Buyers build the cart
The employee selects the products, variants, and quantities the company needs.
Shopify B2B workflow comparison
Merchant review after checkout or internal approval before checkout?
Both workflows can start with a cart built by the B2B customer. Shopify B2B draft review sends the submitted checkout to the merchant; ApproveCart sends an internal request to an approver at the buying company before checkout is completed.
Side-by-side
The reviewer and timing are the real difference
Shopify's native workflow helps the merchant review an incoming checkout. ApproveCart helps the purchasing company control an employee's buying authority before checkout.
| Question | Shopify B2B draft review | ApproveCart |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds the cart? | The B2B customer | The B2B customer |
| What is submitted? | Checkout as a draft order | An internal approval request |
| Who reviews it? | The merchant or merchant staff | An approver at the buying company |
| When is it reviewed? | After checkout is submitted as a draft | Before the buyer completes checkout |
| Primary purpose | The merchant reviews the incoming order | The company reviews an employee's purchasing authority |
| Conditional approval | Not the core of the native workflow | Spend limits and approval rules |
| What happens next? | The merchant accepts or changes the draft and completes the order or requests payment | The approved buyer restores the protected cart and completes checkout |
Use ApproveCart when
The buying company must approve its employee
The app adds a buyer-to-approver checkpoint inside the purchasing company before the buyer enters or completes checkout.
Approvers control authority
A company approver reviews the exact request before the buyer continues to checkout.
Policy determines the trigger
Spend limits and advanced rules make internal approval conditional and repeatable.
Use Shopify B2B draft review when
The merchant must review the submitted checkout
Shopify can show a B2B customer a “Submit for approval” action at checkout. Submission creates a draft order for the merchant to review before the order is confirmed.
Merchant-side controls
The merchant can review or change the incoming draft, negotiate with the customer, create the order, or send an invoice. This review belongs to the selling side of the transaction.
Use both when needed
Two approvals can protect two different responsibilities
- The buyer builds the cart.
- ApproveCart routes it to the buying company's approver.
- After internal approval, the buyer completes checkout.
- If native draft review is enabled, Shopify submits that checkout to the merchant as a draft order.
Comparison FAQ
Common workflow questions
Is an ApproveCart request a Shopify draft order?
No. Shopify B2B draft review turns a buyer-submitted checkout into a draft order for merchant review. ApproveCart creates an internal request for an approver at the buying company before the buyer completes checkout.
When should I use ApproveCart instead of Shopify B2B draft review?
Use ApproveCart when the buying company must decide whether its employee is authorized to make the purchase before checkout, using company approvers, spend limits, or approval rules.
Can a business use both workflows?
Yes. ApproveCart can handle the buying company's internal approval first. If Shopify B2B draft review is also enabled, the buyer can then submit checkout as a draft order for merchant review.
Does ApproveCart replace Shopify B2B?
No. It builds on Shopify B2B companies, company locations, and customer accounts to add an internal buyer-to-approver workflow before checkout.
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Need internal approval before checkout?
Install ApproveCart B2B and test the buyer-to-approver workflow with a real Shopify B2B company account.