Client portals by industry
Client portal development for wholesalers
Trade customers of a wholesaler need more than a way to order. Their accounts teams want statements and copy invoices, buyers want to know their credit position and what is outstanding, site managers want delivery notes and proof of delivery, and someone needs to raise a return or query a charge. When all of this comes through your accounts and sales teams by phone and email, it takes considerable time. A trade account portal lets customers serve themselves on account matters, alongside whatever ordering route they use.
This page explains what a wholesaler's trade account portal provides beyond ordering.
Illustrative diagram
What trade customers can do
| Need | Portal feature |
|---|---|
| What do we owe? | Statement, open invoices and payment history |
| Can we order more? | Credit limit, balance and overdue items |
| Was it delivered? | Delivery notes and proof of delivery per order |
| Something is wrong | Returns and query requests linked to invoices |
| Who has access? | Account users and their roles |
| Copy documents | Invoices, credit notes and certificates to download |
Taking pressure off the accounts team
Requests for copy invoices, statements and remittance queries are a steady load on wholesalers' accounts teams, particularly around month end. Giving trade customers direct access to their statements and documents, drawn from your accounting system, removes much of that load. Showing payment history and allocation also resolves many 'we have paid that' disputes, because both sides see the same record.
Payment by card or bank transfer from the statement can follow, where your accounting setup supports it.
Users at a trade customer
Roles
- Accounts contacts see statements and invoices
- Buyers see credit and orders
- Site users see their deliveries only
Branches
- Customers with several branches or delivery points
- Head office view across branches
- Branch users limited to their own
Control
- Customer administrator manages colleagues
- Access removed when staff leave
- Your team can see who has access
Returns and queries
Raise
Customer selects the invoice line and reason.
Output: Structured request
Review
Your team approves, rejects or asks for photos.
Output: Decision
Collect or return
Collection booked or return instructions given.
Output: Goods back
Credit
Credit note issued and visible on the statement.
Output: Account corrected
Documents customers often need
Proof of delivery
Signed notes or photos for disputes with their own customers.
Product certificates
Conformity or test certificates for regulated products.
Safety data sheets
For products that require them.
Price lists
Their agreed prices, current and upcoming.
Where ordering fits
Many wholesalers already offer trade ordering through a B2B online shop, covered on the wholesale ecommerce page. The account portal can sit alongside it with shared sign-in, so customers move between ordering and account information easily. Keeping the account side separate also suits customers who order through reps, EDI or phone but still want self-service on statements and deliveries.
Showing credit position carefully
Showing customers their credit limit, current balance and overdue items helps them plan orders and pay on time. It also needs care: figures must be current and match what your credit control team sees, and messages about overdue balances should be factual and courteous. Decide whether customers on hold see a clear explanation and a way to resolve it, which usually helps more than an unexplained refusal at the point of ordering.
Agree wording with credit control before launch.
Introducing the portal to trade customers
Start with customers who contact you most for account information, explain what they can now do themselves and give their accounts contacts access first. Reps and account managers can introduce it during visits. Mention the portal on statements and invoice emails so customers find it when they need it.
Connecting to your accounting system
Statements, invoices and payments come from your accounting or ERP system. Check its integration options early, as they decide how current the figures can be.
Helping reps and account managers
Reps and account managers can use the same portal views when talking to customers, so they see exactly what the customer sees. That makes account conversations quicker and avoids contradictions between what a rep says and what the statement shows. Notes from reps can stay internal while the customer-facing view remains clean.
Questions about client portal development for wholesalers
What can trade customers see?
Statements, invoices, credit position, deliveries, documents and returns.
Can it show proof of delivery?
Yes, linked to each order where delivery records exist.
Can customers with several branches use it?
Yes, with head office and branch-level views.
How are returns handled?
Raised against invoice lines, reviewed by your team and credited on the statement.
Is this the same as a B2B online shop?
No; it covers account matters and can sit alongside trade ordering.
What should come first?
Usually statements and copy invoices.
Should customers see their credit position?
Usually yes, with current figures and courteous, factual messages.
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