Reseller Network: Invite-Only Supplier-Reseller Links

Overview

Go to Channels → Reseller network. This is a different relationship from the open Buying Network: a reseller link is invite-only, between two specific stores, with stock allocated per product rather than a general marketplace. One store acts as supplier, the other as reseller — the same page works for both roles.

The reseller network is Enterprise and invite-only: it is not part of any plan by default, and BestWebby turns it on for each of the two stores in a link.

As a supplier: invite a reseller

Enter the reseller's email and send the invite — they get it by email along with your proposed terms. Once accepted, you allocate how much of each SKU they can sell (their allocation remaining per product), managed from this same page.

As a supplier: the automation ceiling

When a reseller sells more of an item than they hold, the extra units become a backorder on you. Three terms on each link decide what happens next. Set them with Edit automation terms under the link on the Reseller network page, then Save terms; only the supplier's store owner can change them, and the reseller sees them on their side of the link. Each change is recorded in your audit log with the old and new values.

• Automation ceiling — the most backorder value this reseller's sales may place on you without you approving it. Leave it empty and no backorder goes through on its own: each one is held or refused, as you choose below.
• Window — how many past days of backorders count toward the ceiling, from 1 to 90 (30 unless you change it).
• When a sale would go past the ceiling (or past the reseller's credit limit with you):
• Hold (the default) — the shopper pays as usual, and the order is held: nothing ships and no purchase order goes to you until you or the reseller releases it from Orders between you and your partners, which is possible once the shopper's payment has gone through.
• Block — checkout refuses the quantity before any payment is started, and the shopper is asked to reduce it to what is in stock. Nothing is charged.

Currencies

The ceiling and the reseller's credit limit are amounts in one currency: the currency of the catalogue line being sold, which is your cost price list's. They are only ever compared with amounts in that same currency, and never converted. So when the reseller still has backorders inside the window, or an unpaid balance with you, in a different currency, the sale cannot be measured against the ceiling or the limit, so it is held for a person to look at, or refused if you chose Block. The window ages older backorders out on its own.

When a shopper's payment arrives late

A card payment can succeed after an earlier attempt on the same order was declined. By then the order had given its backorder back, so other sales may have used its share of the ceiling or the credit limit in between. The backorder is measured again, against everything else, once:

• If it still fits, it goes through as usual.
• If it would now go past the ceiling or the credit limit, it is held, even on a link set to Block: the shopper has already paid, so refusing is no longer possible. The reseller's order is held with Supplier order is over the automatic ordering limit or Supplier credit limit reached, and the reseller is told, in a notification, which backorder waits and why.
• If the units were sold to someone else in between, the reseller's order is held with Units from your supplier were sold to someone else.

Releasing the backorder from Orders between you and your partners (by either of you) takes the supplier reason off the reseller's order; notes added to the backorder stay with it. Any other reason on it, such as stock that could not be set aside again, keeps it held. See Orders on hold.

As a reseller: accept and sell the supplier's catalogue

Accepting an invite (the link in the email) connects the two stores. The supplier's catalogue then appears on your Reseller network page — pick the products you want and merge them into your own storefront's catalogue. Each one tracks against the allocation the supplier gave you; when it runs out, that item stops being available to merge further until the supplier tops it up.

The status of a link

A link appears once the reseller accepts the invite, and shows where it stands, in the same words on both sides:

• Waiting to be activated — the reseller accepted the invite. Once they have also accepted the terms (Accept terms on their side; until then the supplier sees awaiting reseller terms acceptance), the supplier presses Activate.
• Active — the reseller can sell against the allocation, and backorders flow to the supplier.
• Paused — no new sales draw on the allocation; refunds can still put units back.
• Winding down — the partnership is ending: no new draws, and the page lists what is still open (allocated units, orders, unpaid invoices) before it can be ended.
• Ended — nothing more can happen on the link.

Orders between you and your partners

Every order between the two stores is listed under Orders between you and your partners, with its number, what kind of order it is, its status and its total.

Kind. Backorder for a customer order is raised when a shopper buys more of a merged product than the reseller holds; its units are for that shopper's order and never join the reseller's stock for sale. Stock order is the reseller buying allocated units into its own stock. Return to the supplier is goods going back.

Status. Each order shows one of these:

• Waiting for the customer’s payment — the backorder was raised at checkout and is placed once the shopper's payment goes through. If the payment fails or the order is cancelled first, it becomes Voided with the customer order and its units go back to the allocation.
• On hold: over the automatic ordering limit or On hold: over the credit limit — the shopper has paid, but the order would go past the ceiling or the reseller's credit limit with the supplier. Either of you can Release it once the payment has gone through.
• Placed with the supplier — the supplier ships it (Mark shipped). Until then the reseller can Request cancel.
• Cancellation requested — the supplier chooses Accept cancel (the units go back to the allocation and, if it was already invoiced, a credit note is issued) or Decline (it goes back to Placed with the supplier and ships).
• Cancelled, Partly shipped, Shipped and Received — what they say. Partly shipped means the supplier could send only some of it; the two of you settle the difference.

Why an order is held, and notes. Under a held order the page says why in plain words, with what to do next. A note added to an order later (for example when the quantity is reduced or only part of it ships) is shown under the reason as Note:, and it never replaces the reason. The words sent with a cancellation request show as Cancellation request:. When a request is declined, only those words come off; earlier notes stay. When a hold is released, the ceiling or credit reason comes off and the notes stay with the order.

Buying from your supplier's storefront

The link makes the reseller a company account at the supplier, on the supplier's cost price list. Signed in to the supplier's storefront with the email of the person who accepted the invite, the reseller orders as that company. If the price list sells a product in its own case pack, the quantity buttons on the product page, in the cart and in the cart drawer step by that pack, with Sold in packs of and the size under them. Checkout checks the pack again. See Case packs.

Good to know

• Nothing here is public or discoverable — a link only exists between two stores that explicitly invited and accepted each other.
• If you're looking for an open network where any participating store can see surplus stock, wholesale deals and group buys, that's the Buying Network, not this.