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	addSingleOrder	addHeavyOrder
Manifest method	manifestSingle	manifestHeavy
Shipment category	shipment_category: 'b2c'	shipment_category: 'b2b'
Box count	Must be 1	Can be > 1
Tracking identifier	AWB (Air Waybill)	LRN (Lorry Receipt Number)
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.addSingleOrder({
  shipment_category: 'b2c',
  consignee_name: 'John Doe',
  consignee_address: '123 Main St',
  consignee_city: 'Mumbai',
  consignee_state: 'Maharashtra',
  consignee_pincode: '400001',
  consignee_phone: '9876543210',
  product_name: 'T-Shirt',
  payment_type: 'Prepaid',
  total_collectable_amount: 0,
  box_count: 1,
  invoice_document_file: 'data:application/pdf;base64,...',
  // ...other fields
});

B2B Shipments

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

const order = await client.addHeavyOrder({
  shipment_category: 'b2b',
  consignee_name: 'Acme Corp',
  consignee_address: '456 Industrial Area',
  consignee_city: 'Delhi',
  consignee_state: 'Delhi',
  consignee_pincode: '110001',
  consignee_phone: '9876543210',
  product_name: 'Electronics',
  payment_type: 'Prepaid',
  total_collectable_amount: 0,
  box_count: 5,
  ewaybill_number: '123456789012',
  ewaybill_document_file: 'data:application/pdf;base64,...',
  invoice_document_file: 'data:application/pdf;base64,...',
  // ...other fields
});

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.