WooCommerce Pre-Orders and Backorders: Setup, Payments and Shopify Options

On this page

1. Backorders vs pre-orders
2. Setting up backorders in WooCommerce
3. What pre-order plugins add
4. Charge upfront or on release?
5. Communicate dates honestly
6. Managing stock, cancellations and refunds
7. How they show in Google Merchant Center
8. How to set up WooCommerce pre-orders and backorders: quick steps
9. Pre-orders and backorders on Shopify
10. Pre-orders with COD and UPI in India
11. Quick check: what happens when stock hits zero?
12. When to get help
13. FAQs

To take orders for stock you do not have yet, WooCommerce offers backorders, switched on per product under Product data > Inventory, and pre-orders, which need a plugin that lets you set a release date and charge upfront or on release. Either way, show an honest dispatch date on the product page and in the order email, so customers know what they are waiting for.

Done well, they keep sales coming in during a launch or restock. Done badly, they fill your inbox with customers asking where their order is. Here is how to set them up and run them honestly.

Backorders vs pre-orders

Aspect	Backorder	Pre-order
What it is	A product you normally stock is temporarily out, and you keep taking orders until it's restocked	A product that hasn't been released or received yet, sold ahead of a launch date
In WooCommerce	Built in	Usually needs an extension or plugin
Typical wait	Until the next restock	Until the launch or arrival date

Made-to-order products are a slightly different case. If everything is made after ordering, it's usually clearer to keep them "in stock" and state the making time, rather than labelling them as backordered.

If the button disappears or a product says it cannot be purchased after changing stock settings, see why WooCommerce add to cart stops working.

Setting up backorders in WooCommerce

Backorders are a built-in setting on each product's Inventory tab. With "Manage stock" ticked, you'll see "Allow backorders?" with three choices:

• Do not allow: the product can't be bought once stock reaches zero
• Allow, but notify customer: the product page shows that it's available on backorder, and the order marks which items were backordered
• Allow: orders are accepted without telling the customer, which is rarely a good idea

Stock then goes below zero as backorders come in, so you can see how many units you owe. If you don't manage stock for a product, you can set its stock status to "On backorder" instead. For variable products, set this for each variation.

Core WooCommerce doesn't show an expected date for backorders, so add a short note near the price or use a plugin that displays one. For the wider stock settings, see WooCommerce inventory management.

What pre-order plugins add

WooCommerce's own Pre-Orders extension and several third-party plugins add proper pre-order handling. Features vary, so check current details and compatibility with your payment gateway and checkout, but they typically offer:

• A release or availability date shown on the product page
• Custom button text such as "Pre-order now" instead of "Add to cart"
• A choice between charging upfront and charging on release
• A separate order status, so pre-orders don't get mixed into normal dispatch
• Automatic emails when an order is placed, when the date changes and when the product is released
• Bulk actions to complete or cancel pre-orders

For a small launch, you may not need a plugin at all. A "notify me" waitlist collects interest without taking money, which is often the honest choice when you don't yet have a firm date.

Charge upfront or on release?

Option	Pros	Cons
Full payment upfront	Committed buyers, cash to fund the stock, simple to run	You hold customers' money, and delays mean refunds and complaints
Charge on release	Customers pay only when you can ship	The gateway must charge a saved payment method later, which many Indian setups don't support
Advance now, balance later	Filters out casual orders while asking for less upfront	More admin: collecting balances and chasing unpaid ones

In India, rules around saved cards and recurring payments make "charge later" harder than in some other countries, so most stores take full payment upfront or a partial advance. Ask your gateway what its WooCommerce plugin supports before you promise customers anything. Cash on Delivery is usually a poor fit for pre-orders: the longer the wait, the more likely a buyer is to change their mind.

Communicate dates honestly

Problems with pre-orders and backorders usually start with expectations. To keep them realistic:

• Show the expected dispatch date on the product page, in the cart, at checkout and in the order email
• Say "expected to dispatch by" rather than promising a delivery date you don't control
• Build in a buffer: if your supplier says two weeks, don't promise two weeks
• Decide what happens with mixed carts: wait and ship everything together, or ship in-stock items now and absorb or charge the extra shipping. Some plugins simply stop pre-order items being bought with other products, which keeps things simple.
• If a date slips, tell customers before they ask, by email or WhatsApp, with a new date and an easy option to cancel for a full refund

Indian consumer protection rules for e-commerce generally expect clear information on delivery, cancellation and refunds, so keep your policies consistent with what product pages say (check current rules if unsure); see returns and refunds for WooCommerce stores.

