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.

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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.

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Shopify Flow Pre-order Automation: Complete Guide + 31 Triggers & Actions

Managing pre-orders manually drains time small teams don’t have. Tracking inventory thresholds, sending customer emails, coordinating fulfillment, updating product availability, these repetitive tasks consume hours each week. Shopify Flow pre-order automation eliminates this operational overhead, letting merchants build sophisticated pre-order systems without developers or ongoing maintenance costs.

Whether you’re running simple restock campaigns or complex charge-later pre-orders with deposits, automation transforms manual processes into hands-free workflows that scale with your business. This guide shows you how to automate pre-orders using native Shopify Flow, then extend functionality with PreProduct’s 15 custom actions and 16 custom triggers for complete pre-order lifecycle management.

Why Use Shopify Flow for Pre-orders?

Pre-order operations involve multiple interconnected processes: inventory monitoring, product availability updates, customer communications, pricing adjustments, and fulfillment coordination. Without automation, merchants manually check inventory levels, toggle product settings, send emails, and track when to charge customers or release orders.

Shopify Flow automates these touchpoints, creating intelligent workflows that:

  • Save operational time. Instead of manually enabling pre-orders when items sell out, Flow does it automatically within seconds of inventory hitting zero.
  • Reduce human error. Automated workflows execute consistently every time, eliminating forgotten steps or missed communications.
  • Scale without headcount. Small teams can manage hundreds of pre-orders with the same efficiency as large operations departments.
  • Enable sophisticated logic. Combine multiple conditions to create nuanced workflows that adapt to different scenarios (product type, customer segment, inventory status).

For merchants running pre-orders, Flow transforms a labor-intensive process into a hands-free operation that runs 24/7 without intervention.

Shopify Flow Pre-order Automation: Key Benefits

Before diving into specific workflows, understanding the strategic advantages helps you design automation that aligns with your operational goals.

  • Instant pre-order activation. When high-demand products sell out, Flow can activate pre-order mode within seconds, capturing demand instead of losing sales to “out of stock” messages.
  • Automatic inventory management. Flow monitors inventory levels continuously and toggles between buy-now and pre-order modes based on stock availability, eliminating manual threshold monitoring.
  • Coordinated customer communication. Trigger email sequences, update customer segments, or send notifications based on pre-order events, keeping buyers informed throughout the pre-order journey.
  • Flexible fulfillment control. Automatically apply fulfillment holds to charge-later pre-orders, then release orders when stock arrives or you manually tag items as ready-to-ship.
  • Conditional logic for complex scenarios. Build workflows that behave differently based on product tags, metafields, inventory levels, or customer attributes, handling exceptions without manual intervention.

These capabilities compound when combined, creating end-to-end automation that manages pre-orders from stockout detection through final fulfillment release.

What Flow offers small teams:

  • Automation across products, inventory, orders, customers, and more.
  • No need for manual scripts or recurring app maintenance.
  • The ability to scale smarter, not just headcount.
  • Qualified stores can use the HTTP request action to call out to third party services like ERP’s, marketing services or AI context aggregators.

In essence, Flow gives you the building blocks to operate like a much larger team – without hiring.

automation

Part 1: Native Shopify Flow Pre-order Automation (Free)

You can build functional pre-order automation using only Shopify Flow’s native capabilities, no apps required. This approach works well for basic scenarios and helps you understand Flow’s fundamentals before adding advanced features.

Example Workflow: Activate Pre-order When Inventory Reaches Zero

This workflow automatically enables pre-orders when variants sell out, then reverses the process when stock is replenished.

➡️ Trigger: Product variant inventory equals 0

Flow monitors all product variants in your store. When any variant’s available inventory hits exactly zero, this trigger fires.

➡️ Condition: Product has tag “can-pre-order”

Not every product should become available for pre-order when it sells out. This condition checks if the product has been tagged “can-pre-order” by your team, giving you manual control over which items are pre-order eligible.

You might tag seasonal items, bestsellers, or products with predictable restock timelines as “can-pre-order” while excluding one-off or discontinued items.

➡️ Action 1: Enable “Continue selling when out of stock”

Using an HTTP request action (Shopify Plus) or manual product setting update, enable the “continue selling when out of stock” option for the variant. This allows customers to add the item to their cart and checkout even though inventory is zero.

➡️ Action 2: Update product metafield with pre-order messaging

Set a metafield on the product (e.g., custom.pre_order_message) with customer-facing text like “Ships mid-March” or “Pre-order now, shipping in 4-6 weeks.” Your theme reads this metafield to display pre-order information on product pages.

Reversal Workflow: Disable Pre-order When Stock Returns

When inventory is replenished, automatically disable pre-order mode and return to normal buy-now behavior.

➡️ Trigger: Product variant inventory is greater than 0

This trigger fires when stock levels increase above zero (restock occurs).

➡️ Condition: Product has tag “can-pre-order” AND metafield custom.pre_order_message exists

Only reverse products that were previously in pre-order mode (indicated by the presence of the pre-order metafield).

