Pre-Order Store: Selling items that are not yet in stock
An online store with a pre-order is a store where the item without a balance is not hidden, but sold in advance: with an expected date, a lot limit and the amount that the buyer pays now. Technically, this is not a button on the card, but a separate state of the product, which entails a basket, checkout, notifications and refunds. The lead time is 12-30 working days, depending on the number of your waiting scenarios. There is no price here on purpose: first a free audit, then the amount in stages.
We break down your cases of waiting by terms and prepayment, find the source of the date, fix the cancellation policy. Here, the rule of the mixed basket is adopted - after development, it is expensive to change it.
2
Terms and conditions: product conditions and texts of conditions
2-3 working days
We describe position states and transitions between them, card fields, checkout steps, and texts that the buyer confirms. Legal wording is provided by your side, we are responsible for where they stand.
3
Development of states, basket and checkout
5-12 working days
Balances module, behavior of mixed cart, payment method with partial payment, calculation before shipment. The longest stage, and this is where it gets stretched by the number of scenarios you have.
4
Notifications, limits, cabinet
2-7 working days
A queue of deferred tasks and four letter templates, a batch counter with write-off under blocking, a list of pre-orders in the buyer's office, separate events for analytics.
5
Through run and transmission
1-4 working days
We go through the full process of a live order: registration, date shift, calculation, cancellation with refund. Next is an administration meeting with your manager and written instructions for your process.
Technologies & integrations
What we build on and what it connects to
Stack
OpenCart 4.x - set by default; there are only two product states in the core, so "pre-order" adds a separate module
OpenCart 3.x — when you need a module that is not yet built for 4.x
PHP and MySQL - the batch limit is written off with row blocking, otherwise two orders in one second will break it
We haven't found our own product status module — a box solution for partial payment, so it's a development every time
The queue of deferred tasks - hundreds of letters about the deadline shift, sent from the admin, put it on timeout
SMTP or mailing service — the limit is not technical: without a contact base and consent, the triggers will not go anywhere
Provider API for partial write-offs - not everyone knows how to do two transactions for one order
Integrations
LiqPay
WayForPay
monobank
partial prepayment
non-cash account
Nova Poshta
Ukrposhta
1C / BAS
eSputnik
SMS gateway
Telegram
Viber
Google Tag Manager
GA4
What's included
Complete list of work and what you get as a result
The "pre-order" status is next to the "in stock" and "out of stock" statuses - the card stops being silent about the product that is not currently on the shelf
The expected date in the card and cart is pulled from the data source, not manually set - the promise is updated with the supplier's deadline
Explicit confirmation in the cart and at the checkout step: the buyer agrees with his action that the product will arrive later - this removes most of the future disputes
Mixed cart rule, sewn into the checkout: one shipment after the latest item or two separate ones - the buyer sees the choice before checkout, not after
Partial prepayment by a separate payment method with an additional invoice before shipping - the buyer fixes the price, you do not keep the full amount for the product that is still on the way
Quantity limit per lot with write-off under line lock - two simultaneous orders do not break the lot
Four notifications to mail and messenger: accepted, arrived, deadline moved, sent — support ceases to be a news channel
Cabinet with a list of pre-orders and the status of each - the buyer checks the deadline himself, instead of writing to you
The cancellation scenario with a refund and fixing the reason - you can see whether people are leaving because of the time or because of the price
Separate events for pre-orders in GA4 - redemption for them does not mix with regular purchases in reports
The texts of the pre-order conditions, embedded in the checkout and in the letter - you write the legal part, we put it where it will be read
Terms of work: 50% advance payment, two rounds of edits at the design stage, warranty period of 30 calendar days
When this service isn't right
What's not included — so there are no surprises at delivery
Legal advice on the terms of prepayment - you agree on the texts
Agreements with suppliers on delivery terms
Warehouse accounting as a process
Post-launch advertising
Hosting, domain, acquiring
Who it's for
Situations where this service delivers results
Scenario 1 of 4
The party is already on the way, and they are asking about it now
The container has left, the date of customs clearance is known to within a week, and every second dialog in the messenger is "when will it be?". The pre-order transfers this answer to the card: the buyer sees the deadline, fixes the price and place in the lot, the manager does not write the same thing for the twentieth time. There is one condition - the date must be taken from the confirmed order to the supplier, and not from memory.
