Preorders: Definition and How To Boost Sales in 2026

Learn what a preorder means and how preorders work, then set up preorders on Shopify to forecast demand and boost sales for your ecommerce store.

Preorders let customers reserve products before they are released or restocked. Store owners can collect full payment, take a deposit, or charge the customer when the order is ready to ship.

But there’s an art and science behind every successful preorder model: Accept orders too far in advance and customers might lose their excitement before their order is shipped. Failure to communicate the fulfillment delay can also entice refunds and cancellation requests.

In this guide, learn how preorders work, when they make sense to sell online, and how to use Shopify to offer preorders to boost sales for your business.

What is a preorder?

A preorder lets a customer order a product before it is released or restocked. The store can collect the full price upfront, take a deposit, or charge the customer later on the fulfillment date.

The preorder process has four steps:

1. A business lists the product as a preorder and gives the expected ship date.
2. The customer places an order under the listed payment terms.
3. The business records demand and prepares or receives inventory.
4. The customer pays any remaining balance, and the business ships the product.

Preorders and pre-sales are different parts of the offer. A preorder is the customer’s order for future delivery, and a pre-sale is the selling period before the public launch or general release.

Shopify stores can set up pre-sales with a preorder app.

Why you should offer preorders in 2026

Preorders capture sales before inventory arrives. Early order data informs production and upfront payments fund inventory.

Increase sales and reduce cart abandonment

When an item is unavailable, a shopper may buy it elsewhere. Baymard’s 2025 data puts the average ecommerce cart abandonment rate at 70.19%. 

Preorders keep the purchase path open by letting customers reserve the item before fulfillment. You can collect full payment at checkout. Deposit and pay-later models move part or all of the payment closer to fulfillment.

Forecast demand and plan inventory

Preorder totals show demand before production or purchase orders are final. Results by product variant give stores a basis for deciding how much stock to order.

“Anybody who is running a rapidly growing inventory-based business knows that getting ahead of cash for new product lines that have a significant investment can be hard to catch up,” says Sarah Resnick, founder of Gist Yarn, in a Shopify Masters episode. 

“It’s hard to make the cash flow that you need to launch something new. It’s expensive. Preorders have let us do that. It’s our customers investing in us and getting yarn back.”

Generate excitement and drive growth

A defined preorder window sets a deadline for the launch. Loyal customers get early access to the product. 

Use polished imagery and publish the expected ship date on the product page. Promote the preorder through email and your strongest social channel, then update customers until the product ships.

Build customer loyalty with exclusive access

Exclusive preorder access rewards email subscribers or loyalty members with the first chance to buy a limited release. 

In Growave’s 2025 analysis of more than 100 Shopify brands, customers who redeemed loyalty rewards generated 115% more revenue per customer than non-redeemers.

Nonny Beer combines scarcity with exclusive access in their preorder marketing strategy. Their limited offer of 100 lager cases is available only to email subscribers, urging shoppers to act quickly before the product runs out.

Nonny Bear uses scarcity and exclusivity to entice preorders. Source: Really Good Emails

Drawbacks and risks of preorders

Preorders aren’t all upside. Selling a product that doesn’t exist yet is easy to promise, but harder to deliver. 

Some risks come up with preorders that don’t exist with regular inventory:

• The “unfinished” product. You are selling a prototype during preorder. If the delivered product feels rushed or buggy, which is common in gaming, you hurt your brand reputation. 
• Product delays. If your supply chain breaks and you miss a shipping date, you might face a wave of cancellations when you need cash the most.
• Refunds and cash flow. Taking money upfront creates a liability in your company. It’s not all revenue. If a timeline slips, customers are likely to request refunds. 

Preorder methods

There are multiple ways to structure preorders, depending on your business goals, cash flow needs, and customer expectations.

Method	Payment timing	Best use	Main consideration
Pay now	Full payment at checkout	Upfront cash and confirmed demand	Delays can increase cancellations
Pay later	Deposit or payment at fulfillment	Testing demand before final production	Future card charges can fail
Subscription-based	Recurring charge on set schedule	Scheduled drops and member access	Explain billing and delivery dates
Limited drops and waitlists	Varies by preorder terms	Small releases and category tests	State quantity and order deadline

With a compatible preorder app, Shopify lets stores collect full, partial, or no payment when the order is placed and collect any balance later.

