How to Manage Pre-Order Inventory in Shopify: A Complete Guide

After analyzing $85M+ in pre-order sales, we found that 20.6% of pre-orders ship within 30 days, but 28.1% take 121-150 days. That massive variance in timelines makes inventory management the difference between smooth launches and operational chaos.

Managing pre-order inventory in Shopify isn’t just about enabling “continue selling when out of stock.” It’s about preventing overselling, coordinating fulfillment holds, syncing with ERPs and 3PLs, and making smart decisions about mixed carts. Get it wrong and you’ll face premature shipments, angry customers, and refund requests. Get it right and pre-orders become a powerful tool for validating demand and improving cash flow.

This guide covers the exact Shopify pre-order inventory management workflows used by successful merchants, from setting variant-level stock limits to automating fulfillment holds, backed by data from 1M+ pre-orders.

Understanding Pre-Order Inventory Fundamentals

For a complete overview of Shopify pre-orders, see our guide to Shopify pre-orders.

What Makes Pre-Order Inventory Different

Pre-order inventory operates differently from standard Shopify inventory management. With regular products, you have stock on hand and Shopify tracks quantities as orders come in. With pre-orders vs backorders, you’re selling products that don’t exist in your warehouse yet.

This creates three key differences:

Negative inventory becomes necessary. When you take pre-orders for products with zero stock, your inventory levels go negative. Not all ERPs or inventory systems support this, which can block pre-orders entirely if not configured correctly.

Payment timing affects inventory reservation. Our data shows that 43.8% of pre-orders use charge-later (vaulted card) payment models. When you charge later, you need to decide: do you reserve inventory when the customer orders, or when you actually charge them? This impacts your demand forecasting and production planning.

Fulfillment holds prevent premature shipping. Standard Shopify orders automatically flow to fulfillment systems. Pre-orders need holds applied so they don’t ship before inventory arrives. Without proper holds, your 3PL might try to dispatch orders the moment they sync to your fulfillment system.

Three Core Inventory Management Challenges

Challenge 1: Preventing overselling when stock limits exist

Not every pre-order campaign can accept unlimited orders. If you have 500 units of a new product inbound, taking 1,000 pre-orders creates a fulfillment nightmare. Variant-level stock limits let you cap pre-orders by SKU, size, or color, automatically hiding buy buttons when limits are reached.

Challenge 2: Keeping pre-orders separate from buy-now inventory

Mixing pre-order and regular inventory in the same tracking system complicates reporting, forecasting, and fulfillment. Our research shows that 62.1% of stores prohibit mixing pre-orders with ready-to-ship items in the same cart. This separation simplifies operations and reduces errors.

Challenge 3: Syncing inventory across Shopify, ERPs, and 3PLs

Pre-orders touch multiple systems. Shopify handles the order, your ERP manages inventory planning, and your 3PL coordinates fulfillment. If these systems don’t properly sync pre-order status (especially the “On Hold” fulfillment state), orders ship too early or get lost in limbo.

Setting Up Inventory Controls for Pre-Orders

Stock Limits and Quantity Caps

A core component of Shopify pre-order inventory management is setting maximum pre-order quantities to prevent overselling and keep production aligned with demand. Here’s when and how to implement stock limits:

When to limit pre-order quantities:

  • Limited edition drops with finite incoming stock
  • Made-to-order products where production scales with orders
  • Test launches to validate demand before committing to large inventory
  • Restocks where you know the exact incoming quantity

Variant-level inventory allocation is critical for products with multiple SKUs. A pre-order campaign for a t-shirt might need different limits for small (200 units), medium (500 units), and large (300 units) based on your production run. Product-level limits don’t work here; you need granular control.

Calculating safe pre-order quantities requires accounting for cancellations. Industry data shows an average cancellation rate of 5.4%, so if you can fulfill 1,000 units, consider capping pre-orders at 950 to maintain a buffer.

Pre-order apps like PreProduct can enforce these limits automatically, hiding buy buttons when thresholds are reached and preventing checkout for products at capacity.

Negative Inventory Settings

Shopify’s native inventory system doesn’t automatically support selling when stock is zero. To enable pre-orders, you need to configure negative inventory handling.

Enabling “continue selling when out of stock”

In your Shopify product admin, navigate to the inventory section and check “Continue selling when out of stock.” This tells Shopify to accept orders even when the available quantity is zero or negative.

How pre-order apps handle negative inventory

Quality pre-order apps manage this setting automatically. When you create a pre-order listing, the app toggles the “continue selling” option on. When the pre-order campaign ends, it toggles it back off to prevent accidental overselling.

ERP considerations for negative stock

Not all ERPs support negative inventory by default. Before launching pre-orders, verify your ERP can process orders when on-hand stock is depleted. You’ll typically find this setting in your ERP’s inventory management or product configuration section. Without it enabled, your ERP may reject pre-order syncs from Shopify, creating order processing failures.
(We have specific guides on taking pre-orders with specific ERPs here)

Inventory Reservation Strategies

When do you actually reserve inventory for a pre-order: when the customer places the order, or when you collect payment? The answer affects forecasting and working capital.

Reserve at time of sale makes sense for charge-upfront pre-orders. The customer pays immediately, so you reserve inventory immediately. This gives you the most accurate picture of committed stock.

Reserve at fulfillment works better for charge-later models. Since 47.8% of pre-orders are charged within 30 days, you’re essentially forecasting demand but not locking in inventory allocation until payment succeeds. This accounts for payment failures and cancellations but requires more sophisticated inventory planning.

The choice depends on your payment model, cancellation tolerance, and production lead times. Products with long lead times (the most common shipping window is 121-150 days) benefit from earlier reservation to inform manufacturing, while quick-turn restocks can wait until charge time.

Managing Pre-Order Fulfillment Holds in Shopify

Implementing fulfillment holds prevents pre-orders from shipping before inventory arrives, protecting you from costly fulfillment disasters.

Understanding Shopify’s “On Hold” Status

Shopify’s fulfillment hold feature includes an “On Hold” status that signals an order is valid but shouldn’t be fulfilled yet. This is essential for pre-orders because it prevents premature shipping.

What fulfillment holds do

When an order has “On Hold” status, it appears in your Shopify orders admin but doesn’t flow to automatic fulfillment systems. This buys you time to wait for inventory to arrive before releasing orders for shipping.

How pre-order apps automatically apply holds

Pre-order apps should place fulfillment holds automatically when orders contain pre-order items. For Shopify stores, this means setting the fulfillment status to “On Hold.” For mixed carts with both pre-order and buy-now items, sophisticated apps apply holds only to the pre-order line items while letting regular items fulfill normally.

Releasing holds when inventory arrives

When your pre-order inventory hits the warehouse, you need to release fulfillment holds. This can be done manually per order, in bulk for an entire pre-order listing, or automatically through inventory-aware triggers. The key is having clear workflows via your pre-order app and documentation on who releases holds and when, to avoid bottlenecks.

ERP and 3PL Compatibility

Not all fulfillment systems natively recognize Shopify’s “On Hold” status, which creates integration challenges for managing pre-orders with your ERP or 3PL.

Systems with native “On Hold” recognition

The following 3PLs and fulfillment platforms natively sync and respect Shopify’s “On Hold” status:

  • ShipBob
  • RyderShip
  • Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN)
  • ShipStation (with proper configuration)
  • Flexport

If you use one of these, pre-order holds will automatically prevent fulfillment until you release them.

Mapping holds to custom internal statuses

ERPs and 3PLs without native support require workarounds. Common approaches include:

  • Mapping “On Hold” to a custom status in your system
  • Using Shopify tags (like “pre-order” or “hold-fulfillment”) to trigger routing rules
  • Leveraging line-item properties to mark pre-order items
  • Creating separate fulfillment locations for pre-orders, either virtual or real

The critical requirement is testing end-to-end before launch. Create a test pre-order, place it, and verify it doesn’t ship from your 3PL until you explicitly release it.

Automation with Shopify Flow

Shopify Flow enables sophisticated automation for pre-order fulfillment holds, especially useful for stores managing multiple pre-order campaigns simultaneously.

Triggering fulfillment holds based on product tags

Create a Flow workflow that monitors orders and applies “On Hold” status when line items have specific tags (like “pre-order” or the product collection). This ensures even if your pre-order app misses an edge case, holds still apply.

Auto-releasing holds when stock quantity changes

Set up a Flow that monitors product inventory levels. When a product’s available quantity increases (indicating stock arrival), automatically release fulfillment holds for orders containing that product. This eliminates manual release work for large pre-order campaigns.

PreProduct’s Shopify Flow integration

PreProduct offers 15 custom Shopify Flow actions and 16 triggers specifically for pre-orders, giving you granular control over hold application, charge timing, and release workflows. This is particularly valuable for stores wanting to integrate pre-order inventory management with broader operational automation.

Handling Mixed Carts and Partial Fulfillment

Three Approaches to Mixed Buy-Now + Pre-Order Carts

When customers want to purchase both in-stock and pre-order items together, you have three strategic options. Each has different implications for inventory management and operations.

Option 1: Prohibit mixing (62.1% of stores choose this)

Force customers to check out separately for pre-order and buy-now items. This is the cleanest approach operationally because it keeps pre-order and regular inventory completely separate in your fulfillment system. At PreProduct, this is enforced via redirecting customers to a checkout page or pre-order only cart. Another common approach is showing a message to customers that they need to check out separately for pre-order and buy-now items and just blocking the checkout until they comply.

Benefits: Simple inventory tracking, no partial fulfillment complexity, clear customer expectations.
Drawbacks: Lower average order value, potential friction in checkout experience.

Option 2: Multiple shipments

Allow mixed carts but fulfill items separately. In-stock products ship immediately while pre-order items ship when available.

Benefits: Better customer experience, higher average order value, no delays for in-stock items.
Drawbacks: Higher shipping costs (you pay twice), more complex 3PL coordination, requires partial fulfillment support.

Option 3: Hold all items

Accept mixed carts but hold the entire order until pre-order items are ready, then ship everything together.

Benefits: Single shipping cost, simpler logistics than option 2.
Drawbacks: Delays in-stock items unnecessarily, potentially frustrating customers, higher cancellation risk.

Inventory Implications of Each Strategy

How mixed carts complicate inventory tracking

When you mix pre-order and in-stock items, your inventory system needs to track:

  • Which line items are pre-order vs. buy-now
  • When each type of item will be available
  • Whether partial fulfillment is allowed
  • How to allocate inventory when items transition from pre-order to in-stock

This requires more sophisticated inventory management than single-type orders.

Split fulfillment requirements for 3PLs

Most modern 3PLs support partial fulfillment (ShipStation, Shippo, ShipBob, Flexport, ShipMonk, and others). However, you need to verify your specific 3PL can:

  • Recognize which line items are held vs. ready to ship
  • Create separate shipments from a single order
  • Sync tracking information back to Shopify for each shipment
  • Handle inventory allocation correctly for split orders

In 2024, Shopify released a split shipping feature that can be used to enforce charging seperate shipments for line items with different ship dates.

Impact on average order value vs. operational complexity

Allowing mixed carts typically increases AOV as customers add impulse purchases to pre-order checkouts. However, this comes with operational overhead. Calculate whether the revenue gain justifies the complexity for your specific operation.

Setting Up Your Policy

Configuration in pre-order apps

Quality pre-order apps let you choose your mixed cart policy:

  • Redirect to checkout with pre-order items only (prohibit mixing)
  • Allow mixing with automatic partial fulfillment tagging
  • Allow mixing with full-order hold until pre-orders are ready

Configure this based on your 3PL’s capabilities and operational capacity.

Customer communication requirements

Whichever policy you choose, communicate it clearly before checkout. Display messages like:

  • “Pre-order items will ship separately from in-stock items”
  • “Your entire order will ship together when pre-order items are available in [estimated date]”
  • “Pre-order and in-stock items must be purchased separately”

Clear expectations reduce support tickets and cancellations.

Integrating Pre-Orders with ERPs and Inventory Systems

Common ERP Integration Challenges

ERPs handle enterprise inventory planning, but many weren’t designed with pre-orders in mind. Here are the most common friction points:

Negative inventory support limitations

As mentioned earlier, not all ERPs process orders when inventory is negative or zero. During high-demand pre-order launches, sync delays between Shopify and your ERP can cause overselling if the ERP rejects orders based on stock levels.

