing, this app alone will not get you there. You will need to supplement it with additional tooling or a custom integration.
Option B: Build a B2B-Compatible Integration
For a full SAP B1 to Shopify B2B integration, you have two main paths:
Use a middleware or integration platform
Integration platforms let you build custom data flows between SAP B1 and Shopify without writing a connector from scratch. n8n is one option that supports both SAP and Shopify connections, letting you:
- Pull orders from Shopify and create sales orders in SAP B1
- Sync customer records bidirectionally
- Push inventory updates from SAP to Shopify on a schedule
- Map SAP price lists to Shopify B2B catalogs using Shopify's B2B APIs
For guidance on when to use n8n versus Shopify Flow for different parts of this workflow, see Conditional Logic Automations: When to Use n8n vs Shopify Flow.
Build a custom integration using Shopify's B2B APIs
Shopify provides dedicated B2B APIs designed for ERP integrations. These APIs support:
- Creating and managing company profiles (the core B2B object in Shopify)
- Assigning catalogs with company-specific pricing programmatically
- Managing payment terms per company
- Processing B2B orders with all the associated metadata (company, location, catalog, payment terms)
A custom integration gives you full control over what data flows where and how it is transformed between SAP's data model and Shopify's B2B objects. This is the approach to consider when your B2B requirements are complex (multiple price lists per customer, tiered discounts, custom payment terms) and no off-the-shelf connector covers them.
For a general overview of ERP integration approaches on Shopify, see our Shopify ERP Integration Guide.
Choosing Between a Blended Store and a Dedicated B2B Store
Before configuring any integration, decide on your store architecture. Shopify Plus supports both models:
Blended store (D2C + B2B on one store)
- A single Shopify store serves both retail consumers and wholesale/B2B buyers.
- B2B customers log in and see their company-specific catalogs, pricing, and payment terms.
- D2C customers see standard retail pricing.
- Integration consideration: Your SAP sync needs to distinguish between B2B and D2C orders flowing into SAP B1. Tag or flag B2B orders so they route to the correct SAP document type (for example, wholesale sales orders vs. retail receipts).
Dedicated B2B store
- A separate Shopify Plus store exclusively for B2B buyers, often with a gated login.
- The product catalog, pricing, and checkout are fully tailored to business buyers.
- Integration consideration: Simpler mapping since every order and customer is B2B. Your SAP integration does not need to filter or distinguish between customer types.
The right choice depends on your sales model. If most of your revenue comes from B2B and you have a small D2C presence, a blended store keeps things simple. If B2B and D2C have very different catalogs, pricing structures, or fulfillment workflows, a dedicated B2B store reduces complexity in both Shopify and SAP.
Mapping SAP B1 Data to Shopify B2B Objects
Getting the data mapping right is the difference between a working integration and one that creates accounting headaches. Here are the key mappings to plan:
Customers and companies:
- SAP B1 business partners (type: Customer) should map to Shopify B2B company profiles, not standard Shopify customer records.
- Each SAP business partner may have multiple ship-to addresses. Map these to company locations in Shopify.
- Individual contacts under a SAP business partner map to company contacts in Shopify, each with their own login credentials.
Products:
- SAP B1 items map to Shopify products (or product variants if the SAP item represents a size/color/configuration).
- SAP B1 item groups map to Shopify collections.
- Ensure SKU/item number conventions match across both systems to prevent duplicates.
Pricing:
- SAP B1 price lists map to Shopify B2B catalogs. Each catalog can have company-specific pricing.
- If you use SAP's special pricing (volume discounts, customer-specific prices), decide whether to replicate this as Shopify quantity rules, percentage adjustments, or fixed catalog prices.
Orders:
- Shopify B2B orders should create sales orders (or A/R invoices, depending on your workflow) in SAP B1.
- Map Shopify payment terms to SAP payment terms codes.
- Include the Shopify order number as a reference on the SAP document for reconciliation.
Inventory:
- Map SAP B1 warehouses to Shopify locations.
- Decide on sync direction: SAP as the source of truth (most common for manufacturers) pushing stock levels to Shopify, or bidirectional if you also fulfill from Shopify-managed locations.
- For guidance on how frequently to sync, see How Often Should Shopify Sync Inventory?
Key Configuration Decisions Before You Go Live
Before activating any SAP B1 integration in production, work through these decisions:
Data ownership:
- Which system is the master for each data type? Typically SAP B1 owns products, pricing, and inventory, while Shopify owns the storefront experience and order capture.
Sync frequency and triggers:
- Real-time (webhook-based) or scheduled (cron-based)? Product and pricing changes can usually sync on a schedule, but inventory and order data often benefit from near-real-time sync to prevent overselling.
Error handling:
- What happens when a sync fails? Does the integration retry automatically, queue the record for manual review, or send an alert? Set this up before you have live orders depending on the sync.
B2B API compatibility:
- If you are using a third-party connector (including the eShopSync app), confirm in writing whether it uses Shopify's B2B APIs for company and catalog operations. If it only uses standard Shopify APIs, B2B-specific data will not sync correctly.
Testing:
- Create test companies, catalogs, and orders in both systems. Sync them and verify every field: company name, location, pricing, payment terms, order line items, tax, and fulfillment status.
- Test edge cases: partial fulfillments, refunds, back-orders, and multi-location inventory updates.
.png)
.png)
