B2B marketplaces are platforms businesses use to buy and sell products and services with other businesses. They have recently experienced significant growth in Spain.

This trend is partly explained by a change in the way businesses buy and sell online. Being able to access a wide variety of potential suppliers increases competitiveness and helps reduce costs. In this article, we analyze the advantages of working with B2B marketplaces, the specific Spanish regulations for this industry, and current best platforms.

What’s in this article?

• What are B2B marketplaces?
  
• Advantages of B2B marketplaces
  
• Requirements to sell on B2B marketplaces in Spain
  
• Types of B2B marketplaces in Spain
  
• How to choose a B2B marketplace
  
• Best B2B marketplaces for Spanish businesses
  
• How to create your own B2B marketplace in Spain
  
• How Stripe Connect can help
  

What are B2B marketplaces?

B2B marketplaces are digital platforms that act as intermediaries in transactions between companies. Through these marketplaces, companies can discover new potential partners, compare their offers, and close deals more efficiently than through traditional channels.

The operation of these platforms is simple. A company registers and indicates the products or services it wishes to offer. Then, the marketplace posts the offer on its platform and allows companies looking for similar offers to explore the available options. Lastly, when the customer selects one of the offers, the B2B marketplace processes the transaction.

Advantages of B2B marketplaces

According to a report by ICEX España—a public business agency of the Spanish Department of Trade—about 33% of Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sold online in 2022. One year later, the percentage rose to 45%, according to the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Foundation. Based on this upward trend, the percentage is likely to continue increasing, with many companies turning to B2B marketplaces and their many benefits.

Advantages of selling through a B2B marketplace

• Greater market reach
  If you decide to sell through B2B marketplaces, you can reach more potential customers. For example, Amazon’s B2B marketplace—known as Amazon Business—has more than six million business customers worldwide and automatically calculates value-added tax (VAT) on exports from Spain to simplify tax compliance.

• Lower advertising expenses
  The financial strength of large B2B marketplaces allows them to invest more consistently in online advertising. This means companies offering their services through these platforms can also increase exposure to potential customers without having to invest in marketing campaigns. Additionally, many marketplaces offer the possibility of gaining additional visibility within the platform in exchange for paying a small fixed fee or an additional commission. In Spain, investment in digital advertising exceeded €4.9 billion in 2023. Through internal marketplace advertising systems, further refinement of the target audience for marketing campaigns is possible.

• Less of a logistical burden
  Businesses are responsible for managing their own inventory. However, in some cases, B2B marketplaces prepare and ship packages on behalf of their customers. For example, Amazon Business has 40 logistics facilities in Spain from which it offers its “Shipping from Amazon, sold by a third-party company” model. Furthermore, since the volume of shipments handled by these platforms is much higher than that of an SME, businesses can reach agreements with logistics partners to obtain more competitive rates. Companies selling through the marketplace can also take advantage of these rates.

• Less of a customer service burden
  B2B marketplaces usually offer their own customer service and handle most support requests. In these cases, companies offering their services through the platform only have to address incidents that require direct intervention.

• Low technical complexity
  Although the functionality varies depending on the B2B marketplace, the platforms are usually very intuitive and can simplify online sales from Spain. According to the Valencian Community’s 11th Annual Report of the Observatory of Overseas Brands, the time it takes to learn how to use a marketplace is the factor that least hinders online sales for Valencian B2B businesses that handle exports and intracommunity transactions.

Advantages of buying through a B2B marketplace

• Faster purchasing process
  The intuitiveness of B2B marketplaces also benefits its customers. According to the Spanish National Observatory of Technology and Society (ONTSI), the simplicity of the purchasing process is the most valued aspect of online shopping. This ease is largely due to filters that allow customers to quickly find the ideal supplier.

• Broad variety of suppliers
  The advantages marketplaces provide to suppliers also benefit customers. These benefits allow marketplaces to offer a broad portfolio of options.

• Verified opinions
  Some B2B marketplaces have an internal system that allows customers to post reviews after they receive a product or service. Therefore, potential customers can more easily verify whether a supplier is trustworthy and fulfills agreed conditions.

Disadvantages of B2B marketplaces

Although the list of advantages is extensive, it is also worth considering some disadvantages:

• Intermediary fees
  These platforms commonly charge fixed fees for appearing on their lists or apply commissions for each transaction. This can negatively impact the seller because they must give up part of their net profit margin. Although, in some cases, a customer might pay more if the supplier includes the commission amount in their price.