Order status syncing (“On Hold” recognition)

Shopify’s “On Hold” fulfillment status may not map directly to your ERP’s internal status system. Without proper mapping, pre-orders might appear as regular unfulfilled orders in your ERP, triggering incorrect fulfillment workflows.

Real-time vs. scheduled inventory updates

Some ERP-Shopify connectors sync in real-time while others run on schedules (every 15 minutes, hourly, etc.). Scheduled syncing creates windows where customers can order based on outdated inventory data, leading to overselling during flash pre-order campaigns.

Best Practices for ERP Integration

Verify negative inventory settings before launch

Log into your ERP’s inventory management section and confirm negative inventory is enabled for products you plan to offer as pre-orders. Test by manually creating an order when stock is zero and verify it processes successfully.

Map Shopify statuses to internal ERP workflows

Work with your integration partner or developer to explicitly map:

  • Shopify “On Hold” → ERP pre-order status
  • Shopify “Unfulfilled” → ERP ready-to-ship status
  • Custom tags (like “pre-order-hold”) → ERP routing rules

Document these mappings for your team and review them quarterly as systems evolve.

Test pre-order flow end-to-end before going live

Create a test pre-order product, place orders through checkout, and track them through every system:

  1. Does the order appear correctly in Shopify?
  2. Does it sync to your ERP with proper status?
  3. Does your ERP recognize it shouldn’t fulfill yet?
  4. Can you trigger fulfillment release from both Shopify and your ERP?
  5. Does inventory reservation work correctly?

Only launch publicly after confirming the full flow works.

Use line-item properties for advanced routing

For complex workflows, leverage Shopify’s line-item properties to pass pre-order metadata to your ERP:

  • Estimated ship date
  • Pre-order campaign ID
  • Payment status (charged upfront vs. charge-later)
  • Stock source (made-to-order vs. incoming restock)

This additional context helps ERPs route orders correctly without relying solely on fulfillment status.

Popular ERPs and Pre-Order Compatibility

NetSuite: Supports negative inventory and custom order statuses. Requires configuration and typically custom integration work for full pre-order support.

Brightpearl: Native negative inventory support, good webhook capabilities for pre-order status syncing.

Cin7: Handles negative inventory well, offers Shopify integration, may require custom field mapping for fulfillment holds.

QuickBooks Commerce: Basic pre-order support through inventory adjustments and order tags.

For detailed ERP-specific workflows, see our guide on managing pre-orders on ERPs.

Coordinating Pre-Orders with 3PL Fulfillment

3PL Pre-Order Challenges

Most 3PLs don’t have dedicated pre-order modules. Instead, they rely on signals from Shopify to identify which orders to hold and which to ship.

Reliance on Shopify signals

3PLs typically use:

  • Fulfillment status (“On Hold” vs. “Unfulfilled”)
  • Financial status (is it marked as ‘paid’ in Shopify)
  • Order tags (like “pre-order” or “hold-fulfillment”)
  • Custom fields or line-item properties
  • Fulfillment location assignments

Your pre-order app must properly set these signals, and your 3PL must be configured to respect them.

Preventing automatic fulfillment of pre-orders

By default, some 3PLs automatically fulfill orders as soon as they sync from Shopify. Without proper holds in place, this means pre-orders ship before inventory arrives. Testing the hold workflow with your 3PL before launch is non-negotiable.

3PLs with Native Pre-Order Support

These fulfillment providers either natively recognize Shopify’s “On Hold” status or offer built-in pre-order workflows:

ShipBob: Full “On Hold” status support, real-time bidirectional inventory syncing, partial fulfillment capabilities.

ShipStation: Configurable automation rules can hold orders based on tags or status, supports partial fulfillment.

Flexport: Recognizes hold status, offers sophisticated inventory management for complex pre-order scenarios.

ShipMonk: Custom status mapping available, supports split shipments for mixed carts.

Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN): Native Shopify integration understands “On Hold” status automatically.

Easyship: Tag-based routing rules can separate pre-orders from regular fulfillment.

Workflow Setup

Configuring holds in 3PL systems

Work with your 3PL to set up automation rules:

  • If order has tag “pre-order” → hold for manual release
  • If fulfillment status = “On Hold” → do not auto-ship
  • If order contains specific SKUs → hold until approved

Most 3PLs offer some level of automation rule configuration, though complexity varies.

Testing pre-order to fulfillment flow

Place test pre-orders and track them through your 3PL’s system:

  1. Does the order appear in the 3PL admin?
  2. Is it marked as held/pending and not automatically fulfilled?
  3. Can you manually release it for fulfillment when ready?
  4. Does the 3PL correctly handle partial releases for mixed carts?

Communication protocols when stock arrives

Establish clear processes for when inventory lands:

  • Who notifies the 3PL that stock arrived?
  • How do you bulk-release pre-orders for fulfillment?
  • What’s the SLA for the 3PL to ship once released?
  • How do you track fulfillment progress for large pre-order batches?

Document these workflows so multiple team members can execute them.

For detailed 3PL-specific guidance, see our article on managing pre-orders with your 3PL.

Tracking and Forecasting Pre-Order Inventory

Key Metrics to Monitor

Pre-order quantity by variant

Track orders at the SKU level, not just product level. A product with five sizes needs five separate quantity trackers to inform production accurately. This granular visibility prevents the scenario where you have 1,000 total pre-orders but didn’t track that 600 are size medium and you only planned for 200.

Fulfillment timeline tracking

Monitor how long pre-orders sit in your system before fulfillment. Since pre-orders can ship within 30 days but often take much longer, understanding your timeline distribution helps set customer expectations and plan working capital.

Cancellation rates

The industry average cancellation rate is 5.4%. Track yours by campaign, product type, and shipping timeline. Longer timelines generally correlate with higher cancellations, so factor this into inventory planning.

Stock arrival dates vs. customer expectations

Track the gap between promised ship dates and actual fulfillment. Delays erode trust and increase cancellation and refund requests. If you consistently miss dates, adjust your estimated timelines to be more conservative.

Using Pre-Order Data for Demand Forecasting

SKU-level demand signals

Pre-orders provide early demand data before production commitments. If a new product gets 500 pre-orders in week one, you can confidently scale production knowing demand exists. This is far more reliable than forecasting based on similar products or market research.

Production run planning

Use pre-order quantities to right-size manufacturing. If you’re deciding between a 1,000-unit or 2,500-unit production run, 750 pre-orders in hand makes the decision data-driven rather than a guess.

Avoiding overproduction

U. S. retailers held $740 billion worth of unsold goods in 2023. Shopify pre-orders flip this model: produce based on confirmed demand rather than speculative inventory. This reduces write-offs, discounting, and tied-up capital.

Inventory Reports and Dashboards

Monitoring pre-order allocations

Check pre-order app dashboards showing:

  • Total pre-orders by product and variant
  • Percentage of stock limit reached (if limits are set)
  • Payment collection status (charged vs. pending charge)
  • Estimated fulfillment dates and current status

Stock level alerts

Set notifications for:

  • When pre-order limits reach 80% capacity (time to decide if you’ll expand)
  • When expected stock arrival dates approach (prepare for fulfillment release)
  • When cancellation rates exceed normal thresholds (investigate cause)

Variant performance tracking

Identify which variants are in highest demand. This informs future production mixes and helps you avoid the common mistake of producing equal quantities of all sizes when demand is heavily skewed.

Preventing Common Pre-Order Inventory Mistakes

Mistake #1: Not Setting Stock Limits

Risk of overselling when incoming inventory is finite

If you have 500 units arriving but take 1,000 pre-orders, you face a crisis. You must either disappoint 500 customers with cancellations and refunds, expedite additional production at high cost, or face delivery delays that damage your brand.

How to calculate safe pre-order quantities

Formula: (Confirmed incoming inventory) × (1 – expected cancellation rate) = maximum safe pre-orders

Example: 1,000 units incoming × (1 – 0.054) = 946 safe pre-orders

Build in this buffer to account for cancellations without overselling your actual stock.

Mistake #2: Poor ERP/3PL Communication

Orders shipping prematurely

The most common pre-order disaster is orders fulfilling before inventory arrives. This happens when:

  • Fulfillment holds aren’t properly applied
  • ERP/3PL doesn’t recognize hold status
  • Manual release happens accidentally
  • Integration failures cause orders to sync without hold flags

Inventory sync failures

Real-time vs. scheduled syncing matters during high-volume launches. A 15-minute sync delay can result in hundreds of over-sold units when a popular pre-order goes live.

Testing requirements before launch

If you use a third-party 3PL and/or ERP, never launch a pre-order campaign without running complete tests through your fulfillment stack. The cost of testing is minutes; the cost of a failed launch is thousands in refunds, rush shipping, and brand damage.

Mistake #3: Unclear Customer Communication

Setting accurate estimated ship dates

Optimistic ship dates feel good in the moment but create problems when missed. Use data from past campaigns: if your average timeline is 90 days, quote 90-120 days rather than 60 days and hope.

Updating customers when timelines change

Production delays happen. The worst response is silence. Send proactive updates:

  • When delays are likely (before promises are missed)
  • With specific new timelines (not vague “coming soon”)
  • Offering options (wait or cancel) for long delays

Remember that 28.1% of pre-orders have 121-150 day shipping windows. Customers accept long timelines if communicated clearly upfront.

Choosing the Right Pre-Order App for Inventory Management

Key Features to Look For

When evaluating pre-order apps for Shopify, prioritize these inventory management capabilities:

Variant-level stock limits: Not all apps support capping pre-orders by individual SKU or variant. This is critical for products with multiple sizes, colors, or configurations.

Automated fulfillment holds: The app should automatically apply “On Hold” status to pre-order items without manual intervention.

ERP/3PL integration capabilities: Look for apps that can set Shopify tags and line item properties (for custom flow setting), API access, or native integrations with your specific fulfillment stack.

Flexible payment options: Charge-upfront, charge-later, and deposit options affect inventory reservation timing. Choose an app that supports your preferred payment model.

Real-time inventory syncing: Especially important for high-volume launches where seconds matter.

PreProduct’s Inventory Management Features

PreProduct is a Shopify pre-order app built specifically to handle the inventory management challenges covered in this guide:

Automatic fulfillment holds with “On Hold” status: Pre-orders automatically receive Shopify’s “On Hold” fulfillment status, preventing premature shipping to 3PLs that recognize this signal.

Variant-specific pre-order limits: Set maximum quantities per variant, automatically hiding buy buttons when limits are reached to prevent overselling.

Integration with Shopify Flow: 15 custom Flow actions and 16 triggers enable sophisticated automation for inventory-aware charging, fulfillment release, and status updates.

Separate admin for pre-order tracking: Monitor all pre-orders in a dedicated dashboard separate from your regular Shopify orders, simplifying inventory allocation and reporting.

Flexible payment models: Support for charge-upfront, charge-later (vaulted card), deposits, and multi-step payment plans. Each model affects inventory reservation differently, and PreProduct handles all of them.

The app is designed to address the technical workflows and operational challenges discussed throughout this article, backed by insights from processing $100M+ in pre-order sales.

Conclusion

Effective Shopify pre-order inventory management comes down to five core principles:

  1. Set variant-level stock limits to prevent overselling when incoming inventory is finite. Use the formula: incoming inventory × (1 – cancellation rate) to calculate safe maximums.
  2. Implement fulfillment holds to prevent premature shipping. Verify your ERP and 3PL recognize and respect “On Hold” status before launching.
  3. Test integrations thoroughly before going live. Run pre-orders through your entire fulfillment stack, confirming holds work and inventory syncs correctly.
  4. Choose a mixed cart policy based on operational capacity. 62.1% of stores prohibit mixing for good reason; only allow mixed carts if you can handle the complexity.
  5. Track metrics to improve forecasting. Monitor pre-order quantities by variant, cancellation rates, and fulfillment timelines to refine future campaigns.

Pre-orders offer powerful benefits for validating demand, improving cash flow, and capturing revenue before inventory arrives. But these benefits only materialize with proper inventory management. By implementing the workflows in this guide, you’ll avoid the common mistakes that turn promising pre-order campaigns into operational nightmares.

Ready to manage pre-orders with confidence? Start taking pre-orders on Shopify with tools built for proper inventory management, fulfillment holds, and system integration.