➡️ Action 1: Disable “Continue selling when out of stock”

Turn off overselling so the product returns to standard inventory behavior.

➡️ Action 2: Remove pre-order metafield

Delete the custom.pre_order_message metafield to stop displaying pre-order messaging on the product page.

Limitations of Native Flow for Pre-orders

While native Shopify Flow handles basic scenarios, it has constraints for sophisticated pre-order operations:

  • No pre-order-specific triggers. Native Flow doesn’t know when a pre-order is created, charged, or fulfilled, it only sees standard Shopify events (inventory changes, order creation, product updates).
  • Limited charge control. Flow can’t trigger deferred charges for charge-later pre-orders or coordinate payment timing with inventory arrival.
  • No fulfillment hold management. Native Flow can’t automatically apply or release fulfillment holds to prevent premature shipping of charge-later pre-orders.
  • Manual pre-order listing creation. You need to manage pre-order configurations (deposit amounts, ship dates, customer limits) outside of Flow.
  • These limitations create the case for extending Flow with pre-order-specific capabilities, which is where PreProduct’s custom triggers and actions come in.

Part 2: Extending Shopify Flow with PreProduct (31 Custom Capabilities)

PreProduct adds 31 specialized triggers and actions specifically designed for pre-order automation. While native Flow handles general Shopify events, PreProduct’s extensions give you granular control over the entire pre-order lifecycle, from listing creation through charge initiation and fulfillment release.

Why PreProduct Extends Flow

Native Shopify Flow provides infrastructure but lacks pre-order domain knowledge. PreProduct bridges this gap by introducing events and actions that understand charge-later pre-orders, deposits, customer limits, shipping notifications, and fulfillment holds.

For example, native Flow can detect when inventory hits zero, but it can’t create a pre-order listing with specific deposit amounts, ship dates, and customer limits. PreProduct’s “Create listing” action handles this complexity in a single step.

Similarly, native Flow can trigger when an order is created, but it can’t distinguish between regular orders and charge-later pre-orders, or trigger charges when inventory arrives. PreProduct’s “Charge created” trigger and “Trigger charges and/or fulfilment” action provide this pre-order-specific logic.

15 Custom Actions

PreProduct’s actions let you programmatically manage pre-order operations from within Flow workflows:

Listing Management

  • Create listing: Programmatically create pre-order listings with all configuration (deposit, ship date, limits, discounts)
  • Get listing: Retrieve listing details to use in conditional logic
  • Get all listings: Access multiple listings for bulk operations

Variant Control

  • Add variants to pre-order: Enable pre-orders for specific variants within a listing
  • Remove variants from pre-order: Disable pre-orders for variants (e.g., when discontinuing)

Configuration Updates

  • Update customer limit: Adjust maximum quantity per customer during campaigns
  • Update deposit amount: Modify deposit pricing dynamically
  • Update discount: Change pre-order discounts based on conditions
  • Update shipping: Adjust estimated ship dates as timelines shift

Charge & Fulfillment

  • Trigger charges and/or fulfilment: Initiate simultaneous payment capture and fulfillment release for ready-to-ship pre-orders
  • Apply listing template: Use saved templates for consistent pre-order configuration

Status Checks

  • Check if variant is on pre-order: Conditional logic to determine variant status
  • Synchronise listing: Ensure PreProduct and Shopify stay in sync

16 Custom Triggers

PreProduct’s triggers detect pre-order-specific events that native Flow doesn’t recognize:

Listing Lifecycle

  • Listing created: Fires when a new pre-order listing is created
  • Listing finished: Triggers when a listing ends (time-based or manual)
  • Listing shipping in 5 days: Notification trigger for upcoming ship dates

Capacity & Limits

  • Listing at 90% capacity: Alert when approaching customer or quantity limits
  • Listing limit reached: Triggers when pre-order cap is hit

Pre-order Events

  • Pre-order created: Fires when a customer places a pre-order
  • Pre-order cancelled: Triggers on customer-initiated or admin cancellations

Payment Events

  • Charge succeeded: Fires after successful deferred charge capture
  • Charge failed: Triggers when payment attempts fail (for dunning workflows)

Fulfillment

  • Fulfillment released: Fires when orders are released for shipping

Communication Events

  • Confirmation email sent: Triggers after order confirmation
  • Update email sent: Fires when you send campaign updates
  • Charge notification sent: Triggers before deferred charges attempt
  • Payment link sent: Fires when capture-only payment links are emailed

These triggers enable workflows like:

  • Send Klaviyo events when charges fail (for email recovery campaigns)
  • Tag products when listings reach 90% capacity (for marketing urgency)
  • Update internal spreadsheets when listings finish (for reporting)
  • Notify 3PL systems when fulfillment is released (for warehouse coordination)
Shopify Flow actions
PreProduct Shopify Flow actions

Combining Triggers and Actions

The power emerges when you chain PreProduct triggers and actions together in sophisticated workflows.

