B2B vs B2C T&Cs: why one document rarely works for both

Plenty of UK traders sell the same products to both individual consumers
and companies. It's tempting to write one set of T&Cs and hope for the
best. Unfortunately, UK law isn't on board with that shortcut. Consumers
get statutory protections under CRA
2015 businesses are mostly left to fend for themselves. Trying to treat both
groups identically in your terms usually gives you a document that works
for neither.

What changes between consumer and business contracts

For consumers, CRA governs rights when goods, services or digital
content are faulty, not as described or unfit for purpose. gov.uk's
summary sets out the core remedies: repair, replacement and refund. There are
also tighter rules on unfair terms and liability caps. Businesses, by
contrast, rely on the general law of contract and a narrower set of
controls on unfairness.

Cooling-off rights under CCR
2013 also apply to consumers in many situations, but not to B2B buyers. If
you use one blended set of T&Cs, you risk promising consumer-style
rights to business clients or, worse, under-delivering rights consumers
are legally entitled to.

Pricing, VAT and information duties

Consumer contracts come with specific information obligations and layout
expectations under CCR
2013 including transparent pricing, VAT treatment and cancellation mechanics.
Online-selling
guidance also talks about durable copies of the contract and clear contact
details. Your B2B buyers care about those things too, but the legal
obligations are different and more negotiable.

Dispute resolution and ADR

ADR rules for consumer disputes also expect you to tell individual
customers about approved alternative dispute resolution bodies, even if
you're not obliged to use them. ADR Regulations
2015 focus squarely on consumer contracts. There's no equivalent automatic
expectation in B2B agreements, although ADR can still be
useful.

Structuring T&Cs for mixed customer bases

The neat way to handle mixed buyers is to keep one coherent document but
separate out B2C and B2B clauses and make it clear which sections apply
to whom. For example:

• One set of liability and cooling-off clauses for consumers.

• Another, more flexible set for business customers.

• Shared operational terms -- delivery, complaints, payments -- that
  apply to everyone.

That keeps your site tidy while still respecting the legal
divide.

Where Trading Terms fits

The Trading Terms generator writes consumer terms only. It covers the
consumer side properly: statutory rights, cancellation, digital content
and complaints, with wording that does not pretend those rights can be
switched off. It does not write business-to-business clauses. If you also
sell to businesses, keep a separate set of B2B terms for those sales,
drafted for your business by a solicitor, and make sure your checkout
shows each customer the right set.

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