How can customers pre-order products from my online store?

Shopify Discussion
1

Hi,

I would like to make it possible for customers to pre-order products from our shop. Ideally, select a product like a regular shop, and then add it to the chart. Do I need to purchase an app to access this feature — or is that integrated already? I am using the Debut theme.

Kind regards,

Trine

2

Hello @Geddelius !

The way is which you setup the pre-orders to work on your store really depends on what kind of pre-orders you want to offer. Here are the differences:

  • Pay now pre-order = payment is processed straight away at checkout, as a normal purchase. The ‘buy now’ button will instead say ‘pre-order’ and there will be additional information explaining the longer delivery time or when it launches and will be available for shipping.
  • Pay Later pre-order = the orders sit in their own system once placed, and when payment is ready to be collected for a pre-order, payment links are sent to customers where they complete their purchase.

I have additional info on those types as well as crowdfunding in this Shopify Blog article on Setting up Pre-orders here. I highly recommend checking this out as it lists the pros and cons of each method, and this might help you choose the more appropriate option for your business.

When it comes to actually integrating this function, you will need to look into a third party app that allows you to implement it. Below I have some recommendations for you:

Let me know if none of the above suit you and why, then I will be able to see what other options we can come up with!

Could you also tell me a little bit more about your product and business? Why have you decided to add pre-orders? Any details you can give me will allow me to further advise you, so I would love to hear more about it!