Preorder marketing strategies that work

Preorders have the potential to create buzz around a new product launch, but it takes thoughtful marketing to convince people to commit to buying a product they won’t receive immediately.

Use the following strategies to increase preorder sales: 

Email campaigns for preorder announcements

Email gives you direct access to subscribers who have chosen to hear from your brand. Offer subscribers early access, then schedule a three-email sequence with Shopify Messaging:

• Email #1: Introduce the upcoming product.
• Email #2: Open preorders with a clear call to action.
• Email #3: Remind subscribers when preorders close.

Invite VIP customers to early preorder sales with Shopify Messaging.

Promote preorders on social media

Use social media to show the product before release and reach new customers.

Here are some ideas for how to promote preorders on social media: 

• Share product previews. Post development updates, samples, or packaging previews.
• Work with creators. Use Shopify Collabs to find like-minded partners and track the orders they generate through their content.
• Run targeted ads. Build audiences from customer data and direct interested shoppers to the preorder page.

Use scarcity and FOMO to boost sales

Scarcity marketing tactics work when the limit is specific and accurate. State the available quantity or closing date so customers know when the offer ends.

Other ways to use scarcity and FOMO for preorders include: 

• Countdown timers. Show how long preorders remain open.
• Live inventory badges. Display the remaining preorder quantity.
• Early-bird pricing. Offer the largest discount when preorders open, then reduce it as the deadline approaches.
• Deadline reminders. Repeat the same closing date in emails and site announcements.

How to set up preorders on Shopify

Shopify preorders run through a preorder app from the Shopify App Store. Configure the products and payment terms in the app first. The preorder details then appear on the product page and in Shopify admin.

Preorder payments work with Shopify Payments or PayPal Express. The Online Store and Custom Storefront are the supported sales channels. Accelerated checkouts such as Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are unavailable for preorder purchases. 

Check these restrictions before launch. Confirm that the product page identifies the preorder and states the expected ship date. The order summary displays the amount due at checkout and any balance due later.

“We needed to provide a flawless in-store experience for our customers, even for preorder items,” says Benjamin Mateo, chief revenue officer at Asphalte. “This was challenging, because it meant that the sale did not generate stock withdrawal and that the customer would receive their garment months later. Shopify helped us make this process very smooth and easy.”

Accept preorders from your Shopify store.

Consider using a preorder Shopify app

Try one of these preorder apps from the Shopify App Store.

PreProduct

PreProduct lets you accept preorders for upcoming product launches at any point in the product cycle. Choose between pay later and deposit-based preorders. Charge customers when you’re ready via payment link or deferred payment.

Example: Dalstrong, a kitchenware brand, uses PreProduct to manage preorders across its existing fulfillment and inventory processes.

Amai PreOrder Manager

Amai Preorder Manager automates preorder dates based on stock levels, reducing manual work.

Example: Anton Thomas Art, creator of hand-drawn illustrated maps, used Amai to manage preorders for several major product launches.

Notify Me!

Notify Me! combines preorder waitlist management with scarcity tactics, including low inventory alerts on your product pages. You can also email customers when an unavailable product comes back in stock.

Example: Home goods brand Oliviera Home installed Notify Me! for preorders, then added back-in-stock notifications and wish lists.

STOQ

Built for Shopify, the STOQ app simplifies preorders and deposits or partial payments. It also integrates with other Shopify apps, including Klaviyo, to handle customer preorder management.

Example: Gillian Kyle, a Scottish gift and homeware brand, uses STOQ to keep selling a popular product after it goes out of stock.

Build your own custom preorder solution

Established businesses with complex needs can build their own preorder flow in Shopify, with preorder APIs. These tools allow partners and developers to build new preorder experiences directly within Shopify Checkout.

Measuring preorder success

Many retailers use preorders to successfully increase sales and boost conversions. Here’s how to measure whether the strategy is working for your online store:

Key metrics to track

Ecommerce analytics tools, like Shopify Analytics, can help you evaluate the performance of your preorder strategy. 