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Shopify Partial Payments: Complete Guide to Deposits, Installments & Deferred Charges

Managing cash flow while keeping customers happy can feel like walking a tightrope. Shopify partial payments let you collect a portion of the sale upfront and charge the remaining balance later, creating flexibility for both you and your customers. Whether you’re launching a new product line, managing pre-orders, or selling higher-ticket items, understanding how to implement partial payment strategies can transform how you capture revenue.

From processing over $85 million+ in pre-order sales, we’ve learned what actually works. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about Shopify deposits, charge-later options, and installment plans so you can choose the right approach for your store.

What Are Shopify Partial Payments?

The Core Concept

Shopify partial payments enable merchants to charge a portion of the sale upfront while deferring the remaining balance until later. Instead of collecting the full amount at checkout, you might take 30% now and charge the rest when the product ships. This approach relies on vaulted card technology, where payment details are securely stored with your payment provider, allowing you to trigger charges at a later date without restrictive authorization windows.

The flexibility extends beyond simple deposits. Merchants can structure payments in three main ways: deposit upfront with a later charge, full charge-later with zero upfront cost, or multi-step installment plans that spread payments across several transactions.

Three Main Approaches to Partial Payments

Based on data from over one million pre-orders, here’s how merchants actually structure their payments:

Charge-later accounts for 43.8% of all pre-order listings (75,781 listings). Customers complete checkout without paying anything upfront, and merchants trigger the charge when ready to ship. This approach maximizes conversion by removing initial friction while still securing the order.

Deposit upfront represents 12.6% of listings. Merchants collect a partial payment during checkout, typically 20-50% of the product value, then charge the balance when the item is ready. This balances customer commitment with flexibility.

Charge upfront makes up 14.9% of listings. The full amount is collected immediately at checkout, providing instant cash flow but requiring customers to pay before receiving the product.

The remaining 28.7% use capture-only approaches, where payment is taken through payment links rather than vaulted cards.

Why Partial Payments Matter in 2025

The shift toward flexible payment models reflects changing customer expectations. Buyers increasingly expect options beyond “pay now or don’t buy.” For merchants, partial payments solve a critical challenge: how do you capture revenue before inventory arrives without alienating customers who want to minimize upfront commitment?

Traditional Shopify payment authorizations expire after 7 or 30 days depending on your payment provider and Shopify plan. Partial payment solutions using vaulted cards bypass these limitations, giving you control over when charges occur regardless of lead times.

How Shopify Partial Payments Work

Technical Requirements

Only two payment providers currently support the vaulted card technology required for deferred charges: Shopify Payments and PayPal (although we’ve heard reports of Cybersource recently being supported). Any credit card that passes standard checkout validation works for partial payments; no special card types are required.

The system captures and securely stores card details at initial checkout. When you’re ready to charge, you trigger the payment through your pre-order app or payment platform. The customer doesn’t need to re-enter payment information or take any action.

The Customer Experience

From a customer perspective, partial payments create a streamlined experience. They complete checkout once, entering payment details as they normally would. For deposit-based approaches, they see the deposit amount charged immediately. For charge-later options, no charge appears until you trigger it.

Customers can monitor their deferred payment status through customer portals that show expected shipping dates, outstanding balances, and payment schedules. This transparency reduces support inquiries and maintains trust during longer lead times.

The Merchant Workflow

Setting up partial payments requires choosing your deposit amount or percentage, configuring when charges will occur, and customizing customer communications. You can set charges to trigger manually when you’re ready to ship, automatically based on inventory levels, or on specific dates.

For deposit approaches, you specify whether to charge a fixed amount or a percentage of the product price. The system calculates and displays the deposit at checkout, shows the remaining balance, and handles the math automatically.

When triggering remaining charges, you can process them at the listing level (charging all customers for a specific product) or at the customer level (charging individual orders as they’re ready). Failed charges generate automated recovery emails, giving customers the opportunity to update payment methods before orders are cancelled.

Benefits of Partial Payments for Pre-orders

For Merchants: Extended Sales Windows

Traditional payment authorizations create artificial constraints. With Shopify Payments, authorizations typically expire after 7 days, though this can extend to 30 days in some cases. If your product lead time exceeds these windows, you face a choice: charge upfront and risk higher refund requests, or wait until inventory arrives and lose revenue velocity.

Partial payments eliminate this constraint. Data shows that while 25% of merchants charge immediately (Day 0), 47.8% charge within the first 30 days of the order. The flexibility to control charge timing means you can align revenue capture with your specific supply chain reality, not arbitrary authorization periods.

For Merchants: Reduced Refund Administration

Charge-upfront pre-orders create customer frustration when delays occur. Customers who’ve already paid feel entitled to immediate resolution, generating support tickets and refund requests. Charge-later and deposit models reduce this friction. Customers who haven’t fully paid yet tend to be more patient with timeline adjustments, as they haven’t fully committed their funds.

This isn’t just theory. Merchants using charge-later approaches report fewer cancellations and support inquiries compared to charge-upfront campaigns, particularly for products with variable lead times.

For Customers: Lower Initial Commitment

The psychological barrier of a $300 product is very different from a $75 deposit. Partial payments let customers secure items they want without the immediate financial impact of the full purchase. This is particularly powerful for higher-ticket items where the decision to buy might be delayed by cash flow concerns.

Customers who make partial payments also demonstrate stronger purchase commitment. Having “skin in the game” through a deposit makes them more likely to complete the purchase compared to waitlists or notification systems with zero commitment.

Real-World Impact: The Holochain Foundation Example

When Holochain Foundation launched their Web3 platform hardware, they faced a classic challenge: significant production costs with uncertain demand. They used deposit-based pre-orders to validate interest and secure upfront capital for manufacturing.

By collecting deposits, they confirmed real demand beyond survey responses or email signups. The deposits provided working capital to initiate production runs. And critically, they maintained full control over when to charge the remaining balance, coordinating charges with actual shipping timelines rather than racing against authorization expirations.

When to Use Deposits vs Charge-Later vs Installments

Strategic Decision Framework

The right payment approach depends on three factors: product price point, lead time length, and your cash flow needs. Here’s how to think through the decision.

Use Deposit Upfront When:

High-ticket items ($500+) benefit from deposits. The partial payment demonstrates commitment without requiring customers to part with the full amount months before delivery. We believe optimal deposit amounts range from 10-50% of the product value.

Long lead times (three months or longer) work better with deposits than charge-later. Asking customers to wait 90+ days with zero payment creates uncertainty. A deposit confirms their commitment and provides you with working capital during the production window.

Custom or made-to-order products justify deposits because you’re investing resources specifically for that customer. The deposit offsets your production costs and reduces the risk of cancellations after you’ve already started work.

When you need early production capital, deposits inject cash flow before the product is ready to ship. This is particularly valuable for crowdfunded-style launches or when production minimums require upfront investment.

Merchants who use deposit approaches represent 12.6% of listings in our dataset. While less common than charge-later, deposits serve a specific purpose for higher-value, longer-timeline products.

Use Charge-Later When:

Testing product demand works better with charge-later. The zero upfront cost maximizes conversion, giving you the truest read on interest. You can validate demand without customers needing to part with money immediately.

Short to medium lead times (one to two months) pair well with charge-later. Customers don’t perceive significant risk in the timeline, and you maintain flexibility on charge timing.

Low-medium priced items ($50-$300) see strong performance with charge-later. The payment amount isn’t large enough to justify deposits, and the reduced friction at checkout improves conversion rates.

When you want maximum conversion, charge-later removes all payment friction. Customers complete checkout knowing they won’t be charged until the product ships, eliminating the primary objection to pre-ordering.

The data supports this approach: 43.8% of pre-order listings use charge-later models, making it the most popular payment timing choice. The appeal is clear: secure orders now, charge when convenient, avoid authorization periods entirely.

Use Installment Plans When:

High-ticket items ($1,000+) benefit from spreading payments across multiple installments. This makes expensive products accessible to customers who want to spread the cost over time, similar to how Affirm or Klarna work.

Price sensitive customers who prefer to spread the cost over time. Offering installment plans allows you to offer a lower price point to customers who prefer to pay over time. Think of this like BNPL (buy-now-pay-later) but the customer receives the product later instead of upfront.

Competing with buy-now-pay-later services becomes easier when you offer your own installment options. Rather than paying fees to third-party services, you can structure multi-step payment plans that charge customers directly.

Extended payment terms (60-90+ days or longer) work well for premium product positioning. Luxury items or high-end equipment can be structured with monthly payments that align with when customers actually receive and use the product.

Multi-step payment plans work by splitting pre-orders into multiple automatic charges on a defined schedule. Customers select their preferred number of installments at checkout, and the system automatically processes charges based on your configured frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly).

Available for Shopify Plus stores and non-Shopify platforms, these plans integrate with charge-later or deposit-upfront pre-order models. You can configure maximum installment limits, offer discounts for choosing payment plans, and customize the customer-facing interface to match your brand. Customers access a portal showing their payment history, outstanding balance, and upcoming charge dates.

Optimal Deposit Percentages by Scenario

For physical goods in the $200-$500 range: 25-35% deposits work well. This is enough to confirm commitment without creating significant friction.

For higher-ticket items ($500-$1,500): 20-30% deposits provide meaningful capital while keeping the initial amount manageable. A $300 deposit on a $1,200 product feels more acceptable than a $600 deposit.

For custom or made-to-order products: 40-50% deposits are appropriate. Your costs are higher, customization requires more resources, and the commitment level should reflect the work involved.

For products with very long lead times (6+ months): 30-40% deposits strike a balance. Too small and it doesn’t feel meaningful; too large and customers balk at paying so much so far in advance.

The key is putting it in the context of your business and customer-base. Your hard fought intuition is a great starting point, as what works for one product or audience may not work for another.

How to Set Up Shopify Partial Payments

Option 1: Manual Setup (Not Recommended)

Some merchants attempt to create partial payment flows manually through Shopify’s native features. This involves creating separate deposit products, generating unique discount codes for the remaining balance, and manually coordinating payment collection with customers.

Why this approach fails: The customer experience is poor. They purchase a “deposit” product, then receive an email later with a discount code and instructions to buy the actual product. It’s confusing and unprofessional.

The manual coordination is time-consuming. You’re manually tracking which customers paid deposits, generating individual discount codes, and sending follow-up emails. For anything beyond a handful of orders, this becomes unmanageable.

You lose analytics and segmentation. These orders don’t flow through normal Shopify reporting as pre-orders; they look like separate product purchases. You can’t easily segment customers who have deposits pending or identify which partial payment campaigns perform best.

The approach is error-prone. Forgotten discount codes, incorrect discount amounts, customers who lose emails, all these issues create support tickets and frustration.

(FYI: Early on in PreProduct, before Shopify supported vaulted card payments; we actually offered a version of this ‘deposit product’ approach. It was pretty painful and we discontinued it as soon as the vaulted card functionality was released.)

Option 2: Using Pre-order Apps (Recommended)

Specialized pre-order apps handle the complexity of partial payments through purpose-built workflows. PreProduct offers flexible payment timing options including charge-upfront, charge-later, deposits, and multi-step installment plans.

Step-by-step setup process:

First, choose your payment timing approach. Decide whether you’re collecting full payment upfront, charging later, or taking a deposit. This decision drives the rest of your configuration.

Second, set your deposit amount or percentage if applicable. You can specify either a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of the product price. The app automatically calculates and displays this at checkout.

Third, configure automatic charge triggers or plan for manual triggering. Some merchants prefer to trigger charges manually when they’re ready to ship. Others want automation based on inventory levels, where charges occur automatically when stock is added to Shopify.

Fourth, customize your customer portal and communications. Set up the messaging customers see on product pages, in cart, and at checkout. Configure email sequences for order confirmations, upcoming charges, and payment reminders.

Fifth, set up failed charge notifications and recovery workflows. If a customer’s card declines when you trigger the remaining charge, automated emails give them an opportunity to update their payment method before you cancel the order.

Sixth, test the complete flow. Place a test order through the entire checkout process, confirm the deposit or charge-later behavior works correctly, and verify that triggering the remaining charge functions as expected.

