Ordering groceries, booking travel, and managing finances from a phone have become second nature to most of us. Yet in B2B, many companies still hesitate to treat mobile as a serious sales channel.
That hesitation comes at a cost. Gen Z buyers are already on their phones approving purchases between meetings, comparing suppliers in the field, and expecting the same convenience they enjoy as consumers.
The question isn’t whether B2B will go mobile. It’s whether merchants will adapt fast enough to meet the new generation of buyers where they already are.
Why mobile has become central to B2B.png?width=258&height=258&name=65%25%20(1).png)
Mobile commerce isn’t new, but its role in B2B has changed dramatically. On the consumer side, mobile accounts for over 70% of online retail sales. Those same buyers now sit in procurement roles, bringing their mobile-first habits with
them.
Generational change is amplifying this shift. Gen Z is projected to make up 30% of the workforce by 2030 and will become the largest segment by 2035. For this generation, mobile is the default way to search, compare, and buy. They aren’t lowering their expectations when it comes to making B2B purchases.
In industries where orders happen in the field, such as construction, manufacturing, and logistics, the phone is the primary tool for getting business done. When suppliers make it hard to complete purchases on mobile, buyers will quickly find alternatives that don’t slow them down.
Why adoption is lagging behind
If the demand is obvious, why are so many B2B firms still behind? It’s less about technology, and more about perception. Many leaders still carry outdated assumptions that B2B buyers don’t purchase on mobile, so they don’t invest in mobile, and then (unsurprisingly) they don’t see mobile sales.
In some industries, mobile purchasing is genuinely not a priority, but in many cases leaders are lagging behind because:
- Decision-makers assume that buyers still prefer desktop or offline ordering, even when data shows otherwise.
- Many B2B eCommerce teams are small and stretched thin, so mobile slips down the priority list.
- Executives see mobile as a costly or difficult project, even though most modern platforms already support mobile capabilities.
- Fewer sales currently flow through mobile, so leaders assume the return won’t justify the investment.
In reality, B2B buyers are trying to use mobile, but clunky interfaces, non-optimized websites, and the inability to make seamless purchases without switching devices drives them away.
Companies that can break this cycle by treating mobile as core to the buyer journey see faster adoption with less abandoned carts, more repeat business, and stronger customer loyalty.
What a mobile-first buyer experience looks like
Investing in mobile doesn’t mean shrinking a website to fit a smaller screen, it’s about rethinking the entire buying process so it matches how people work and buy today.
A mobile-first approach enables:
- Faster decision-making: Buyers can check inventory, compare prices, and place orders on the spot.
- Streamlined reordering: Procurement teams can reorder with saved histories and preferences in just a few taps.
- Smarter search: Features like AI-enabled searches help identify the right products quickly.
- Embedded financing: Payment flexibility like Net 30 terms or Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) is available right at checkout.
The biggest benefit is confidence. When buyers know they can complete an order instantly, without toggling between devices or waiting for financing approvals, they’re less likely to delay a purchase or shop around. This builds trust, reduces friction, and drives growth amidst shifting B2B customer demand cycles.
A well-designed mobile experience can grow revenue in three important ways. First, it increases order frequency, since buyers can reorder supplies on the spot without waiting to get back to a desktop. Secondly, it drives larger average order values, especially when paired with embedded financing options that let buyers spread payments out. And thirdly, it strengthens customer loyalty. Once your mobile site or app becomes the go-to tool on a buyer’s phone, you’ve effectively secured a position as their default supplier.
Why mobile investment can’t wait
Treating mobile as a future project is risky. Master B2B research found that 18% of companies don’t track mobile sales at all. That blind spot is dangerous.
At the same time, competitors aren’t standing still. Marketplace leaders like Amazon Business, Grainger, and Alibaba are already setting the standard for mobile-first B2B eCommerce. Even if a buyer doesn’t order directly from these platforms, their experiences there shape expectations everywhere else. When buyers see how simple it is to reorder, compare pricing, and check out from their phones on Amazon Business, they start to wonder why other suppliers make things more complicated.
Add in the demographic change of Millennials and Gen Z moving into procurement roles, and the case for mobile investment becomes urgent. Change takes time, and companies waiting another three to five years risk being permanently outpaced.
How embedded payments can unlock the true value of mobile
Even with a great mobile experience in place, payments can be one of the biggest friction points for B2B. Traditional credit applications, manual reviews, and limited repayment options simply don’t work for purchasing on mobile. A buyer ready to place an order from their phone won’t wait days for financing, they’ll switch to a vendor who offers instant approval at checkout.
That’s why payments and mobile go hand in hand. When financing options are embedded directly into mobile checkout, buyers can enjoy:-2.png?width=192&height=299&name=Untitled%20design%20(3)-2.png)
- Instant approvals and faster transactions
- Terms that align with their cash flow instead of dealing with rigid payment cycles
- Larger order sizes without payment delays
Credit Key’s mobile app is one example of this shift. It allows borrowers to explore merchants, choose flexible payment terms, and complete purchases in one flow, eliminating the friction that typically slows B2B procurement down. Without mobile-friendly payments enabled, the rest of the buyer experience is irrelevant.
Building a mobile-first strategy
The transition to mobile-first B2B eCommerce is already well underway, and companies that act early will be the ones who can capture growth and loyalty over the long term. Leaders looking to investment in mobile technology should:
- Assess the gap: Track mobile sales, identify friction points, and benchmark against industry peers.
- Invest in mobile-first platforms: Ensure sites, apps, and checkout flows are seamless across devices.
- Embed flexible payments: Partner with a trusted Fintech provider that offers instant credit and multiple financing options.
- Prioritize change management: Train teams and communicate the benefits of mobile purchasing and embedded financing clearly to buyers and suppliers.
Planning a clear roadmap for mobile investment is essential to staying competitive in a market that is evolving faster than many businesses realize.
What’s next for mobile in B2B?
Mobile eCommerce in B2B is only in its early stages. The current push to optimize websites, apps, and checkout flows is just the beginning. Over the next decade, mobile will stop being another sales channel, and instead become the foundation for how business buyers interact with suppliers. Several trends are already pointing to what comes next.
One of the biggest shifts will come from AI and AI agents, with artificial intelligence layered into mobile experiences. Instead of buyers scrolling through long catalogs, AI-driven recommendations will predict what a company needs based on past purchases, seasonality, or even real-time inventory signals. For buyers, this could mean reordering the right replacement part before they even know it’s running low, making mobile devices a valuable decision-making assistant.
Voice and conversational eCommerce are another frontier. As natural language tools improve, buyers won’t always need to tap through menus. They’ll be able to say, “Reorder 100 units of X from my preferred supplier” into their phone and have the transaction completed instantly. For busy procurement teams and on-the-go buyers, this removes another layer of friction.
Payments will also continue to evolve in tandem with mobile. Virtual cards, flexible financing, and real-time payments will increasingly converge into mobile wallets. Instead of juggling credit applications, invoice terms, and card details, buyers will simply authorize a purchase with embedded financing that matches their cash flow.
Credit Key’s mobile app is already a step in this direction, giving borrowers the ability to access flexible terms, check their available credit, and complete purchases on the move.
Mobile in B2B is catching up to consumer eCommerce, and it’s on track to leapfrog it in some areas. The companies that start preparing for this future now will be the ones shaping how a new generation of buyers makes their purchasing decisions.