B2B Payment Processing for Wholesalers, Distributors and Manufacturers
B2B payment processing with ACH, cards and card to crypto for cross border orders. Built for wholesale, including high risk categories.
B2B Payment Processing for Wholesalers, Distributors and Manufacturers
B2B payment processing is how a business collects payments from other businesses, such as a wholesaler invoicing a retailer or a manufacturer selling to a distributor. Orders are larger and less frequent than consumer sales, so the payment method has a much bigger effect on margin. CERF offers B2B payment processing with ACH, card processing and card to crypto for cross border buyers, including for high risk wholesale categories.
ACH for Large Orders
Bank to bank payments for large domestic orders, with no reserve and no minimum required.
Cards for Smaller Orders
Cards for smaller orders, sample orders and first purchases from new customers.
Card to Crypto for Cross Border
The buyer pays by card and you receive crypto in your wallet in 60 to 90 seconds, with no reserve, no monthly fee and no minimum.
High Risk Wholesale
Wholesale supplements, research peptides, CBD and similar categories are placed with acquirers that accept them.
Links and Invoices
Take payment from a link or an invoice, not only from a checkout page.
Terms in Writing
Fees, reserve and settlement confirmed before you start.
Why Large Orders Need a Different Payment Setup
A checkout built for consumers charges the same percentage on a $60 order and a $60,000 order. On the small one that is fine. On the large one it takes a real share of the margin.
Wholesale buyers also expect to pay from an invoice, by bank transfer or from another country. A B2B payment setup lets you offer each route and steer large orders to the cheapest one.
$25,000 Order Paid by Card. Hundreds in Fees.
A distributor takes a $25,000 order by card. The processing fee alone runs to hundreds of dollars.
The same order by ACH costs a fraction of that. Over a year, steering large orders to ACH keeps thousands of dollars in your margin.
Card Only vs. CERF
| Feature | Card Only | CERF B2B Setup Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Large orders | ✕A percentage of every order, however large | ✓ACH, priced for large orders |
| Cross border buyers | ✕Declined or slow | ✓Card to crypto, funds in 60 to 90 seconds |
| Invoices | ✕Manual | ✓Payment links and invoices |
| High risk categories | ✕Often refused | ✓Placed with accepting acquirers |
| Reserve | ✕Frequently applied | ✓None on ACH or card to crypto |
| Minimums | ✕Common | ✓None on ACH or card to crypto |
How B2B Payment Processing Works
In a consumer sale, the customer pays at checkout and the order ships. In a B2B sale, the buyer is a company, and the order may follow a quote, a purchase order or an invoice with terms. Payment can arrive by card, bank transfer, wire, check or, for cross border buyers, other digital routes.
B2B payment processing sits between the buyer's account and yours. It collects the payment, checks that the funds are valid, and settles the money to your bank account or wallet. Good setups also record which invoice the payment belongs to, so your finance team does not match deposits by hand.
The key difference from consumer processing is size. A consumer order might be $60. A wholesale order can be $5,000 or $75,000, so every fraction of a percent in fees turns into real money.
B2B Payment Processing Fees: ACH vs Card
The simplest way to see the difference is to compare the cost of the same order by each method. Percentage based card fees grow with every dollar of the order, while ACH fees stay low even on large invoices.
That is why large orders belong on ACH wherever the buyer can use it. Cards still earn their place for smaller orders, first purchases and buyers who want to pay at once. Our guide to card, card to crypto and ACH compares the three methods in more depth.
ACH Payments for Wholesale Orders
ACH is a bank to bank transfer and the lowest cost option for large domestic B2B orders. It is slower than a card because payments are sent in batches, and it is mostly a United States network, so cross border orders need another route. ACH payments can also be returned, for example when the buyer's account has insufficient funds, so build a process for returned payments and consider holding shipment until funds clear on a first order.
Our ACH solution comes with no reserve and no minimum required. Nacha publishes the operating rules for ACH in the United States, which are worth reading if you plan to send large volumes.