Configuration Best Practices

Communicate lead times clearly on product pages. Use specific dates when possible (“Ships in February 2025”) or windows when dates are uncertain (“Ships 8-12 weeks after order”). Vague language like “coming soon” creates customer anxiety.

Set realistic charge dates based on your actual supply chain. Building in buffer time is smart, but don’t pad timelines excessively. Customers appreciate accuracy more than conservatively long estimates.

Craft deposit policy language that explains what customers are paying now, what they’ll be charged later, and when that charge will occur. This belongs in multiple places: product page, cart, and checkout.

Design email sequences for payment reminders that notify customers a few days before their remaining balance will be charged. This reduces surprise and gives them time to ensure sufficient funds are available.

Managing Partial Payment Orders

Order Tracking and Segmentation

Once partial payment orders start flowing in, you need visibility into payment status across your customer base. Shopify deposits apps like PreProduct provide dashboards that show which orders have deposits paid, which customers are on charge-later status, and which charges have been triggered but not yet collected.

Segmentation becomes critical for larger campaigns. You might need to charge customers in batches as inventory arrives in waves, or handle exceptions for customers requesting earlier or later charges. Good pre-order tools let you filter by payment status, creation date, product, and other attributes.

Triggering Remaining Charges

Manual charge initiation gives you complete control. You review orders ready to ship, select the customers to charge, and trigger the charges. This works well for smaller volumes or when you need to carefully coordinate charges with actual inventory availability.

Automated triggers based on dates work for predictable timelines. If you know products will ship on March 15th, you can configure charges to trigger automatically on March 10th, giving time for payment processing before you need to create shipping labels.

Stock-based triggers charge customers automatically when you add inventory to Shopify. You receive a shipment, update your stock levels, and the app detects the change and initiates charges. This aligns charges with actual product availability rather than estimated dates.

Batch processing lets you charge large groups simultaneously. If you have 500 orders and inventory for all of them arrives, you can process all charges in one action rather than triggering them individually.

Failed Charge Management

Not every charge attempt succeeds. Cards expire, customers change banks, or funds aren’t available. When charges fail, you need a recovery process.

Common failure reasons include expired cards (especially problematic for long lead times), insufficient funds, or cards that were cancelled and replaced. Some failures are soft declines that will succeed if retried; others are permanent until the customer updates their payment method.

Automated recovery emails immediately notify customers when charges fail. These emails explain what happened, provide a link to update payment information, and set a deadline before the order is cancelled. Clear, non-accusatory language is important; frame it as “we need your help to complete your order” rather than “your payment failed.”

Grace periods and retry logic give customers time to fix issues. A common approach: retry the charge once after 24 hours, send another notification if it fails again, and give customers 3-5 days total before cancelling the order. The timeline should balance giving customers adequate time with your need to manage inventory.

When to cancel vs hold orders depends on your inventory situation. If you have excess inventory, you can be generous with grace periods. If inventory is tight and you have a waitlist, shorter grace periods let you reallocate products to customers whose payments will succeed.

Refund Scenarios

Partial payments complicate refunds compared to standard orders. If you’ve collected a deposit and need to refund, do you refund just the deposit? What if you’ve already charged the remaining balance?

Partial vs full refunds depend on when the refund request comes in and why. If a customer wants to cancel before you’ve triggered the remaining charge, you refund the deposit. If they want to cancel after being fully charged but before shipping, you refund everything. If the product has shipped and they’re returning it, your normal return policy applies.

Split payment complications arise when deposits and final charges occur far apart. Your accounting needs to handle a deposit collected in January and a refund processed in March that pulls from a different financial period.

Customer communication templates should clearly explain what amount is being refunded and when they’ll see it. “Your $75 deposit will be refunded to your original payment method within 5-10 business days” sets clear expectations.

Integration with Operations

Fulfilment Hold Management

The biggest operational risk with pre-orders is accidental early shipment. Products shouldn’t ship until you’ve triggered the remaining charges. Fulfilment holds prevent pre-order items from flowing to your 3PL or shipping team until you explicitly release them.

For Shopify stores, apps can place orders in “hold” fulfilment status. This keeps them out of your normal fulfilment queue. When you trigger charges and they succeed, the hold is released and the order moves to “unfulfilled,” making it visible to your fulfilment team.

For BigCommerce and WooCommerce stores, the approach differs. Pre-order apps keep orders in the app until you release them, then push them to your platform admin only when ready to ship. This ensures your team never sees an order before it’s time to fulfil it.

ERP and Inventory Systems

If you use an ERP system, syncing pre-order payment status matters for accurate financial reporting. Your ERP needs to know which orders represent collected revenue versus orders that will generate revenue when charged later.

Webhooks or API connections push order status updates from your pre-order app to your ERP. When a deposit is collected, your ERP records it. When the remaining balance is charged, another update flows through. This keeps your financial picture accurate without manual data entry.

For demand forecasting, pre-orders provide early signals about which products will sell and in what quantities. If you have 200 pre-orders before production starts, you know you need at least 200 units. Integrating this data into inventory planning prevents stockouts and informs production run sizes.

Learn more about managing pre-orders with ERP systems.

3PL Coordination

If you use a third-party logistics provider, they need to understand which orders are pre-orders and shouldn’t ship yet. Most 3PLs integrate with Shopify or your platform and automatically pull orders marked as unfulfilled. If pre-orders flow through before you’re ready, they’ll ship them.

The fulfilment hold approach prevents this. Only when you explicitly release holds do orders become visible to your 3PL. This coordination is critical for smooth operations.

For more on this topic, see our guide on managing pre-orders with your 3PL.

Mixed Carts: Pre-orders Plus In-Stock Items

Should you allow customers to purchase pre-order and in-stock items in the same cart? This decision impacts operations significantly.

Mixed carts increase average order value. Customers can buy what’s available now along with pre-order items, maximizing their cart size. However, this creates split fulfilment complexity. You need to ship the in-stock items immediately and hold the pre-order items for later.

Isolated carts force customers to check out separately for pre-orders and regular items. This simplifies operations; each order is either all in-stock or all pre-order. However, it may reduce total cart value and creates a slightly more complex customer experience.

The right choice depends on your operational capacity. If you can handle split fulfilments without errors, mixed carts are valuable. If your fulfilment setup struggles with partial shipments, isolated carts reduce mistakes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Payment Timing Errors

Charging too early before products are ready to ship creates customer frustration. If you charge the remaining balance and then announce a delay, customers who were patient during the charge-later period suddenly become frustrated. Only trigger charges when you’re confident products will ship within days.

Missing authorization windows applies to merchants not using vaulted card solutions. If you’re trying to use standard Shopify authorizations for long-lead-time products, you’ll hit expiration issues. This is why partial payment apps with vaulted cards exist in the first place.

Inadequate customer communication about when charges will occur causes surprise and support tickets. Notify customers a few days before charging remaining balances. Give them a heads-up rather than charging unexpectedly.

Deposit Amount Missteps

Asking too little defeats the purpose of deposits. A $10 deposit on a $300 product doesn’t demonstrate meaningful commitment. Customers will cancel without hesitation because they haven’t invested much.

Asking too much creates friction at checkout. A $250 deposit on a $400 product feels nearly as expensive as just paying full price. You lose the psychological benefit of partial payments.

Not testing different amounts means you’re guessing at optimal deposit levels. Run small test campaigns with 25%, 35%, and 45% deposits on the same product. Measure conversion rates and cancellation rates. The data will tell you what works for your audience.

Technical Pitfalls

Payment gateway incompatibility is the most common technical issue. If you’re not using Shopify Payments or PayPal, vaulted card features won’t work. You’ll need to use capture-only approaches with payment links instead, which creates a different customer experience.

Discount code conflicts can arise with partial payments. Shopify’s “buy X, get Y” style discounts aren’t yet supported by some pre-order apps. If you rely heavily on these discount types, test compatibility before launching campaigns.

Ignoring Shopify’s “continue selling when out of stock” setting causes checkout failures. Pre-order products need this setting enabled so customers can purchase when stock is at zero. Good pre-order apps handle this automatically, but if you’re building custom solutions, it’s easy to miss.

Customer Experience Issues

Unclear lead time communication on product pages leads to unrealistic expectations. If you say “ships soon” and then customers wait three months, they’ll be unhappy even if the product itself is perfect. Specific timelines set accurate expectations.

Poor failed charge recovery loses revenue unnecessarily. If charges fail and you just cancel orders without giving customers a chance to update payment methods, you’re leaving money on the table. Simple recovery emails can save 30-50% of failed charges.

Complicated refund policies create support burden. If customers don’t understand whether they’re getting deposits back, remaining balances back, or something else, they’ll contact support repeatedly. Clear refund language prevents this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Shopify take partial payments without apps?

Shopify doesn’t offer native partial payment functionality for pre-orders. While you can create manual workarounds using separate products and discount codes, these approaches create poor customer experiences and significant administrative overhead.

Specialized apps provide the vaulted card technology, customer portals, and automated workflows that make partial payments practical. The investment in an app quickly pays for itself through reduced support burden and improved conversion rates.

Which payment gateways support deposits?

Only Shopify Payments and PayPal currently support the vaulted card technology required for true charge-later and deposit-upfront functionality (although we’ve heard reports of Cybersource recently being supported). Other payment providers don’t offer the ability to securely store card details and charge them at a later date without re-entering information.

If you use a different payment gateway, you can still offer partial payments through capture-only approaches using payment links. When it’s time to collect the remaining balance, you send customers a link to complete payment. This creates an extra step but works with any payment provider.

What’s the ideal deposit percentage?

Based on industry data and merchant testing, 20-50% is the optimal deposit range for most products. The specific amount within that range depends on your product price point, lead time, and customer base.

Lower-priced products ($200-$400) work well with 25-35% deposits. Higher-ticket items ($500-$1,500) can go lower, around 20-30%, because the absolute dollar amount is still significant. Custom or made-to-order products justify 40-50% deposits given the resources you’re investing.

The only way to know for certain is testing different levels with your specific audience.

How do I handle failed charges?

When a charge fails, implement a recovery workflow:

First, send an immediate notification email explaining what happened and providing a link to update payment information. Keep the tone helpful, not accusatory.

Second, automatically retry the charge after 24 hours. Many soft declines succeed on retry once banks process pending transactions.

Third, if the second attempt fails, send another notification with a deadline. “We’ll need to cancel your order by [date] unless we can process payment.”

Fourth, give a grace period of 3-5 days total before cancelling. This balances customer convenience with your need to manage inventory.

Apps like PreProduct automate this entire workflow, reducing manual work and recovering revenue that would otherwise be lost.

Can I offer installment plans for pre-orders?

Yes, multi-step payment plans work well for pre-orders, particularly cost-sensitive customers and high-ticket items. These plans charge customers in multiple installments, like 3 payments of $200 instead of $600 upfront.

The system works by letting customers select their preferred number of installments at checkout. You configure the payment frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly), maximum installment count, and optional discounts for customers who choose payment plans. The app automatically processes charges on the defined schedule.

Available for Shopify Plus merchants and non-Shopify platforms, automated installment scheduling handles all charge timing. Customers see a selector above the pre-order button where they choose how many payments they want, and they access a portal showing payment history, outstanding balances, and upcoming charge dates.

For merchants on standard Shopify plans, manual installment approaches work. You trigger each charge manually when the next payment is due. This requires more oversight but achieves the same outcome.

What happens if I need to refund a deposit?

Refunding deposits works like any other Shopify refund. Process the refund through your Shopify admin or pre-order app, and the funds return to the customer’s original payment method within 5-10 business days.

If you’ve already charged the remaining balance, you can refund either the full amount or just a portion, depending on the situation. The refund process itself is straightforward; the complexity is deciding which amount to refund and communicating that clearly to the customer.

Clear refund policies prevent confusion. State upfront: “If you cancel before [date], we’ll refund your deposit in full. After [date], deposits are non-refundable but you can apply them to other products.”

Do deposits work with Shopify discounts?

Most discount types are compatible with partial payments. You can apply discount codes to orders, offer pre-order-specific discounts, and run sales that include deposit-based pre-orders.

The main limitation is Shopify’s “buy X, get Y” automatic discount format, which some pre-order apps don’t yet support. Standard percentage or fixed-amount discount codes work fine.

If you rely heavily on complex automatic discount combinations, test compatibility with your pre-order app before launching campaigns. Most common discount use cases work without issues.