We'll review your situation in a free audit
Scenario 2 of 4
New product with an announced release date
The manufacturer named the day, the demand appeared a month before it. The pre-order here works like a queue: the party limit shows how many seats are left, and this is an honest shortage, not a "hurry up" banner. In which order to ship after receipt is also a decision, and it should be made before the first sale, not after.
Scenario 3 of 4
The product is made to your order
Furniture according to size, equipment according to the configuration, tailoring of the party. The term here is not a date, but a range from launch to production, and the countdown starts from the agreed specification, not from payment. The difference must be stated in words at checkout: otherwise, the buyer counts the days from the day he paid.
Scenario 4 of 4
The catalog is bigger than the warehouse
There are thousands of items in the showcase, some on the shelf. In the underwear wholesale store we measured, there are 13,428 such items, and online payment was turned off there deliberately: the order is confirmed by the manager. This is the second possible solution to the same problem, and it is worth comparing both - pre-ordering without reliable balances gives the same cancellations, only with the buyer's money already in your account.
Pre-order versus "on order" mark
How this option differs from the alternative
Mark "to order" and confirmation by the managerOur approach
When the buyer learns the deadlinein a conversation with the manager, often the next dayin the card, even before adding to the cart
Moneynothing is paid, the queue exists only in the head of the managerfull or partial prepayment on the website, the place in the batch is fixed
What happens when the deadline is postponedthe buyer will find out when he calls himselfthe notification goes exactly to the first contact of the buyer
The risk of selling more than will comedepends on the attentiveness of a particular personparty limit extinguishes the button
The price of errorthe buyer is lost, but there is no other people's money in the accountrefund of advance payment and damaged reputation
When appropriatesingle requests once a weekregular parties and a constant flow of questions about the deadline
Free audit of pre-order scripts
The pre-order is broken not in the code, but in the process: the buyer paid, the deadline was delayed, the manager did not have time to warn. The audit analyzes your real scenarios and shows which ones can be automated and which ones need to be streamlined first.
What we measure
Waiting typesHow exactly are your cases different: a batch on the way with a known date, a new item without an exact date, made to order. Everyone has their own logic of term and prepayment.
Source of date of receiptWhere does the expected date come from: from the accounting system, from the supplier or from the head of the manager. If there is no source, the date cannot be shown to the buyer.
Mixed basket ruleWhat happens when there is both an existing item and a pre-order in the cart. Either the order is waiting for the latest position, or it is divided into two shipments - the third does not exist, and the decision must be made before development.
Advance payment amountHow much do you take in advance: the full amount, part or nothing. This affects both checkout and legal texts.
Cancellation PolicyWhat do you do when the deadline is delayed or the batch has not arrived. This scenario should be described before the first sale, not after the first complaint.
Presence as a stateDo you keep balances at all. In the underwear wholesale store we measured, online payment was turned off deliberately — precisely so as not to charge money for a product that may not be available. This is an honest, if radical, way to solve the same problem.
What you get
A description of pre-order scenarios in your store, with a distinction between terms and pre-payment.
A mixed basket decision with implications for the warehouse and the carrier.
List of notifications to be sent to the buyer at each stage of waiting.
Conversation for 30–40 minutes on the document.
Timeline: 2-4 working days
Why is it free
Because half of the work here is not programming, but agreements: who sets the date, who warns about the shift, what is done with the money in case of cancellation. Until this is described, there is no point in evaluating the development.
What's next
After the audit — the amount and term by stages with dates, contract, invoice, report.
Short form: your contact and site URL
Did not find your case?
