Move preorders into a separate order
Use this guide if you want preorder items moved into their own order after checkout, so anything ready to ship isn't held up by the preorder. In a mixed order (preorder and in-stock items together), the in-stock items stay in the original order and the preorder items move into a new one. An order made up entirely of preorder items is handled the same way when it spans more than one offer: the items are split by offer, and the earliest offer stays on the original order.
Before you begin
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paid plan | Available on Lite and above |
| Order-editing permission | STOQ asks for permission to edit orders when you enable it |
| Purchase option off | Required. This disables deposits, partial payments, and fulfillment order splitting |
| Mutually exclusive | Turning this on turns off Split fulfillments and Hold all fulfillments, if either is on |
What customers will see
When a customer orders preorder and in-stock items together:
- The in-stock items stay in the original order and can be fulfilled immediately.
- The preorder items move into a new order, grouped by their preorder offer, named after the original with a
-SPLITsuffix (for example,#1001-SPLIT). You can change the suffix, or use a sequential number instead. - The new order shows your payment method label (for example, Prepaid). No charge happens on it; the customer already paid on the original order.
An order made up entirely of preorder items is handled too:
- If it spans more than one offer, the items are split by offer into separate orders, and the earliest offer's items stay on the original so it isn't left empty.
- If it's all from a single offer, there's nothing to separate out, so it stays as one order.
In both cases, if Hold fulfillments on split orders is on, the preorder items are held wherever they end up, so an all-preorder order can no longer ship before you're ready.
Set it up
On a phone, this menu is collapsed. In the Shopify mobile app, tap the STOQ logo at the top of the screen to open it, then choose the section named below. There is no hamburger icon. See Finding the STOQ menu.
Open the Shipping section
- In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click Preorders.
- Click the Offers tab.
- Click the offer you'd like to edit. Its Overview tab opens, showing the Customize button, a live preview, and the offer's Products section.
- Click the Customize button to open the editor.
- In the sidebar, click Shipping, then scroll to Fulfillment options.
Enable Move preorder items to a separate order
Under Fulfillment options, click Configure to expand the options, then check Move preorder items to a separate order. STOQ asks for permission to edit orders, grant it to continue.
Confirm in the dialog
A confirmation explains that enabling this turns off the Shopify purchase option and disables partial payments, deposits, and fulfillment order splitting. Confirm to proceed.
Configure the new split order
Optionally set:
- Split order name suffix: the text appended to the original order name,
SPLITby default, so the split order reads#1001-SPLIT. Change it to your own wording, for examplePreorderfor#1001-Preorder. - Use sequential order number: give split orders a new number instead of the original name plus a suffix. This overrides the suffix.
- Hold fulfillments on split orders: automatically hold the preorder items' fulfillments until you're ready. This now applies to all-preorder orders too, not just mixed ones. When you're ready to ship, release the original order in STOQ; that releases its split orders too.
- Tag on new split orders: default
STOQ-split-order. - Split order payment method label: default
Prepaid. This is only a label; no money moves, because the customer already paid on the original order.
Configure the original order tags
Optionally set a Tag on original order (stays permanently to mark it was split) and a Tag while order is split (added temporarily during the split, then removed automatically).
Save changes
Click Save changes at the top right of the editor. The setting applies to orders placed afterward.
Check your setup
Place a test order with an in-stock item and a preorder item. Confirm the in-stock item stays in the original order and a new -SPLIT order is created for the preorder item, with your tags applied. To check the all-preorder case, order preorder items from two different offers and confirm they split into separate orders with the earliest offer left on the original. Use a 100% discount code or Bogus Gateway to avoid a real charge.
Troubleshooting
Deposits or partial payments stopped working
Separate orders requires the Shopify purchase option to be off, which disables them. Turn off Separate orders, or use Split fulfillments instead if you need deposits.
Split fulfillments or Hold all fulfillments turned off on its own
These settings are mutually exclusive with Separate orders. Enabling Separate orders automatically turns the others off.
Enabling the setting doesn't seem to take effect
STOQ needs permission to edit orders to create the split order. Grant the permission when prompted, or re-enable the setting to trigger the prompt again.
Limitations
This is an experimental feature. Test it with a real order before relying on it in production.
FAQ
Does money move to the new order?
No. The customer pays on the original order. The new split order shows a payment method label (default Prepaid) but no charge is taken on it.
Can I still take a deposit?
No. Separate orders requires the Shopify purchase option to be off, which disables deposits and partial payments. If you need deposits, use Split fulfillments instead.
What is the new order named?
The original order name plus a suffix, SPLIT by default (for example, #1001-SPLIT). Change the suffix with Split order name suffix to use your own wording, or turn on Use sequential order number to give split orders a new number instead.
How is this different from Split fulfillments?
Split fulfillments keeps everything in one order (and keeps deposits). Separate orders creates a new order for the preorder items and disables deposits.
Does the customer see two orders?
A new split order is created for the preorder items, but the customer already paid on the original order, no extra charge is taken on the split order.
Does this affect orders placed before I enabled it?
No. Separate orders applies to orders placed after you turn it on.
How do I release the hold on a split order?
Release the original order in STOQ. Split orders don't get their own row in STOQ, so go to Reports → Preorders → Orders, search for the original order name (for example, #1001, not #1001-SPLIT), and open it. From the Fulfill order dropdown, click Release "On hold" fulfillments, then click Release fulfillments. STOQ releases the holds on the original order and on every split order created from it, and the bulk release works the same way. See Release held or scheduled fulfillments.
Can I separate a preorder out of an order that's already been placed?
No. STOQ can't retroactively split an order that already exists. Separate orders (and Split fulfillments) only change how new orders are handled going forward. For an order that's already placed, ship the in-stock items now by fulfilling just those line items in Shopify, and fulfill the preorder item later.
What happens if the whole order is preorder items?
If those items span more than one offer, STOQ splits them by offer into separate orders and keeps the earliest offer's items on the original, so it isn't left empty. If they're all from a single offer, there's nothing to separate out and the order stays as one. Either way, if Hold fulfillments on split orders is on, the preorder items are held wherever they end up, so an all-preorder order no longer ships before you're ready.