Conclusion

Shopify partial payments can transform how you capture pre-order revenue. From the 1 million+ pre-orders report data to the rise of BNPL services like Klarna and Affirm. Partial payments are a great way to reduce friction and increase conversion rates.

The key takeaways:

Vaulted cards eliminate authorization periods, giving you complete control over charge timing regardless of lead times.

Payment timing flexibility lets you match your cash flow needs to customer expectations. Choose charge-upfront for immediate revenue, charge-later for maximum conversion, or deposits for balanced commitment.

Strategic deposit amounts based on product type and price point improve conversion while demonstrating real customer commitment.

App-based solutions solve the operational complexity, poor customer experience, and support burden of manual approaches.

Whether you’re launching new products, managing restocks, or selling made-to-order items, partial payments reduce friction while securing revenue before inventory arrives.

Ready to start taking Shopify deposits and partial payment pre-orders? PreProduct supports charge-upfront, charge-later, deposits, and multi-step installment plans with automated workflows and comprehensive customer communications.

Pre-sell With PreProduct

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Pre-Orders vs Backorders vs Waitlists: Ultimate Comparison

Running out of stock doesn’t have to mean lost sales, but should you take pre-orders vs backorders vs build a waitlist? Each approach serves different business needs, timelines, and customer expectations. The right choice depends on factors like product availability, cash flow requirements, and how much commitment you need from customers.

Based on insights from over $85.3 million in pre-order sales, this guide breaks down the key differences between pre-orders, backorders, and waitlists. You’ll learn exactly when to use each strategy, how they impact your cash flow, and what customers expect from each approach.

What Are Pre-Orders, Backorders, and Waitlists?

Before diving into comparisons, let’s define each approach clearly.

Pre-Orders: Selling Before Stock Arrives

Pre-orders let customers purchase products before they’re manufactured or released. This is an advance sale where customers commit to buying something that doesn’t physically exist yet in your warehouse. For example, a fashion brand might open pre-orders for a new seasonal collection 90 days before production completes.

Pre-orders work particularly well for new product launches, limited edition releases, or made-to-order items where you want to validate demand before committing to inventory. According to our analysis of over one million pre-orders, 43.8% of merchants use charge-later payment models, meaning customers provide payment details but aren’t charged until the product ships.

Backorders: Selling Temporarily Out-of-Stock Items

Backorders are orders taken for products that were previously available but are temporarily out of stock. The key difference from pre-orders is timing: these products have already been released and sold before, and customers expect them to be restocked soon. Think of a popular electronics item that sells out faster than expected but will be replenished within 2-3 weeks.

Backorders are reactive rather than proactive. They help you capture demand during unexpected stockouts while you wait for replenishment. Most backorders require full payment upfront since the product is proven and the restock timeline is typically shorter and more certain.

Waitlists: Capturing Interest Without Commitment

Waitlists enable customers to sign up for notifications about when products become available or launch. Unlike pre-orders and backorders, waitlists don’t involve immediate purchases. Instead, customers provide their email address to be notified when the product is ready to buy.

Waitlists work well for demand testing, uncertain timelines, or building anticipation for upcoming launches. They’re particularly valuable for email list building, as waitlists almost always collect contact information. The trade-off is lower customer commitment: signing up for a notification requires far less commitment than completing a purchase.

Quick Comparison Table

ApproachProduct StatusPayment TimingCustomer CommitmentBest For
Pre-OrderNot yet manufactured/releasedFlexible (upfront, later, or deposit)HighNew launches, validating demand
BackorderTemporarily out of stockTypically upfrontMedium-HighFast-moving items with known restock
WaitlistUpcoming or uncertainNo payment (notification only)LowTesting demand, building email lists

The Key Differences: Timing, Psychology and Cash Flow

Understanding when and why to use each approach requires looking at three critical factors: timing, customer psychology, and financial impact.

Timing: When Each Approach Makes Sense

Pre-orders work best when you have a planned launch with a known or estimated arrival date. Most pre-orders in our dataset have shipping timeframes averaging 121-150 days, though this varies widely by industry. Fashion brands might run 60-90 day pre-order windows, while custom manufacturers might need 6+ months. The key is having enough certainty to set customer expectations, even if the exact date shifts slightly.

Backorders are reactive solutions to stockouts. Use them when you have a clear replenishment timeline, typically within 2-8 weeks. Backorders make sense for core catalog items you’ll definitely restock. They work less well for seasonal products or items with uncertain supply chains. If you can’t confidently say “back in stock by [date range],” a waitlist might be safer.

Waitlists are ideal when timelines are uncertain or you’re testing whether to produce something at all. They’re also powerful for drop culture brands that want to build anticipation before opening sales. Use waitlists when you need to gauge interest before committing to production or when supply chain uncertainty makes it risky to take payment.

Customer Psychology and Expectations

Each approach taps into different psychological motivators and creates distinct expectations.

Pre-order psychology centers on anticipation, exclusivity, and being “first.” Customers who pre-order often want early access to new releases or limited editions. They’re willing to wait because they’re excited about the product and don’t want to miss out. According to our data, 90.4% of pre-orders carry no discount, showing that access matters more than price for most pre-order customers.

The average pre-order cancellation rate sits at 5.4%, relatively low considering the long wait times involved. This suggests that when customers commit to a pre-order, they generally follow through. Clear communication about shipping dates and regular updates help maintain this commitment.

Backorder psychology requires patience rather than excitement. Customers making backorder purchases typically want a specific item they know and have decided to buy. They’re willing to wait because they’ve already decided this is the product they want. The key difference from pre-orders is that backorder customers expect a shorter wait and a more certain timeline since the product already exists in the market.

Waitlist psychology leverages FOMO (fear of missing out) and scarcity. Signing up for a waitlist makes customers feel like they’re part of an exclusive group who will get first access. The low commitment barrier (just an email) means more people will join, but fewer will convert compared to pre-orders. Waitlists work particularly well for building anticipation and collecting qualified leads for future marketing.

Financial Impact and Cash Flow

The three approaches have dramatically different effects on your cash flow and financial risk.

Pre-orders offer the most flexibility in payment timing. Based on our analysis of over one million pre-orders:

  • 43.8% use charge-later (customers aren’t charged until shipping)
  • 28.7% use capture-only (payment link sent when ready)
  • 14.9% charge upfront (immediate payment)
  • 12.6% use deposit-upfront (partial payment now, balance later)

This flexibility lets you match payment timing to your cash flow needs and customer comfort level. Charge-later pre-orders reduce refund risk since customers haven’t paid yet if timelines change. Upfront payments provide immediate revenue to fund production. Deposits offer a middle ground that shows customer commitment while lowering the barrier to purchase.

Backorders typically require full payment upfront. Since the product is proven and the restock timeline is shorter, customers expect to pay immediately. This provides faster cash flow than charge-later pre-orders but less flexibility. The shorter timeline reduces cancellation risk compared to long pre-order windows.

Waitlists generate no immediate revenue. They’re an investment in future sales and email list growth. The value comes from demand validation and the qualified leads you capture. You’ll need to convert waitlist signups to actual purchases later, which typically happens through email campaigns announcing availability.

When to Use Pre-Orders

Pre-orders work best in specific scenarios where you want to validate demand, take revenue earlier, or build anticipation before a product physically exists.

Best Use Cases for Pre-Orders

1. New Product Launches
Pre-orders let you validate demand before committing to large production runs. This is particularly valuable for brands testing new product lines or designs. By taking pre-orders, you get real purchase commitments (not just survey responses) that help you make informed inventory decisions.

2. Limited Edition Releases
When releasing limited or exclusive items, pre-orders build hype and ensure your most dedicated customers don’t miss out. Pre-orders also help you set the right production quantity for limited runs.

3. High-Value Items
For products over $250 (which represent 26.8% of pre-order listings in our data), deposits can lower the barrier to purchase while still securing customer commitment. A 20-30% deposit shows serious intent without requiring customers to part with the full amount months in advance.

4. Seasonal Collections
Fashion and seasonal brands can open pre-orders before production completes, allowing them to adjust quantities based on actual demand rather than forecasts. This reduces the risk of overstock that needs to be discounted later.

Payment Options for Pre-Orders

One of pre-order’s biggest advantages is payment flexibility. Here’s how merchants use different payment models:

Charge-Later (43.8% of listings) works well when timelines are uncertain or longer than 90 days. Customers provide payment details but aren’t charged until you’re ready to ship. This reduces refund risk if timelines shift and makes customers more comfortable committing to purchases months in advance.

Charge-Upfront (14.9% of listings) provides immediate cash flow to fund production. Use this when you have reliable timelines and need upfront capital. It’s most common with shorter pre-order windows or established brands with high customer trust.

Deposit-Upfront (12.6% of listings) offers a middle ground. Collect 20-50% now to gauge commitment and fund initial production, then charge the balance when shipping. Deposits work particularly well for higher-ticket items where full upfront payment creates too much friction.

Capture-Only (28.7% of listings) delays even authorization until you’re ready to ship. You send a payment link when the product is ready. This creates the least customer friction but provides no revenue until fulfillment.

Pre-Order Best Practices

To run successful pre-orders:

Set Clear Expectations
Display expected shipping dates prominently on product pages. Most pre-orders average 121-150 day shipping windows, but transparency matters more than specific duration. If your timeline is “late spring,” say that rather than guessing a specific date you might miss.

Use Dedicated Messaging
Replace generic “Add to Cart” buttons with clear “Pre-Order” buttons that indicate the purchase is for a future-dated product. This reduces confusion and sets proper expectations from the start.

Communicate Proactively
Keep customers updated throughout the pre-order period. Send confirmation emails, progress updates, and immediate notification of any timeline changes. Transparent communication maintains trust during long wait periods.

Consider Mixed Carts Carefully
According to our data, 37.9% of stores allow customers to mix pre-order items with in-stock products in the same cart. This can increase average order value but complicates fulfillment. Decide based on your operational complexity: isolated pre-order carts simplify logistics, while mixed carts improve customer experience.

For detailed implementation guidance, see our guide on how to set up pre-orders on Shopify.

When to Use Backorders

Backorders serve a different purpose than pre-orders: capturing demand during temporary stockouts of proven products.

Best Use Cases for Backorders

1. Fast-Moving Bestsellers
When a popular item sells out faster than expected, backorders let you continue taking orders rather than losing sales. This works best when you have reliable suppliers and predictable restock timelines.

2. Core Catalog Items
Backorders make sense for staple products you’ll definitely restock. If it’s a core part of your catalog that consistently sells, capture that demand even during temporary stockouts.

3. Short Restocking Windows
Use backorders when you know the restock timeline and it’s relatively short, typically 2-6 weeks. The shorter the window, the better backorders work because customer patience has limits.

4. Preventing Lost Sales
The primary benefit of backorders is capturing revenue that would otherwise go to competitors. When customers want your specific product and are willing to wait a few weeks, backorders prevent them from buying elsewhere.

Backorder Best Practices

Only Offer for Reliable Restocks
Don’t charge backorders upfront unless you’re confident in a shorter replenishment timeline. Broken promises damage customer trust more than saying “out of stock” upfront. Instead take charge-later back-orders where you collect payment until the product is ready to ship.

Set Clear Expectations
Display the expected restock date or date range prominently. “Back in stock by March 15” or “Expected restock: 2-3 weeks” sets clear expectations. Update this date if timelines change.

Use Dedicated Buttons
Like pre-orders, use clear “Backorder” or “Pre-order (Restock)” buttons instead of generic “Add to Cart.” This immediately signals that the item isn’t available for immediate shipment.

Consider Backorder Limits
For items with uncertain restock quantities, consider capping backorders to avoid over-committing. This prevents situations where you can’t fulfill all backorders when stock arrives.

When NOT to Use Backorders

Avoid backorders in these situations:

  • Seasonal items unlikely to restock this season
  • Uncertain supply chains Especially when charging upfront, where you can’t commit to timeframes
  • Very long wait times beyond 90 days (use pre-orders with charge-later instead)
  • Products being discontinued or phased out

When to Use Waitlists

Waitlists serve a different function: capturing interest without the commitment of a purchase.

Best Use Cases for Waitlists

1. Demand Testing
When considering whether to produce a new product, waitlists let you gauge interest before committing. The number of signups gives you directional data about potential demand, though actual conversion will be lower than pre-orders since there’s no payment commitment.