Example: Auto-create pre-order listing when inventory depletes, then monitor capacity

  1. Native trigger: Product variant inventory = 0
  2. Native condition: Product has tag “auto-pre-order”
  3. PreProduct action: Create listing (using template with deposit, ship date, limit)
  4. PreProduct trigger: Listing at 90% capacity
  5. Native action: Tag product “high-demand-pre-order”
  6. Native action: Add product to “Trending” collection (for homepage visibility)

This workflow automatically launches pre-order campaigns, then alerts you when demand is high so you can increase production quantities.

Real Workflow Examples: Shopify Flow Templates

Let’s walk through detailed implementations of common pre-order automation scenarios.

Workflow 1: Automatic Pre-order Activation on Stockout

Business Scenario: You sell seasonal products that frequently sell out between restocks. Instead of losing sales, you want to automatically offer pre-orders and notify customers of the estimated ship date.

➡️ Trigger: Variant inventory quantity = 0

➡️ Conditions:

  1. Product has tag “auto-pre-order-enabled”
  2. Product does NOT have metafield preproduct.listing_id (prevents duplicate listings)

➡️ Actions:

  1. Check if variant is on pre-order (PreProduct action)
  • If already on pre-order, end workflow (prevent duplicates)
  1. Create listing (PreProduct action)
  • Use template: “Standard restock pre-order”
  • Deposit: 0% (charge-later)
  • Ship date: +30 days from today
  • Customer limit: 5 units
  1. Add product to collection (Native action)
  • Collection: “Pre-order Items”
  • Makes pre-orders discoverable on your site
  1. Send Klaviyo event (Integration action)
  • Event: “Product on pre-order”
  • Triggers email campaign to waitlist subscribers

Result: When bestsellers sell out, they automatically become available for pre-order with a 30-day estimated ship date. Customers on your waitlist receive notification emails, and the product appears in your “Pre-order Items” collection.

pre-order workflow template
pre-order workflow template

Workflow 2: Charge & Fulfill When Inventory Arrives

Business Scenario: You’re running charge-later pre-orders. When inventory arrives, you want to automatically trigger charges for all waiting pre-orders and release orders for fulfillment simultaneously.

➡️ Trigger: Product tagged “inventory-arrived”

Your team applies this tag when stock hits the warehouse, initiating the charge and fulfillment process.

➡️ Conditions:

  1. Product has metafield preproduct.listing_id (confirms active listing exists)

➡️ Actions:

  1. Get listing (PreProduct action)
  • Retrieve listing details using preproduct.listing_id
  1. Trigger charges and/or fulfilment (PreProduct action)
  • Target: All pre-orders for this listing
  • Action: Charge + release fulfillment
  • This action attempts to charge all vaulted cards and simultaneously releases fulfillment holds
  1. Send internal Slack notification (HTTP request action, Shopify Plus)
  • Message: “Charges initiated for [Product Name] pre-orders. Monitor charge success rate.”
  1. Remove tag (Native action)
  • Remove “inventory-arrived” tag (prevents workflow re-triggering)

Result: A single tag application bulk-processes all pre-orders for a product, charging customers and releasing orders for shipment. Your team receives Slack confirmation and can monitor charge success rates.

robot arm

Workflow 3: VIP Customer Priority Fulfillment

Business Scenario: You want to manually prioritize certain pre-orders for early fulfillment (VIP customers, influencers, early bird orders).

➡️ Trigger: Order tagged “priority-fulfillment”

Your team manually applies this tag to orders that should be fulfilled first.

➡️ Conditions:

  1. Order has tag “priority-fulfillment”
  2. Order line items include products with metafield preproduct.listing_id

➡️ Actions:

  1. Trigger charges and/or fulfilment (PreProduct action)
  • Target: This specific order only
  • Action: Charge + release fulfillment
  1. Add customer tag (Native action)
  • Tag: “VIP-early-access”
  • Flags customer for future priority treatment
  1. Send customer email (Native action)
  • Template: “Your pre-order is shipping early!”
  • Builds loyalty and excitement

Result: You maintain granular control over who gets pre-orders first, while still using automation to handle the charge and fulfillment mechanics.

Workflow 4: Metafield-Based Conditional Pre-orders

Business Scenario: You want fine-grained control over which products become pre-orders, using metafields to define eligibility rules (minimum price, specific vendors, certain product types).

➡️ Trigger: Variant inventory quantity = 0

➡️ Conditions (All must be true):

  1. Product metafield custom.pre_order_eligible = “true”
  2. Product price > $50
  3. Product vendor = “House Brand”

➡️ Actions:

  1. Create listing (PreProduct action)
  • Template varies by product type:
  • If product type = “Apparel”: Use “Apparel pre-order template” (30% deposit)
  • If product type = “Electronics”: Use “Electronics template” (50% deposit)
  • Ship date pulled from metafield custom.expected_restock_date
  1. Update metafield (Native action)
  • Set custom.pre_order_active = “true”
  • Your theme uses this to display “Pre-order” badges

Result: Only high-value, house-brand products automatically become pre-orders, with deposit amounts tailored to product category and ship dates sourced from your internal restock planning metafields.

