// the short answer
A punchout catalog lets a buyer shop your live B2B store from inside their company's procurement system. They click your name in Coupa or SAP Ariba, land on your store already logged in, see their contract prices, and send the cart back for approval. The approved purchase order then comes to you.
For the buyer, you become as easy to order from as any supplier already on their approved list. For you, the order arrives with the right prices and part numbers, ready to become a sales order in your ERP.
Buyers and their eprocurement teams also call this punchout ecommerce, and the store they open is your punchout website. We build and test the link between that store, your customer's procurement system and your ERP. Then we hand it over. You own the code.
// how punchout works
This is the flow Coupa's supplier documentation describes, and SAP Ariba and Jaggaer work the same way over cXML. The message names come from the cXML specification. When a cart fails to come back, Coupa's troubleshooting guide tells admins to check that the right units of measure are enabled. Amazon Business sells to the same buyers this way: its punchout page says buyers start in their e-procurement system and route the cart back for approval.
The buyer clicks your company inside their procurement system. It sends your store a PunchOutSetupRequest, a cXML message that says who the buyer is.
Your store checks the credentials and replies with a one-time address. The buyer lands on your store, logged in to their company account.
The buyer searches, sees their contract prices and stock, and builds a cart on your live catalog.
At checkout, your store sends the cart back as a PunchOutOrderMessage. Nothing is ordered yet.
The cart becomes a requisition in the buyer's system and follows their approval rules and budgets.
Once approved, their system sends an OrderRequest, the purchase order, which we turn into a sales order in your ERP.
// cXML, OCI and levels
Your customer picks the method. Their supplier enablement guide will name the procurement system and the level they expect. Here is what each one means for your store.
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| Method | Used by | How the buyer reaches you | How the PO arrives |
|---|---|---|---|
| cXML Level 1 | Coupa, SAP Ariba, Jaggaer, Oracle | Buyer clicks your name, lands on your store home page or a chosen category | cXML OrderRequest |
| cXML Level 2 | Buyers who want your items in their own search | Your items are indexed in their system; a click opens that exact product | cXML OrderRequest |
| OCI | SAP procurement tools | Store opens with a HOOK_URL; cart posts back as form fields | Often email, EDI (a direct system-to-system order feed) or cXML |
// supplier setup by system
Each procurement system has its own supplier steps. Here is what the vendors' own documentation says, checked on 31 Oct 2026.
Per Coupa's punchout ordering guide, Coupa sends your store a PunchoutSetupRequest with the user's details. Your store logs them in and replies with a landing page URL. At checkout, your store sends a PunchoutOrderMessage, and the items land on the buyer's requisition. After approval, Coupa sends an OrderRequest. The same guide lists the common setup errors, such as a wrong URL, a login failure and no cart returned.
Per SAP's training on punchout catalogs, the buyer's request goes through SAP Business Network, which checks the buying company and passes it to your store. The catalog stays on your site and is not uploaded. Level 1 needs a static index file; Level 2 needs one line per item. An SAP Ariba support note says every setup response must carry a 200 status code and a StartPage URL.
Jaggaer and Oracle customers send their own supplier guide, which names the messages and the test steps they expect. Customers on SAP's own buying tools often ask for OCI instead, where the cart goes back as form fields to a HOOK_URL. We read the guide your customer sent before we quote.
// what we build
Your customer's test script checks each of these eight pieces, not only the punchout URL.
We answer the setup request, check the shared secret (a password the buyer's system sends with each request), and open a session tied to the right company account and buyer.
Each buyer sees the prices, items and minimums in their contract, read from your ERP or price lists.
Carts go back with part numbers, units of measure, classification codes and prices in the format the buyer's system expects.
Incoming OrderRequests are checked against the returned cart, then created as sales orders in your ERP.
Order confirmations, ship notices and invoices returned over cXML where your customer asks for them.
An item file kept in step with your catalog so your products show up inside the buyer's own search.
Credentials, company accounts and price lists per customer, so adding the next account is a short job.
A log of every setup request, cart and order, so a failed session can be traced fast.