2. Drop Culture Brands
Brands built on limited drops and scarcity can use waitlists to build FOMO and anticipation. Waitlist members become your launch day audience, creating initial sales momentum.

3. Uncertain Timelines
When you can’t commit to specific dates or aren’t sure if a product will be produced at all, waitlists provide a safe way to capture interest without the legal and customer service burden of taking payment.

4. Email List Building
Waitlists “almost always collect email addresses,” making them valuable for growing your marketing list with qualified, interested prospects. These contacts have already expressed interest in specific products, making them highly targeted leads.

5. Inventory Planning
Waitlist signup numbers help inform production quantities and inventory decisions. While not as reliable as pre-order commitments, they provide useful directional guidance.

Waitlist Best Practices

Make Signup Frictionless
Only ask for essential information (typically just email). The easier it is to join, the more signups you’ll get.

Set Clear Expectations
Tell customers what happens next and approximately when. “We’ll email you when pre-orders open in March” or “You’ll get 24-hour early access when we launch” manages expectations and reduces support questions.

Create Scarcity Perception
Position waitlist membership as exclusive access. “Join the waitlist for first access” or “Waitlist members get 24-hour early access” creates additional motivation to sign up.

Plan Your Conversion Strategy
Have a clear plan for converting waitlist signups to purchases. Will you offer early access? A discount? A limited time window? Plan this before building your list.

Converting Waitlists to Sales

Waitlist signups aren’t revenue until you convert them. Effective conversion tactics include:

  • Time-limited early access (24-48 hour exclusive window)
  • Exclusive discounts for waitlist members (10-15% off)
  • Transition to pre-order when timeline becomes clearer
  • Scarcity messaging (“Only 500 units available for waitlist members”)

The Decision Framework: Which Approach to Choose

Choosing between pre-orders, backorders, and waitlists requires evaluating several factors specific to your situation.

Decision Tree

1. Is the product already manufactured or available somewhere?

  • No (it doesn’t exist yet) → Consider pre-orders or waitlist
  • Yes, but currently out of stock → Consider backorders or waitlist

2. Do you have a clear restocking or shipping timeline?

  • Yes, under 30 days → Backorders or charge-upfront pre-orders work well
  • Yes, over 30 days → Pre-orders with charge-later preferred
  • No or uncertain → Waitlist or charge-later pre-order is safer; no payment commitment reduces risk

3. What are your cash flow needs?

  • Need immediate revenue → Pre-orders with upfront payment or deposits
  • Flexible cash flow → Charge-later pre-orders or waitlists
  • Want to reduce refund risk → Waitlists or charge-later pre-orders

4. What’s your product price point?

  • High-ticket (>$250) → Deposits reduce purchase barrier (26.8% of pre-orders are >$250 in our data)
  • Mid-range ($50-250) → Any payment model works; choose based on timeline certainty
  • Low-ticket (<$50) → Full payment upfront is typical; administrative overhead of deposits often not worth it

5. What level of customer commitment do you need?

  • High commitment (need to make production decisions) → Pre-orders with payment or deposit
  • Medium commitment (proven product, just out of stock) → Backorders
  • Low commitment (just testing interest) → Waitlists

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Fashion Brand Seasonal Launch
A clothing brand is releasing a new spring collection in 90 days. Production hasn’t started yet, and they want to gauge demand before finalizing quantities.

Recommendation: Pre-orders with charge-later payment. This captures real purchase commitments (better data than waitlist signups) while minimizing refund risk if production timelines shift. The 90-day window aligns with typical fashion pre-order periods.

Scenario 2: Electronics Retailer Surprise Stockout
A popular gaming console accessory sells out unexpectedly. The supplier confirms restock in 2-3 weeks.

Recommendation: Backorders with full payment upfront. The short, certain timeline and proven product make backorders ideal. Customers know what they’re getting and are willing to pay for a brief wait.

Scenario 3: Indie Maker Testing New Product Idea
A creator has designed a new product but isn’t sure if there’s enough demand to justify production. They want to test interest before committing to manufacturing.

Recommendation: Waitlist initially, then transition to pre-orders if interest is strong. Start with a waitlist to gauge interest without the legal obligations of taking payment. If 500+ people sign up, transition to pre-orders with deposits to confirm actual purchase intent before manufacturing.

Scenario 4: Limited Edition Collectible
A brand is releasing a limited run of 200 collectible items. Demand is expected to exceed supply significantly.

Recommendation: Pre-orders with upfront payment or deposit. The limited quantity and high demand justify requiring payment commitment. Use deposits if the price is high enough to create friction. Close pre-orders once you hit 200 orders (or your production capacity).

Using Multiple Approaches Together

The three strategies aren’t mutually exclusive. Many successful brands use them in combination.

Pre-Orders + Waitlists

Start with a waitlist to build anticipation and capture emails. When you’re ready to open sales, give waitlist members early access to pre-order before opening to the general public.

This two-stage approach builds your email list while rewarding early interest with exclusive access. The waitlist creates anticipation, then pre-orders convert that interest into revenue. Many brands offer waitlist members a 24-48 hour exclusive pre-order window or a small discount (10% off) as a reward for signing up early.

Pre-Orders + Mixed Carts

Our data shows 37.9% of stores allow customers to mix pre-order items with in-stock products in the same cart. This can increase average order value and improve customer experience by letting them order everything they want in one transaction.

The trade-off is operational complexity. Mixed carts typically require split shipments: you ship in-stock items immediately and pre-order items later. This means additional shipping costs and more complex fulfillment workflows. It also requires clear communication so customers understand they’ll receive multiple shipments.

For guidance on integrating pre-orders with your fulfillment operations, see our guides on managing pre-orders with your 3PL and managing pre-orders with your ERP.

Backorders + Pre-Orders

Use both approaches for different parts of your catalog. Run backorders for core items with quick, predictable restocks. Use pre-orders for new releases, seasonal items, or products with longer lead times.

The key is using different messaging and buttons so customers clearly understand which type of purchase they’re making. “Backorder (ships in 2 weeks)” versus “Pre-Order (ships in June)” sets clear expectations.

Platform Implementation: Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce

The technical implementation varies by ecommerce platform.

Shopify Pre-Orders and Backorders

Shopify offers basic built-in functionality through inventory settings, but most merchants need more advanced features. The “continue selling when out of stock” checkbox lets products pass through checkout at zero inventory, which works for simple backorders.

For more sophisticated pre-order management, specialized apps like PreProduct offer:

  • Flexible payment timing (charge-upfront, charge-later, deposits, capture-only)
  • Automatic fulfillment holds to prevent premature shipping
  • Customer communication tools and portals
  • Shopify Flow integration for automated workflows
  • Inventory-based automations

PreProduct’s charge-later capability uses Shopify’s vaulted card technology, letting you capture payment details without charging until you’re ready to ship. This is particularly valuable for pre-orders with uncertain timelines.

BigCommerce Considerations

BigCommerce has native backorder support through inventory settings, but pre-order functionality typically requires third-party apps like PreProduct. The platform’s checkout flexibility allows for custom pre-order implementations, including charge-later models through Stripe integration.

For BigCommerce stores, focus on:

  • Clear product page messaging about pre-order status
  • Expected shipping date display
  • Email communication workflows
  • Integration with your existing fulfillment systems

WooCommerce Options

WooCommerce pre-orders typically work through plugins that extend the platform’s functionality like PreProduct. The open-source nature of WooCommerce means more customization flexibility but requires more technical setup.

Key WooCommerce considerations:

  • Payment gateway compatibility (ensure your gateway supports tokenization for charge-later)
  • Plugin compatibility with your theme and other extensions
  • Email notification customization
  • Stock management integration

Headless and Custom Implementations

For brands with custom storefronts or headless commerce setups, pre-orders require API-based solutions or supporting apps like PreProduct. Stripe pre-orders offer flexibility for charge-later implementations through Stripe’s payment intents and customer tokenization.

Custom implementations provide maximum flexibility but require development resources to build:

  • Payment capture and tokenization logic
  • Customer communication workflows
  • Order management and fulfillment holds
  • Reporting and analytics

Customer Communication and Transparency Best Practices

Success with pre-orders, backorders, and waitlists depends heavily on clear communication.

Setting Clear Expectations

Product Page Messaging
Use clear, prominent labels: “Pre-order,” “Backorder,” or “Join Waitlist.” Avoid generic language like “Add to Cart” that doesn’t signal the purchase type.

Display expected shipping dates or ranges prominently. “Ships in June 2025” or “Expected restock: 2-3 weeks” tells customers exactly what to expect. If you don’t have specific dates, provide ranges: “Ships in 3-4 months.”

Explain What Happens Next
Tell customers what the purchase process looks like. “You’ll be charged today, and we’ll ship when your item is ready” versus “We’ll hold off charging you until we’re ready to ship” makes the experience clear.

Cancellation Policies
State your cancellation and refund policies upfront. Customers are more likely to commit when they know they can cancel if needed. For charge-later pre-orders, make it clear that customers can cancel before being charged with no penalty.

Email Communication Strategy

Order Confirmation
Send immediate confirmation with timeline expectations. Include the expected shipping date or date range, what payment was collected (if any), and how customers can check their order status.

Progress Updates
For pre-orders with long timelines, send periodic updates. “Your spring collection pre-order is on track for March delivery” or “Production is underway and everything is on schedule” maintains excitement and reduces support inquiries.

Proactive Delay Communication
If timelines change, communicate immediately. Don’t wait for customers to ask. “Due to shipping delays, your order will arrive in April instead of March. You can cancel for a full refund if you prefer” maintains trust even when things don’t go according to plan.

Shipping Notifications
When items ship, send tracking information and estimated delivery dates. This is the payoff moment customers have been waiting for.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

FTC Guidelines
In the United States, the FTC’s Mail or Telephone Order Rule requires you to ship within the timeframe stated or, if no time is stated, within 30 days. For longer pre-order timelines, you must clearly state the expected shipping date and get customer consent.

State Consumer Protection Laws
Various states have specific requirements around pre-orders, deposits, and refunds. Ensure your terms and conditions comply with applicable laws in jurisdictions where you sell.

International Considerations
Different countries have different consumer protection requirements. EU consumer protection laws, for example, require specific cancellation rights and refund timeframes. If you sell internationally, ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

Clear Refund Policies
State your refund policy clearly in your terms and conditions. Be specific about when customers can cancel, how refunds are processed, and what happens if you can’t fulfill an order.

Risk Management: When Things Don’t Go As Planned

Even with careful planning, complications arise. Being prepared reduces stress and maintains customer trust.

Common Challenges

Supply Chain Delays
Manufacturing or shipping delays are the most common pre-order challenge. COVID-19 demonstrated how quickly global supply chains can be disrupted.

Lower-Than-Expected Demand
Sometimes pre-order demand doesn’t meet expectations, requiring production adjustments or minimums you can’t meet.

Higher-Than-Expected Demand
The opposite problem: more orders than you can fulfill. This creates allocation challenges and potential customer disappointment.

Product Quality Issues
Discovering quality problems before shipping means delaying launch to fix issues or accepting returns after shipping.

Mitigation Strategies

Buffer Your Timelines
Under-promise and over-deliver. If you think production takes 90 days, quote 120 days. Early delivery delights customers; delays frustrate them.

Use Charge-Later for Uncertain Timelines
When you’re not confident in timing, charge-later pre-orders reduce refund risk. Our data shows 43.8% of pre-orders use this model, precisely because it provides flexibility when timelines are uncertain.

Maintain Clear Cancellation Policies
Make cancellation easy and fast. This encourages people to commit initially, knowing they can back out if needed. Our data shows just a 5.4% cancellation rate, meaning most customers follow through even when cancellation is easy.

Communicate Transparently
When problems arise, communicate immediately and honestly. Customers are remarkably understanding when you’re transparent, but they’re unforgiving when they feel misled or ignored.

Set Realistic Expectations
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. It’s better to set conservative expectations and beat them than to promise aggressive timelines you miss.

When to Cancel and Refund

Sometimes the best choice is canceling orders and issuing refunds:

  • Indefinite delays beyond 6 months past original estimates
  • Product quality doesn’t meet standards and can’t be fixed in reasonable time
  • Can’t fulfill all orders due to production issues (consider partial fulfillment or allocation)
  • Supplier goes out of business or can’t deliver

While disappointing, handling cancellations professionally preserves your brand reputation for future launches.

