B2C vs B2B

Bigship classifies shipments into two categories: B2C (Business-to-Consumer) and B2B (Business-to-Business). They use different API methods, validation rules, and tracking identifiers.

Key Differences

Aspect	B2C	B2B
Order method	createOrder({ segment_type: 'domestic_b2c' })	createOrder({ segment_type: 'domestic_b2b' })
Manifest method	placeOrder	placeOrder
Segment type	segment_type: 'domestic_b2c'	segment_type: 'domestic_b2b'
Box count	totalNumOfBoxes must be 1	totalNumOfBoxes can be > 1
Tracking identifier	trackOrder(orderId)	trackOrder(orderId)
E-Waybill	Not required	Required (ewaybill_number + ewaybill_document_file)

B2C Shipments

B2C shipments are standard last-mile deliveries to individual consumers. They are simpler — a single box per order, no e-waybill, and tracking via AWB.

const order = await client.createOrder({
  segment_type: 'domestic_b2c',
  MasterOrderPickUpLocation: 123456,
  MasterOrderReturnLocation: 123456,
  MasterOrderDate: new Date().toISOString().replace('T', ' ').substring(0, 19),
  MasterOrderPaymentMode: 1,
  OrderInvoiceNo: `INV-${Date.now()}`,
  MasterOrderInvoiceAmount: 2500,
  MasterOrderShippingName: 'John Doe',
  MasterOrderShippingMobileNo: '9876543210',
  MasterOrderShippingAddress: '123 Main St',
  MasterOrderShippingZipCode: '400001',
  MasterOrderShippingCity: 'Mumbai',
  MasterOrderShippingState: 'Maharashtra',
  MasterOrderShippingCountry: 'India',
  totalNumOfBoxes: 1,
  boxes: [{
    weight_unit: 'kg',
    dimension_unit: 'cm',
    noOfBoxes: 1,
    dimensions: [{ length: 20, breadth: 15, height: 10, weight: 0.5 }],
    products: [{
      productName: 'T-Shirt',
      qty: '1',
      amount: '500',
      totalAmount: 500,
      collectableAmount: 0,
      categoryId: '4',
    }],
  }],
  invoice_document_file: 'data:application/pdf;base64,...',
});

B2B Shipments

B2B shipments are heavy or bulk deliveries between businesses. They support multiple boxes and require an e-waybill.

const order = await client.createOrder({
  segment_type: 'domestic_b2b',
  MasterOrderPickUpLocation: 123456,
  MasterOrderReturnLocation: 123456,
  MasterOrderDate: new Date().toISOString().replace('T', ' ').substring(0, 19),
  MasterOrderPaymentMode: 1,
  OrderInvoiceNo: `B2B-${Date.now()}`,
  MasterOrderInvoiceAmount: 50000,
  MasterOrderShippingName: 'Acme Corp',
  MasterOrderShippingMobileNo: '9876543210',
  MasterOrderShippingAddress: '456 Industrial Area',
  MasterOrderShippingZipCode: '110001',
  MasterOrderShippingCity: 'Delhi',
  MasterOrderShippingState: 'Delhi',
  MasterOrderShippingCountry: 'India',
  totalNumOfBoxes: 5,
  ewaybill_number: '123456789012',
  ewaybill_document_file: 'data:application/pdf;base64,...',
  boxes: [{
    weight_unit: 'kg',
    dimension_unit: 'cm',
    noOfBoxes: 5,
    dimensions: [{ length: 40, breadth: 30, height: 25, weight: 10 }],
    products: [{
      productName: 'Electronics',
      qty: '10',
      amount: '5000',
      totalAmount: 50000,
      collectableAmount: 0,
      categoryId: '4',
    }],
  }],
  invoice_document_file: 'data:application/pdf;base64,...',
});

Choosing the Right Type

• Use B2C for single-box consumer deliveries (e-commerce orders, D2C shipments).
• Use B2B for multi-box business deliveries, inter-city warehouse transfers, or shipments requiring an e-waybill.