📦 Supplier Guide
Everything you need to know about registering as a supplier, managing your catalog, and fulfilling orders.
⚡ Walkthrough — do this, in this order
From sign-up to your first fulfilled order — the order to do things in.
Register as a supplier. Open /distributor to sign up, then work in the supplier portal at /supplier-portal.
Complete verification. Add your company details, contact information and documents, then submit for verification.
Add your first product. Open the catalog and create an item — name, description, price and image. Buyers cannot find what you have not listed.
Set your call-to-action. Choose your call-to-action button and your supplier type so buyers know exactly what clicking your listing does (quote, order, contact).
Get discovered. Your storefront appears in /supplier-directory and on the B2B surfaces such as b2b-marketplace.html. Keep the catalog current to stay visible.
Receive an order. Orders land in the supplier portal and follow a lifecycle — new → accepted → fulfilled. Open the order to see what was bought.
Process it. Accept the order, then mark it fulfilled once it has shipped or been delivered. That closes the loop for your buyer.
Know your buyers' rules. They earn and spend ZaarCash — 1 ZaarCash per $1.00 spent, 100 ZaarCash = $1.00, at most 10% of a bill redeemable, at least 100 ZaarCash banked before any redemption, and free items earning nothing. It is never “points”, never “credits”.
See the result. Fulfilled orders and your supplier rating build your standing on the B2B pages — the two things that make the next buyer choose you.
✅ You're done when: your catalog is live, your CTA and supplier type are set, and at least one order has been marked fulfilled.
1. Introduction
The Supplier Portal connects service providers and product vendors with directory businesses. As a supplier, you can offer products and services that businesses in the directory ecosystem need — from printed menus and marketing materials to IT services and office supplies.
📋 Product Catalog
List your products and services with descriptions, pricing, and images.
📦 Order Management
Receive, review, and fulfill orders from business customers.
🤝 Network
Connect with businesses that need your products or services.
📊 Analytics
Track orders, revenue, and customer engagement over time.
2. Signing Up as a Supplier
Anyone can register as a supplier from the platform homepage or directory pages.
Step-by-Step
Go to any directory homepage or the ZaarHub frontend.
Click the Register as a Supplier link. It's usually in the footer or the site navigation.
The supplier registration form appears. Fill in:
- Company Name — Your business name
- Contact Name — Your name or primary contact
- Email — Used for login and order notifications
- Phone — Contact number for order inquiries
- Password — Create a secure password
- Industry — Select your industry category
- Description — Brief description of what you offer
Click Register. Your account is created and you're redirected to the Supplier Portal.
💡 Tip: Complete your company profile and add products immediately after registering. Businesses searching for suppliers will only see suppliers with a complete profile and at least one product listed.
Supplier Account Verification
New supplier accounts may require admin verification before they appear in search results. You'll receive an email notification once your account is verified. During verification, you can still log in and set up your catalog — your listings just won't be public yet.
3. Supplier Portal Overview
After logging in, the Supplier Portal dashboard gives you an at-a-glance view of your business:
Dashboard Sections
📋 My Catalog
View and manage all your listed products and services. Add new items, update pricing, and manage availability.
📦 Orders
View incoming orders from business customers. Track status from New → Processing → Shipped → Completed.
🤝 Customers
See which businesses have purchased from you. Build relationships for repeat orders.
⚙️ Settings
Update your company profile, contact info, shipping policies, and payment preferences.
📊 Analytics
View order history, revenue charts, and popular products. Identify trends and adjust your offerings.
💬 Messages
Communicate directly with business customers about orders, custom requests, and quotes.
4. Managing Product / Service Catalog
Your catalog is how businesses find and order from you. A complete, well-organized catalog attracts more customers.
Adding a Product or Service
From the dashboard, click My Catalog and then + Add Product.
Fill in the following fields:
| Product Name | Clear, descriptive name for your product or service |
| Category | Select from available supplier categories |
| Description | Detailed description, features, and use cases |
| Price | Unit price or service fee |
| Unit | e.g., per item, per hour, per service |
| Images | Upload up to 5 product images |
| Availability | In Stock, Made to Order, or Discontinued |
Click Save Product. It appears in your catalog immediately.
Managing Existing Products
- Edit — Click the edit icon on any product to update details, price, or images.
- Duplicate — Quickly create a similar product by duplicating an existing one.
- Archive — Remove a product from active listing without deleting it permanently.
- Delete — Permanently remove a product from your catalog.
- Bulk actions — Select multiple products to archive or update pricing in bulk.