Key Takeaways

Choosing between pre-orders, backorders, and waitlists depends on your specific situation:

Pre-orders work best for new launches and planned releases where you have known (or estimated) timelines. They offer maximum payment flexibility and help validate demand before committing to inventory. Use charge-later for uncertain timelines, upfront payment when you need immediate cash flow, or deposits for high-ticket items.

Backorders are ideal for temporary stockouts of proven products with quick, reliable restock timelines. They prevent lost sales when popular items sell out faster than expected. Keep backorder windows short (under 90 days) and only offer them when you’re confident in restocking.

Waitlists serve demand testing and email list building when timelines are uncertain or you’re not sure if you’ll produce something at all. They create low-commitment interest capture that you can later convert to pre-orders or direct sales.

All three can work together in your overall strategy. Use waitlists to build initial interest, convert to pre-orders when timing is clearer, and run backorders for core items with temporary stockouts.

Success requires clear communication, realistic timelines, and proper technical implementation. Our analysis of over one million pre-orders shows that when executed well, these strategies work: 43.8% of merchants use charge-later payments, 90.4% offer no discount (access matters more than price), and cancellation rates average just 5.4%.

The data proves that pre-orders, backorders, and waitlists all work when matched to the right situations and executed with transparency and clear customer communication.

Ready to start taking pre-orders? PreProduct offers flexible payment options, fulfillment holds, and automated workflows for Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce stores. Learn more about our Shopify pre-order solution or explore insights from $85M in pre-order sales.

Pre-sell With PreProduct

7 day free trial with all plans

The best Shopify pre-order plugin

Before evaluating the best pre-order plugins, I just wanted to highlight that I personally run a Shopify pre order plugin, PreProduct.

We also have a YouTube video on ensuring a great Shopify pre-order plugin experience for your customers here.

Introduction

Shopify offers many pre-order plugin options within the Shopify app store. A pre-order is an arrangement where a customer agrees to buy a product before it is officially released or becomes available for general sale. This can involve paying for the product upfront or paying at a later stage, or may require a deposit and the remaining amount to be paid later.

Pre-orders can be used for many different scenarios including; for out of stock products, new product releases, limited edition releases and made to order products. Pre-orders can help to boost sales, and increase revenue, additionally, as well as to help businesses gauge demand for their products and adjust production accordingly, and reduce wastage.

There are many benefits of using a Shopify pre-order plugin to manage preorders including; boosting cashflow, managing the pre-order process in an organised manner, gauging demand and reducing risk, whilst building hype and excitement around new product releases and re-stocks. When you sell out of stock, a pre-order plugin will allow you to still collect orders/revenue and avoid losing customers to a competitor.

The best pre-order plugins often allow merchants to market benefits or incentives for those customers who place an order, such as exclusive behind-the-scene updates, special editions, or discounts, to assist in convincing customers to purchase a product before its public release date.

Pre-order features

There are many possible features that pre-order manager plugins for Shopify offer, including;

  • Deposits/partial payments: allows you to charge an initial amount up-front and the remaining payment at a later date when suits your business.
  • Pre-order discounts: allows a discount to be offered on pre-order campaigns, rewarding customers for supporting your product launch, and incentivising them to make the pre-order.
  • Custom pre-order button & companion wording: Customisation to ensure the pre-order button follows your business branding, whilst the wording above the pre-order button allows you to communicate important information like estimated shipping date.
  • Different pre-order types: charge upfront pre-order, charge later pre-order, capture only pre-order, and deposit pre-order (as mentioned above).
  • Pre-order limits: if you have limited stock coming in, you may want to limit variants/products as to manage overselling.
  • Automations: some plugins will automate certain processes, saving you time. For example, the ability to schedule pre-orders or manage pre-orders automatically according to product stock levels.
  • Reporting: allowing pre-order management by viewing and updating pre-order, as well as pre-order items.
  • Pre-order listings with specific variants: allow you to list only specific variants for pre-order.
  • Isolating pre-order and buy-now items: allowing you to isolate buy-now products from pre-order products in the cart if required, and vice versa. This helps with the “double shipping” pre-order problem.
  • Customer portals: Allows customers to view their pre-order and to view shipping updates etc.
  • Comprehensive pre-order settings: Flexible shipping statements, discounts and manage which variants are on pre-order as opposed to buy-now.

Questions to ask yourself before picking a Shopify pre-order plugin

There are many pre-order plugins available in the Shopify app store, so it is important to work out which features from the above section you require. The questions we recommend asking yourself to determine this include:

  • Checking for comprehensive guides/docs for reference when setting up a pre-order campaign, along with helpful plugin support.
  • Checking for customisation and keeping on brand.
  • Is flexible pre-order charging important to you? Or will you shipping pre-orders out quickly?
  • Do you want to double-down on customer communication points, portals, emails, custom wording etc? Or are you more concerned with keeping the buyers journey as simple as possible.
  • What are your requirements in terms of business needs and size, if you have a small business you may not need an plugin that allows you to list hundreds/thousands of products with deep ERP integrations, but communication and flexibility may be important to you. If you have a business with many SKUs/product you may need a pre-order plugin that allows you list thousands of products, with automation functionality.

This article will analyse the current best Shopify pre-order Shopify plugins available on the app store, and recommend the best pre-order plugins based on 3 categories; Free, Beginner Friendly and Premium/comprehensive.

Top pre-order plugins

Premium/comprehensive pre-order plugins

PreProduct next‑gen pre‑order


Obviously as this is our plugin, we are biased, but we do believe it is the best pre-order plugin available in the Shopify app store.

PreProduct lets brands capture pre-orders for upcoming product launches at any point in the new product cycle, along with listing out-of-stock products for pre-order, so you don’t miss out on sales.

There are many amazing functions and features available in PreProduct, with a few of them listed below.

PROS:

  • Communicate via custom front-end wording, customer portals and an email campaign.
  • Full customisation available for pre-order button, wording/messaging, email campaign.
  • Charge when ready; pay-later, pay-now & deposit-based (partial payment option) pre-orders supported
  • Capture only pre-orders allow you to gauge customer interest
  • Offer pre-order discounts
  • Deferred charges let customer’s approve a future payment in advance
  • Fulfilment holds stop premature fulfilment.
  • Accept mixed-carts or opt in to isolating pre-orders in their own carts/orders.

Notify! Back in Stock|PreOrder


Pre order with partial payment for presale products. Send auto restock alerts to waiting lists.

PROS:

  • Customization options, such as personalized email templates and product variant selection for back in stock notifications
  • Get reports about lost sales and revenue recovered with reminders to convert.

DC Pre‑orders | Preorder NOW


DC Preorders simplifies pre-orders, backorders, and B2B pre-sales.

PROS:

  • Manage inventory levels easily & handle complex ordering scenarios
  • Offer flexible preorder purchase options – pay later, deposits & partial payment

Beginner friendly pre-order plugins

EZ PreOrder: Presale Manager


Start accepting pre orders on any products regardless of inventory levels, all with one click.

Unlimited pre-orders for $5 per month, for bulk listing functionality it is $10 per month.

PROS:

  • 3 pre-order rules based on inventory.
  • Easy to view all of your pre-orders, sort by fulfilment status and see order total.

Preorder Wolf | Pre order now


Preorder Wolf lets you accept orders for products you don’t have at hand right away. While setting the correct expectations with your customers regarding when will they get their order. You can enable Preorders for specific products/variants, Collections or All Products.

PROS:

  • No Coding required, 24/7 quick and professional support.
  • Effective pre-order functionality, easy setup, and customization options.

Pre-order NOW WOD


Ideal for print-on-demand stores, this tool lets you gauge interest in new designs without inventory risk, manage demand surges with ease, and offer exclusive discounts for preorders.

PROS:

  • Easy to use, with seamless integration and customization options.
  • Replace out-of-stock products with pre-order buttons, enhancing inventory management and pre-order conversion rates.

Free pre-order plugins

At the time of writing, we’re testing a commission-only plan for PreProduct where you don’t pay anything unless you successfully receive paid pre-orders.

Timesact Pre order Notify Me Pre‑Order 


Timesact helps you easily toggle between between in-stock and pre-order offerings for your customers.

The plugin offers the FIRST 10 presale orders for free.

PROS:

  • 24/7 support to help you get set-up quickly
  • Save time by turning pre-orders & restocks on/off based on inventory levels
  • Build hype with countdown timers on coming soon, drops, pre-sales & restocks

PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock


Merchants value this plugin for its reliable pre-order and out-of-stock notification features, along with customization options and pricing flexibility.

First 10 pre-sales FREE, so allows you test out using pre-orders and see if it is beneficial for your business.

PROS:

  • The support team is recognized for their efficiency and responsiveness.
  • Easy to configure pre-orders based on inventory, date time start/end preorder.

Appikon – Pre-order


Automatically create waitlists or pre order lists for sold out, out of stock, and coming soon products.

It’s ideal for new businesses, offering a free plan for the first product.

PROS:

  • The plugin swaps Add-to-Cart buttons with Pre Order buttons so very simple to set-up with a very user-friendly interface.
  • Create preorders & waitlists to sell more “coming soon” & “out of stock” items.

Summary

In this article we have discussed what a pre-order is and the many features that pre-order plugins will offer.

We then looked at the questions you need to answer regarding the needs of your business, your business size, your specific use case situation, in order to determine which Shopify plugin will best meet your needs.

After this, we explored some of the currently available options on the Shopify app store, breaking them down by three categories: Premium/comprehensive, Beginner friendly and Free. We recommended our top three plugins for each of these categories.

Hopefully this article has been helpful for deciding which pre-order plugin to move forwards with. As a general rule, experimenting by putting a test product on pre-order first before rolling out anything to customers will ensure you’re comfortable with your chosen solution before going live and can iron out any issues.

If you have any outstanding questions/concerns, feel free to leave a comment below or email me personally: eliza(at)preproduct.io

Pre-sell With PreProduct

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Pre-orders for Sustainability: Mastering Made-to-Order Sales Through Shopify

Introduction

Before we get into pre-orders for sustainability, some quick stats: Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of the world’s carbon emissions? That’s a significant chunk, considering it includes everything from making clothes to shipping them and eventually getting rid of them. The quick and constant turnover of trendy items in the fast fashion world is a big part of the problem, leading to more waste and environmental harm. This is effecting buyer behaviour; According to a survey from McKinsey & Co., 66% of all respondents and 75% of millennial respondents say that they consider sustainability when they make a purchase.

The concept of sustainability in fashion and online retail revolves around adopting practices that prioritize environmental, social, and ethical considerations throughout the entire supply chain and product life cycle.

I am Eliza, a co-founder at PreProduct, which is a pre-order app for ecommerce brands where I work on many fashion and made-to-order pre-order campaigns.



Made-to-order production provides a more responsive and sustainable approach to fashion manufacturing, addressing issues related to overstocking, heavy discounting, and the disposal of excess stock into landfills. It aligns production with actual demand, reduces waste, and promotes a more environmentally and economically viable business model.

Pre-orders serve as a mechanism in e-commerce to effectively implement a made-to-order model. Pre-orders allow for demand forecasting, customization options, cash flow management, and production efficiency, as they allow you to take order interest upfront reducing the risk of over or under supply, along with reducing wastage.

Shopify is one of the leading e-commerce platforms that enables individuals and businesses to create and manage online stores. I will be focusing on it for the article, as it’s the go-to solution for online fashion brands today.

The Rise of Sustainable Fashion

Consumers

Sustainable fashion is about creating, making, and wearing clothes in a way that thinks about how it impacts the planet, people, and communities at every step of the process. The goal of sustainable fashion is to minimize the negative effects associated with the fashion industry, which traditionally has been resource-intensive, environmentally damaging, and sometimes associated with poor labor practices.

A survey of 10,281 global consumers showed that 78% of consumers feel that sustainability is important and that 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly brands

Consumer trends towards sustainability and ethical consumption have become increasingly prominent, reflecting a growing awareness and concern about the environmental and social impact of products. This shift in consumer behavior is noticeable at various levels, including individual purchasing decisions, industry practices, and global business strategies.

