How to Set Up a Pre-Order on Shopify
To set up a pre-order on Shopify, install a compatible pre-order app, configure the eligible products and payment timing in that app, disclose when the order is expected to ship, and complete a test order before launch. Shopify does not provide the full pre-order workflow as a simple product toggle; its official guidance requires a pre-order app.
Check the current restrictions before choosing an app. Shopify presently limits pre-orders to merchants using Shopify Payments or PayPal Express, and several checkout, sales-channel and discount combinations are not supported.
How Shopify pre-orders work
A pre-order lets a customer order a product before it is ready to ship. Depending on the app and approved setup, the merchant may collect full payment, a partial payment or no payment at the time of order, then collect any remaining amount later.
Shopify’s pre-orders overview says merchants must use an app from the Shopify App Store and manage the resulting orders in Shopify admin. The app controls the pre-order configuration, while Shopify displays purchase-option information on product and order records.
Pre-order, backorder or restock notification?
| Option | Customer commitment | Appropriate when |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-order | Places an order before the item is ready | The merchant intends to sell now and can communicate a reasonable fulfilment expectation |
| Backorder | Orders an item that is temporarily unavailable | The product normally exists and replenishment is expected |
| Restock notification | Leaves contact details without ordering | Timing or inventory is too uncertain to accept an order |
If the expected supply date is unreliable, a waitlist or restock alert may set a more honest expectation than taking payment.
A back-in-stock alert through WhatsApp or Instagram can suit a customer who wants an update without committing to an order. It should not be confused with accepting and charging a pre-order.
Check Shopify’s requirements and restrictions
Shopify’s current pre-order setup documentation lists several restrictions. They can change, so verify them immediately before launch.
| Area | Current Shopify guidance |
|---|---|
| Payment provider | Pre-orders are available to merchants using Shopify Payments or PayPal Express |
| Sales channels | Supported on the Online Store and Custom Storefront channels |
| Accelerated checkout | Shop Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay cannot be used for pre-order purchases |
| Local payment methods | Some methods, including those named in Shopify’s current documentation, are unsupported |
| Custom checkout | Stores with customised checkouts are not supported |
| Other purchase options | Different purchase options cannot be combined on the same product in one checkout |
| Discounts | Buy X get Y discounts are not supported for pre-orders |
| Shop Promise | Pre-orders are not supported |
Shopify also says a merchant must have a reasonable basis for the stated shipping time. If no date is clearly specified, its current guidance says the merchant must reasonably believe the product will ship within 30 days. If the promised timing cannot be met, the merchant must provide a revised date and explain the customer’s right to cancel or obtain a refund.
These are platform requirements, not complete legal advice. Merchants must comply with the laws applying to their business and customers, as well as Shopify’s terms. Obtain appropriate legal guidance for the markets where the offer will run.
Choose a Shopify pre-order app
Begin with the business model rather than an app list. Write down:
- Whether customers pay in full, leave a deposit or pay later
- Which products and variants are eligible
- Whether pre-order and in-stock items can share a cart
- How shipping dates appear on the product page, cart, checkout and confirmation
- How orders are tagged and separated for fulfilment
- How remaining payments, cancellations and refunds are managed
- Which markets, currencies and languages are required
- What happens if the app is removed
Then compare current official Shopify App Store listings and developer documentation. Verify pricing, order limits, payment support, theme compatibility and support arrangements on the day you decide. A feature described in an old round-up may no longer be available or may require a different plan.
Shopify warns that uninstalling a pre-order app deletes the pre-order data created in that app after 48 hours, excluding customer payment information, unless the app provides a backup mechanism. Include data export and recovery in the selection process.
Accurate availability answers also depend on current store data. If chat is part of the support workflow, synchronising Shopify inventory with the chatbot helps prevent outdated stock answers, although it does not replace the pre-order app.
How to set up a Shopify pre-order step by step
1. Install and authorise the app
Install the selected app from the Shopify App Store and review the requested permissions. Complete the app’s own onboarding before changing product purchase options in Shopify admin.
Use a duplicate theme if the app modifies the storefront. Record which templates and app blocks it changes so the setup can be reversed.
2. Select eligible products and variants
Start with a small group. Confirm whether every variant will be available for pre-order or only specific combinations. Set a quantity cap when supply is limited, and decide what should happen when the cap is reached.
Do not use a generic product-level message if different variants have different arrival dates.