Catalog Best Practices
- Clear photos — Use high-quality images that show the product clearly.
- Detailed descriptions — Include dimensions, materials, use cases, and any relevant specs.
- Competitive pricing — Research market rates and price competitively.
- Update regularly — Keep your catalog fresh. Remove discontinued items promptly.
- Categorize well — Accurate categories help businesses find your products faster.
5. Receiving & Fulfilling Orders
When a business places an order, it appears in your Orders section for processing.
Order Lifecycle
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| 🆕 New | Order has been placed but not yet reviewed |
| 🔄 Processing | You've accepted the order and are preparing to fulfill |
| 🚚 Shipped | Order has been shipped or service has been delivered |
| ✅ Completed | Order has been received and confirmed by the customer |
| ❌ Cancelled | Order was cancelled (by you or the customer) |
Processing an Order
Go to Orders in the dashboard. New orders appear at the top.
Click on an order to view details: customer info, items ordered, quantity, and any special instructions.
Click Accept Order to start processing. The status changes to Processing.
Fulfill the order — prepare the product or deliver the service.
Click Mark as Shipped once the order is on its way. Add tracking info if available.
Order auto-completes when the customer confirms receipt, or you can mark it Complete.
Order Communication
You can message the customer directly from the order detail page:
- Ask clarifying questions about the order.
- Provide updates on shipping or availability.
- Send invoices or additional documentation.
⚠️ Note: If you cannot fulfill an order, click Cancel Order and provide a reason. This notifies the customer so they can find an alternative supplier.
6. Connecting with Business Customers
Building relationships with business customers leads to repeat orders and referrals. The platform provides several ways to connect.
Getting Discovered
- Complete your profile — A full profile with company details and contact info ranks higher in searches.
- Add products — Suppliers with more products get more visibility.
- Respond quickly — Fast response times improve your supplier rating.
- Collect reviews — Encourage business customers to leave feedback after completed orders.
Customer Profile
When a business places an order, their profile becomes visible in your Customers section. You can:
- View their business name, contact info, and location.
- See order history and total spend with you.
- Send direct messages for repeat business opportunities.
- Create custom quotes for large or recurring orders.
Best Practices for Suppliers
- Respond within 24 hours — to inquiries and new orders.
- Set clear expectations — Display accurate pricing, shipping times, and availability.
- Quality matters — Deliver quality products and service to earn repeat business.
- Stay in stock — Update availability regularly. Nothing frustrates customers like out-of-stock items.
- Communicate proactively — If there's a delay, let the customer know immediately.
🔘 Your Call-to-Action Button
Every supplier listing shows a Call-to-Action (CTA) button — the primary action buyers take when they find you. You choose it from your Supplier Portal → Dashboard under Call-to-Action Button.
Available CTA types:
- 📦 View Catalog — Send buyers straight to your product/service catalog.
- ✉️ Send a Message — Let buyers message you directly.
- 💬 Get a Quote — Collect quote requests.
- 🔍 Learn More — Drive buyers to more details.
- 🌐 Visit Website — Link to your external site.
- 📱 Call Now — One-tap phone call.
- 📅 Book Now / 📞 Book a Call — Scheduling (requires CoreSwift).
- 🎁 Claim This Deal — Offer redemption via the native ZaarCash loyalty programme (network-wide: 1 ZaarCash per $1 spent, 100 ZaarCash = $1.00, up to 10% of a bill per redemption, at least 100 ZaarCash banked before a customer may redeem any, and free or fully discounted items earn nothing). Only businesses that sign up to the loyalty programme participate — they show the ZaarCash 💎 badge.
Select your CTA, preview it live, then click 💾 Save CTA. The button appears on your supplier listing for all business buyers browsing the directory.
🏷️ Your Supplier Type
Suppliers are organized by type so business owners can filter the directory. Your type is set on your business record:
- 🌾 Farm — Growers and producers.
- 📦 Wholesaler — Bulk resale.
- 🚚 Distributor — Regional distribution and logistics.
- 🏭 Manufacturer — Producers of goods.
- 🤝 Association — Trade groups and co-ops.
- 🏪 Supplier — General supplier.
This determines which filter bucket you appear under in the browsable supplier directory business owners use to find partners.
Supplier Ratings
Businesses can rate their experience with you after completing an order. Your overall rating is displayed on your supplier profile and influences search ranking. Key rating factors:
- Product quality — Does the product match the description?
- Shipping speed — Was the order delivered on time?