Consumers are more informed about environmental and social issues related to the products they buy. This awareness is being driven by social media, online platforms, and awareness campaigns by environmental and ethical organizations.



Industry

There is also a rising demand for transparency in supply chains. Consumers want to know where and how products are made, whether fair labor practices are followed, and the environmental impact of the production process. This has led to an increase in companies providing detailed information about their sourcing and manufacturing practices.

Whilst this has been going for quite a while already, it shows signs of growing to even more front-of-mind. This rundown on Gartner’s top trends for 2023 describes sustainability as one of the technologies that will drive disruption and opportunity over the next five to 10 years.

The popularity of brands with a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices has grown. Consumers are actively seeking out and supporting companies that prioritize these values, leading to the rise of eco-friendly and socially responsible brands.



Some examples of exciting sustainable focussed fashion brands include; Alohas (the Spanish footwear brand that works to an on-demand business model meaning they never over-produce and only make what is actually needed, Aligne (a womenswear brand that focused on using conscious materials and using ethical factories) & Riley Studio (Gender-neutral clothing made from waste materials and natural fibres. On a mission to change mindsets and make conscious consumerism the norm).

https://www.alohas.io/products/manhattan-black-sandal?variant=37680289546433

Pre orders for sustainability

Pre-orders work by allowing customers to reserve and purchase or commit to purchase a product before it is officially available.

Stages of pre-orders

  1. Customer clicks a pre-order button
  2. Customer chooses variant/quantity and is redirected to cart/checkout where they are charged or accept a future charge (depending on the pre-order type)
  3. Customer receives optional confirmation email.
  4. Time…
  5. If …
    • Charging upfront, brand releases fulfilment. Customer receives an optional shipping email, and brand ships the pre-order item.
    • Charging later, brand triggers deferred charge. Customer receives optional upcoming charge email, after a delay the customer’s card is charged.
  6. Campaign cycle
    • If you’re a made-to-order brand, you might operate a perpetual pre-order campaign. Which is to say; constantly taking new pre-orders and fulfilling existing ones.
    • For a more standard model fashion brand that plans to pre-sell ahead of time and have a limited quantity or order might be more of a one-off campaign. i.e. taking pre-orders for a set amount of time before stock arrives, then fulfilling all pre-orders together.

Whether you’re an independent merchant, boutique or larger fashion brand, made-to-order can dramatically reduce your excess stock. Meaning zero (or close to it) stock has to go to landfill.



Benefits of pre-orders for both consumers and businesses

Benefits to merchants

  • This strategy for sustainability doesn’t impact how your products are designed, made or sourced; meaning it can be one of the easier ways to increase your brands sustainability.
  • Leading on from the above point, sustainability via pre-orders is a lot cheaper than a product audit and overhaul. It can also be better for cashflow, due to receiving purchases upfront or when you’re ready to ship.
  • A low risk tactic for reaching your sustainability targets. We recommend experimenting with a pre-order campaign for an upcoming product first. Once you’ve iterated on your pre-order setup and standard-operating-procedure, you can then roll pre-orders out on a larger scale.

Benefits to consumers

  • Customers can buy from one of their favourite brands (you!), whilst feeling good about their purchasing decision.
  • By purchasing from a business who is using pre-orders to be more sustainable there will be a reduction on the environmental impact associated with unnecessary production, as well as a lower carbon footprint.
  • Modern pre-order technology like PreProduct allows for more flexible types of pre-orders, for example charge-later pre-orders, where the customers card is ‘vaulted’, meaning they’re only charged when you’re ready to ship.
  • Being able to participate on a less abrupt buying journey. Emailing pre-order customers to keep them in the loop and communicate how their purchase is coming along is a great way to build brand affinity. You can see this dynamic with Kickstarter campaigns; backers love following along with the journey.


Integrating & setting up Pre-orders with Shopify

Step-by-step guide on setting up a pre-orders on Shopify

  1. To get started and set up pre-orders on Shopify, visit the Shopify App Store and search for “pre-order”, then select the app you wish to install (surprisingly, we recommend PreProduct).
  2. Once you have located the app, click on it to access the app listing page, and then select the “Add app” option.
  3. To grant the app access to your Shopify admin account, click “Install app” and authorize its use.
  4. Integrating the App with Your Storefront: We have an in-depth guide on the installing a pre-order app here and would absolutely recommend reaching out to customer support if you’re at all uncomfortable with HTML/Liquid coding.
  5. If you have a Shopify “store 1.0” theme, then you’ll need to add a snippet to your online store’s product page theme file. For themes from 2022 onwards, the introduction of Shopify 2.0 themes means that app blocks can now seamlessly integrate into the Shopify admin’s drag-and-drop theme customizer.

Listing Pre-orders on Shopify

Once you’ve completed the above steps to integrate the app with your Shopify storefront, you can now start listing products for pre-orders. Begin by listing a product in your selected pre-order app. Most if not all pre-order apps sit on top of your existing Shopify product listings. Once listed in the app, the pre-order product page’s cart button text should be replaced with a pre-order version, accompanied by any other front-end additional information, i.e. special pre-order messaging.

You will need to decide which type of pre-order to use (as explained below), along with the shipping time frame and whether to offer any discount. The general pre-order types are:

  • Charge upfront pre-order – 100% charged upfront (Most apps will offer this).
  • Charge Later pre-orders – 100% charged later when you trigger the charge.
  • Deposit-based pre-orders – A percentage paid upfront, with the outstanding charged later.
  • Capture-only pre-orders – A payment link is sent once you’re ready to send customers through your payment gateway.

Besides the terms of payment for your pre-order listing, there are many other other useful features available that are worth considering before you choose an app to go forwards with.

  • Listing specific variants
  • Setting max pre-order limits for variants
  • Early bird discounts that are exclusive to pre-orders
  • Custom text in and around the pre-order button
  • Email campaigns to keep customers in the loop with their pre-order
  • Isolating pre-order items from buy-nows in orders
  • Fulfilment holds so items aren’t prematurely pushed to your shipping/ERP platform
  • Automatic listing of out of stock products for pre-order
  • Automatic charging of pre-orders as stock comes in
  • And many more!

Marketing Your Made-to-Order Products



When marketing made-to-order products, ensure you highlight the unique aspects of customization, personalization, and the tailored experience. Below are some of the strategies to consider including;

  • Emphasize Customization: Highlight the ability for customers to customize their products according to their preferences. Showcase the range of options available, whether it’s color choices, materials, sizes, or features.
  • Tell a Unique Story: Craft a compelling narrative around the made-to-order process. Explain the craftsmanship, attention to detail, and the personalized journey each customer undergoes when ordering a product.
  • Educate on the Process: Provide transparent information about how the made-to-order process works. Explain the steps involved, the craftsmanship behind it, and the benefits of choosing a personalized item over mass-produced alternatives.
  • Limited Edition Releases: Create a sense of exclusivity by framing made-to-order products as limited edition releases. This can evoke a feeling of uniqueness and urgency, encouraging customers to place orders promptly.
  • Social Media Engagement: Leverage social media platforms to showcase the customization process, share behind-the-scenes glimpses of craftsmanship, and engage with your audience through polls, Q&A sessions, or live videos.
  • Adopt a more boutique look and feel: Reflecting an environmentally conscious, “human” business through storytelling and additions like optional staff tips at checkout can all be ways to create a more compelling offering.
  • Utilize Email Marketing: Build an email marketing campaign to nurture leads and inform customers about the benefits of made-to-order products. Include visuals, success stories, and exclusive offers to encourage conversions.

Pre-order and made-to-order product launches can unlock a whole new set of strategies for marketing:

  • Launching your product more than once. Once when you open pre-sales, then once when it’s in stock.
  • Having multiple sales pushes for your made-to-order products as sales/stock goes up and down. There are many artists that are really effective with this approach, for example Kimmy Hogan an Australian print and ceramic designer will often post multiple times a week as new editions become available or are pre-released.

Case Study: Frahm Jackets

  • Frahm is a UK men’s jacket company, that focuses on high quality and timeless style.
  • Frahm uses a pre-order process, to ensure they are not left with excess stock, as over buying impacts the quality they can product. Each jacket design is only made once a year, every year, so if you place a pre-order with them before they have placed their order with the factory then you are guaranteed your choice of size and colour.

https://frahmjacket.com/collections/jackets/products/ripstop-puffer-jacket-2024

Overcoming Challenges in Pre-order and Made-to-Order Models

Potential challenges you may experiences when using pre-order and made-to-order models include;

  • Production timing issues – if you experience any production delays or inventory management issues, ensure you keep customers up to date. This can be done by email, as well utilising the customer portal both should be available in the pre-order app you choose to use. Clear communication about expected delivery dates is crucial to managing customer expectations, as is setting realistic delivery timelines to avoid over-promising and under-delivering.


  • Quality control – is crucial as products are often produced based on individual customer specifications. Consistency is key. Similar to product timing issues, ensure customers are kept informed of any changes.


  • Cancellation and returns – customers might cancel orders, leading to revenue fluctuations and potential inventory management challenges. Ensure you have a refund/cancellation policy that you are happy with and works for your business.
  • Cash Flow Management – the production process often requires upfront costs, therefore managing cash flow becomes crucial as expenses may need to be covered before revenue is generated. Therefore is very important to choose the type of pre-order that will work for your business.

If it is your first time using pre-orders, and you feel apprehensive about the process, and have any doubts on production timings/fulfilment, we would recommend starting with charge-later pre-orders to begin with so that you’re not charging any money upfront; generally customers will be much more tolerant of delays when they haven’t paid anything yet.

Conclusion

This article has highlighted that there are many benefits of using pre-orders for sustainability, including;

Reduced Overproduction:

  • Pre-orders allow you to gauge customer demand accurately. By producing items based on confirmed orders, the risk of overproduction is significantly reduced. This helps in minimizing excess inventory, which can be wasteful and environmentally harmful.

Resource Efficiency:

  • With pre-orders, resources such as raw materials and energy are used more efficiently. Manufacturers can plan production based on actual demand, optimizing the use of resources and reducing the environmental impact associated with unnecessary production, this will also contribute to a lower carbon footprint.

Extended Product Lifecycles:

  • Pre-orders can contribute to the creation of products that are more timeless and have longer lifecycles. Instead of following fast fashion or other trends that lead to rapid product turnover, pre-orders can encourage the production of durable and lasting goods, reducing overall waste.

Financial Stability for Sustainable Investments:

  • The cash flow generated through pre-orders can provide financial stability for your business, allowing you to make long-term investments in sustainable practices.

We strongly encourage businesses to look into and adopting these practices for a more sustainable future in retail. If you find pre-orders intimidating, we recommend merchants start with a single product as an experiment and use a ‘charge-later’ strategy so that you’re not charging customers until you’re comfortable.

Pre-orders for Sustainability FAQ

Pre-orders help in reducing overproduction, which is a major issue in the fashion industry. By producing only what is pre-ordered, brands can minimize waste and reduce their environmental footprint. This approach ensures resources are used more efficiently, leading to a more sustainable production process.

How do pre-orders actually contribute to sustainability in fashion?

Absolutely! Shopify’s platform is user-friendly and scalable, making it ideal for brands of all sizes. Pre-orders can help small or emerging brands manage inventory more effectively, reduce upfront costs, and build a customer base interested in sustainable fashion.

Can implementing pre-orders on Shopify be beneficial for small or emerging fashion brands?

Common challenges include managing production timelines, setting realistic delivery dates, and maintaining customer communication. To overcome these, plan your production schedule carefully, set clear and transparent communication channels with your customers, and use Shopify’s tools to keep track of orders and inventory efficiently.

What are the key challenges I might face when setting up pre-orders on Shopify, and how can I overcome them?

Leveraging social media, creating email marketing campaigns, and engaging in storytelling about your brand’s commitment to sustainability are effective strategies. Also, consider offering exclusive perks for pre-order customers, like early access to new products or special discounts.

Are there any specific marketing strategies that work best for promoting pre-order campaigns on Shopify?

Transparency is key. Keep your customers informed about the status of their orders. If delays occur, communicate them promptly and offer options like order modifications or cancellations if needed. Building trust through clear communication can turn a potential negative experience into a positive one.

How can I ensure a positive customer experience with pre-orders, especially when there are delays?

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