Minimum order quantity for Shopify wholesale: case packs, multiples and order minimums

What Shopify offers today

Shopify's quantity rules are a real improvement since B2B reached the lower plans in April 2026. If every wholesale buyer is set up as a company and your cases are per variant, they may be enough.

The workarounds, and where each breaks

Minimums and case packs with Crate on your Shopify catalog

Crate is a wholesale ordering portal that connects to Shopify. It imports your products into a separate portal where each wholesale buyer signs in, so the rules apply to wholesale buyers and your Shopify checkout stays as it is.

• 01A minimum per size. Set a minimum order quantity on each size of a product, such as at least 10 of the 12 oz bag. Buyers can order 10, 11 or 13.
• 02Case multiples. Set order in multiples of 6 and buyers order 6, 12 or 18. Set both and the first quantity is the smallest case at or above the minimum: a minimum of 10 in cases of 6 starts at 12.
• 03Buyers see the rule before they order. The product card shows it, such as Min order: 10 or Case of 6, and the plus and minus buttons step by the case.
• 04Short orders are stopped, not fixed by phone. Checkout will not place an order that breaks a rule, and the message names the product, the rule and the next quantity that works.
• 05A wholesale order minimum. Set a minimum order amount for every wholesale checkout, and if you sell by weight, a minimum order weight that you can switch off for pickup and your own delivery. Retail shoppers on Shopify never see it.
• 06No company setup or catalog cap. Rules live on the product in Crate, so they work without Shopify B2B companies or the 3-catalog limit.
• 07Priced for small wholesale. $50/month for up to 20 active buyers, $80/month for up to 50.

Where it may still fit: Crate's case rules are per size too. If you need 12 units across any mix of sizes, an order minimum in dollars or weight is the closest fit in Crate. If your buyers are already set up as Shopify B2B companies and per-variant rules cover your cases, native quantity rules on your current plan may be all you need.

For what Shopify B2B includes on each plan, read Shopify wholesale without Plus. For prices per buyer and volume breaks, see Shopify wholesale pricing. Selling on Square instead? See Square minimum order quantity. The buyer side is on the wholesale portal page. Moving the retailers you brought yourself off Faire? Read how to switch from Faire.

Free shipping over a higher amount for wholesale buyers

The order minimum has a twin question: retail shoppers get free shipping over $50, and wholesale buyers should only get it over $250, or on 3 or more items. In February 2026 a seller with a wholesale pricing app asked for exactly that split and found the attempts broke down "because of guest customers". In September 2026 a seller wanted free shipping for B2B buyers on 3 or more products, and another asked to set B2B shipping rates apart from D2C without duplicate products or an app.

If you price shipping by destination instead of one flat rate, each shipping zone in Crate can carry its own free shipping amount. Like the order minimum, these rules apply to wholesale buyers only.

Where it may still fit: If every wholesale buyer is already a Shopify B2B company assigned to a B2B market, and B2B discounts are on for your store, a free shipping discount limited to that market may be all you need on your current plan.

Local delivery for wholesale buyers, without draft orders

Many wholesale sellers deliver to nearby cafes and shops in their own van. On Shopify, that choice disappears at a B2B checkout. Shopify's B2B considerations page lists local delivery and pickup points as incompatible with B2B, says pickup in store is off by default, and offers local delivery only on B2B draft orders created in the admin. In October 2026 a seller whose B2B customers log in and order themselves asked "Any hope for B2B local delivery soon?" and set the draft order route aside because it only works for orders the seller builds. In August 2026 a seller with designated delivery zones for wholesale accounts found carrier rates still showing at B2B checkout next to the flat-rate fleet delivery they wanted buyers to use.

A customer on free shipping gets your delivery free too, and editing an order later keeps the delivery price it was placed with.

Where it may still fit: Crate does not limit your delivery by address or postcode; you decide which customers see it. If you build most wholesale orders yourself as draft orders, Shopify's local delivery on draft orders may already cover you.

Setting it up

1. 01Connect Shopify from Integrations in Crate and choose which products are sold wholesale.
2. 02Open a product and set the minimum and the order-in-multiples for each size that needs one.
3. 03In Settings, add a minimum order amount, and a minimum order weight if you sell by weight.
4. 04In shipping settings, set a flat wholesale rate and the order amount where shipping becomes free, if you offer it.
5. 05If you deliver yourself, turn on Delivered by us, set its price, and choose which customers can pick it.
6. 06Invite your buyers. They see each rule on the product and cannot check out below it.

Questions

Can I set a minimum order quantity on Shopify without Plus?

Yes, for B2B buyers. Shopify quantity rules (minimum, maximum and increment) are on Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus, set per variant in a B2B catalog. Shopify B2B is not available on the Starter or Retail plans.

Can Shopify require 12 units across all sizes of a product?

Not with native quantity rules. They count each variant on its own, and Shopify's help says customers cannot combine 5 gray hats and 5 blue hats to meet an increment of 10. Sellers in the Shopify Community use a cart validation app or function for a mixed minimum.

How do I set a minimum order amount only for wholesale customers on Shopify?

Shopify quantity rules are per variant, not a dollar amount per company. Sellers asking in 2026 were pointed to checkout rule apps that check a customer tag or company. In Crate, the order minimum applies to every wholesale checkout and never to your retail store.

How do I give wholesale customers free shipping over a higher amount than retail on Shopify?

Create a free shipping discount with a minimum purchase amount, then under Eligibility choose Markets and pick your B2B market, so it reaches only buyers inside a B2B company. A second free shipping discount for retail covers everyone else. Shopify says the minimum counts product prices only. Shopify's June 23, 2026 changelog says B2B discounts are on by default for new B2B stores and for existing ones with no active or scheduled discounts; a store that already ran discounts may need to ask Shopify Support. Wholesale buyers who are only tagged customers, not B2B companies, are not in a B2B market, which is where sellers in the Shopify Community get stuck.

Can Crate give wholesale buyers free shipping over a set amount?

Yes. In Crate's shipping settings, set a flat wholesale rate and a free shipping amount. It applies only to wholesale orders in the portal, on the order subtotal after discounts, and the cart tells the buyer how much more to add. You can also switch on free shipping for one customer, so every new order from them ships free. Your retail free shipping on Shopify stays as it is.

Can Shopify B2B customers choose local delivery at checkout?

Not at a B2B checkout. Shopify's B2B considerations page lists local delivery and pickup points as incompatible with B2B, and turns pickup in store off by default. Local delivery and pickup in store are available on B2B draft orders created in your Shopify admin, so the order is built by you, not placed by the buyer. Sellers in the Shopify Community work around it with a flat rate named for local delivery plus a delivery customization or a custom function that hides the carrier rates for company buyers.

Can wholesale buyers pick our own delivery in Crate?

Yes. Turn on Delivered by us (you can rename it), set one price and an optional note, and offer it to every wholesale buyer or only the customers you choose. It sits next to your normal shipping options at checkout, buyers can ask for a delivery date with it, and customers on free shipping get it free. Your Shopify retail checkout is not changed.

Do Crate minimums change my Shopify products?

No. Crate imports your Shopify products and sets minimums and case multiples in Crate, per size. They stay in place when Crate syncs your catalog again, and your Shopify store and checkout are unchanged.

Do I need a Shopify B2B plan to use Crate?

No. Crate runs its own wholesale portal with buyer logins, so it does not depend on Shopify B2B companies or catalogs.

How much does Crate cost?

Crate Wholesale starts at $50/month for up to 20 active buyers, with minimums, case multiples and order minimums included. Growth is $80/month for up to 50 active buyers. Plus is $150/month for more than 50.