Configuring Customer Groups in 1C-Bitrix
Customer groups are user groups in Bitrix applied in e-commerce context. The mechanism is unified (b_group, b_user_group), but for the store, specific settings are important: binding to prices, discounts, order conditions, and catalog section visibility.
Difference between "user groups" and "customer groups"
Technically it's the same — groups in b_group table. Difference in usage context:
- User groups — administrative term, access control management
- Customer groups — marketing term, customer segmentation by purchase conditions
For e-commerce, customer groups are responsible for: which prices customer sees, which discounts available, which catalog sections open, minimum order amount.
Binding groups to price groups
Each customer group is assigned one or more price groups:
Store → Catalog → Price groups → [edit] → User groups
Priority with multiple groups: if customer belongs to "Wholesale customers" (15% discount) and "VIP" (20% discount), more favorable price is applied.
Typical customer groups for B2B/B2C store
| Group | Price group | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Retail customers | Retail | Standard conditions |
| Small wholesale | Wholesale 1 | From 10,000 rubles |
| Large wholesale | Wholesale 2 | From 50,000 rubles, special delivery conditions |
| Dealers | Dealer | Hidden sections with dealer content |
| Employees | Cost price | Purchase prices |
Restricting catalog section visibility by groups
In section settings (Right click → Access rights) you can restrict read access for certain groups. "All users" group should have access to public sections, closed sections open only to needed groups.
Automatic group assignment on registration
Settings → Users → Registration settings → Default group for new user
For B2B store where all new users initially go to "Pending verification" and after manager review transfer to "Wholesale customers", standard settings are sufficient. Automatic group upgrade by order amount — via event handler.
Estimated timeframes
Setting up 3–4 customer groups with binding to prices and section rights — 3–5 hours.