Block checkout until approved

Block checkout while pending stops visitors who aren’t approved from paying. Shopify runs the check inside its own checkout, so it holds even when someone gets past hidden prices or the store lock. It also works without the app embed.

Who can check out

Buyer	At checkout
Logged in and buying for a company in Shopify	Can check out
Logged in, with B2B approved on in Shopify	Can check out
Logged in, not approved yet (whether they applied or not)	Blocked
Guest	Blocked

Sami B2B Onboarding turns on B2B approved for a customer when you approve their application. Companies you put on hold are blocked at checkout whether or not this switch is on. See Put a company on hold or remove it from B2B.

Turn on the checkout block

1. Open Access

   In the app, click Settings. Access opens first. If another section opens, click Access in the settings menu.

2. Choose the visibility

   Under Storefront visibility, set Who can browse, who can buy to Public catalog, private purchasing or Private wholesale store.

   Public catalog, public purchasing means everyone can buy. It turns the checkout block off, whatever the switch was set to, and hides the switch.

3. Turn on the switch

   Under Prices and checkout, turn on Block checkout while pending. A badge appears under it:

   • Enforced at checkout: the block is working. The note below it says that buyers on an approved company, and customers the app approved, are never blocked.
   • Not enforced: the checkout rule isn’t installed in your store yet. See If the badge says Not enforced.

   

   The Enforced at checkout badge confirms that Shopify blocks checkout for buyers who aren’t approved.

4. Save

   Click Save in the save bar. Settings saved appears.

Caution

On a new install, the switch already shows on, but checkout isn’t blocked until you save Access (or another settings section) for the first time. The badge can already say Enforced at checkout. If the switch was already on, no save bar appears. If you’re not sure you’ve saved before, turn the switch off and click Save, then turn it on and click Save again.

What the buyer sees

Buyers who aren’t approved can still add products to the cart and open the cart. When they go to checkout, Shopify shows this message and won’t let them complete the order:

Your wholesale account is still being reviewed. You can’t complete checkout yet.

A buyer who isn’t approved sees your message at checkout and can’t place the order.

Change or translate the message

1. Open Translate

   Go to Settings › Translate.

   • To change the English message, click Edit next to your default language.
   • To translate it, click Translate next to the language. If the language isn’t listed, click Add language first.

2. Edit the message

   In the list on the left, under Storefront, click Storefront messages. In the Checkout card, change Checkout blocked.

3. Save

   Click Save in the save bar.

Buyers see the message in the language of their checkout. In a language you haven’t translated, they see your English message.

Approve a customer by hand

Approving an application turns on B2B approved for the buyer. To let a customer check out without an application, for example a wholesale customer you already know, turn it on yourself.

B2B approved appears on customer pages only after the app approves its first application. A customer who is a contact of a company in Shopify doesn’t need it: they can check out when they buy for that company.

1. Open the customer

   In Shopify admin, go to Customers and click the customer.

2. Turn on B2B approved

   In the customer’s Metafields card, click View all metafields. On the Customer metafields page, find B2B approved, set it to True and click Save. If you pinned B2B approved, you can also set it straight from the card.

   

   Set B2B approved to True to let a customer check out without an application.

The customer can now check out, see prices and pass the store lock when they’re logged in. To take that away, set B2B approved to false and save.

If the badge says Not enforced

The app installs the checkout rule in your store by itself. While it isn’t installed, Access shows Not enforced and the note The checkout rule isn’t installed in this store yet. Reopen Access later to check again. If the badge still says Not enforced, contact support.

Note

In Shopify admin, the rule shows under Settings › Checkout, in Checkout rules, as B2B checkout lock. Leave it on. If it’s turned off or deleted there, Shopify doesn’t run it and checkout isn’t blocked, even if Access still says Enforced at checkout.

Test it

1. Open your store in a private browser window, so you’re a guest.
2. Add a product to the cart and click Check out. The message appears and you can’t pay.
3. Log in as an approved buyer and check out again. Checkout works as normal.

With Hide add to cart or the store lock on, a guest can’t add products from your store’s pages, so there’s nothing to check out. If your store already takes orders, test with test mode instead: only your tagged account is blocked, and you can switch the other rules off while you try it. See Test your access rules.

Next steps

• Approve an application — approving a buyer lets them check out.
• Test your access rules — try the block on your own account first.
• Hide prices and add to cart — also hide what visitors can’t buy yet.
• Translate — translate the checkout message and other buyer wording.