If you distribute wine, spirits, or beer in a regulated state, you've probably come across Provi. It's a well-funded platform that lets bars, restaurants, and retailers browse and order from multiple distributors through a single app. That sounds appealing — until you realize your accounts can also browse your competitors on the same screen. Wholesail takes a fundamentally different approach: a private, white-labeled portal where your accounts order exclusively from you.
What Provi Actually Is
Provi is a B2B alcohol ordering marketplace. It aggregates distributors' catalogs and lets licensed buyers — restaurants, bars, hotels, retail shops — discover products and place orders across multiple distributors from one interface. Think of it like a DoorDash for beverage alcohol procurement: buyers get one login, multiple supplier options, and consolidated invoicing in some markets.
The Core Trade-Off: Discovery vs. Control
Provi's value to buyers is discovery. Every time your account logs into Provi to order from you, they're also looking at every other distributor on the platform. Competitor pricing is visible. Product alternatives are one click away. Wholesail's value is control — your accounts log into your portal and see only your products, your pricing, your promotions. There's no browsing competing distributors.
New Accounts vs. Existing Accounts
Provi has genuine value for distributor discovery. If you're a smaller distributor trying to get in front of accounts that don't know you exist, Provi's marketplace can surface your catalog to buyers actively searching. Wholesail is built for accounts you already have — its standing order system, Net-30/60/90 automation, and SMS ordering tools are all designed to make existing account relationships more efficient and more sticky.
Pricing Model
Provi's pricing for distributors typically involves transaction fees or revenue share on orders placed through the platform. Wholesail charges a flat monthly fee with no commission on orders. For high-volume distributors, the economics favor flat-fee tools significantly.