Advanced Shopify Flow Automation Strategies

Once you’re comfortable with basic workflows, these advanced strategies unlock additional operational leverage.

🤖 Multi-Condition Logic for Targeted Automation

Combine multiple conditions to create nuanced automation that handles different scenarios appropriately.

Example: Deposit amount varies by product price tier

  • Products $0-$100: 0% deposit (pure charge-later)
  • Products $101-$300: 25% deposit
  • Products $301+: 50% deposit

Build conditional branches in Flow:

  1. If product price ≤ $100 then create listing with 0% deposit template
  2. Else if product price ≤ $300 then create listing with 25% deposit template
  3. Else create listing with 50% deposit template

This tailors payment structure to product value without manual intervention.

📫 Marketing Integration via Klaviyo & Shopify Flow

Trigger sophisticated email campaigns based on pre-order events, keeping customers engaged throughout extended lead times.

Example: Automated pre-order nurture sequence

  1. Trigger: Pre-order created (PreProduct trigger)
  2. Action: Send Klaviyo event “pre_order_placed”
    • Klaviyo flow triggered with 3-email sequence:
    • Day 0: Order confirmation + what to expect
    • Day 14: Production update + behind-the-scenes content
    • Charge date – 3 days: “Charge coming soon, update payment method if needed”
  3. Trigger: Listing shipping in 5 days (PreProduct trigger)
  4. Action: Send Klaviyo event “pre_order_shipping_soon”
    • Klaviyo flow: Excitement-building email with tracking info preview
  5. Trigger: Charge failed (PreProduct trigger)
  6. Action: Send Klaviyo event “charge_failed”
    • Klaviyo flow: Dunning sequence with payment update link

This creates a hands-free communication strategy that maintains customer excitement and recovers failed payments automatically.

📦 Operations Integration: ERP & 3PL Coordination

For merchants with external systems, Flow can orchestrate data between Shopify and your operations stack.

Example: ERP notification when pre-order capacity reached

  1. Trigger: Listing hit max limits (PreProduct trigger)
  2. Action: HTTP request to ERP (Shopify Plus)
    • Endpoint: https://your-erp.com/api/production-alert
    • Payload: { "product_id": "...", "pre_orders": 450, "message": "Increase production run" }
    • Your ERP alerts procurement to order more materials

Example: 3PL hold release coordination

  1. Trigger: Fulfillment released (PreProduct trigger)
  2. Action: HTTP request to 3PL
    • Endpoint: https://your-3pl.com/api/release-hold
    • Payload: { "order_ids": [...], "ship_date": "..." }
    • Your 3PL receives notification to start picking/packing

These integrations prevent pre-order information silos, keeping all systems synchronized.

⏰ Scheduled Workflows for Recurring Tasks

While most workflows are event-triggered, some pre-order operations benefit from time-based automation.

Example: Weekly pre-order capacity report

  • Trigger: Every Monday at 9am
  • Action: HTTP request to Google Sheets API
    • Appends row: [Date, Total active pre-orders, Revenue committed, Capacity used]
  • Result: Automatic weekly reporting without manual data pulls

Example: Abandoned cart recovery for pre-orders

  • Trigger: Cart abandoned (with pre-order item)
  • Wait: 2 hours
  • Condition: Cart not converted
  • Action: Send email highlighting pre-order benefits
    • “Reserve your spot, only X units left”
    • “Lock in early access pricing”
shopify flow logo

Troubleshooting Shopify Flow Pre-order Automation

Even well-designed workflows occasionally need debugging. Here’s how to troubleshoot common issues.

Flow Not Triggering as Expected

Symptom: Workflow should fire but doesn’t appear in Flow activity logs.

Common Causes:

  • Trigger condition not met: Double-check that the exact conditions exist (e.g., inventory hit exactly 0, not 1)
  • Workflow disabled: Verify workflow status is “Active” not “Paused”
  • Condition logic error: Review “AND” vs “OR” logic in complex conditions
  • Tag spelling mismatch: Flow is case-sensitive; “pre-order” ≠ “Pre-Order”

Debugging:

  1. Check Flow activity logs (Apps → Flow → [Workflow name] → Activity)
  2. Look for “Skipped” entries with reason explanations
  3. Temporarily remove conditions to isolate which filter is blocking
  4. Create test product meeting all conditions to verify trigger works

Charge Failures After Triggering

Symptom: Flow triggers “Trigger charges and/or fulfilment” action but charges fail.

Common Causes:

  • Expired vaulted cards (lead time exceeded card expiration)
  • Insufficient funds in customer accounts
  • Payment method removed by customer

Resolution:
PreProduct can send ‘failed charge’ emails that can be used as a dunning process, but you can enhance this with Flow:

  1. Trigger: Charge failed (PreProduct trigger)
  2. Wait: 24 hours
  3. Action: Send customer email
    • Subject: “Update payment method for your pre-order”
    • Include link to customer portal for card updates
  4. Wait: 48 hours
  5. Action: Send internal Slack notification
    • Alert team to manually follow up with high-value orders

Testing Workflows Without Affecting Customers

Challenge: You want to test workflows before enabling them for real traffic.

