Sell print through Ariba, Coupa, SAP, and Oracle procurement
PrintNow's cXML and punchout catalog integration plugs your web-to-print storefront directly into enterprise procurement. Win RFPs, capture B2B orders, and remove manual workflow — without forcing buyers off their procurement system.
The B2B print procurement gap
Enterprise print buyers live inside procurement systems — not your storefront.
Every Fortune 500 marketing department, government agency, and hospital network buys print through procurement. Without cXML or punchout integration, you can’t even bid for the work.
B2B buyers don't browse storefronts
Enterprise customers buy through Ariba, Coupa, SAP, or Oracle procurement — not by visiting your website. Without punchout, you're invisible to half the addressable market.
Manual workflows kill your margin
Email-based ordering, hand-keyed prices, and offline approvals turn high-value B2B orders into operational drag. One punchout session removes 8 manual steps.
Compliance bars you from RFPs
Government contracts, healthcare systems, and Fortune 500 RFPs require cXML and punchout up front. No catalog integration means disqualified at vendor selection.
The basics
What is a punchout catalog?
A punchout catalog is a vendor-hosted online catalog that buyers access from inside their procurement system — instead of leaving to visit the vendor’s website. The buyer “punches out” from procurement (SAP Ariba, Coupa, Oracle iProcurement, Jaggaer, etc.), browses or configures items in the vendor’s catalog, then returns their cart back to procurement for approval and ordering.
For commodity goods (office supplies, IT hardware) a static hosted catalog works fine. For print, it doesn’t. Print products require design, sizing, personalization, file uploads, and per-job pricing — none of which fit into a flat product list. Print buyers need the vendor’s full web-to-print configurator. That’s exactly what punchout gives them: procurement controls plus a live design experience.
How cXML powers punchout
cXML(Commerce XML) is the open standard introduced by Ariba in 1999 that defines how procurement systems and supplier catalogs communicate. It’s the XML protocol that carries the punchout request, the cart return, and the eventual order submission. Most major procurement platforms speak cXML natively. SAP and Oracle additionally support OCI, an older catalog protocol — PrintNow handles both.
A complete punchout integration uses three cXML transactions:
- ProfileRequest — procurement asks the vendor what transactions and options it supports.
- PunchOutSetupRequest — procurement starts a session, vendor returns a one-time URL into the catalog.
- OrderRequest — procurement submits the approved order back to the vendor for fulfillment.
If you’d like to see the wire format and field definitions, PrintNow’s cXML documentation covers every supported request type with example envelopes.
The PrintNow integration
A complete cXML endpoint — built into the platform.
Punchout isn’t a plugin you bolt on. PrintNow ships with a full cXML endpoint that handles profile discovery, punchout sessions, hosted catalogs, dynamic pricing, and order submission — all configured per storefront, with per-buyer credentials and pricing rules.
Punchout from any procurement system
Full PunchOutSetupRequest support with create and edit operations. Buyers click your catalog inside Ariba or Coupa, configure print products in the PrintNow editor, and return their cart inline — without leaving procurement.
Hosted catalogs with live pricing
Per-buyer-organization pricing flows through standard cXML pricing fields. Volume tiers, contract pricing, approved item lists, and dynamic quote pricing all stay consistent from punchout cart through approval.
OrderRequest into your MIS
Approved orders flow back as cXML OrderRequests with full line items, addresses, and pricing. PrintNow routes them into Presswise, OneFlow, SiteFlow, or your in-house production system — no rekeying.
Procurement systems
Works with every major procurement platform.
If your buyer’s system speaks cXML 1.2 or OCI, it works with PrintNow. We’ve never seen a procurement platform fail to integrate — the protocol is mature and the endpoint is built to spec.
SAP Ariba
Coupa
Oracle iProcurement
SAP SRM
Jaggaer
Workday Strategic Sourcing
Unimarket
Basware
GEP SMART
Ivalua
Don’t see your buyer’s procurement system? Tell us what they use — if it speaks cXML or OCI, we support it.
How a punchout session flows
Five steps from procurement click to order in your MIS.
Buyer opens procurement
Your customer's procurement administrator has already added PrintNow to their approved vendor list. The buyer logs into Ariba, Coupa, or their SAP/Oracle interface and finds your catalog tile.
Punchout session starts
Procurement sends a PunchOutSetupRequest to PrintNow's cXML endpoint with the buyer's identity, organization, and a return URL. PrintNow authenticates the request and returns a one-time URL to the buyer's storefront.
Buyer designs in PrintNow
The buyer lands inside your branded web-to-print storefront, signed in as their organization. They configure print products, upload artwork, set quantities, and add to cart — all using the full editor experience.
Cart returns to procurement
When the buyer checks out, PrintNow posts the cart back to procurement with itemized pricing, product details, and any custom fields. The cart appears inside procurement for approval workflow.
Approved order arrives via cXML
Once the buyer's organization approves the cart, procurement sends an OrderRequest to PrintNow with addresses, payment terms, and the full line items. PrintNow routes the order into your MIS for production.
Beyond punchout
Punchout pairs with the rest of the Enterprise API.
Most enterprise customers don’t want just punchout — they want a connected stack. PrintNow’s cXML endpoint sits alongside a full REST API, webhooks, and Print MIS integrations.
REST API for developers →
Programmatic access to customers, orders, products, reports, storefronts, and webhooks.
Embed in any ecommerce →
Drop the PrintNow editor and pricing engine into Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or your own cart.
Print MIS routing →
Inbound cXML orders flow into Presswise, OneFlow, SiteFlow, or your in-house production system automatically.