Buying wholesale is a critical part of your business and finding the right suppliers is just as important. To remain profitable and continue serving your customers, you need to know how to purchase the products in which your customers are interested when they are interested in them.
Wholesale purchasing is different from retail ordering, including a different process for online orders and communication. We will walk through the basics of how to order online with your approved wholesale account.
Step 1: Register if you haven’t already
There are 3 ways to register for a wholesale account with Swanson Christian Products. This is an important step because we need to verify that you are a business with a valid resale license to sell without charging tax.
- The first way to register is by completing our online registration form. After a few quick questions and uploading your resale license, we will review the information and create your account name and number (example: GOSPEL BOOKSTORE – A00021). You will then receive an approval email with a link to set your password.
- The second option is to give our team a call during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM -4:30 PM central time). One of our sales representatives can gather your information over the phone, answer any questions you may have, and place your first order. We will need an emailed copy of your resale license before shipping the order for our records. Please let us know if you would like an online account if you place your first order over the phone.
- Lastly, you can email your store and contact information to sales@swansoninc.com including your resale license. If you include in your email that you would like to purchase online, we will set your account up and send you an email to set your private password.
Step 2: Log in to your online account
If you are wondering how to see the wholesale pricing on our website, the only way to view special discounts is by first logging in to your online account. After you have logged in, you can view
- special sale items
- discounted prices
- your personal wishlist, and
- previous orders placed on our website
After set-up, if you need to make changes to your online account such as your name or address, please let us know in the NOTES rather than changing your account online. It ensures our system connects properly and we have it updated for our team.
Step 3: Add items to your cart
There are many helpful ways to navigate our site you may not know about!
If you like to explore, you can add items to your cart by browsing the shop pages with pictures, videos, and detailed descriptions and attributes.
If you already know everything you need and just want a quick order process, our online order form makes purchasing in bulk intuitive with add-to-cart checkboxes and category filtering.
Maybe there is a holiday coming up or you have a certain theme the Lord has put on your heart to find product. Most of our products can be categorized by tags, color, and theme, so if you search for the term in which you are interested in the search bar, you will discover a variety of products related to that search. For example, we have many different products related to the Names of Jesus, so if you search “Names of Jesus” in the search bar, you will see bible covers, bookmarks, mugs, prayer cloths, tapestry throws, and more all with the same theme.
Also, if you are on a product page and see the “Tags” related to that product, you can select one to populate all the products related to that tag. The example photo shows the tags for an auto emblem including “Auto Accessories” that when selected can lead to all the auto accessories in our catalog.
If you prefer to visit just the emblems, you can also click the category field titled “Emblems” to view more of our auto emblems.
Another great feature is the “Add to Wishlist” heart under every product or above every product image on the category view page. If you have your heart set on a product but are not ready to purchase today, save it to your wishlist to come back to at any time.
The search bar is a powerful feature that can save you so much time. Do you know the exact SKU or EIN you are searching for? Just add the numbers to the search bar and go directly to that item. This feature can also be used on the online order form for quick navigation.
Step 4: Proceed to Checkout
View your cart and ensure you have everything you need. If your cart total has reached the minimum of $50 after discounts, you will see a “Proceed to Checkout” button after your cart total. If your cart is not yet at $50, you will see a notice at the top of the cart with your total before discounts and after discounts. This will help you see how close you are to the minimum $50 order total.
You will also notice the checkout page says “Payment Not Collected Here.” This is because we do not process payment on the website due to changing shipping costs and various methods of payment by our customers including terms, check, and credit card. After your order has been entered into our in-house system, one of our team members will call you to gather credit card information. After your first order, you are also eligible to apply for terms by sending a completed Credit Application to payables@swansoninc.com.
Note: If you want to use your own freight carrier, please let us know by phone or in the notes of your order.
Step 5: Place Order
When you are ready, click “Place Order” and we will receive your order! If you already have terms or a credit card on file, we will send you an order confirmation by email to verify everything is accurate. Our team moves quickly and we often get orders out within 1-2 days, so please view that email promptly if you need to make changes.
Next, you will receive an emailed invoice with your final total including shipping costs and shipment tracking numbers.
Feel free to reach out with any questions. We are always happy to help! Our phone number is 800-251-1402 or email us at sales@swansoninc.com.
