Shopify Pay by Invoice: Offer Invoice Only for B2B Buyers – KlinKode

Introduction

Pay by invoice means you ship first and get paid later. That is a big favor. You should only offer it to business buyers you trust. Shopify pay by invoice lets you show that option to approved buyers and hide it from everyone else. In this guide, you will learn how to set it up with the PayRules app. A shopper with the approved-b2b tag will see Pay by invoice. A shopper tagged retail will see Credit card and Bank deposit instead. You will also get testing tips and an honest look at other apps.

What Is Pay by Invoice?

Pay by invoice is simple. The shopper places an order. You send the goods. Then you send a bill, and the buyer pays later.

Many business buyers like this. Shops and offices often pay their bills in batches. A card at checkout does not fit how they work.

But it is risky for you. You have given the goods away before you see any money. If the buyer never pays, you lose. That is why invoice payment often comes with payment terms, like “pay within 30 days.”

So you need a way to show this option to trusted buyers only. In Shopify, you can add a customer tag to a profile. A tag is a short label, like approved-b2b. An app can read that tag and decide which payment methods to show.

Why Use Shopify Pay by Invoice Rules?

Here is why store owners hide the invoice option from most shoppers.

1. It protects your cash. Retail shoppers should pay at checkout. Only vetted buyers should get to pay later.

2. It cuts unpaid bills. Fewer unknown buyers on invoice means fewer bills that go unpaid.

3. It follows your approval process. You may check a business license, a tax form, or a credit report. The tag is how you record that a buyer passed.

4. It keeps retail checkout simple. Retail shoppers only see options that apply to them.

5. It saves you time. You do not need to chase small buyers for money.

6. It sets a clear rule. Everyone knows how the process works.

One more thing. Giving credit to a buyer is a business risk. Talk to your accountant about how much credit is safe. Check local laws too. This guide is not legal or financial advice.

A Real Example: The Approved-B2B Tag

Ari sells cleaning supplies. He sells to cafes and offices, and also to regular shoppers.

Business buyers must fill out a short form. Ari’s team checks each one. When a buyer passes, Ari adds the tag approved-b2b to their profile.

One day, Dana, a cafe owner with the approved-b2b tag, reaches the checkout. She sees Pay by invoice, and she picks it.

Later, a shopper tagged retail reaches the checkout. He does not see Pay by invoice. He sees Credit cards and Bank deposits instead. He picks one and pays.

Ari’s rule is simple. Only approved buyers get the invoice option. He did not need to tell anyone. The checkout does it for him.

How PayRules Works

PayRules is a Shopify app that hides payment methods based on your rules. Its listing says it can hide Cash on Delivery, PayPal, Stripe, Bank deposit, and other methods. Rules can use the cart, the country, the product, the customer, and more. The listing also mentions B2B payment restrictions as a use case. You do not need to write code.

The listing shows a 4.9 star rating from 98 reviews. It lists customer conditions such as tags, amount spent, and registered status.

There are two honest things to know about the plans.

First, the free plan is only for development stores. A live store needs a paid plan.

Second, plans limit how many active rules you can have. The smallest paid plan allows 5. Rules that use “OR” logic are only on the top plan.

Write Your Approval Process First

A tag only means something if your process behind it is real. Before you build the rule, write your process in a few lines. Answer these questions:

• What must a buyer show before they get approved?
• Who is allowed to add the tag?
• What payment terms will approved buyers get?
• Who removes the tag if a buyer stops paying?

Then let the rule follow your process. The rule does not check anything by itself. It only hides or shows the option based on the tag. The real approval happens with your team.

How to Set Up Shopify Pay by Invoice with PayRules

Menus can change over time, so read the app’s own guide too. But the steps look like this:

1. Add the tag to approved buyers. Open each approved buyer’s profile in Shopify and add approved-b2b. Spell it the same way every time.
2. Install PayRules from the Shopify App Store and open it.
3. Click Create a rule button.
4. Click the Smart Rule Builder button and Search Customer tags and select.
5. Pick the payment method to hide. Choose Pay by invoice. The name in the app must match the name in your Shopify payment settings.
6. Tell the rule to hide Pay by invoice when the customer does not have the approved-b2b tag. I could not check the exact wording of the options, like “does not contain.” If you cannot find it, ask the app’s support team.
7. Save the rule.
8. Test it with an approved buyer and a retail shopper.

Here is one thing to watch. You could also build the rule the other way: hide the invoice option when the tag is retail. That looks easy. But it is risky. A shopper with no tag at all would still see Pay by invoice. The safer rule hides the option unless the buyer has approved-b2b.

Test Your Rule

Never skip testing. Try these cases:

• A buyer with approved-b2b: Pay by invoice should show.
• A buyer tagged retail: It should be hidden. Credit card and Bank deposit should show.
• A buyer with no tag: It should be hidden.
• A guest who is not signed in: A guest has no profile, so they may have no tag. Check that they do not see the option. I could not confirm how PayRules treats guests, so test it.
• A tag typo: Try approved-b2c or a different spelling. The option should stay hidden.
• After you remove the tag: Pay by invoice should disappear again.
• Your phone: Many buyers order on mobile.

