If you want to set up pre-orders on Shopify, the technical part is the easy bit. The hard part is deciding how and when you charge, and explaining the wait so clearly that nobody feels misled. I built a Shopify store for an apparel brand that needed to sell a product before it had shipped, with a custom pre-sale product template that explains the timeline honestly, a second market and currency, connected payments and launch emails. I’ll walk you through the decisions and setup steps in the order that worked.
Decide how you will charge before anything else
Every other choice depends on this one. There are three common models:
- Pay in full now. The simplest option and the best for cash flow. It works well when the wait is short. On a long wait, buyers can forget they paid, and refunds or chargebacks become more likely.
- Deposit now, balance later. The buyer commits with part of the price and pays the rest before shipping. It needs an app that supports deposits, and the balance payment can fail.
- Pay later. The card is saved at checkout and charged when the product is ready. Buyers like it, but the later charge can fail if the card has expired or lacks funds, so you need a plan for chasing failed payments.
One trap to avoid: a card authorization only holds for a limited number of days. “Authorize now and capture at launch” doesn’t work for a pre-sale that runs for weeks. Shopify supports pre-order purchase options that apps build on, so most pre-order apps can handle full payment, deposits or charging later. Check which models your chosen app and payment provider actually support before you announce anything.
How to set up pre-orders on Shopify, step by step
- Choose app or manual. For a one-off launch with full payment, you can use Shopify’s “continue selling when out of stock” setting plus a custom product template. For deposits, charging later or many pre-order products, use a dedicated pre-order app.
- Build a dedicated pre-sale product template. The button should say “Pre-order”, not “Add to cart”. The expected shipping window, payment timing and cancellation terms should sit right next to it, not buried in a policy page.
- Decide what happens with mixed carts. If someone buys an in-stock item and a pre-order item together, will you ship everything together later, split the shipment, or keep pre-orders in a separate checkout? Pick one rule and state it on the product page and in the cart.
- Tag pre-order orders. Your fulfillment team or warehouse must be able to tell pre-orders apart at a glance. Most apps tag them automatically. If yours doesn’t, use an automation to tag them.
- Set up the emails. The order confirmation should say clearly that this is a pre-order and give the expected date. Plan a progress update, a shipping notice and a template for delay notices.
- Set prices for each market. If you sell in more than one currency, set pre-sale prices per market and translate the pre-order messaging too. On the apparel store, the second market had its own catalog and currency from day one.
- Test every path. Place test pre-orders for each payment model, test a declined later charge, test a cancellation and refund, and check that pre-orders show up correctly in your reports.
Write the pre-sale page so nobody feels misled
A pre-sale page has one extra job beyond selling: setting expectations. In my experience, honest timing information prevents more support emails than anything else you can add. Cover these points in plain language, near the button:
- When it ships. Give a realistic window, such as “ships in late March”, rather than an exact date you might miss.
- Why it’s a pre-order. A limited production run or a first batch explains the wait and adds a little urgency without pressure tactics.
- When the card is charged. Now, partly now, or at shipping. Say it in one sentence.
- How to cancel. If buyers can cancel before shipping for a full refund, say so. It makes people more willing to commit, not less.
- How they will hear from you. Tell them you will email updates and when to expect them.
The page should still sell. Strong photos, clear sizing and real product details matter as much as on any product page. The timeline information simply sits alongside them. That balance is what the custom pre-sale template on the apparel store was built for, and you can see the project in my portfolio. If your theme can’t do it out of the box, a template like this is a small, contained piece of store development work.
Delays, rules and keeping trust
Launch dates slip. What matters is how you handle it. In the US, the FTC’s mail order rule expects you to have a reasonable basis for the shipping time you state, to ship within 30 days if you state no time at all, and to tell customers about delays and offer them the option to cancel. The UK, EU, Canada and Australia have their own consumer rules, so check what applies where you sell. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
A few habits keep a pre-sale on the right side of customers and payment providers:
- Email before a promised date passes, not after. Give the new date and the option to cancel.
- Make your card statement descriptor recognizable, so a charge weeks later doesn’t look like fraud to the buyer.
- Read your payment provider’s terms on pre-orders before running a long pre-sale, since long delivery delays are treated as higher risk.
- Keep the pre-sale page updated if the timeline changes. Old dates on a live page cause disputes.
Pre-orders also need clean tracking. A pre-order is still a purchase, and your ad platforms should see it as one with the right value, which my conversion tracking setup takes care of.
Quick checklist
- Payment model chosen: full, deposit or pay later.
- App and payment provider confirmed to support that model.
- Pre-sale template with “Pre-order” button, ship window, payment timing and cancellation terms.
- Mixed cart rule decided and stated.
- Pre-order orders tagged automatically.
- Confirmation, update, shipping and delay emails written.
- Prices and messaging set for each market.
- Test orders, a declined charge and a refund completed.
Worth reading next: an honest Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison and how to run a Shopify app audit without breaking your store.
FAQ
Can Shopify take pre-orders without an app?
Yes, for simple cases. “Continue selling when out of stock” plus a custom template works for full payment upfront. You won’t get deposits or charge-later options, and you will need to track pre-orders carefully yourself.
Should I charge the full price upfront?
For short waits, full payment is usually fine. For waits of several weeks or more, a deposit or charge-later model often reduces cancellations and disputes.
What should I do if the launch date slips?
Email every pre-order customer before the original date passes, give an honest new date, and offer a full refund to anyone who would rather cancel.
Can I run a pre-sale in more than one currency?
Yes. Set it up with Shopify Markets, with prices per market and translated pre-order messaging, and test checkout in each currency.
Planning a launch with pre-orders? Request a free website review and I’ll look over your store and your pre-sale plan before you announce a date.