Describe how it works on your side — we will tell you whether “Online store with pre-order” fits and what it means in your situation. No brief and no call: one question, one answer.
Contract, act and 30-day warranty
Every project gets a written contract: scope, deadlines, amount, acceptance procedure. After delivery — act and invoice, then 30 calendar days of warranty.
Sole proprietor & bank transfer
The contractor is a registered sole proprietor. Payment by invoice with closing documents.
Rights & access — yours
Code, design and materials transfer to you after full payment. Domain, hosting, repository and analytics are registered to you.
Client portal instead of email chains
During the project you get access to a portal: contracts, invoices, acts and project status in one place.
European clients
Among our work — projects for Norway, Bulgaria, Moldova and Spain.
Verifiable numbers
Every case in the portfolio comes with a link to a live site and a technical measurement.
Audit first, then pricing
There is no price list on the site intentionally: the scope of the same work differs multiples between clients.
We say "no" when unsure
If the task isn't ours or the deadline is unrealistic — we tell you upfront.
What affects the price
Why two seemingly identical tasks are priced differently
Number of wait typesOne scenario - a batch in transit with a known date - is a basic job. Three scenarios with different terms and different prepayments do not multiply the code, but checks: each balance must be passed through the card, basket, checkout, letter and return.
The source of the expected dateThe date from the field in the admin is set for an hour. Data from the accounting system requires exchange — more expensive at the start and cheaper in life, because no one forgets to update it.
Advance payment amountThe full amount is paid in one payment — this is the already existing checkout logic. Partial payment with additional invoice before shipment — two calls to the provider's API, a separate account status and a separate scenario in case the second part is not paid.
Mixed basket ruleWaiting for a complete set is done quickly. Splitting into two shipments involves storage, a second TTN, and the question of who pays for shipping — the most expensive solution of all described on this page.
Notification channelsMail is included in basic work. SMS and Messenger are separate gateways, separate templates, and a separate message fee that you pay yourself.
Limits and communication with the warehouseThe party limit within the site is a bit of a chore. The limit, which is calculated from the balance in the accounting system, is already an integration with its own term and its own risk.
Cases
Tasks and results in numbers — all metrics measured by us
wholesale store of underwear, catalog of over 13,000 items
Task
Sell in assortment where the availability changes faster than the window has time to update: the buyer chooses models, sizes and colors, and the warehouse lives at its own rhythm.
Solution
An OpenCart store with selection by size and color within the model, size grids and wholesale prices by order levels. Eight calculation methods are described in both text and structured data via acceptedPaymentMethod. Online payment was turned off deliberately: the order is confirmed by the manager, so that the buyer does not pay for an item that may not appear.
Result
Measurement 07/31/2026: 13,428 pages of products and 161 categories — 13,590 addresses in the site map, of which only 1 duplicate. TTFB 289ms, full load 455.1ms - the third fastest response among the 16 sites measured, and that's for a catalog of 13k items. Defects found: /sitemap.xml returns 200 with an empty body, /sitemap_index.xml — a line about the disabled generator, the working file is located at a non-standard address; the main HTML weight is 751.2 KB — the heaviest document in the sample.
What we need from you
We can't start without this — best to prepare in advance
1A description of your waiting cases with a typical period for each - batch on the way, novelty, made to order.
2Source of expected date: accounting system, confirmed order to supplier or field in admin.
3The decision on the amount of the advance payment and the cancellation policy is in writing, because it will go into the texts of the terms.
4Texts of the pre-order conditions agreed by you: terms, refund of advance payment, behavior in the event of a date shift.
5Access to the site, hosting and account of the payment provider.
6One person with the right to say "yes" to the process - coordination through three people stretches the development stage twice.
If something is missing — let us know, we'll help you gather it or do it as a separate task.
FAQ
Most frequently asked questions — with concrete answers
The buyer paid, but the shipment was delayed - what does the site do?
