How to Set Up Pre‑Orders in Shopify: The Practical Guide for 2026

Are you losing sales on Shopify whenever a product goes out of stock or isn’t ready to launch yet? Preorders are one of the simplest ways to capture demand even before inventory lands. Instead of showing a disappointing “Sold Out” button, you can continue generating revenue, forecast inventory better, and keep customers excited about what’s coming.

You can enable the basics in Shopify, and for advanced workflows you can use theBluepeacock Preorder appto automate rules, badges, ETAs, mixed‑cart behavior, and payments.

Why Pre‑Orders Matter for Online Stores

Pre‑orders let you capture intent and revenue before inventory lands. They reduce stock‑out frustration, help you plan purchasing, and create launch hype. Clear messaging and accurate ETAs keep expectations aligned and support long‑term loyalty.

What Shopify Supports for Pre‑Orders (and What It Doesn’t)

Shopify lets you continue selling when out of stock and customize theme text, but it doesn’t provide end‑to‑end preorder logic. Common gaps include preorder badges, ETAs per variant, mixed‑cart handling, payment authorization vs. charge‑now flows, quantity limits, and automated tagging/notifications. That’s where a preorder app comes in.

How to Enable Pre‑Orders in Shopify

Here’s a simple path to launch pre‑orders with clear messaging and the right payment rules.

Decide which products or variants should be available for pre‑order, and choose whether to charge upfront or authorize payment now and capture later. Then, make sure customers see a clear \"Pre‑order\" label and ETA wherever they interact with the product.

Key Settings to Configure

These settings determine how smooth your preorder experience will be:

• Button text: change Add to Cart to Pre‑order on eligible products.
• ETA messaging: show per‑variant estimated shipping or release dates.
• Payment flow: charge now vs. authorize now and capture on fulfillment.
• Inventory rules: continue selling when out of stock; set total caps and per‑customer limits.
• Mixed carts: allow, warn, block, or auto‑split orders containing preorder + in‑stock items.

A preorder app lets you enforce these rules reliably across themes and sales channels.

Set Up with a Preorder App (Recommended)

Before launch, install a preorder app that handles button swaps, ETAs, payments, limits, and mixed carts automatically. Here’s a quick start:

• In Shopify Admin, open the Shopify App Store and install Bluepeacock Preorder.
• Choose products/variants and set the preorder window (start/end dates).
• Pick your payment model: charge now or authorize now and capture later.
• Configure messaging: button label, PDP/cart notes, and email copy with ETAs.
• Decide mixed‑cart behavior and set any quantity limits or customer caps.
• Tag preorder orders automatically for easy filtering and fulfillment workflows.

Launch Checklist

1. Enable preorder rules on the right products/variants.
2. Verify button text and ETA appear on PDP and cart.
3. Confirm payment behavior (charge vs. authorize) in a test order.
4. Check mixed‑cart rules behave as expected.
5. Make sure orders are tagged and notifications are correct.

Testing Your Preorder Experience

Place a draft preorder on a password‑protected theme. Validate the button label, ETA text, cart notice, payment flow, and order tags. If you authorize payments, test capture on fulfillment.

Wrapping Up

Pre‑orders keep revenue coming in while you build or restock. With clear messaging, the right payment flow, and automation from a preorder app, you’ll launch confidently and avoid common pitfalls like overselling or customer confusion.

Ready to launch? Try the Bluepeacock Preorder app to automate badges, ETAs, payments, and rules.

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