Card Payments and Level 2 and Level 3 Data
Cards suit smaller wholesale orders, sample orders and first purchases from a new customer. Commercial and purchasing cards can carry extra transaction data, often called Level 2 and Level 3 data, such as tax amount, customer code and line item detail. On eligible transactions this data can lower the interchange cost, so ask any provider whether they support it.
The Visa and Mastercard rules set how interchange works, and your acquirer applies them to your account.
Cross Border B2B Payments With Card to Crypto
ACH rarely works for buyers outside the United States. Our card to crypto solution lets the customer pay by card while you receive crypto in your own wallet, usually within 60 to 90 seconds. There is no reserve, no monthly fee and no minimum, and approval comes within 48 hours. Pricing is quoted for your category.
It suits wholesale sellers whose buyers are overseas, or whose category is refused by regular acquirers. Read how card to crypto settlement works for the full picture.
B2B Payment Processing for High Risk Wholesale
Many wholesale categories are classed as high risk by banks, even when the business is entirely legal. If you sell in one of these, a general processor will often refuse you or freeze funds. We place these businesses with specialist acquirers.
- Wholesale supplements and nutraceuticals, see our nutraceutical merchant account page
- Research peptide suppliers selling to labs and other businesses, see our peptide merchant account page
- CBD and hemp wholesalers, see our CBD merchant account page
- Manufacturers, private label and contract producers
- Distributors and importers selling across borders
Our guides to what a high risk merchant account is and the high risk industries list show where your business is likely to sit.
Invoices, Payment Links and Virtual Terminal
B2B buyers often pay from an invoice, not a checkout page. A payment link in an invoice email lets the buyer pay by ACH or card in a few clicks. A virtual terminal covers payments taken by phone, and a gateway on your website covers online orders. Pick a setup that lets your team send a link in seconds, since the fastest invoice to pay is the one that is easy to pay.
B2B Ecommerce Payment Processing
Many wholesalers now run a trade portal on Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom platform. B2B ecommerce payment processing there needs to handle saved payment methods, repeat orders and larger tickets. We support Shopify, WooCommerce and custom builds through API, and we can advise how to offer ACH and card side by side at checkout. See our ecommerce merchant account page for the online store side.
What to Ask a B2B Payment Processor
- Which methods are available for my order size and my buyers' countries?
- What are the fees per transaction, per month and for returns?
- How long until funds reach me, and is there a reserve?
- Can I take payments by link or invoice, not only at a checkout?
- Do you accept my product category, and is it in the contract?
Our application checklist lists the documents we ask for, so you can prepare them before you apply.
What We Process For
Businesses We Support
Wholesale Supplement and Nutraceutical Brands
Bulk orders to retailers and private label customers.
Research Peptide Suppliers
Business to business sales to labs and other suppliers.
Manufacturers and Private Label
Contract manufacturers invoicing brands and distributors.
Distributors and Importers
Cross border trade where speed and reach matter.
Application Requirements
Standard package for US entities. International businesses are placed on an equivalent basis, with the documents confirmed at application.
The form we send you, filled in full.
Of the principal owner.
For the account that receives settlement.
For US entities.
The IRS letter showing your EIN.
Showing the legal entity.
Showing the business owns the domain.
Business or personal, most recent three.
If you have processing history.
How the Application Works
Send Your Details
Fill in the contact form with your business, product category and expected monthly volume. A specialist reviews it and sends the document checklist.
We Review the File
A person reads your documents and website and tells you how acquirers are likely to see the business. Fees, reserve and settlement are confirmed in writing.
Go Live
We connect your store or system, run test payments and switch on live processing. Shopify, WooCommerce and custom API are supported.
Payment Terms
Starting terms for this category. Final terms are confirmed in writing at approval.
| Term | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| ACH rate | From 1% |
| ACH reserve | 0% |
| Card rate | From 3% |
| Card to crypto | No reserve, no monthly fee, no minimum. Pricing quoted for your category |
| Minimum | None required on ACH or card to crypto |
All terms are confirmed in writing before signing. Reserve, settlement timing and any fees are disclosed at approval, with no undisclosed holdbacks.