Handshake
E-commerce tools
E-commerce software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is Handshake
Handshake is a B2B e-commerce platform used by brands and wholesalers to sell to retail buyers through a digital catalog and ordering portal. It supports workflows such as buyer-specific pricing, wholesale ordering, and sales rep-assisted order capture. The product is commonly used to replace manual wholesale processes (email, spreadsheets, phone orders) with a centralized system for product discovery and reordering. Handshake is positioned for wholesale-centric commerce rather than consumer storefronts.
Wholesale ordering workflows
Handshake focuses on B2B purchasing patterns such as bulk ordering, reorders, and account-based buying. It is designed for brands that sell to retailers rather than direct-to-consumer checkout flows. This specialization can reduce reliance on manual order entry and back-and-forth communication for wholesale accounts.
Centralized product catalog
The platform provides a structured catalog experience for buyers to browse products and place orders. Centralizing product information helps keep assortments, availability, and ordering details consistent across buyers and sales channels. This is particularly useful for teams managing frequent line updates and seasonal catalogs.
Supports sales-assisted selling
Handshake is commonly used in scenarios where sales reps help buyers build orders (e.g., during appointments or trade events). This supports a hybrid model where buyers can self-serve while reps can guide assortment selection and capture orders. It fits organizations that need both self-service and rep-led wholesale processes.
Not D2C-first commerce
Handshake is oriented toward wholesale buying rather than consumer-grade storefront merchandising and conversion tooling. Organizations primarily focused on D2C may find gaps in areas like consumer checkout optimization and marketing-focused site features. Many teams still require separate tooling for consumer commerce experiences.
Integration needs vary
B2B commerce deployments often depend on integrations with ERP, inventory, accounting, and fulfillment systems. The amount of integration work and ongoing maintenance can be significant depending on the existing stack and data quality. Buyers should validate available connectors, APIs, and implementation effort for their environment.
Feature fit depends on complexity
Wholesale businesses with complex pricing rules, multi-entity catalogs, or highly customized approval workflows may need careful fit assessment. Some organizations may require additional configuration or complementary systems to match internal processes. A detailed requirements review is important before standardizing on the platform.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: No platform fees or commissions (free marketplace) How it works: Handshake is a wholesale marketplace built and operated by Shopify. Suppliers (Shopify merchants) apply to list; approved suppliers can publish catalogs from their Shopify admin; buyers must confirm reseller status. There are no subscription tiers or per-order commissions listed on the official Handshake/Shopify pages. Availability notes: Handshake features and access are described as US-only on Shopify pages; suppliers must apply and be approved.
Seller details
Shopify Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
2006
Public
https://www.shopify.com/
https://x.com/Shopify
https://www.linkedin.com/company/shopify/
