Shopify Pre-Orders: How They Work, Which App, Setup Steps
To set up pre-orders on Shopify, install a pre-order app from the App Store, mark the product or variants as pre-order in the app, choose whether customers pay in full, pay a deposit or pay nothing at checkout, and state the shipping date on the product page. Shopify has no pre-order switch of its own, and its pre-order system works only for stores using Shopify Payments or PayPal Express. The app choice mostly comes down to how it charges you and whether it can take deposits.
How pre-orders work on Shopify
Shopify’s Help Center page on pre-orders, read on October 23, 2026, sets the rules every app works within:
- An app is required. You set up the pre-order in the app, then manage the orders in the Shopify admin.
- Payment providers. Pre-orders are available only to stores using Shopify Payments or PayPal Express.
- When the customer pays. A pre-order can collect the full price, part of it, or nothing at checkout. When less than the full price is paid, Shopify stores the customer’s payment method securely, and you collect the rest when you fulfill.
- Data on uninstall. If you uninstall a pre-order app, its pre-order data (not the payment information) is deleted after 48 hours, unless the app has a backup.
- The law. You have to follow the laws of your and your customers’ jurisdictions and the Shopify and Shopify Payments terms.
Choosing the payment model is the main decision. Full payment gives you the cash to fund production; a deposit lowers the barrier for an expensive item; paying nothing up front suits a demand test, with the balance collected when the stock arrives.
Pre-order apps compared
As their App Store listings showed them on October 31, 2026:
| App | Free plan | Paid plans | Price grows with | Deposits or charge later | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preorder, Back In Stock - STOQ | 10 pre-orders and 30 emails a month | $10, $29, $69 a month (100 / 400 / unlimited pre-orders) | Pre-orders a month, plus $0.10–$0.25 per extra | Partial payments, deposits, deferred payments | 5.0 (3,888 reviews) |
| PreProduct | Starter: 5% of paid pre-order revenue | Scale $99.99 a month (0% to $5,000 a month, then 0.5%); Scale Plus $259.99, 0% | Pre-order revenue | Charge now, later with a saved card, or a deposit | 4.9 (109 reviews) |
STOQ adds back-in-stock alerts in the same app, which suits stores that move products between “pre-order” and “notify me”. PreProduct’s free plan costs nothing until pre-orders sell, then takes 5%; past about $2,000 a month in pre-orders, its paid plan is cheaper. Read the billing section of any pre-order app’s listing before you install it, and check what its price counts.
Set up a pre-order
- Install the app from the App Store and approve its permissions.
- Choose the products or variants that go on pre-order, and the trigger: always, or automatically when stock reaches zero.
- Set the payment model: full, deposit or nothing up front.
- Change the button and message: “Pre-order” instead of “Add to cart”, and the expected shipping month next to it.
- Set a limit on how many units can be pre-ordered, so you do not sell more than the first batch.
- Tag pre-order orders in the app or with Shopify Flow, so they are easy to find and fulfill separately.
- Place a test order with Shopify Payments in test mode and check the order, the email and the payment captured.
If you want to sell before stock exists with a funding goal and backer tiers, that is crowdfunding; see crowdfunding on Shopify.
Tell customers when it ships
Put the expected shipping month on the product page, in the cart line and in the order confirmation. Tell customers as soon as the date changes, and offer to cancel and refund anyone who no longer wants to wait. When the stock arrives, collect any remaining balance, ship and send tracking. Ship pre-orders separately from in-stock items in the same order, or say clearly that the whole order waits. Other apps worth knowing for a growing store are in best Shopify apps. Other operations guides are in the running a store hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify have built-in pre-orders? Shopify supports pre-orders through apps: you install a pre-order app, set up the products there and manage the orders in the admin. Pre-orders work only for stores using Shopify Payments or PayPal Express.
Can I take a deposit? Shopify’s pre-orders can collect part of the price at checkout and the rest later, with the payment method stored by Shopify. Choose an app that offers deposits, such as the two compared above.
What happens if I uninstall the app? Shopify’s Help Center says pre-order data created in the app, excluding payment information, is deleted 48 hours after you uninstall it, unless the app has a backup. Finish open pre-orders before you switch apps.