# Switching from Customer Group to Company Account

This document outlines the differences between the legacy **Customer Group** feature and the new, powerful **Company Account** feature in B2Bridge. It also provides critical information regarding the transition process between these two setups.

### 1. Quick Overview

* [**Customer Group**](/v2.2026/app-configuration/customer-group.md)**:** Primarily designed for basic categorization (e.g., grouping customers by tier, location, or retail vs. wholesale) to apply specific discounts or price lists.
* [**Company Account**](/v2.2026/app-configuration/company-account/setup-guide.md)**:** A robust, hierarchical structure designed for genuine B2B operations. It allows a business entity to manage multiple users (teams) under a single umbrella account with shared permissions, company roles, and collaborative purchasing.

### 2. Detailed Comparison

| Feature/Capability           | Customer Group                                                  | Company Account                                                                 |
| ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Primary Purpose**          | Customer segmenting & simple discounting.                       | B2B organizational management & shared purchasing.                              |
| **Account Structure**        | Flat (individual accounts grouped together by tags/attributes). | Hierarchical (one parent company with multiple sub-accounts/teams).             |
| **User Roles & Permissions** | None. Every customer in the group acts independently.           | Yes. Custom company roles (e.g., Admin, Creator, Approver) with shared actions. |
| **Shared Cart & Checkout**   | No. Checkout is strictly individual.                            | Yes. Teams can share specific purchasing actions and order histories.           |
| **Management**               | Managed entirely by the store merchant.                         | Self-managed by the company's designated administrator.                         |

### 3. Important Transition Notice (Please Read Carefully)

If you are planning to transition from the old **Customer Group** system to the new **Company Account** structure, please keep the following operational rules in mind:

#### ⚠️ Old Customer Groups Will Stop Working

Once you initiate the switch to the **Company Account** feature, the **Customer Group** setup will be **permanently disabled and will no longer function**.

* Existing group associations, rules, or automatic customer grouping under the old system will cease to apply.
* This transition is automatic to prevent data conflicts and ensure a smooth checkout experience for your B2B clients.

#### 🔄 No Automatic Migration (Set Up From Scratch)

Because the underlying database architecture of "Company Accounts" is fundamentally different from "Customer Groups", **your old data cannot be automatically migrated or converted**.

* **Action Required:** You must set up and create all new Company Accounts **completely from scratch**.
* This includes:
  1. Creating the new parent Company Profiles.
  2. Inviting or assigning individual users to their respective companies.
  3. Defining the company roles, teams, and sub-account permissions within the new interface.

### 4. Why Upgrade?

While setting up from scratch requires some initial effort, the **Company Account** architecture unlocks professional B2B workflows that are critical for scaling:

* **Reduced Support Load:** Let your B2B customers manage their own staff and sub-accounts.
* **Larger Order Sizes:** Facilitate streamlined corporate purchasing workflows.
* **Better Client Retention:** Offer a seamless, modern B2B buying experience that mimics enterprise-level procurement systems.

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### Need Help?

If you have questions or run into issues while using any feature, we’re here to help.

* 💬 **Start a** [**Live Chat** with our support team](mailto:undefined) directly from your B2Bridge dashboard.
* 📧 **Email us at** [**support@b2bridge.io**](mailto:support@b2bridge.io) and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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