Best Practices:

  • Use test products: Create duplicate products tagged “test-product” and build test-specific conditions:
    • Condition: Product title contains “TEST”
    • This prevents test workflows from affecting live products
  • Disable email actions temporarily: While testing, comment out or disable email/SMS actions so customers don’t receive test notifications.
  • Run manually: Flow lets you manually trigger workflows. Create test data (test product, test inventory level), then click “Run workflow” to see results without waiting for real events.
  • Check activity logs: After manual runs, review step-by-step execution in activity logs to verify each action completed successfully.

Performance Optimization for Complex Workflows

Symptom: Workflows run slowly or time out with many actions.

Solutions:

  • Split complex workflows: Instead of one 20-action workflow, create multiple smaller workflows chained via triggers:
    • Workflow 1: Detect stockout → Create listing → Trigger “listing_created” event
    • Workflow 2: Trigger on “listing_created” → Send emails, update collections
  • Avoid unnecessary HTTP requests: HTTP actions are slower than native actions. Only use them when necessary for external integrations.
  • Use conditional early exits: Place most restrictive conditions first to exit workflows quickly when conditions aren’t met.

FAQ: Shopify Flow Pre-order Automation

No, Shopify Flow is available on all plans (Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus). However, HTTP request actions, which enable integration with external services like ERPs, 3PLs, or custom APIs, are Shopify Plus exclusive.

For basic pre-order automation (creating listings, triggering charges, updating products), standard Flow actions work on any plan. HTTP requests are only needed for advanced integrations beyond Shopify’s ecosystem.

Do I need Shopify Plus to use Flow for pre-orders?

Yes, when combined with PreProduct’s Flow actions. Native Flow can’t trigger deferred charges because it doesn’t have pre-order-specific payment actions. PreProduct’s “Trigger charges and/or fulfilment” action enables automatic charge initiation based on inventory arrival, manual tags, or scheduled timing.
For example, you can build a workflow:

Result: Automatic bulk charging when stock lands
– Trigger: Product tagged “inventory-arrived”
– Action: Trigger charges for all waiting charge-later pre-orders

Can Shopify Flow automate charge-later pre-orders?

Create a test workflow using duplicate products and restrictive conditions:

  1. Duplicate a real product and prefix the title with “TEST -“
  2. Build your workflow with an additional condition: “Product title contains ‘TEST'”
  3. Manually adjust the test product’s inventory or tags to trigger the workflow
  4. Review Flow activity logs to verify each step executes correctly
  5. Once validated, remove the “TEST” condition to enable for real products

Disable customer-facing actions (emails, SMS) during testing to prevent notifications.

How do I test Flow workflows without affecting real orders?

Native Shopify Flow provides general ecommerce automation: inventory changes, order creation, product updates, customer actions. It understands Shopify events but not pre-order concepts like charge-later, deposits, fulfillment holds, or listing lifecycle.

PreProduct extends Flow with 31 pre-order-specific capabilities:

  • 15 actions: Create listings, trigger charges, update deposits, release fulfillment
  • 16 triggers: Listing created, charge failed, capacity reached, shipping notifications

Use native Flow for basic stockout detection and product updates. Use PreProduct extensions for sophisticated pre-order operations like automated charge timing, customer limit management, and fulfillment coordination.

What’s the difference between native Shopify Flow and PreProduct’s extensions?

Here are some solutions to common issues:

  • Workflow status: Verify it’s “Active” not “Paused”
  • Trigger conditions: Ensure the event you expect actually occurred (check exact inventory level, tag spelling, metafield values)
  • Condition logic: Review “AND” vs “OR” logic, all “AND” conditions must be true
  • Activity logs: Flow logs all execution attempts. Navigate to the workflow and click “Activity” to see if it fired but was “Skipped” with a reason
  • Timing: Some triggers have slight delays (inventory updates may take 30-60 seconds to propagate)

If still stuck, temporarily remove all conditions except the trigger to isolate which filter is blocking execution.

How do I troubleshoot workflows that don’t trigger?

Shopify Flow works with any app that provides custom triggers and actions. Some pre-order apps offer basic Flow integration (e.g., “Pre-order placed” trigger), but the depth varies significantly.

PreProduct provides the most comprehensive pre-order integration with 31 total capabilities. Most other apps offer 2-5 basic triggers/actions without support for charge-later workflows, fulfillment holds, or deposit management.

If you’re using a different pre-order app, check their documentation for available Flow triggers and actions, then build workflows using those events combined with native Shopify actions.

Does Shopify Flow work with other pre-order apps besides PreProduct?