- Communication — Were responses prompt and helpful?
- Overall satisfaction — Would the customer order again?
💡 Tip: A high supplier rating (4.5+ stars) significantly increases your chances of being selected by businesses. Focus on quality and communication to build a strong reputation.
7. B2B SSR Pages
The platform includes three server-rendered B2B pages where you can connect with businesses, bid on contracts, and participate in the directory ecosystem:
📋 RFQ Marketplace
/rfq-marketplace — Browse Request-for-Quote listings from businesses looking for suppliers. Respond to RFQs that match your products or services. Server-side rendered for fast loading and SEO.
🤝 Co-op Hub
/coop-hub — Cooperative purchasing and partnership hub. Find collaboration opportunities, join group buying arrangements, and connect with businesses seeking supply chain partners.
📣 Lead Exchange
/lead-exchange — Marketplace for qualified business leads. Browse leads from businesses looking for products and services in your category. Connect directly with buyers.
💡 Tip: Visit all three B2B pages regularly. New RFQs and leads are posted daily. Set up notifications to be alerted when new opportunities match your supplier categories.
8. Verification Badges for Suppliers
Like businesses in the directory, suppliers can earn verification badges that build trust with potential customers:
- Verified Supplier — Awarded after admin verification of your supplier account. Requires a complete profile with verified contact information.
- Top Rated Supplier — Earned by maintaining a high average rating (4.5+ stars) from business customers who have placed and completed orders with you.
- What badges do: Suppliers with verification badges rank higher in search results and are more likely to be selected by businesses browsing for partners. The badge displays on your supplier profile and in search listings.
💡 Tip: Complete your profile, add high-quality product images, and respond to orders promptly. These factors contribute to earning and keeping your verification badges.
9. URL Cleanliness
When you submit your company website URL during registration or profile updates, the platform automatically cleans it:
- Automatic cleaning: Over 30 tracking parameters are stripped from your URL — including
utm_source,utm_medium,utm_campaign,fbclid,ref,gclid, and many more. - Clean display: On public-facing pages, your URL shows as a clean domain name (e.g., "yoursupplyco.com") without any tracking baggage.
- No action needed: Just enter your normal website URL. The system handles cleaning automatically — you don't need to manually strip parameters.
- Professional appearance: Clean URLs look more trustworthy to business customers browsing your supplier profile.
10. ZaarCash Loyalty — the Supplier View
Suppliers sit one step upstream of the loyalty loop: the businesses in the network earn and redeem ZaarCash 💎 with their own customers, and you supply those businesses. The programme gives you a way to put a funded offer in front of them — a supplier deal published with a 🎁 Claim This Deal CTA, redeemed through the same native ZaarCash mechanism their customers use.
📦 How it works for you
- Maintain a claimed, complete supplier listing. Buyers reach you through your supplier profile and catalog — the same profile that carries your verification badges.
- Publish an offer with a
🎁 Claim This DealCTA. The claim routes through the native ZaarCash programme, so it is tracked exactly like a customer redemption: network-wide, capped, and identified by a transaction ID. - Know the rules your buyers play by. Network-wide: 1 ZaarCash per $1.00 spent, 100 ZaarCash = $1.00, at most 10% of a bill redeemable, at least 100 ZaarCash banked before a buyer may redeem any, and free or fully discounted items earn nothing. Only businesses that sign up to the programme participate — they show the ZaarCash 💎 badge. The currency is ZaarCash — never "points", never "credits".
- Decide your own funding. Any discount or reward you attach to your offer is your commercial decision: you set the value, and your margin absorbs it.
- Fulfil what you advertise. Claimed offers must be honoured exactly as published — at the published value and time.
📈 How you benefit
- Distribution where the demand already is — your offer reaches directory businesses whose customers are already in the programme.
- One mechanism, no new integration — the same programme that runs customer loyalty carries your supplier offer.
- A reason for merchants to return — a standing supplier deal gives a buying business a reason to come back to your catalog.
- Traceable redemptions — every claim is identified, so you can see what your offer produced.
- Control of the economics — what you fund, and how much, is your decision.
Loyalty benefits offered to suppliers are provided as-is. ZaarHub does not guarantee lead volume, orders, margins, listing placement or any commercial outcome from participating. Any discount or reward you fund is your own commercial decision and is not reimbursed by ZaarHub.
Do not misrepresent the programme, the value of ZaarCash, or your participation status to merchants or customers. Programme features may change or be withdrawn, and access may be suspended for misuse or for non-payment where fees apply.