// store platforms
On most B2B platforms, punchout is an add-on. Shopify's B2B documentation, for example, covers companies and per-customer catalogs, and punchout is added on top. We keep the account and pricing rules you already have and add the punchout layer to them.
// connector or custom
There are three ways to add punchout to a store. The examples below are named from each vendor's own page, checked on 31 Oct 2026.
Swipe sideways to see every column.
| Option | Example | How you pay | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punchout app from your platform's app store | Punchout Cloud on the Shopify App Store lists cXML and OCI, with Ariba, Coupa, Jaggaer and Oracle (Shopify App Store listing) | Monthly subscription, per the listing | Your platform has an app and your customer's system is on its list |
| Punchout network vendor | TradeCentric says it connects 75+ ecommerce platforms to 220+ ERP and eprocurement systems (tradecentric.com) | Quoted by the vendor | You want a third party to run the connection for many buyers |
| Custom build | A punchout service written for your store, your price rules and your ERP | Fixed build price; hosting in your account at cost | Unusual pricing, an older store, or a test script an app cannot pass |
Next step
Find out which punchout method your customer needs
Send us their supplier enablement guide. We will tell you which method they need, what your store already covers, and what has to be built.
// send us your brief or RFP
Most punchout projects start with a document from the customer: a supplier enablement guide, a vendor onboarding pack or an RFP with a punchout section. Send it to us with four facts and we will reply with a plan.
// what the market charges
These are published market figures, not FactoryJet prices. FactoryJet quotes a fixed price in writing after a short scoping call, once we have read your customer's requirements.
The cXML version listed on cxml.org in August 2026. cXML is the format Coupa, SAP Ariba and Jaggaer use for punchout, purchase orders and invoices.
Source: cxml.orgMarket range for one procurement platform connector, in euros excl. VAT, from Kolonell's 8 October 2026 guide. Kolonell is a remote studio, so treat this as a euro reference, not a US quote. Level 1 cXML sits at the low end, Level 2 at the high end. Not a FactoryJet price.
Source: Kolonell, Oct 2026Time for one procurement platform in the same guide, including 2 to 4 weeks of testing with the customer's team.
Source: Kolonell, Oct 2026// how a project runs
Six steps, from the customer's requirements document to the first live purchase order in your ERP.
We go through the supplier enablement guide or RFP your customer sent: which procurement system, cXML or OCI, Level 1 or Level 2, which documents they expect back, and their test dates.
We match each procurement identity to a company account in your store, confirm where contract prices live, and check units of measure, part numbers and classification codes against what the buyer's system accepts.
Before you sign, you see a test punchout session open your own catalog with a sample buyer's prices. Then you get the scope and one fixed price in writing, paid in stages tied to milestones.
We build or configure the piece that answers the setup request, logs the buyer in, and returns the cart as a cXML PunchOutOrderMessage or an OCI form post.
Incoming purchase orders become sales orders in your ERP. Where the buyer wants them, order confirmations, ship notices and invoices go back the same way.
We run the buyer's test script with their procurement team, fix what surfaces, and switch on production credentials. Defects after launch are fixed inside the build price for the agreed cover period.
// how we work
You see a test punchout session open your own catalog with a sample buyer's prices before any contract.
Each phase is scoped, priced and signed on its own. Payments are tied to milestones.
The code and repository are yours from day one. Hosting and connector apps can run in your accounts at cost, with no markup.
Defects found after launch are fixed inside the build price for a cover period we agree before work starts.
After that, each change is quoted and approved before we do it. There is no monthly minimum.
// select client work
Punchout depends on the same pieces as any B2B store: company accounts, contract prices and orders that land in the ERP. Two B2B builds with that work, one live and one in progress:
GPSUK · Commerceflo
A Commerceflo storefront for a UK promotional products supplier, with account-based pricing and quote-to-order workflows for customers buying against agreed terms.
Read the GPSUK case study →Sow Easy · WooCommerce + Odoo
WooCommerce ordering for a distributor, being connected to Odoo so trade orders and stock live in one place instead of two. Being tested on staging before launch.
