Sell an item as a pre-order
Sell an item you order in after a customer buys it, so it reaches them later.
On this page
What it is
A pre-order item is something you do not keep in your shop. You order it in when a customer buys it, for example shoes from abroad. You say how many days it takes to reach the customer. You can also ask for part of the price to be paid first, called a deposit.
This is different from taking orders for a later day and time. For that, see Take orders for later.
Find it
- Tap Items in the bar at the bottom.
- Tap the item's name or photo, not the button on the right of its row.
- Tap Pre-order in the round buttons under the tiles.
If you do not see Pre-order, tap All. Then tap Pre-order in the list.
On a computer, Items is in the bar on the left.
Every setting
To sell an item as a pre-order:
- Tap Pre-order. A panel called Pre-order opens. The app says: "For things you order in after a customer buys. Customers don’t pick a day. It comes when it arrives."
- Under How long until it reaches them?, tap − or + on the left number. This is the soonest it can arrive, in days.
- Tap − or + on the right number. This is the latest it can arrive.
- Under Paid when they order, tap None, 25%, 50% or Full.
- Tap Done at the top right.
The Pre-order button is now green. On your Items page, the item has a small blue calendar sign.
You can also set the same days and deposit on many items at once. See Change many items at once.
How long until it reaches them?
There are two numbers with "to" between them. The left one is the soonest it can arrive. The right one is the latest. They start at 7 and 14. The left number cannot go above the right one.
The app says: "Count every day from the order, closed days too. Use your slowest delivery for the second number."
Customers seea Pre-order label on the item. On some shop looks, it also says the days. For example, "Pre-order · 7 to 14 days" or "Arrives in 7 to 14 days".
Customers seea box in the item that says "Pre-order" and "The shop orders this in for you. Arrives in 7 to 14 days, by Fri 30 Oct." The button says "Pre-order · MVR 200" instead of "Add · MVR 200".
When an order has a pre-order item and other items, everything comes together. Checkout is the last page, where customers place the order. There, they see a line like "1 item is a pre-order, so everything comes together in one delivery."
Paid when they order
How much customers pay when they order. You have four choices:
- None (picked when you start): "They pay the usual way, cash on delivery too."
- 25% or 50%: "Paid by transfer or PayPal when they order. The rest on delivery."
- Full: "Paid in full by transfer or PayPal when they order."
25%, 50% and Full need a bank account or PayPal. Without one, they look pale. The app says "Add a bank account or PayPal to ask for money up front." The owner adds these in Settings. See Add your bank account, PayPal and cash on delivery.
Customers see"Pay 25% now (MVR 50), the rest when it arrives." in the item. With Full, it says "Pay in full now, MVR 200." At checkout, the app says "Pre-orders with a deposit are paid online, so cash is not an option."
With 25% or 50%, customers pick Deposit now or Everything now at checkout. With Full, they pay it all when they order.
When the money up front comes in, you confirm it on the order. The button says, for example, Confirm MVR 50 deposit received. See Check a payment slip and confirm payment.
Customers see
Near the bottom of the panel, a card called "Customers see" shows what customers will see. For example: Pre-order, "Arrives in 7 to 14 days, by Fri 30 Oct" and "Pay when it arrives." It changes as you change the settings.
Turn off pre-order
At the bottom of the panel, tap Turn off pre-order. The item goes back to a normal item. A message says "Pre-order off".
Who can use it
The owner, senior managers and managers can set pre-orders. Staff do not see the Items tab. Only the owner can add a bank account or PayPal in Settings.
Pre-order items need a Storefront. On a free listing there is no Items tab.
Common mistakes
25%, 50% and Full are pale
Your shop has no bank account or PayPal yet. The owner adds one in Settings. Senior managers and managers: ask the owner. See Add your bank account, PayPal and cash on delivery.
The Pre-order button is pale and says "Not with digital"
Pre-order cannot be on together with Digital or Launch later. The pale words name the one that is on. For Launch later, they say "Not with launch". Open that feature. Turn it off with the button at the bottom of its panel. Then tap Pre-order again.
A customer cannot pay cash
You asked for money up front. Cash is not an option then. To let customers pay cash on delivery, pick None under Paid when they order.
A customer asks why their other items are late
When an order has a pre-order item, the whole order comes in one delivery. Tell customers to order other items on their own if they need them sooner.
Tip
If you can get only a few, count stock on the item. Without a count, the tile at the bottom right says "Not counted" and "Takes every order". With a count, it says how many are "left to take". See Keep count of your stock.