Native Flow (without pre-order apps) can’t:

– Create pre-order listings with deposits, ship dates, or customer limits
– Trigger deferred charges for charge-later pre-order
– Automatically apply or release fulfillment holds
– Distinguish between regular orders and pre-orders
– Track pre-order capacity or notify when limits are reached

These limitations are why merchants serious about pre-orders use apps like PreProduct to extend Flow with pre-order domain expertise. The combination of native Flow infrastructure + pre-order-specific triggers/actions creates powerful automation that neither tool achieves alone.

What are Shopify Flow’s limitations for pre-orders?

Conclusion

Shopify Flow pre-order automation transforms time-consuming manual processes into intelligent, hands-free workflows. Native Flow provides free foundational capabilities, perfect for basic stockout-to-pre-order scenarios using tags and metafields.

For merchants running sophisticated pre-order programs (charge-later, deposits, multi-step payment plans, fulfillment coordination), PreProduct’s 15 actions and 16 triggers unlock automation native Flow alone can’t achieve. Automatically create listings when inventory depletes, trigger charges when stock arrives, release fulfillment in bulk, and coordinate customer communications throughout extended lead times.

The result: small teams operate at enterprise scale, capturing demand automatically instead of losing sales to stockouts, and delivering exceptional customer experiences without expanding headcount.

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Increase Shopify Sales with 6 Proven Pre-order Strategies

We also have a YouTube version of this article here.

Introducing pre-orders for growth on Shopify

Looking to increase Shopify sales? The secret can lie in effective pre-order strategies. This article cuts straight to the point, providing six practical tactics that translate customer interest into secured revenue— crafting urgency, exclusivity, and increasing average order value to name a few. We’ll guide you through these methods and showcase how they’re each working for real-life online stores.

Key Takeaways

  • Pre-orders can significantly boost Shopify sales by creating urgency, leveraging influencer marketing, increasing average order value, and securing revenue before inventory is available.
  • Tactical pre-order strategies including limited edition items, exclusive discounts, charge-later options, time-limited availability, sustainable practices, and offering exclusive benefits can enhance customer engagement, loyalty, and overall sales.
  • To maximize the effectiveness of pre-orders, it’s essential to employ an effective customer centric marketing strategy. That way you can engage customers with a compelling narrative, offer flexibility, align pre-order strategies with brand values, and maintain transparent communication.
  • Implementing loyalty programs can enhance customer engagement, improve retention rates, and motivate repeat purchases.
Shopify's official pre-order landing page for how to increase Shopify sales
https://www.shopify.com/pre-orders

Why and How Pre-Orders Can Increase Sales on Shopify

Stepping into the ecommerce store arena, you quickly learn that the key to a thriving Shopify store is not just attracting potential customers but converting their interest into actual sales. Pre-orders let you do this before stock hits your warehouse. Imagine the power of knowing your product is sold even before it’s physically available. It’s a strategy that transforms potential customers into committed buyers and increases customer retention in an otherwise volatile online shopping environment.

But how exactly do pre-orders amplify your Shopify store’s performance? Pre-orders can build a compelling sense of urgency by bridging the gap between anticipation and ownership. As the launch date nears, exclusive ad campaigns, early bird discounts, and time-sensitive offers can coax the prospective customers from the sidelines and into an action. Utilizing Google ads alongside other paid advertising platforms like Facebook and Instagram can further enhance these campaigns, driving targeted traffic and boosting sales. This urgency can be manufactured by employing a customer-centric playbook designed for increasing sales on Shopify.


Tried and Tested Shopify Pre-order Strategies

Now, let’s dive into each strategy in the form of mini case studies. The ecommerce market thrives on innovation, and pre-order strategies are a testament to this. These six strategies are proven tactics that can boost conversions. From limited editions that sell out rapidly to exclusive discounts that spur customers to click ‘pre-order’, each strategy is essential for boosting conversions and enhancing the performance of your ecommerce business or Shopify store. Additionally, bolting on additional marketing techniques like loyalty programs can further boost conversions and enhance customer engagement.

We’ll explore the mechanisms behind these strategies and how you can tailor them to fit your online store.

Illustration of a Shopify store with increased sales
Pre-orders on Shopify

1. Limited editions pre-orders (Fenty Beauty)

Fenty Beauty’s limited edition pre-orders capitalize on the power of scarcity. Each exclusive launch generates significant excitement among customers, leveraging the brand’s association with Rihanna and aligning product releases with major events to maximize impact. The strategy isn’t just about celebrity influence; it’s about creating a compelling narrative around unique, one-time-only products.

When Fenty Beauty releases a limited edition product, the buzz generated drives significant interest and sales. This approach involves cohesive brand messaging across all customer touchpoints, supported by digital advertising, Google ads, and search engine optimization to maintain visibility and engagement.

The allure of limited edition pre-orders lies in the exclusive, unrepeatable nature of the products, which attracts a dedicated following eager for the next release. However, this strategy also requires meticulous planning and brand management to ensure each launch meets high expectations and reinforces the brand’s commitment to quality and innovation.

Tip: Creating Artificial Scarcity with limited edition BundlesIf you don’t have a fixed amount of units, consider releasing a bundle as a limited edition with an artificial limit. This strategy allows you to create a sense of exclusivity and urgency without needing to precisely manage inventory quantities. By curating a unique bundle and setting a cap on availability, you can drive pre-orders and excitement, effectively leveraging the power of scarcity to boost sales.

