Balance Pre-order deposits on Shopify: charge the balance when stock lands
A pre-order with a deposit is a commitment with skin in the game, on both sides. The balance should land when the stock does, not before, and it works on every Shopify plan.
In short: to take pre-order deposits on Shopify, sell the product with a deposit option so the customer pays part at checkout and Shopify saves their card. Set the balance to a fixed date if you know when stock arrives, or to when you mark the order ready if you do not, and nothing is charged or shipped before the stock is in.
Two ways to set the balance date
If you know the arrival date, use an exact date on the plan; the storefront line reads 'balance on 14 March' and the customer gets a reminder three days before. If you do not, use 'when the order is ready' with an outer limit: nothing is charged until you mark the orders ready when the delivery is checked in. Fixed dates are cleaner for customers; ready-triggered charges are safer for you when suppliers slip.
| Balance date | Best when | What the customer sees | If the supplier slips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed date | The arrival date is confirmed | The exact date the balance is taken | Move the date on each order; customers get a fresh reminder |
| When the order is ready | The arrival date is uncertain | Balance taken when the item is ready to ship | Nothing to change: the charge waits until you mark orders ready |
When the date slips
It happens. Move the payment date from the orders (each customer gets a fresh reminder) and update the product's storefront line. Charging the balance before the stock arrives is the one thing customers will not forgive, so err on the side of later.
Deposit size for pre-orders
Pre-orders usually take a smaller deposit than made-to-order, 10% to 25%, because the stock is not bespoke and can be resold if the customer walks. Enough to deter no-shows, not so much it puts people off committing months ahead.
In the UK, stock items bought online are usually covered by the 14-day right to cancel, which runs from delivery, so a deposit on an ordinary pre-order is generally refundable if the customer cancels. Items made to the customer's specification are different. This is general information, not legal advice.
Inventory and the hold
Balance Due plans are created as pre-order selling plans, so Shopify reserves the units at sale and the order arrives with a fulfilment hold. When the delivery lands: check it in, mark the orders ready (or let the fixed date do it), and ship the ones in the morning digest marked paid in full.
What to tell customers
- That it is a pre-order and the expected date.
- The deposit amount and that the balance is taken from the same card on the date or when stock arrives.
- What happens if the date moves (they will be told, the balance moves with it).
- Your cancellation position on the deposit before the balance is taken.
If a balance charge does fail when the stock lands, see when a balance payment fails.
Pre-order deposit questions
How do I take pre-orders with a deposit on Shopify?
Install a deposit app, create a plan with the deposit and a balance date (a fixed date or when you mark the order ready), attach it to the pre-order products and add the app's deposit choice to the product page. The full setup is in the guide to taking deposits on Shopify.
Do pre-order deposits work on every Shopify plan?
Yes. Deferred purchase options work on Basic, Shopify, Advanced and Plus. Shopify Payments and PayPal Express can charge the balance from the saved card; on other providers the balance is collected by pay link.
Can customers use Shop Pay, Apple Pay or Google Pay on a pre-order deposit?
Not through the express checkout buttons. Deposit orders go through Shopify's standard checkout, where the customer enters a card that Shopify saves for the balance.
Can I take pre-orders with no deposit?
Balance Due is for deposits. A pre-order app that reserves stock and charges nothing until shipping is a different tool.
What if some units arrive and others do not?
Mark ready only the orders you can fulfil; the rest wait. Ready-triggered plans make this easy.
Does the customer see a pre-order badge?
Balance Due adds the deposit choice to the product page, showing pay in full or the deposit with the amounts. Badges and countdowns are a theme or pre-order app job.
Ready to set one up?
A first deposit plan takes about ten minutes, and the Free plan covers a real order end to end.