Read the Sow Easy case study →PUNCHOUT CATALOG FAQ
Plain answers to what distributors and manufacturers ask when a customer wants them on Coupa, SAP Ariba, Jaggaer or Oracle.
Topics
Can’t find your answer?
Talk to the founderPunchout Basics
A punchout catalog lets a buyer shop your online store from inside their own procurement system, such as Coupa or SAP Ariba. They click your company name, land on your store already logged in, see their contract prices and build a cart. The cart goes back to their system as a requisition for approval. Once it is approved, a purchase order comes back to you.
Large companies send their spending through a procurement system so every purchase follows approval rules and budgets. If you are not inside that system, their buyers have to raise a manual request or pick a supplier who is. Punchout puts your catalog and your live prices inside their buying process, so ordering from you is as easy as ordering from anyone else on their approved list.
A punchout supplier, or punchout vendor, is a seller whose online store a buyer can open from inside their procurement system. The buyer's team adds you as a supplier, enters your punchout URL and credentials, and tests the round trip with you. After that, their staff see your company as a button in their buying screen. Distributors and manufacturers usually become punchout suppliers because a large customer asks them to.
Amazon Business is itself a punchout supplier. Its punchout page says buyers start in their e-procurement system, punch out to Amazon Business, and route the cart back for approval. Amazon says more than 200 e-procurement systems integrate with it. Your customers may already buy from Amazon this way. A punchout catalog on your store gives your products the same place in their buying screen.
Punchout items live on your own store. The buyer sees them only after punching out from their procurement system, so prices, stock and options are always current. Hosted catalog items, also called static catalog items, sit in a file you upload into the buyer's system. That file goes stale when prices or stock change, and you have to load it again. Many buyers accept both. Large or configurable catalogs suit punchout better.
Yes, in most cases. Punchout serves the buyers who purchase through a procurement system. Smaller accounts, field buyers and quick reorders often still come through your trade portal, by EDI (electronic data interchange, a direct system-to-system order feed) or through a sales rep. We build punchout on top of the store you already run, so every route uses the same catalog, the same contract prices and the same inventory.
cXML, OCI & Levels
cXML, short for Commerce XML, is a shared format for sending business documents between procurement systems and suppliers. It defines the messages for a punchout session, the returned cart and the purchase order, plus later documents such as order confirmations, ship notices and invoices. Coupa, SAP Ariba and Jaggaer all use it. The specification is published at cxml.org, which listed version 1.2.071 in August 2026.
OCI stands for Open Catalog Interface. It is SAP's own punchout method, used mostly by companies buying through SAP procurement tools. The buyer's system opens your store with a return address called the HOOK_URL. When the buyer finishes shopping, your store posts the cart back to that address as a set of form fields. The purchase order then usually reaches you by another route, such as email, EDI or cXML.
With Level 1, the buyer clicks your company name in their procurement system and lands on your store's home page or a chosen category. With Level 2, your items are searchable inside the buyer's system, and a click takes them straight to that product on your store. Level 2 needs an item index file that stays up to date, so it takes more work. Some buyers ask for Level 2 from the start.
Your customer adds you as a supplier on SAP Business Network. You give them a punchout URL that answers cXML setup requests. SAP's training material says a Level 1 catalog needs a static index file, often a single comma-separated line, while Level 2 needs one line per item. Each setup response must return a 200 status code and a StartPage URL, per an SAP Ariba support note. Then you run the buyer's tests together.
We connect B2B stores to Coupa, SAP Ariba, Jaggaer and Oracle procurement through their cXML punchout interfaces, and to SAP buying tools that use OCI. Build the method your first customer asks for. Their supplier enablement guide names the system and the method. Login mapping, contract prices and the order flow into your ERP are shared by both, so the second method costs less than the first.
Store Platforms
Yes. Shopify B2B gives you companies, catalogs with pricing set per customer, and payment terms, but punchout is not part of it out of the box. We add it with a punchout connector or a custom app. That piece answers the setup request, logs the buyer into the right Shopify company, and sends the finished cart back to their procurement system in the format it expects.
