A company account feature is a B2B eCommerce capability that allows a business customer to operate under a shared company profile instead of using a single individual customer account. It connects multiple users, locations, purchasing rules, and business information to one organization.

A company account can support:

• Company information: Business name, contact details, billing, and shipping information.
• Multiple users: Employees can have individual logins connected to the company.
• Roles and permissions: Different users can receive different access levels.
• Multiple locations: Branches or offices can have separate purchasing and delivery information.
• Customer-specific catalogs: The company can access approved products and pricing.
• Payment terms: Support agreed terms such as Net 30 or Net 60, where available.
• Approval workflows: Orders can require approval from designated users.
• Order history: Authorized users can view relevant company purchases.

Example: A retail chain has 10 store locations and several purchasing employees. A company account can connect those users and locations under one business relationship, while allowing the supplier to manage pricing, catalogs, and purchasing permissions centrally.

Company accounts are useful for complex B2B purchasing relationships, particularly when multiple employees or locations need to collaborate while following company-specific purchasing rules.

Role-based permissions are a system for controlling what users can view, access, or do based on their assigned job role or responsibilities. In B2B eCommerce, they help businesses give employees and customer users only the access they need.

Role-based permissions can control:

• Data access: Which customers, orders, products, or financial information a user can view.
• Actions: Whether a user can create, edit, approve, cancel, or delete records.
• Purchasing: Whether a user can place orders or submit them for approval.
• Pricing: Whether a user can view or modify customer-specific pricing.
• Administration: Whether a user can manage accounts, users, settings, or permissions.
• Approvals: Whether a user can approve orders, discounts, or other transactions.

Example: In a B2B company, a purchasing employee may be allowed to create orders but not approve them. A purchasing manager may be able to review and approve those orders, while an administrator may manage users and system settings.

Role-based permissions help protect sensitive information, reduce unauthorized actions, enforce internal policies, and simplify user management. Businesses should regularly review permissions and follow the principle of least privilege, giving each user only the access necessary for their responsibilities.

Account hierarchy in B2B is a structure that organizes related business accounts, companies, subsidiaries, departments, or locations into parent-child relationships. It helps businesses manage complex customer organizations where multiple entities purchase from or interact with the same supplier.

An account hierarchy can represent:

• Parent and subsidiary companies: A headquarters can be linked to its subsidiaries.
• Company locations: A business can have multiple purchasing or delivery locations.
• Departments or business units: Different divisions can have separate users or purchasing responsibilities.
• Users and contacts: Employees can be associated with specific companies or locations.
• Orders and purchasing activity: Transactions can be tracked at company or location level.
• Permissions and pricing: Different entities or users can have specific access, catalogs, or prices.

Example: A hotel group has a parent company with 20 hotel locations. Each hotel can have its own buyers and delivery address, while the parent company manages contracts, pricing, and overall purchasing.

Account hierarchies help B2B businesses manage complex organizational structures, centralize relationships, control access, and apply appropriate purchasing rules. The exact hierarchy and permissions depend on the B2B commerce platform and the customer’s organizational structure.