The biggest issue I have is that according to Shopify this issue is solved. Maybe thats why no one at SF is looking at this problem.
Topic summary
Merchants are requesting the ability to accept partial payments (deposits/down payments) on draft orders and manual orders, similar to functionality available in Shopify POS, Square Invoice, and PayPal Invoice.
Core Need:
- Accept initial deposits (e.g., 50%) when sending draft order invoices to customers
- Collect remaining balance later via email link or follow-up invoice
- Properly track partial payments within a single transaction for accounting purposes
Current Limitations:
- Partial payments work in Shopify POS but not in admin/draft orders
- Shopify support suggests creating multiple separate draft orders for each payment installment
- This workaround creates accounting reconciliation issues and inflates transaction counts
Workarounds Mentioned:
- Opening draft orders through POS on iPad to process partial payments
- Third-party apps: Wholster, Downapy, Manual Partial Payments
- Processing deposits outside Shopify (QuickBooks, PayPal) and marking orders as “paid outside of Shopify”
Status:
This remains unresolved despite years of merchant requests. Multiple users express frustration that this “foundational” e-commerce feature hasn’t been prioritized, with some considering switching platforms. The discussion reflects ongoing dissatisfaction with Shopify’s response to what merchants view as basic B2B functionality.
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