Focus on these preorder metrics:

• Preorder rate. The percentage of orders that were made through preorders. A higher preorder rate (e.g., above 60%) indicates that people are excited about the new release and the product is in high demand.
• Time to sell out. The time it takes between launching a new product and selling out your inventory. Quick sellouts signal high demand and effective marketing campaigns. However, it can also indicate inventory forecasting issues, especially if you sold out of new stock much quicker than expected and still have a waitlist of purchase-ready shoppers.
• Preorder conversion rates. The percentage of visitors who place a preorder after landing on your product page. If this is lower than expected, work on optimizing the checkout process and gather feedback to fix friction points in the customer journey.
• Refund or cancellation rate. Even after a customer has placed their preorder, they can change their mind and request a refund or cancellation before the product ships.

Combine these quantitative metrics with qualitative data through customer feedback surveys. Ask questions like: Why do people cancel their preorder? What made them commit to their purchase? Where did they hear about the launch?

Using preorder data for future planning

Even if the first rollout wasn’t a roaring success, preorder analytics help adjust your strategy going forward. 

Analyze preorder trends to optimize the customer experience:

• If unclear shipping timelines lead to cancellations, emphasize delivery estimates more obviously throughout the customer journey.
• If the preorder window was too long, shorten the gap and begin accepting preorders closer to the estimated fulfillment time for your next launch.

Preorder customer communication

Clear communication is paramount. Besides setting customer expectations, clear comms keep customers excited about their new product.

Setting clear expectations

Transparent updates build trust and reduce pressure on customer service teams. 

Share the estimated shipping or delivery date wherever you promote the preorder, including:

• Announcement bars
• Product pages
• Checkout pages
• Order confirmation emails

For deposit-based preorders, Shopify preorder apps display the amount due at checkout and the balance due later. 

Customers should also confirm they understand they are purchasing a preorder before completing payment. This makes the payment schedule clear and can reduce surprise charges and refund requests.

Odd Muse shares preorder shipping dates on their product page.

Update templates and timing

Some shoppers reserve products through a pay-later preorder. Send an email reminder before charging the stored payment method so the customer knows when the payment will occur. Continue sharing updates if production or shipping dates change.

The team at Suri, which launched 5,000 preorders for their sustainable toothbrush, learned firsthand the importance of regular communication with preorder customers. They set up proactive customer support early on, in anticipation of shipping delays. Support teams could proactively communicate with affected customers and maintain goodwill.

“We didn’t have a single refund as a result of that," says cofounder Mark Rushmore on a Shopify Masters episode. “I think a combination of thinking about your infrastructure to help you address customers [and] being proactive in your communication [were key].”

Stay compliant 

Preorder shipping claims are covered by the FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule. The rule applies to most goods ordered online in the US.

• Have a reasonable basis for every advertised shipping time frame.
• If no time frame is stated, have a reasonable basis for expecting shipment within 30 days.
• If the order cannot ship on time, send a delay notice before the original deadline.
• Give the customer a revised shipping date and the option to cancel for a prompt refund.
• For indefinite delays, explain the reason and obtain consent to keep the order open.

Legal disclaimer: This information is for general educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Preorder, shipping, cancellation, and refund laws vary by location. Consult a qualified attorney about the rules that apply to your business.

Preorders FAQ

Are preorders a good idea?

Yes. Preorders let businesses secure sales before inventory arrives, collect funds for production, and measure demand. Give customers a realistic shipping estimate, explain when payment will be collected, and send updates if the date changes.

How do preorders work?

A customer places an order before the product is available. The business collects full payment, a deposit, or no payment at checkout. The order ships when inventory becomes available, and any outstanding balance is charged on the agreed date or at fulfillment.

Can I sell preorders before I have produced my products?

Yes. Preorders can fund production or confirm demand before manufacturing begins. Give customers an accurate product description, explain the product’s current status, and state the expected shipping timeline. Check the consumer protection laws that apply in each market.

Can I offer preorders without an exact shipping date?

Yes. Under US rules, a 30-day default applies when no shipping time frame is stated. Base the estimate on realistic production and fulfillment information. If the timeline changes, notify customers before the deadline and offer a revised date or a prompt refund.

What’s the difference between a presale and a preorder?

A preorder is a completed order for a product that will ship later. A presale is a sales period that opens before the general launch. Presales can use preorder transactions or give selected customers early access to products that are ready to ship.