Wholesale ordering software all sounds similar on the surface — retailers order online, you review and process it. The differences that actually matter usually show up in the pricing model, the GST handling, and how much of your existing process you have to throw out to use it. This is a checklist to work through before you commit to one.
1. Who actually pays?
Some platforms charge the wholesaler, some charge the retailer, and some charge both. Retailer fees or a complex signup process may add adoption friction — ask the vendor what retailers must pay, what setup is required, and whether they can share adoption data from comparable customers.
- Ask: is there any cost to the retailer to place an order?
- Ask: is there a minimum retailer count or per-retailer fee?
2. Does it actually handle Australian GST?
A lot of ordering and invoicing software is built for other markets first, with tax handling bolted on. For Australian wholesale, you typically need GST-free and 10% GST items on the same invoice, with your ABN shown correctly.
- Ask: can GST be set per product, not just per invoice?
- Ask: does the tax invoice show your ABN automatically?
- Ask: is pricing shown and billed in AUD?
Whatever software you use, you remain responsible for checking each product's correct GST treatment and the business details shown on invoices.
3. Does it replace your process, or sit alongside it?
Some systems assume every customer moves online immediately. In practice, most wholesalers keep a mix — some retailers order online, others still call or email — at least for a while. Software that forces an all-or-nothing switch adds friction you don't need.
- Ask: can you still take a phone or email order and enter it manually alongside online orders?
- Ask: what does onboarding a new retailer actually involve — for them, and for you?
The trial period is where these questions get answered for real. A vendor's sales page will say yes to most of this checklist — what matters is whether it holds up once you've imported your own product list and invited a real retailer.
The checklist
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does it require a credit card to trial? | A no-card trial is lower-risk to test with real retailers before committing |
| Do retailers pay to order? | Retailer fees or a complex signup process may add adoption friction |
| Can GST be set per product? | Australian wholesale usually mixes GST-free and GST-applicable items on one invoice |
| Can you still take phone/email orders? | Forcing every retailer online on day one is usually unrealistic |
| Is the trial long enough for a realistic end-to-end test? | Check whether you can import your products, invite retailers, process real orders and test invoice output within the trial period |
| What is the total monthly cost? | Check base fees, per-user or per-retailer charges, transaction fees and paid add-ons |
| Can products and customer-specific prices be imported and updated easily? | Catalogue maintenance can become a major ongoing workload |
| Does it integrate with your accounting, inventory or ERP system? | Without the integrations you need, staff may still have to re-enter data |
| Can you export your products, customers and orders? | Data portability matters if you later change systems |
| Does it support minimum orders, pack sizes and customer-specific terms? | Wholesale ordering rules vary significantly between businesses |
| What support and onboarding are included? | Check response times, support hours and whether setup assistance costs extra |
| How are security, backups and service availability handled? | The system may hold commercially sensitive customer, pricing and order data |
Where MenoLink fits this checklist
Retailer accounts are free, GST is set per product with your ABN on tax invoices, and you can keep taking phone and email orders alongside online ones. The 30-day trial doesn't ask for a credit card, so you can run your own products and retailers through it and check the rest of this checklist yourself.
Start your 30-day free trial