Also make sure the rule does not hide every payment method. A checkout with no options loses every sale.

Tell Shoppers Early

Do not let buyers guess how to get invoice terms. Say it in a few places:

• On a “Wholesale” or “Business account” page
• In your store footer
• On your FAQ page
• In a short note near the cart

A simple line like this helps:

“Business buyers can apply for invoice payment. Apply here, and our team will review your request.”

When buyers know how to apply, you get fewer confused emails. And approved buyers get the tag faster.

PayRules vs. Other Apps for Shopify Pay by Invoice

PayRules is not the only choice. Some apps do more. Some do less. Here is a fair look. I could not verify every detail of the other apps, so check each listing before you choose.

Option	Best for	Watch out for
PayRules	Hiding payment methods by customer, cart, country, or product	Free plan is for dev stores only; OR logic is on the top plan only
HidePay	Hiding, sorting, and renaming methods by product, customer, country, and cart	Free plan is for dev stores only; a review reports a theme editor problem
CCL Hide Payment Methods	Hiding, sorting, reordering, and renaming methods	Only 22 reviews; details not verified
Nexo Sort Hide Payment Methods	Sorting, renaming, and hiding methods	No rating seen; details not verified
Shopify’s own payment settings	Free, built into your store	I did not verify tag-based hiding

PayRules. It is built for this kind of job. It hides payment methods based on the customer and many other rules, and its listing mentions B2B payment restrictions. The reviews are strong. The downsides are the dev-only free plan and the rule limits.

HidePay. Its listing says it can hide, sort, and rename payment methods by product, customer, country, cart, and more. It has a Built for Shopify badge and a 4.8 rating from 390 reviews, and I did not see that badge on PayRules. Its paid plans list hiding by tag and total spent. It has two honest downsides. Its free plan is only for development stores. And one merchant wrote that the app embed crashed their theme editor. The developer said this can happen with highly customized themes and offered to fix it. So test it on a copy of your theme first.

CCL Hide Payment Methods. Its listing says it can hide, sort, reorder, and rename methods conditionally. It has a Built for Shopify badge and a 5.0 rating. But that rating comes from only 22 reviews, and I did not check the details of its rules.

Nexo Sort Hide Payment Methods. Its listing says it can sort, rename, and hide methods with checkout rules, and it is shown as free. I did not see a rating or review count. Test it well before you trust it.

Shopify’s own payment settings. Shopify has payment settings built in, and they are free. It is worth checking them first. But I did not verify that you can hide a method based on a tag there.

So which one should you pick? For a tag-based invoice rule, start with PayRules or HidePay. CCL is also worth a look. Ask each team one clear question: “Can it hide Pay by invoice when the customer does not have a certain tag?” Then test on a trial. Check Shopify’s own settings too.

Tips to Make It Work Better

• Keep the tag list small. One tag for approved buyers is enough. More tags means more mistakes.
• Use one owner. Let one person add and remove the tag, so nothing gets lost.
• Keep a private log. Write who was approved, when, and why, in a private note on the profile.
• Review your approved buyers often. Check them every few months. Remove the tag if a buyer stops paying.
• Add an amount rule. You can also hide invoice payment for very large carts. The listing shows cart total as a condition.
• Offer easy alternatives. Make sure card and bank options work well for everyone else.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Giving out the tag too fast. The tag is only as good as your process.
• Forgetting to remove the tag. A buyer who stops paying should lose the option.
• Building the rule backwards. Hide unless the tag is present. Do not hide only when the tag says retail.
• Skipping tests. Always test a tagged buyer, a retail buyer, and a buyer with no tag.
• Being vague about payment terms. Tell approved buyers the due date and any late fees in writing.
• Hiding every method by accident. Always test a full checkout.

FAQ

Can PayRules hide Pay by invoice for shoppers without a certain tag?
Its listing says it can hide payment methods based on customer conditions, including tags. Test your exact “does not have the tag” rule first.

What will a retail shopper see?
In your example, they see Credit card and Bank deposit instead of Pay by invoice.

Does the tag approve the buyer by itself?
No. The tag only reflects your own approval process. Your team does the real checking.

Do I need to know the code?
No. You build each rule in the app.

Is the free plan enough for a live store?
No. The free plan is for development stores. A live store needs a paid plan.

What if a guest checks out without an account?
They may have no tag, so they should not see the invoice option. Test it to be sure.

Can I give some buyers a limit?
PayRules lists cart total as a condition, so you may be able to hide the option for large carts. Test it before you rely on it.

Will this stop late payments?
No. The rule only decides who sees the option. Late payments are handled by your own follow-up.

Final Thoughts on Shopify Pay by Invoice

Invoice payment is a privilege. It should go to buyers you have checked and trust. A simple tag lets your checkout follow that decision every time.

Shopify pay by invoice works best when your rule matches your real approval process. Write your process first. Add the tag only to approved buyers. Build the rule so the option is hidden unless the tag is present. Test a tagged buyer, a retail buyer, and a buyer with no tag.

PayRules lets you build this rule without code. If another app fits you better, use the comparison above to ask the right questions.

Ready? Open the PayRules listing, add your first rule, and offer invoice payment only to the buyers you trust.