3. Choose the payment timing
Configure full payment, deposit or later payment only if the app, payment provider and market support that approach. Explain the charge timing beside the purchase action and repeat it during checkout where the app permits.
For deferred or partial payments, test how the remaining balance is scheduled, what happens after a failed charge and how the customer updates a payment method.
4. Set availability and fulfilment expectations
Give a specific date or a realistic dispatch window supported by supply information. “Pre-order now” is not enough. The customer needs to understand when the item is expected to leave the business, not merely when stock might arrive at a warehouse.
Avoid language that presents an estimate as a guarantee. State how updates will be sent if timing changes.
5. Configure the product-page message and button
Replace an ordinary add-to-cart label with a clear pre-order label for eligible selections. Place the expected timing and charge terms close to the button. If only some variants qualify, update the label and message when the selection changes.
Check that the information remains readable on mobile and does not disappear behind a theme drawer or sticky purchase bar.
6. Configure confirmations and order tags
The order confirmation should identify the pre-ordered item, payment status and expected dispatch timing. Add an appropriate order tag or fulfilment view so the operations team does not treat it as immediately shippable stock.
Define who monitors delayed orders and who can approve cancellations or refunds. Technology does not replace operational ownership.
7. Run a complete test order
Test the storefront and the admin record together. Shopify recommends placing test orders when preparing or changing checkout and payment settings.
Verify:
- Product and variant eligibility
- Button label and fulfilment message
- Cart containing only a pre-order
- Mixed cart, if the app claims to support it
- Discounts and shipping rates
- Tax and currency behaviour in relevant markets
- Payment or deposit timing
- Confirmation email and customer account view
- Order tags and fulfilment status
- Cancellation, refund and failed-payment paths
- Mobile checkout and unsupported accelerated-payment behaviour
8. Monitor the launch
Review the first live orders manually. Compare the ordered quantity with confirmed supply, watch customer questions and check that confirmation messages match the storefront promise.
Pause the offer if supply information becomes unreliable. Continuing to accept orders is not a substitute for communicating a change.
What customers need to know before ordering
Place the essential terms where the decision is made:
- What is being ordered and which variant is included
- Whether payment is taken now, partly now or later
- Expected dispatch date or window
- Whether in-stock items in the same order ship separately
- How schedule changes will be communicated
- How to request a cancellation or refund
For example: “This item is available for pre-order and is expected to dispatch between 12 and 19 October. Payment is taken when you place the order. We will email you if the expected dispatch window changes.” Adapt this to the actual workflow and applicable law; do not publish a template that the business cannot honour.
Use the same approved information in every support channel. When automating Shopify presales questions, draw answers from the actual payment, dispatch and cancellation terms rather than writing a separate set of chatbot promises.
How to manage delays, cancellations and refunds
Create the delay process before launch. It should identify affected orders, provide the revised timing, explain the available options and record the customer’s decision. Make the reply route easy to find.
Do not silently change the date on the product page while leaving earlier customers uninformed. Keep evidence of the original promise, the revised communication and any cancellation or refund.
Common Shopify pre-order mistakes
- Choosing an app before defining payment and fulfilment requirements
- Taking orders without a reasonable supply estimate
- Hiding charge timing or dispatch information in a policy page
- Treating all variants as if they share one arrival date
- Forgetting accelerated-checkout and discount restrictions
- Failing to test confirmation and admin workflows
- Mixing ready-to-ship and pre-order items without explaining fulfilment
- Continuing sales after the planned allocation is exhausted
- Leaving support staff without an escalation process
How AeroChat handles Shopify pre-order questions
Pre-orders often create repeated questions about dispatch timing, product specifications, changes and cancellations. Prepare approved answers from the actual offer terms, and route exceptions to a person who can review the order.
Once those approved answers exist, merchants can configure and test a Shopify chatbot against real pre-order questions. Stores still selecting a tool can compare the best Shopify AI chatbot options for catalogue access, supported channels and human handover.
AeroChat is an AI agent platform that helps Shopify merchants run customer service on autopilot. It can synchronise Shopify store details and support customer conversations across connected channels. Its role here is answering approved customer questions and handing off cases that need personal attention—not creating the purchase option or making payment and refund decisions.
AeroChat is generally a growth-stage support investment rather than a required launch cost. It becomes more relevant when enquiry volume increases or the store manages conversations across several channels.
The strongest pre-order setup is operationally credible before it is promotional: use an appropriate app, state when and how customers pay, give a supportable fulfilment expectation, test every important path and communicate quickly if the plan changes.
