Sell incoming stock (transfers)

Shopify Plus

Topic summary

A merchant wants to pre-sell incoming inventory from transfers, automatically displaying different delivery dates as each batch sells out. For example, with three transfers of 10 units each arriving on dates x, y, and z, the system should show date x until 10 units sell, then switch to date y, and so on. Once stock arrives, the message should update to “in stock.”

Key Challenge:
Shopify has no native Transfers API, making automation difficult. Any solution would require manually duplicating transfer data in another system (like metafields) and keeping it synchronized.

Proposed Solutions:

  1. Custom Metafields + Liquid Logic (most flexible)

    • Create variant-level metafields for each batch’s quantity and delivery date
    • Use theme code to calculate total sold units and display the appropriate delivery date
    • Requires manual updates when transfers change

  2. Pre-order Apps

    • Quicker setup but may have limitations for multi-batch scenarios
    • Still requires metafield configuration

Important Considerations:

  • Delivery dates should appear throughout the customer journey (product page, cart, checkout, confirmation emails)
  • Thorough testing needed at different inventory levels
  • Purchase Orders (POs) were suggested as an alternative to transfers, though feasibility unclear

Status: Discussion remains open with implementation options outlined but no final decision made.

Summarized with AI on October 26. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
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We are seeking a solution to “pre-sell” incoming stock. Our goal is to upload transfers and sell the available stock while displaying the delivery date for each transfer.

For example, if we create three transfers, each containing 10 units of product n with delivery dates x, y, and z. When 10 units of product n are sold with delivery date x, the next batch of 10 will automatically display delivery date y, and so on.

Additionally, if a transfer is received and stock becomes available, the delivery date message should update to “in stock.”

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Hi @JPQUAT :waving_hand: there is no transfers apis for flow or other apps to even use.

This would have to be built externally of transfers such as using metafields or metaobjects to mirror what data entry is done in transfers.

:bomb: Keeping in mind in this scenario since there’s no transfers api when ever a transfer is edited that work may need to be manually duplicated in another system to keep the info current for customers on the frontend; and or build browser automations and not just app automations.

If you need this customization then contact me for services.
Contact info in forum signature.
ALWAYS please provide context, examples: store url, theme name, post url(s) , or any further detail in ALL correspondence.

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Thank you. I thought this might be the case when I was racking my brain to access the transfer data! Do you think this would be possible using POs rather than transfers?

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@JPQUAT Update New GraphQL APIs for Inventory Transfers Management - Shopify developer changelog

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Hey @JPQUAT,

What you’re looking for is definitely achievable and it’s actually a pretty sophisticated inventory management strategy! I’ve researched several approaches for your specific use case where you want to pre-sell stock with automatic delivery date progression based on transfer batches.

Solution 1: Custom Metafields + Theme Logic (Most Flexible)

The most robust approach involves creating a custom system using Shopify’s metafields:

Setup:

  1. Create variant-level metafields for each transfer batch:

    • transfer_batch_1_qty (integer)
    • transfer_batch_1_date (date)
    • transfer_batch_2_qty (integer)
    • transfer_batch_2_date (date)
    • transfer_batch_3_qty (integer)
    • transfer_batch_3_date (date)

  2. Theme logic to display the appropriate delivery date:

{% assign total_sold = variant.inventory_quantity | times: -1 %}
{% assign batch_1_limit = variant.metafields.custom.transfer_batch_1_qty %}
{% assign batch_2_limit = batch_1_limit | plus: variant.metafields.custom.transfer_batch_2_qty %}

{% if variant.inventory_quantity > 0 %}
  <span class="delivery-message">In Stock - Ships immediately</span>
{% elsif total_sold <= batch_1_limit %}
  <span class="delivery-message">Expected delivery: {{ variant.metafields.custom.transfer_batch_1_date | date: "%B %d, %Y" }}</span>
{% elsif total_sold <= batch_2_limit %}
  <span class="delivery-message">Expected delivery: {{ variant.metafields.custom.transfer_batch_2_date | date: "%B %d, %Y" }}</span>
{% else %}
  <span class="delivery-message">Expected delivery: {{ variant.metafields.custom.transfer_batch_3_date | date: "%B %d, %Y" }}</span>
{% endif %}

Solution 2: Pre-order Apps with Advanced Features

Based on my research, Early Bird: Preorder & Restock stands out as having zero commission fees and good support for batch management. However, for your specific multi-batch scenario, you might also consider:

  • Preorderly (though it has a 1000 item limit that isn’t clearly stated upfront)
  • Purple Dot for advanced payment deferral
  • PreOrder Now/Wolf for basic batch management

Solution 3: Shopify Flow + Advanced Automation

For stores on Shopify Plus, you can use Shopify Flow with metafields to create automated workflows that update delivery dates based on inventory levels.

Implementation Steps:

  1. Enable “Continue selling when out of stock” for your products
  2. Set up metafields as described above for each variant
  3. Create a system to automatically update delivery dates when transfers are received
  4. Use Shopify Flow (if on Plus) to automate the “in stock” message updates

Do Consider:

  • Ensure delivery date information carries through the entire customer journey - from product page to cart to checkout to order confirmation emails
  • Consider adding the expected delivery date to order confirmations so you have a record of what date was displayed when the customer purchased
  • Test thoroughly with different inventory levels to ensure the logic works correctly

The custom metafields approach gives you the most control and flexibility, while pre-order apps offer quicker setup but might have limitations for your specific multi-batch scenario.

Would love to hear how you decide to implement this - it’s a really smart way to manage pre-sales and cash flow!

Shubham | Untechnickle

P.S. - If you go the custom route, I’d be happy to help refine the liquid code for your specific theme structure!

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