Sends a message about a new deadline before a person notices it himself. This is the most important of the four notifications: a warned buyer waits further, an unwarned one writes a demand for a refund. Technically, this is not a manual mailing, but a queue of postponed tasks - the date in the position has changed, the task was put on the letter by itself. A fair boundary: the trigger will not go anywhere without a collected contact database and consent to be sent, and this is a requirement of the Personal Data Act, not our caution.
Take the whole amount in advance or a part?
Our recommendation is a part, while there is no exact date of arrival. The buyer fixes the price and place in the lot, pays the rest before shipping; you do not keep the full amount on the account for the product that is still on the way. Full prepayment is justified where the date has been confirmed by the supplier and the consignment has already been paid for by you. A nuance that emerges late: not every payment provider knows how to do two transactions for one order - this is checked before signing the TOR, not during testing.
Where does the site get the receipt date from?
From the accounting system or from the confirmed order to the supplier — from the source that is being updated. A handwritten date a month ago is worse than no date: it creates a promise that no one follows through on. And here is the honest limit of exchange with accounting: it does not correct the accounting. If the balances in 1C are inaccurate, the site will quickly and accurately show inaccurate data, and there is a window between downloads, in which position they manage to order twice.
There is a product in the cart and there is a pre-order - what will happen?
What you decide before development, and the buyer should see this decision in the cart. The first option: the order waits for the latest position - simply in implementation, worse for the buyer. The second: two shipments - it is more convenient for the buyer, but the second TTN appears and the question of who pays for it. The worst result is a silent mixture: the person thought he would get everything tomorrow, and canceled the entire order, along with what was in stock.
How not to sell more than will actually come?
Limit per party. 50 units arrived - 50 pre-orders are accepted, then the button goes out. A detail that is usually missed: the counter must be decremented transactionally, with row blocking in the database, otherwise two orders placed in one second will break the batch. Without a limit, you either return money to part of the buyers, or wait for the next delivery and break the already mentioned deadline.
And if you just write "to order" in the card?
A working option, and for single requests it is cheaper than any development. The difference is in two things: there is no deadline or money in the tag, so there is no queue either - there is a list of people whom the manager promised to recruit. When there are units of such items per week, leave a mark. When lots arrive regularly and questions about the deadline arrive daily, the manager becomes a bottleneck - that's when it makes sense to move it to the site.
How long does implementation take?
12-30 working days, and the difference within the range is not about the design. One type of waiting with full prepayment and a letter to the post office is done in about two weeks. The combination with partial payment, balance limit, order splitting and messenger notifications is the upper limit, because checkout, warehouse and refunds are affected there. There are five stages, the duration of each is higher on this page.
Is it possible not to take money in advance at all?
It is possible, and in some places it is more honest. In the underwear wholesale store we measured with a catalog of 13,428 items, there is no online payment deliberately — the order is confirmed by the manager so that the buyer does not pay for an item that may not be available; the reason is written directly on the website. Such a solution costs part of the conversion, but removes returns and disputes. Sometimes the right move is to remove a payment method rather than adding another one.
How are pre-orders visible in analytics?
Separate events: registration of pre-order, payment, cancellation. Otherwise, a bargain for a product that will arrive in a month will be mixed with ordinary purchases, and the average check in the report will cease to mean anything. The limit here is the same as in any analytics: the meter does not improve anything by itself, it only lets you see. GA4 with blockers and consent mode shows a trend, not an accounting truth, so it is necessary to deliberately reconcile it with the cash register.
Describe exactly what you expect from the supplier — and for how long
We'll get back to you in 2-4 business days with a breakdown of your waiting scenarios, a mixed cart solution, and a list of alerts. Next - the amount and term by stages.
From measured casesMeasurement 07/31/2026: 13,428 pages of products and 161 categories
There is no price list on the site on purpose: the same work differs several times over between two clients, and a “from” figure explains nothing in that case. First a free audit — we count your pages, duplicates and speed — then we name the sum and the deadline and fix both in the contract.