Managing stock, cancellations and refunds

• Cap orders at what's coming: for a pre-order, set the stock quantity to the number of units you actually expect, so you can't sell more than will arrive
• Keep them out of the dispatch queue: use "On hold" or a dedicated pre-order status so your team doesn't try to pack something that isn't there
• Fulfil in order: when stock arrives, ship the oldest orders first and update stock counts
• Make cancellation easy: customers waiting weeks may change their minds, and a quick refund is better than a dispute
• Refund through the gateway: if your gateway plugin supports it, refunds can be issued from the WooCommerce order screen, keeping records tidy
• Review weekly: list open backorders and pre-orders with their expected dates, so nothing is forgotten

How they show in Google Merchant Center

If your products appear on Google through Merchant Center, the availability you send must match what the product page says. Google's product data uses these availability values:

• in_stock: ready to ship
• out_of_stock: not available to buy
• preorder: not yet released, but can be ordered
• backorder: temporarily out of stock, but can be ordered

For preorder and backorder, Google also asks for an availability date, so check the current product data specification. Your product schema should say the same thing, using the PreOrder or BackOrder availability values. Check what your feed plugin actually sends: WooCommerce's "On backorder" status may map across automatically, while products from a pre-order plugin may need their availability and date set in the feed plugin's settings. Mismatches between the feed and the page are a common cause of disapprovals; see Google Merchant Center for WooCommerce.

How to set up WooCommerce pre-orders and backorders: quick steps

1. Turn on stock management under WooCommerce, then Settings, then Products, then Inventory.
2. On each product, set the stock quantity and choose whether backorders are not allowed, allowed, or allowed with a notice to the customer.
3. For true pre-orders, install a pre-order plugin and set the release date and payment mode.
4. Edit the button text and product notice so they say pre-order or backorder clearly.
5. Add the expected dispatch date to order emails.
6. Place a test order with UPI and with cash on delivery, if you allow COD, to see how each behaves.

Pre-orders and backorders on Shopify

On Shopify, each product variant has a setting to continue selling when out of stock, which works like a backorder. For proper pre-orders with release dates, separate buttons and partial payments, most stores use a pre-order app. Check that the app shows the expected date on the product page and in the order confirmation, and that it works with your theme and payment gateway.

Whether you can charge later instead of upfront depends on the app and your payment provider in India, so test a real order before launch. See Shopify store setup in India for the basics.

Pre-orders with COD and UPI in India

Approach	Works well for	Watch out for
Full prepaid pre-order	Limited launches with strong demand	Refund promptly if the date slips and buyers cancel
Token amount now, balance later	Higher-priced products	Needs a plugin or app that handles split payments
COD on backorders	Short restock times	Long waits can raise refused deliveries
No COD on pre-orders	Long lead times	Say so clearly before checkout

Whatever you choose, follow your payment gateway's rules on how long a payment can be held or authorised, and keep a written record of the promised date for each order.

Quick check: what happens when stock hits zero?

1. Check backorder settings: edit a product, open Product data, Inventory and look at "Allow backorders?" It can be Do not allow, Allow but notify, or Allow.
2. See it as a customer: set a test product to zero stock and view it in a private window. Confirm the message shown matches your plan.
3. Check order emails: place a test backorder and confirm the email says the item is on backorder, so customers know about the wait.

When to get help

Get help when customers order items you can't supply, when you need pre-order deposits or release dates, or when backorders mix with in-stock items. WooCommerce development covers pre-order and backorder flows, and Shopify pre-order apps can be set up too. Get in touch with how you handle stock today.

FAQs

How do I set up pre-orders in WooCommerce?

WooCommerce handles backorders out of the box, but true pre-orders with release dates need a plugin. Set the date, payment mode and button text, then test the full order flow.

What is the difference between a backorder and a pre-order?

A backorder is for an existing product that is temporarily out of stock. A pre-order is for a product not yet released or made.

Can I take pre-orders on Shopify?

Yes. Allow selling when out of stock for simple backorders, or use a pre-order app for release dates and separate buttons.

Should I charge customers upfront for pre-orders?

Charging upfront secures demand but means refunds if things change. Charging on release is gentler for buyers but needs a gateway that supports it.

Do backorders affect Google Shopping listings?

They can. Set availability to backorder or preorder in your product feed and give an availability date where Google asks for one.