Yes, with a connector. BigCommerce B2B Edition handles company accounts, buyer roles, quotes and price lists. Punchout is added through a partner connector or custom code. We set up that layer, map each procurement login to a B2B Edition company, and make sure the returned cart carries the right part numbers, units of measure and contract prices so the purchase order matches.
Yes. Adobe Commerce has company accounts, shared catalogs and requisition lists, which map well to punchout buyers. Punchout itself comes from an extension or a custom module. We build or configure that module, connect it to shared catalogs so each buyer sees their contract prices, and test the full round trip with your customer before go-live.
A connector app is the fastest start if your platform has one and your customer's system is on its list. Shopify's app store, for example, lists punchout apps sold as monthly subscriptions. A custom build suits unusual pricing rules, an older store, or a buyer test script the app cannot pass, and you own the code. We read your customer's requirements first and tell you which one fits.
Yes. Punchout only needs your store to accept a setup request, start a logged-in session and send a cart back in the right format. We can build that as a small service that sits beside a custom or older store. If the store is due for replacement anyway, we can plan punchout into the new build so you only pay for it once.
Pricing & ERP
After the buyer approves the requisition, their system sends a purchase order, usually a cXML OrderRequest. We receive it, check it against the cart that was returned, and create the sales order in your ERP, such as NetSuite, SAP Business One, Dynamics 365 Business Central, Acumatica or Odoo. Order confirmations, ship notices and invoices can flow back to the buyer the same way.
Each punchout login carries the buyer's company identity. We map that identity to the right customer account in your store, which reads contract prices from your ERP or your price lists. The buyer sees only their agreed prices and approved items. The same prices are written into the returned cart, so the purchase order matches what the buyer saw on screen.
Small data mismatches. Units of measure are a common one: Coupa's own troubleshooting guide for a cart that fails to return tells admins to check that the right units of measure are enabled. Others are missing classification codes such as UNSPSC (a standard code for each type of product), a shared secret (the password the buyer's system sends with each request) entered wrong, and prices that differ between the cart and the purchase order. We test each of these with the buyer before go-live.
Yes. Many suppliers use both: punchout for shopping and the cart, and EDI for purchase orders, ship notices and invoices with customers who prefer it. We make sure both routes write to the same order and stock records in your ERP, so a punchout order and an EDI order look the same to your warehouse and your finance team.
Cost & Timeline
It depends on the procurement system, the level and your ERP. As one market reference, Kolonell, a remote web studio that builds punchout connectors, published a range of EUR 12,000 to 35,000 excl. VAT per procurement platform on 8 October 2026, with Level 1 cXML at the low end and Level 2 at the high end. That is a euro price, not a US quote. FactoryJet quotes a fixed price in writing after a short scoping call.
Kolonell's October 2026 guide puts one procurement platform at 6 to 12 weeks, including 2 to 4 weeks of testing with the customer. The buyer's supplier enablement team sets the test dates, so we agree a plan with them early. A second customer on a system you already connect to is much faster, because the connector, pricing and ERP order flow already exist.
Working Together
Send the supplier enablement guide or RFP your customer sent, the name of their procurement system, your store platform, your ERP, and how you set contract prices today. With those, we tell you which method you need and what has to be built. During testing, we can join calls with your customer's procurement team and work through their checklist, while you keep the customer relationship and the commercial terms.
Yes. Once the connector for a procurement system is built, each new customer on that system mostly needs their own credentials, a company account and a contract price list, plus a round of testing with their team. A second procurement system reuses the login mapping, pricing rules and ERP order flow from the first one.
You do. You own the code and the repository from day one. Hosting and any connector apps can run in your own accounts at cost, with no markup. Defects found after launch are fixed inside the build price for a cover period we agree before work starts. Support after that is optional, each change is quoted and approved, and there is no monthly minimum.
Send us the punchout requirements your customer gave you. We will map the method, your store and your ERP, show it working on your own catalog, and send a fixed proposal before any work starts.
Related: B2B e-commerce development, ERP integration, and EDI integration for Shopify.
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