Level 2 PunchOut Catalog
⚠️ Source Note: Extracted from TradeCentric vendor blog. Do not attribute to Justin King or B2BEA.
Level 2 PunchOut (also written Level II PunchOut) is an enhancement to standard PunchOut that makes supplier products searchable within the buyer’s eProcurement platform — before the buyer punches out to the supplier’s site.
In standard (Level 1) PunchOut, the buyer sees only the supplier’s logo and must navigate to that supplier’s storefront to search for products. Level 2 adds a catalog file to the integration so the supplier’s products appear directly in the eProcurement platform’s marketplace search results.
Level 1 vs. Level 2 PunchOut
Feature
Level 1 PunchOut
Level 2 PunchOut
Access method
Buyer selects supplier logo/tile on eProcurement homepage
Buyer searches for products directly within eProcurement platform
Searchability
No — must punch out to browse
Yes — products indexed in cross-supplier search
User flow
Redirected to supplier’s storefront home page
Redirected to specific product page
Product visibility
Low before punch-out
High — products surface alongside other suppliers
Catalog file required
No
Yes — CIF (for SAP Ariba) or CSV (for Jaggaer)
Implementation effort
Lower
Higher — requires catalog file creation and buyer approval
Ideal use case
Small catalogs, basic PunchOut needs
Large catalogs, high competition for wallet share
How Level 2 Works
Level 2 PunchOut combines a live PunchOut integration with a static catalog file:
- The supplier generates a CIF (Catalog Interchange Format) or CSV file containing product entries. Each entry includes basic product data plus a link to the specific product page on the supplier’s PunchOut site.
- This file is uploaded to the buyer’s eProcurement platform (e.g., Ariba Network). The buyer’s procurement team reviews and approves it.
- Once live, buyers searching the eProcurement marketplace see the supplier’s products in search results — listed alongside other approved suppliers.
- When a buyer selects a product, they see “PunchOut to view price” (pricing is not in the static file). Clicking launches the PunchOut session and takes the buyer directly to that product page on the supplier’s site.
- The buyer adds items and transfers the cart back as normal.
Key point: the catalog file handles discovery (getting found in search). The live PunchOut handles the actual transaction (current pricing, availability, cart transfer). They work together.
Why Level 2 Matters
For suppliers, Level 2 is essentially the difference between being findable and being invisible in eProcurement marketplaces. In a Level 1 world, a buyer has to already know they want to buy from you — they select your logo. In a Level 2 world, your products surface when a buyer searches for a product category, putting you in competition with all other approved suppliers.
As Ariba and Jaggaer have built out their marketplace experiences, Level 2 support has become increasingly important for suppliers who want to capture budget from enterprise accounts.
Platform Support
Level 2 PunchOut is supported by SAP Ariba and Jaggaer. It is not universally supported across all eProcurement platforms.