Rhianna's brand Fenty Beauty's limited editions
fentybeauty.com/collections/limited-edition

2. Exclusive Pre-order Discounts (The Mindset Journal)

Moving on from specific limited editions, limited discounts can be employed as well. The magnetic pull of an exclusive deal really plays our sense of FOMO. A customer of ours at PreProduct, The Mindset Journal puts this to great effect with an exclusive 20% discount on pre-orders of their V1 product. Pre-order discounts, don’t use a catch-all discount code; but are early bird specials that are only received when the product is purchased as a pre-order. This can propel customers to lock in the lower prices before they’re gone.

This strategy can be a great way to increase Shopify sales, as it allows you to discount without deprecating the perceived value of the product. i.e. the sub-text is that the item is discounted as it’s new, not because it’s failing to shift from shelves. The core mechanics of the Mindset Journal’s offering is:

  • A 20% discount to early adopters.
  • A valuable personal development tool at a bargain price.
  • Early sales and customer loyalty even before the product ships.
  • Incentivizing early purchases through loyalty programs to improve customer retention.
Offering a 20% pre-order discount
themindsetjournals.com/

The Mindset Journal can then drive traffic and attract customers by:

  • Explaining the discount codes in promotional emails
  • Leveraging their social media presence and organic traffic
  • Providing an additional 5% off for mailing list subscribers or influencer campaigns (Shopify discount codes can stack on top of pre-order discounts)

These tactics paired with traffic can create a cascade of incentives that increase customer retention, keeping loyal customers coming back for more.

Moreover, exclusive pre-order discounts often lead to repeat purchases. Customers who snag a deal are more likely to return, trusting they’ll find value and savings again. This strategy not only boosts sales on Shopify but also gives The Mindset Journal an additional reason to send marketing emails and communications.


3. Offer 100% Charge-later Pre-orders (Jala Clothing)

Jala Clothing’s approach to pre-orders focuses on giving a 100% charge-later pre-order option, ensuring customers are not billed until their item is ready to ship. This strategy helps manage customer expectations and good will, as no money changes hands until Jala are ready.

On the The Bhakti Pant (a collection that’s on pre-order at the time or writing) product descriptions, the marketing copy talks about a smaller batch, mindful fashion approach, that promotes sustainability and limits waste, with each piece being a unique hand-dyed creation. By marketing these aspects, Jala Clothing appeals to customers who make purchasing decisions based on a brand’s environmental responsibility as well as the $0 upfront incentive to lock in a pair.

Charge-later pre-orders offer the following logistical benefits:

  • Flexibility in fulfilment, especially for items with delayed shipping or those that offer free shipping
  • Transparency about shipping estimates and updates to customers, without the risk of customers being frustrated that they’ve already parted with their hard earned cash.

Moreover, flexible charging options can be a boon for cash flow management. Shopify store owners can utilise apps like PreProduct to establish pay-later terms that fit their inventory and financial strategy. As well as techniques like shoppable videos to drive trust and excitement for the product on pre-order.

Charge-later pre-orders for Bhakti pant
jalaclothing.com


4. Offer Time-Limited Pre-Orders (Good Smile)

Moving to the next of the pre-order strategies, Good Smile (a hobby store out of Japan) shows how time can becomes a powerful lever. They offer pre-orders from their store page for a limited time period; creating a ticking clock that encourages customers to act swiftly. Sometimes offering products for as little as 24-hours. This is an incredible way to generate sales from a heightened sense of urgency and induced quick decision-making.

This strategy plays on the psychological trigger of scarcity, compelling customers to make a purchase before time runs out. It’s a potent tool that not only boosts sales but also enhances the online shopping experience by making it more thrilling and interactive. Customers become part of an exclusive event, racing against time to secure their desired items.

Using a limited time window for pre-orders
goodsmileeurope.com

The success of time-limited pre-orders lies in their ability to create a buzz around a product launch. The limited availability window is a signal to customers that they’re getting access to something special, something not everyone will have the chance to own. This exclusivity feeds into the desire to be part of a select group and can lead to a significant boost in sales.

Furthermore, the sense of urgency generated by Good Smile’s strategy is not only beneficial for the initial launch but can also have a ripple effect on future releases. Customers who miss out on one timed pre-order are more likely to pay attention to subsequent launches, increasing the chances of early engagement and securing sales well before the official release date.


5. Sustainable Pre-Order Practices for Customer Retention (Frahm Jackets)

Leading the charge in ethical business practices, Frahm Jackets takes sustainable pre-ordering to heart. Their approach includes:

  • A buying experience that’s exclusive to pre-orders, ensuring no excess production (sometimes known as made-to-order)
  • Increased boost to their reputation and culture of sustainability
  • Resonating with a growing segment of consumers who prioritize the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions.

