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B2B Wholesale Overview

Admin

Brother POS includes a full-featured B2B wholesale system that connects distributors with retailers through encrypted, secure communication. Distributors can publish wholesale catalogs, manage retailer relationships, and fulfill wholesale orders. Retailers can browse distributor catalogs, place purchase orders, and receive inventory -- all from within Brother POS.

Feature Flags​

B2B wholesale is an optional feature set controlled by feature flags on your store. The following flags must be enabled to access wholesale functionality:

Feature FlagRequired For
Distributor OrderingRetailers: browse distributors, place orders
Wholesale ReceivingRetailers: receive and process incoming inventory
Wholesale PortalDistributors: customer-facing wholesale portal
Retailer ConnectionsDistributors: manage retailer connections

Your Brother POS administrator can enable these features in Settings > Edit Settings > Sales & Integrations tab.

Not every store needs wholesale

If your store does not buy from or sell to other businesses, you can leave these features disabled. They will not appear in your admin menu.

How B2B Communication Works​

Brother POS uses a secure architecture for B2B communication. The messaging service that routes messages between distributors and retailers cannot read the content of those messages.

End-to-End Encryption​

All B2B communication is protected with end-to-end encryption:

LayerPurpose
Key ExchangeSecurely exchange encryption keys between parties
Message EncryptionEncrypt the actual message content
Message RoutingRoute encrypted messages without accessing content

How It Works​

  1. Each store generates an encryption key pair (public and private keys).
  2. The public key is shared with trading partners during pairing.
  3. The private key never leaves the device and is stored encrypted at rest.
  4. When a distributor sends a catalog or order update, it is encrypted with the recipient's public key.
  5. Only the recipient can decrypt the message using their private key.
  6. The messaging service routes the encrypted message but cannot read its contents.

Store Modes​

A Brother POS store can operate as a distributor, a retailer, or both:

Distributor Mode​

When your store acts as a distributor (seller), you can:

  • Generate pairing codes for retailers to connect.
  • Publish your wholesale catalog with wholesale pricing.
  • Manage retailer connections and approve/reject connection requests.
  • Receive and fulfill wholesale orders.
  • Generate invoices for completed orders.
  • Set up a wholesale portal for web-based customers.

Retailer Mode​

When your store acts as a retailer (buyer), you can:

  • Enter pairing codes to connect with distributors.
  • Browse distributor catalogs with wholesale pricing.
  • Place purchase orders through Brother POS.
  • Track order status from placement to delivery.
  • Receive inventory and update stock levels.

Both​

A store can be both a distributor and a retailer simultaneously. For example, a store might purchase from licensed producers (acting as a retailer) while also supplying smaller retailers (acting as a distributor).

The Connection Process​

Distributors and retailers establish connections using a simple pairing code system:

Distributor                    Retailer
    |                              |
    |-- Generates pairing code --->|
    |                              |
    |<-- Enters code & sends   ----|
    |    connection request        |
    |                              |
    |-- Reviews & approves     --->|
    |    connection                |
    |                              |
    |<== Encrypted channel =======>|
    |    established               |
  1. The distributor generates a 6-character pairing code.
  2. The code is shared with the retailer out-of-band (phone, email, in person).
  3. The retailer enters the code in Brother POS, which looks up the distributor's public key.
  4. A connection request is sent to the distributor.
  5. The distributor reviews and approves the connection.
  6. Both sides can now exchange encrypted catalogs and orders.

See Pairing for detailed instructions.

Wholesale Order Lifecycle​

Once a connection is established, the wholesale ordering process follows this lifecycle:

Retailer places order
        |
        v
  Order: PENDING
        |
        v
  Distributor reviews
        |
    /       \
   v         v
APPROVED   REJECTED
   |
   v
PACKING
   |
   v
PACKED
   |
   v
SHIPPED / PICKED UP
   |
   v
DELIVERED
   |
   v
INVOICE generated
StatusDescription
PendingOrder placed, awaiting distributor review
ApprovedDistributor accepted the order, inventory deducted
PackingOrder is being prepared for shipment
PackedOrder is ready for pickup or shipping
ShippedOrder has been shipped to the retailer
Picked UpRetailer collected the order in person
DeliveredOrder has been delivered to the retailer
CancelledOrder cancelled (inventory restored if already deducted)
RejectedDistributor declined the order

Credit Management​

Brother POS includes built-in credit management for wholesale relationships:

  • Credit Limits: Set per-retailer credit limits to control exposure.
  • Current Balance: Automatically tracks outstanding balance as orders are approved.
  • Credit Validation: Orders that would exceed the credit limit are blocked at placement.
  • Balance Updates: Approved orders increase the balance; invoice payments decrease it.

Fulfillment Methods​

Wholesale orders support multiple fulfillment methods:

MethodDescription
In-StoreCustomer picks up at the distributor's location
PickupScheduled pickup at a designated location
Local DeliveryDistributor delivers using their own drivers
ShippingOrder shipped via courier or postal service

Multi-Store Integration​

In Brother POS's cloud environment, B2B works both locally and across stores:

  • Same-platform stores: When both distributor and retailer are on Brother POS, order status updates sync directly (no external messaging needed).
  • Cross-platform stores: When one party is outside Brother POS, the secure messaging service handles encrypted message routing.
  • Wholesale order to purchase order mapping: A distributor's wholesale order number maps to the retailer's purchase order number for cross-referencing.

Security Principles​

The B2B system follows these security principles:

  1. Private keys never leave the device. They are stored encrypted at rest.
  2. Secure messaging. The messaging service cannot decrypt messages. It only routes them.
  3. Pairing codes are short-lived. They expire and cannot be reused.
  4. Each connection has unique keys. Compromising one connection does not affect others.
  5. All data at rest is encrypted. API credentials, keys, and sensitive data are encrypted in the database.

What's Next?​