• Challenges with customer loyalty
  For most customer retention strategies, it is necessary to establish a direct relationship. However, personalized service becomes difficult when the B2B marketplace acts as an intermediary. Additionally, the platform hosts many other suppliers, so customers can switch suppliers if they find better terms, prices, or delivery times.

• Cash flow
  These platforms usually don’t pay suppliers immediately after processing orders. Instead, they hold the amount until the other company confirms delivery. In certain cases, customers are allowed to finance their payments in installments, which can further delay receipt of the amount. The delay in payments from marketplaces can affect a business’s cash flow. This can become concerning in a country such as Spain where, in 2024, almost 50% of SMEs had bank financing needs.

Requirements to sell on B2B marketplaces in Spain

Before selling on a B2B marketplace, it is important to ensure you meet the requirements to sell online from Spain to other companies. Here is a list of the requirements:

• Self-employed individual or company registration
  Some exceptions allow for occasional online selling in Spain without being self-employed. However, if you want online selling to be your profession, you have to register as a self-employed person. You can do so by filling out Form 036 from the Spanish Tax Agency. If you prefer to create a limited liability company (SL), you also have to register in the Commercial Registry.

• Marketplace registration and business verification
  If you are already self-employed or have an SL, the next requirement is to register on the B2B marketplace and verify the business. Each platform requests specific documents, but the most common are the following:

  • National Identity Document (DNI)
    
  • Name and tax residence
    
  • Tax Identification Number (NIF) or, if you wish to sell to companies in the EU, intracommunity VAT number (NIF-IVA)
    
  • Business bank account to receive payments
    

• Invoice issuance with corresponding VAT
  For every sale on these platforms, you must issue an invoice with the VAT rate indicated. The rate is based on the type of product or service you offer. Some B2B marketplaces automate this task. Although, providing the tax code for each product is usually required to use this feature.

Types of B2B marketplaces in Spain

B2B marketplaces are divided into several types based on factors such as product or service categories. Here are some of the most common types:

• B2B service marketplaces
  These platforms cater to professionals offering services to other companies. For example, Malt is a platform based in France—with offices in Madrid and Barcelona—that allows self-employed individuals to sell in-person or online services, such as website creation, online store development, and preparation of financial analyses to facilitate decision-making.

• Vertical B2B marketplaces
  This type of platform specializes in a specific product or service category. For example, Spainery allows Spanish companies specializing in food products to sell to businesses in the industry, such as food stores or restaurants.

• Horizontal B2B marketplaces
  These platforms work with companies in all industries. Ankorstore, for example, includes categories such as food, fashion, and home in its catalog.

• Hybrid marketplaces
  This type of platform combines several types of marketplaces. One example is Booking.com. In the B2C environment, Booking.com is the most widely used accommodation booking system in Spain—even ahead of direct hotel bookings. Booking.com for Business—the section of the site dedicated to the B2B sector—makes it possible to consolidate business travel expenses on a single platform. This can include car rentals, airline ticket bookings, and accommodations.

How to choose a B2B marketplace

Here are some of the aspects you should consider when choosing a B2B marketplace for your products or services:

• Target audience
  Make sure the B2B marketplace has a target audience that is well-aligned with your company. In addition, it’s important to verify the number of businesses registered on the platform. This number should be significant enough to justify your company’s investment in selling through this marketplace.

• Integration with your software
  If your company regularly uses a technology solution—such as an ecommerce platform or accounting and inventory management software—make sure the B2B marketplace supports it and allows for direct integration. This can help reduce manual processes and errors.

• Regulatory compliance
  Make sure the B2B marketplace complies with current legislation. In Spain, several regulations govern activities on this type of platform. These include the Law on Information Society Services and Electronic Commerce (LSSI) and the General Law for the Protection of Consumers and Users. Additionally, the platform must comply with some European regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

• Simplification of tax management
  Selling on a B2B marketplace requires meeting several tax obligations, such as the quarterly VAT return. Fortunately, some platforms have tools that simplify these tax management tasks. For example, Amazon’s system automates B2B invoicing.

• Payment terms
  Before registering, consult the B2B marketplace’s policies, and fully understand its payment policies. By acting as intermediaries, marketplaces impose their own payment terms, which can delay payments compared to direct sales. Marketplaces that use more modern payment service providers might offer the option to access your funds instantly. For example, Instant Payouts can deposit payments into platform users’ bank accounts within 30 minutes at any time.

• Commissions
  Check the commissions or fixed fees charged by B2B marketplaces to choose the one that best fits your profitability goals. For example, Amazon Business charges a monthly fee and applies a percentage commission to each sale. On the other hand, Ankorstore only charges commissions on each completed order.

