TIER 1 · RESERVE NOW
Paid
Card captured, or a bank transfer matched in Xero.
reserve = full qty
release_to_warehouse = now
release_to_warehouse = now
MEES · B2B commerce blueprint · Draft for discussion
How a MEES order moves from checkout to stock, customs and Xero.
One store, three ways to pay, one rule for stock: money first. This page shows how we would set up Shopify B2B, payments, inventory priority, free zone shipping and the Xero link for your GCC business, and what we still need from you to finish the design.
Dotted underlines explain a term. Hover, tap or tab to them. Every box in the diagram explains itself too.
01 · The order flow
Pick a way to pay and watch the order travel.
Each scenario is the same store and the same products. Only the payment changes, and with it, when stock is held and when the goods leave the free zone. The bar under the map shows 10 units of one product.
STOCK · 10 UNITS8 free
Card, paid now
02 · Stock priority
Four tiers decide who gets the last unit.
Out of the box, Shopify takes stock out of "available" the moment an order is placed, paid or not. So a proforma that sits unpaid for two weeks blocks a buyer ready to pay by card today. We add a rules layer that holds stock by payment status instead.
TIER 2 · RESERVE WITHIN LIMIT
Approved credit account
A company you have approved for terms, inside its credit limit, with no overdue invoices.
reserve if open_balance + order ≤ limit
else → tier 3
else → tier 3
TIER 3 · SHORT SOFT HOLD
Proforma awaiting transfer
A quote with an expiry. Stock is held for a window you choose, then released if no money arrives.
hold = 48 h (you choose)
paid buyer can take it after
paid buyer can take it after
TIER 4 · NO HOLD
Expired or over limit
Order stays open, buyer is told stock is confirmed on payment, and gets a fresh proforma if needed.
reserve = 0
auto reminder + new expiry
auto reminder + new expiry
The hold window, credit limits and reminder timing are business choices for MEES. The defaults above are a starting point for discussion, not a recommendation from your finance team.
03 · UAE and GCC routing
Where the buyer is sets the tax, the paperwork and who clears customs.
Your stock sits in a free zone without UAE duty paid. That is useful for exports and needs care for mainland sales. The checkout asks for the delivery country and company details up front, then applies the right path below.
| Buyer location | What it is for customs | VAT on the MEES invoice | Duty and import VAT | Paperwork the system produces |
|---|
04 · Shopify and Xero
What moves between the two systems, and how often.
05 · Payment options
Card, transfer and terms, set up for GCC companies.
| Method | How it works for the buyer | How it reaches Xero | Stock tier |
|---|
06 · Full technical scope
Everything we build, item by item.
07 · Roadmap
Four phases, delivered in two parts.
Part 1 is the store, payments and documents. Part 2 is the stock engine, Xero, GCC export and launch. Each part has one fixed price, and you see working software in a test store before each one is signed off. You own the code, the Shopify apps and the accounts from day one.
08 · What we need from MEES
The answers that turn this draft into a fixed scope.
Most of these take a sentence to answer. A few need your tax agent or customs broker.
Glossary
Every term on this page, in plain words.
The same explanations appear when you hover or tap an underlined word above.
Sources
What this draft is based on
Checked 20 Oct 2026. Tax and customs rows describe how the system would apply rules. They are not tax advice, and MEES's registered tax agent should confirm them before go-live.