{"section":"tutorials","requestedLocale":"en","requestedSlug":"how-trade-policies-work","locale":"en","slug":"how-trade-policies-work","path":"docs/en/tutorials/trade-policies/trade-policies'-overview/how-trade-policies-work.md","branch":"main","content":"On the VTEX platform, sales channels contain configurations of catalog, pricing, promotions, logistics, customer segmentation, and payments for different sales strategies. You have to [create a new sales channel](/en/docs/tutorials/creating-a-trade-policy) when one of these settings is different between the sales channels in which your store operates. The response time (SLA) for creating a sales channel is three business days.\n\nSales channels differentiate between sales conditions for [marketplaces](/en/docs/tutorials/configuring-a-marketplace-trade-policy), sellers, stores with their own ecommerce, physical stores, or B2B stores, for example. \n\nThey adapt your ecommerce website navigation according to the type of user who accesses it, segmenting sales conditions for each audience. Therefore, even though different sales channels can share the same sales channel, it is not possible to have more than one sales channel per sales channel.\n\nSee how different VTEX configurations relate to sales channels:\n\n- [Catalog](#catalog)    \n- [Prices](#prices)    \n- [Promotions](#promotions)    \n- [Shipping strategy](#shipping-strategy)    \n- [Payments](#payments)    \n- [Master data](#master-data)  \n- [Account management](#account-management)  \n\nTo [request additional sales channels](/en/docs/tutorials/requesting-an-additional-trade-policy), contact our Growth Operations team through Support by selecting **Commercial** and `Create a sales channel`.\n\nAdditional sales channels to integrate with [certified connectors](/en/docs/tutorials/marketplace-strategies-at-vtex#integrating-with-a-certified-connector-partner), or other VTEX stores are free of charge.\n\n> ⚠️ If the same sales channel is applied to a certified connector and a partner connector, there is no fee exemption.\n\n## Catalog\nYou can restrict which products are available for certain sales channels when [adding new products](/en/docs/tutorials/adding-or-editing-products) to the catalog. In doing so, the catalog will be segmented according to different business strategies. These strategies can have products segmented by region, marketplace, or specific types of customers, such as employees. Learn more about how to configure your [catalog](/en/tracks/catalog-101--5AF0XfnjfWeopIFBgs3LIQ).\n\n## Prices\nYou can set different prices for the same SKU based on the sales channel. This use of the sales channel is not equivalent to creating a promotion, as it depends on your business's pricing strategy. Sales channels can be used to differentiate prices between B2C and B2B customers or between physical stores and marketplaces. There is also the option to apply [pricing rules](/en/docs/tutorials/configuring-a-pricing-rule-for-a-sales-policy) and [fixed prices](/en/docs/tracks/preco-fixo-definicao-de-conceito) to differentiate prices and markups between specific products, categories, or brands. Learn more about how to configure [prices](/en/tracks/prices-101--6f8pwCns3PJHqMvQSugNfP).\n\n## Promotions\nYou can restrict which promotions are available for certain sales channels. When creating an exclusive promotion for your sales app, physical stores, or selected marketplaces, the sales channel is what determines [which products will be included in the promotion](/en/tutorial/promocao-regular--tutorials_327?&utm_source=autocomplete#politica-comercial). Learn more about how to configure [promotions](/en/docs/tracks/campaigns-what-are-they-and-how-to-create-them). \n\n## Shipping strategy\nYou can define specific [logistics routes](/en/tracks/logistica-101--13TFDwDttPl9ki9OXQhyjx/1xo0jmMDcnAUU5ZOavdQ7M) for each sales channel by linking them to different sales channels. [Loading docks](/en/tracks/logistica-101--13TFDwDttPl9ki9OXQhyjx/4Rr5XpzAzUPv2Eo9Mh7cEj) and [warehouses](/en/tutorial/gerenciar-estoque) connect logistics routes with the sales channels in which they will be applied. Through this connection, the different features of the Inventory & shipping module identify to which products they apply. Additionally, the time zone is an important setting in the sales channel, as it directly affects the order dispatch process. Learn more about how to configure your [shipping strategy](/en/tracks/logistica-101--13TFDwDttPl9ki9OXQhyjx). \n\n## Payments\nWhen you create a payment condition, you can restrict its availability in certain sales channels by creating [special conditions](/en/docs/tutorials/special-conditions). This allows you to determine a specific installment payment condition for employees, restrict a payment method to certain sellers, or provide specific payment methods to your store's acquiring partners.\n\nWhen you create different payment conditions for the same product, the checkout system will select the most suitable option according to the audience. If there are no restrictions, the sales channel will be applied to all sales channels. Learn more about how to configure [payments](/en/tracks/pagamentos--6GAS7ZzGAm7AGoEAwDbwJG). \n\n## Master data\nYou can limit access to the store to specific audiences, for example, a B2B site where only registered companies can browse, or a site that has an exclusive area for certain customers. This can be set by creating a [customer cluster in Master Data](/en/tutorial/como-criar-um-cluster-de-clientes) or via sales channel. Learn more about [Master Data](/en/docs/tutorials/master-data) settings. \n\n## Account management\n\n> ⚠️ If you have many sub-accounts, or physical store operations that offer in-store pickup or ship from store, creating multiple sales channels is not the best solution. We suggest creating new [store names](/en/tutorial/o-que-e-store-name) for each store within an [account](/en/tutorial/o-que-e-account-name).\n\nHaving too many sales channels in a VTEX environment slows down the process of indexing products and displaying them on your website, as well as simulating shipping rates at checkout, which might affect your order conversion rates. By segmenting the catalog based on multiple sales channels instead of creating store names with separate inventories, the store restricts its product offer, which leads to lost sales opportunities and worse delivery conditions. Learn more about [how to create a store name](/en/tutorial/como-criar-um-store-name).\n\n## Learn more\n\n- [Configuring a marketplace sales channel](/en/docs/tutorials/configuring-a-marketplace-trade-policy)  \n- [Creating a sales channel](/en/docs/tutorials/creating-a-trade-policy)"}