How can I effectively manage pre-orders using basic Shopify features?

Topic summary

Main issue: whether pre-orders (selling now, shipping in 2–3 months) can be managed with Shopify’s built-in features, avoiding paid apps.

  • The poster wants to list an item and delay fulfillment until it’s ready, asking what would prevent this in baseline Shopify.
  • A reply asserts this “requires custom coding” and suggests hiring a developer, but gives no specifics on which native features fall short.
  • The original poster asks for clarification: which part isn’t possible—listing the product, accepting payment, or delaying shipment?

Key context: “Pre-orders” means accepting orders for products not yet available to ship.

Outcome/status: No resolution. The need for custom code is claimed but not substantiated. The thread awaits details on Shopify’s native limitations and which workflow steps (purchase flow, inventory/backorder, fulfillment timing) cannot be handled without apps or custom code.

Summarized with AI on January 25. AI used: gpt-5.

Why? Which part is not possible? Listing something, shipping it later, which piece?