Inviting your own supplier to Orbit

The supplier directory only lists suppliers who are already on Orbit. If the supplier you buy from is not there, you can ask them to join. Orbit can email them an invitation for you, or you can copy the sign-up link and send it yourself.

Considerations

• Your supplier signs up for their own account on Orbit Commerce Suppliers. They control their own catalogue, prices and stock.
• Inviting someone does not connect you to them. You connect once they are set up and approved.
• There is a daily limit on how many invitations you can send.
• You cannot invite the same supplier again straight away.

Find the invite panel

1. From your Orbit dashboard, go to Suppliers.
2. Stay on the Available tab.
3. Scroll past the supplier cards to the panel headed Can't see your supplier?

The panel holds two buttons: Copy sign-up link and Invite supplier.

Invite a supplier by email

1. In the Can't see your supplier? panel, click Invite supplier.
2. The Invite your supplier window opens.
3. In Contact email, type the address the invitation should go to. This is the only field you have to fill in.
4. In Supplier name, type the company name. This is optional and holds up to 255 characters.
5. In Message, add a personal note to include in the invitation. This is optional and holds up to 1,000 characters. A counter under the box shows how much you have used.
6. Click Send invite.
7. The window closes and a message reads Invite sent to followed by the address you typed.

Note: Send invite stays greyed out until you enter an email address. Cancel closes the window without sending, and anything you typed is cleared.

What your supplier receives

Orbit sends the invitation on your behalf. The window says what happens next: "Tell us who they are and Orbit will send them an invitation to join. Once they're set up and approved, you can connect and start sourcing from them here."

The note you write in Message is included in that invitation, so use it to say who you are and what you want to buy.

Copy the sign-up link instead

If you would rather send the invitation yourself, share the link over WhatsApp, a phone call or an email thread you already have going.

1. From your Orbit dashboard, go to Suppliers.
2. In the Can't see your supplier? panel, click Copy sign-up link.
3. A message confirms Sign-up link copied to your clipboard.
4. Paste the link into your own message and send it.

The link takes your supplier to the supplier sign-up. They fill in their own details, so you do not need to send them anything else.

Messages you might see

• Enter a valid email address: the address in Contact email is not a full email address. Correct it and send again.
• [Name] is already on Orbit Commerce. You can find them in the directory.: no invitation is sent. Look for them on the Available tab and connect.
• You've already invited this supplier recently: an invitation has gone to that address not long ago. Wait before sending another.
• You've reached today's invite limit. Try again tomorrow.: you have sent as many invitations as you can in one day.
• Couldn't send the invite. Please try again.: the invitation did not go out. Try once more.
• Couldn't get the sign-up link. Please try again.: the link was not copied. Click Copy sign-up link again.

Connect once your supplier has joined

Your supplier has to finish signing up and be approved before you can work with them. After that they appear on the Available tab like any other supplier, and the badge on their card tells you how they accept new partners.

1. From your Orbit dashboard, go to Suppliers.
2. On the Available tab, search for the supplier by name.
3. Click the button on their card to connect.

The steps for each access mode are in Connecting to a supplier.

Related guides

• Connecting to a supplier
• Importing products from a supplier
• Working with suppliers