So, you’re ready to start working with a coffee company. Whether it’s a coffee machine that you’re looking to lease, a new single origin coffee you’re pouring into your hopper, or monthly barista training you’ve signed up to, you’re probably going to need to set up a wholesale account with the company you’ve selected. You might be wondering why you need an account and what that process looks like.
In this short article, that’s exactly what we’ll explain. Let’s walk through the process and answer the straightforward but incredibly common question, “How do I set up a wholesale coffee account?”, amongst other FAQs.
Opening a Wholesale Coffee Account
Creating an account, from your perspective, is as simple as filling in a customer account form. We would typically send this to you early in the onboarding process to get you set up on our ordering system as soon as possible. When you’ve received the account form, fill it in and send it back to your coffee account manager as soon as you can. The coffee company then uses these details to onboard you into their online ordering system and get you ready to place and schedule orders.
What’s included in the account form?
An example of a typical form can be seen here, provided by our accounts team. The account form you receive should look somewhat similar, asking for information on the registered company name, trading name, company registered number, invoice and delivery addresses, and contact details for accounts and purchasing teams.
Who signs the form?
The form isn’t a contract and bears no legal weight, it’s simply to capture your contact and business details. This means anyone from your company can fill in the form and send it back to us, but typically it’s completed by a person of authority or the individual who signed the coffee contracts. It can either be printed, signed, and scanned, or signed and sent electronically.
When would you need to open a wholesale coffee account?
Opening an account with your coffee supplier typically happens when quotes have been agreed to, contracts have been signed and any equipment installations have been scheduled. Opening an account is typically the first step in the “contract is now live” stage, allowing you to place orders for products like coffee beans, takeaway cups, syrups, milks, crockery etc.
Why might you not need an account?
If you’re working with a supplier who sells all of their products via ecommerce, rather than through an ordering system, you may not need to create a wholesale account. This means, however, that you’ll pay list price for the items (often higher than wholesale rates), and you’ll have to put in your payment details each time you go to place an order rather.
With a wholesale account you get tailored pricing, dedicated support from an account manager, and the ability for your team to place orders via email to our customer service team.
What does a wholesale account allow you to do?
Setting up a wholesale account with your supplier allows you to place orders for their products including coffee beans, cups, syrups etc. It also gives you access to a credit account, meaning you can place orders throughout the month on an as-needed basis, but make payments on a more regular monthly schedule.
Note that for new start-ups with limited to no trading history, your supplier might require that the first few payments are made upfront.
Why does your supplier need you to set up an account?
Setting up an account and filling your details into their system allows your coffee supplier to process your orders, and gives their teams access to your details. This allows the finance teams to send invoices, engineers and operations teams to know where the machines are being installed, and everything they could need to better support you as a customer.