Frahm’s allows customers to pre-buy their coveted jackets, fostering a sense of commitment and anticipation, whilst being part of a clique. It’s a model that not only reduces waste but also builds a narrative of conscious consumerism around the brand.

“We design modern classics that don’t go out of style. Each design is made once a year.We deliberately don’t make enough to meet demand, so we don’t overbuy, which affects quality. You have to pre-order to get what you want.”

Communication is crucial in this process. Frahm makes it a point to clearly mention dispatch dates and keep customers updated on their order’s shipment and delivery. This level of transparency nurtures customer trust and loyalty, leading to repeat purchases and a robust, social media marketing presence that can amplify the brand’s message of sustainability.

Moreover, by aligning their business practices with the values of their target customers and audience, Frahm Jackets cultivates a brand image that is not only about selling a product but also about promoting a lifestyle. This deeper connection with customers can translate into a more engaged and dedicated following, willing to advocate for the brand and its principles.

Frahm jackets pre-order manifesto
frahmjacket.com/pages/why-preorder

6. Insiders Club – Exclusive Pre-Order Benefits and Status for Loyal Customers (Daylight Computer)

Our final pre-order strategy takes us into the tech world with Daylight Computer. When talking about pre-orders, they call them “founders editions”, thus creating an insider’s club that rewards customer engagement and loyalty. This strategy provides intangible value to pre-order customers, making them feel like VIPs with access to behind-the-scenes updates and special treatment.

This approach transforms the pre-order process into an experience rather than a transaction. Customers aren’t just buying a product; they’re buying into a journey that unfolds over time, with Daylight Computer guiding them every step of the way. This feeling can be bolstered with exclusive updates, product pages and insider information keeps customers connected and invested in the brand.

The benefits of this strategy extend beyond the initial sale. Fostering a sense of belonging and exclusivity strengthens customer relationships, leading to increased loyalty and advocacy among existing customers. Implementing a customer loyalty program can further enhance this effect and increase Shopify sales. And when customers feel like they are part of something special, they’re more likely to share their experiences on social media platforms, providing valuable user-generated content that can boost sales and attract new customers.

Furthermore, exclusive benefits can come with a call to action that encourages customers to share and become one of the first to receive the product, these incentives are a powerful motivator for customers to commit early, ensuring Daylight Computer secures sales and bolsters their buyers journey well before the product’s official release.

Using pre-orders to create an "insiders club" and increase Shopify sales
daylightcomputer.com

Conclusion and next steps to increase Shopify sales through pre-orders

In review, these six proven pre-order strategies are a masterclass in ecommerce marketing. From the excitement of limited runs to the allure of exclusive discounts and sustainable practices, there’s a strategy for every Shopify store looking to boost its performance. The essence of a successful pre-order strategy lies in creating a compelling customer journey, tapping into the psychology of anticipation and reward. (Oh and don’t forget to track your experiments, using an analytics platform like Google Analytics or Attribuly)

So, what’s the next step for your Shopify store? Embrace the strategies that resonate with you, align them with your brand’s values, and start implementing pre-orders to increase sales and build a stronger connection with your audience. Unlocking the potential of pre-orders can transform a good Shopify store into a great one. By driving urgency, offering value, and resonating with your target audience, you can enhance the shopping experience and foster a loyal customer base.

In addition to pre-orders, leveraging Google Ads can effectively target specific audiences and top search results. You can also find other high-impact optimizations by browsing a service like Taranker, which curates top-rated Shopify apps. These strategies help boost Shopify sales, drive better customer engagement, and build a more successful store.

At PreProduct, we’re always happy to talk pre-orders, so feel free to drop us an email. Alternatively, if you’re ready to start capturing pre-orders of your own, we currently have free trials on all of our subscription plans, as well as a commission only option.


Oli Woods

Co-founder @PreProduct


Pre-order Shopify Sales FAQ

Choose a pre-order strategy that aligns with your brand’s values and goals, considering your target audience and product uniqueness. Test various approaches to see which resonates best with your customers.

How do I know which pre-order strategy will increase Shopify sales for my store?

Yes, pre-orders can significantly increase your store’s sales by locking in revenue before stock arrival, creating a sense of urgency, and offering exclusive benefits to customers. It’s a proven method to boost sales and customer retention.

Can pre-orders really increase my store’s sales?

Yes, there are risks such as failing to meet shipping estimates and customer expectations. Transparency and clear communication are crucial to maintaining trust and satisfaction. Offering charge-later or deposit-upfront pre-orders can be a safer option here.

Are there any risks associated with pre-orders?

To manage customer expectations, be transparent about availability and dispatch dates. Provide regular updates and offer excellent customer service to handle inquiries and issues effectively.

How do I manage customer expectations for products that aren’t immediately available?

Yes, pre-orders can help gauge interest in your products and increase Shopify sales. Ensure you have a clear marketing strategy and can fulfil orders efficiently. For first-time ordering from suppliers, consider charge-later pre-orders, as customers aren’t charged until you explicitly trigger payment.

Can I use pre-orders if I’m just starting my Shopify store?

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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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