Best B2B marketplaces for Spanish businesses

According to the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE), just over 30% of Spanish companies sold from an ecommerce platform in 2023. Compared to the year before, the ecommerce sector experienced a 2.3% growth in revenue. B2B marketplaces have played an important role in this growth. Below, we provide details about some of the most popular marketplaces in Spain:

• Europages: This platform connects companies with specialist suppliers from more than 100 industries. These connections are based on the requirements businesses submit through an online form. Companies can request free quotes from Europages, and in 2024, Spain ranked fifth among European countries sending quote requests.

• Ankorstore: This B2B marketplace specializes in sales to independent retail stores. Ankorstore began operating in Spain in 2020 and, today, it offers more than 30,000 brands.

• Refurbed: This hybrid marketplace combines B2C and B2B to offer individuals and companies a variety of refurbished electronic products.

• Malt: This network of self-employed individuals offers specialist services to all types of businesses. Companies such as Mahou and Decathlon use this platform to find freelancers for their projects.

• Booking.com for Business: This booking service specializes in business travel. Its Spanish subsidiary—Bookings Hispánica—increased its turnover by 60% in 2022 and practically doubled the combined revenue of the three largest hotel chains in Spain.

• Makro: This platform was founded in Germany but also has 37 physical stores in Spain. It offers a vast catalog of products for hospitality companies—an industry that, according to the Spanish Association of Manufacturers and Distributors (AECOC), accounts for 7.4% of Spain’s gross domestic product (GDP). Its wide variety, innovation, and personalized service led Makro to earn over €1.6 billion in revenue during the 2022–2023 fiscal year.

• Amazon Business: Amazon’s platform is dedicated to business environments. Businesses can sell and buy products with some exclusive B2B benefits, such as volume discounts.

• Alibaba: This platform is intended for the wholesale export of products from China. Its Spanish subsidiary—Alibaba E-Commerce Spain—earned €21.3 million in revenue during the 2023–2024 fiscal year. The Alibaba group is also the owner of the well-known B2C marketplace AliExpress. It also created the Alipay payment method, which is already used in more than half of the online purchases made in China.

How to create your own B2B marketplace in Spain

Given that it is such an in-demand and profitable business model, creating a marketplace has become a trend. This is demonstrated by the growing number of B2B platforms in Spain. If you wish to develop your own B2B marketplace, here are some of the important steps:

• Define the marketplace model
  Conduct market research to find out which products and services are most in-demand with your target audience. Analyze what other platforms offer, and decide how to contribute differential value for your customers. Lastly, choose a fee model. For example, you can apply fixed or percentage commissions to each sale, charge a recurring subscription fee, or charge a fixed amount on each product or service that suppliers wish to list on your marketplace.

• Design and program the platform
  Develop a website that brings together all the necessary tools for a B2B marketplace: onboarding processes for new sellers, an intuitive way to add products or services, a search engine with several filter types, a review system, and a messaging system between suppliers and customers.

• Integrate a payment system
  Facilitate customer payments through your platform with a multiparty payment system that allows you to capture payments, retain your commission, and send each seller the funds they are due. For example, with Stripe Connect, business customers can use the most popular payment methods in B2B environments—such as Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) transfers—and give suppliers the ability to receive their funds instantly. Additionally, Connect natively integrates with the entire Stripe payments stack, ensures regulatory compliance, and offers prebuilt onboarding processes that can be customized to your brand identity.

• Attract sellers
  Design some incentives to achieve an initial influx of sellers to your marketplace. For example, you could reduce commissions and offer greater visibility within the platform to new customers for a limited period.

How Stripe Connect can help

Stripe Connect orchestrates money movement across multiple parties for software platforms and marketplaces. It offers quick onboarding, embedded components, global payouts, and more.

Connect can help you:

• Launch in weeks: Use Stripe-hosted or embedded functionality to go live faster, and avoid the up-front costs and development time usually required for payment facilitation.
  
• Manage payments at scale: Use tooling and services from Stripe so you don’t have to dedicate extra resources to margin reporting, tax forms, risk, global payment methods, or onboarding compliance.
  
• Grow globally: Help your users reach more customers worldwide with local payment methods and the ability to easily calculate sales tax, VAT, and GST.
  
• Build new lines of revenue: Optimize payment revenue by collecting fees on each transaction. Monetize Stripe’s capabilities by enabling in-person payments, instant payouts, sales tax collection, financing, expense cards, and more on your platform.
  

Learn more about Stripe Connect, or get started today.