Set Up Preorders on Shopify POS

If you have a physical retail store using Shopify Point of Sale (POS), you can sell preorders directly from your POS device using STOQ's POS extension. This allows your in-store staff to take preorders for out-of-stock or upcoming products, capturing sales that would otherwise be lost. The POS extension adds preorder products to the cart with all the preorder-specific details automatically applied.

Requirements

Before setting up preorders on Shopify POS, ensure you have the following.

Prerequisites

• Shopify POS: You must have Shopify Point of Sale installed and configured
• STOQ app: STOQ must be installed on your Shopify store
• Active preorder offers: At least one preorder offer must be set up and enabled in STOQ
• Products in offers: Products you want to sell as preorders must be added to your preorder offers

Supported Devices

STOQ's POS extension works on:

• Shopify POS on iPad
• Shopify POS on iPhone
• Shopify POS on Android devices

Accessing POS Integration Settings

The POS integration is configured in STOQ's Integrations section.

Navigating to POS Settings

1. From your Shopify admin, open the STOQ app.
2. Click Preorders in the left navigation menu.
3. Click Integrations (or navigate to Settings > Integrations).
4. Find the Shopify POS section.

Setting Up the POS Extension

Follow these steps to add STOQ's preorder tile to your Shopify POS device.

Step 1: Install Shopify POS

If you haven't already, install Shopify POS on your device:

1. Download the Shopify POS app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).
2. Sign in with your Shopify account credentials.
3. Complete the initial POS setup for your store.

Step 2: Add STOQ Tile to POS

Add STOQ's preorder extension to your POS smart grid:

1. Open the Shopify POS app on your device.
2. Tap the menu icon (three lines) to access settings.
3. Go to Settings > Add tile to smart grid (or similar option depending on your POS version).
4. Find and select STOQ from the list of available apps.
5. The STOQ tile will be added to your POS smart grid.

Step 3: Position the Tile

Arrange the STOQ tile for easy access:

1. In POS settings, go to Smart grid customization.
2. Drag the STOQ tile to your preferred position.
3. Place it where staff can easily access it during checkout.

Selling Preorders on POS

Once the extension is set up, here's how to sell preorders in your retail store.

Taking a Preorder

1. On your POS device, tap the STOQ tile on the smart grid.
2. The STOQ extension opens, showing available preorder products.
3. Search for or browse to find the product the customer wants to preorder.
4. Select the product and choose the variant (size, color, etc.) if applicable.
5. Tap Add to cart to add the preorder item.
6. STOQ automatically applies all preorder details (selling plan, fulfillment timeline, etc.).
7. Complete the checkout as normal.

What Gets Added to Cart

When you add a preorder through STOQ's POS extension:

• The product is added with the correct selling plan attached
• Preorder-specific line item properties are included
• The fulfillment timeline is recorded
• Payment settings from your offer are applied (full payment, partial payment, etc.)

Completing the Sale

1. Review the cart to ensure the preorder item is correct.
2. Add any other items the customer wants to purchase.
3. Tap Checkout to proceed.
4. Collect payment using your preferred method (card, cash, etc.).
5. Provide the customer with their receipt.

How POS Preorders Appear in STOQ

Preorders placed through POS are tracked in STOQ just like online preorders.

Viewing POS Preorders

1. Go to Preorders > Reports in STOQ.
2. POS preorders appear alongside online preorders.
3. You can filter or search to find specific orders.

Order Details

POS preorder orders include:

• Customer information (if captured at checkout)
• Product and variant details
• Preorder offer information
• Payment status
• Fulfillment timeline

Payment Options for POS Preorders

STOQ's payment settings apply to POS preorders based on your offer configuration.

Full Payment

If your offer is set to full payment:

• The customer pays the full amount at the POS
• No additional payment collection is needed
• Order is ready for fulfillment when product is available

Partial Payment (Deposit)

If your offer uses partial payment:

• The customer pays the deposit amount at the POS
• The remaining balance is collected later (manually or automatically, based on your settings)
• Use STOQ's Reports to track and collect remaining payments

0% Upfront

If your offer allows 0% upfront:

• No payment is collected at the POS
• The full amount is collected later based on your payment schedule
• Ensure you capture customer payment information for later collection

Best Practices for POS Preorders

Follow these recommendations for successful in-store preorder sales.

Train Your Staff

• Ensure all staff know how to use the STOQ POS extension
• Explain preorder terms so they can communicate with customers
• Practice the workflow before going live

Communicate with Customers

• Clearly explain what a preorder means (product not yet available)
• Provide expected ship or pickup dates
• Explain payment terms (deposit vs. full payment)
• Give customers a receipt with preorder details

Capture Customer Information

• Always capture customer email for order updates
• Collect phone number for SMS notifications if enabled
• Ensure shipping address is correct for delivery orders

Manage Expectations

• Be clear about estimated availability dates
• Explain your cancellation policy for preorders
• Let customers know how they'll be notified when the product is ready

Handling In-Store Pickup Preorders

For preorders that will be picked up in store rather than shipped.

Setting Up Pickup Orders

1. When completing the POS checkout, select In-store pickup as the fulfillment method.
2. The order is marked for local pickup.
3. When the product arrives, notify the customer.
4. Complete the pickup in Shopify POS when the customer arrives.

Notifying Customers

• Use STOQ's notification features to email customers when products are ready
• Send shipping update emails with pickup instructions
• Consider SMS notifications for faster communication

Syncing Between Online and POS

Preorder inventory and offers sync automatically between your online store and POS.

What Syncs Automatically

• Preorder offer settings
• Product availability
• Selling plan details
• Payment configurations

Inventory Considerations

• POS preorders reduce available preorder quantity (if you've set limits)
• Online and POS share the same preorder inventory
• Monitor your preorder limits across all channels

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with POS preorders, use this guide to identify and resolve common problems.

Known Limitations

The Shopify POS preorder integration has some constraints to be aware of.

• POS preorders use the same offers and settings as online preorders—you cannot have POS-specific preorder settings
• Partial payment collection for POS orders must be done through STOQ's Reports or Shopify admin, not at the POS
• The STOQ POS extension shows all products in active preorder offers; you cannot filter by location
• Customer notifications (confirmation emails, shipping updates) require customer email to be captured at checkout
• POS preorders count toward any preorder quantity limits you've set

FAQs

Q: Do I need a special Shopify plan to use POS preorders?

A: You need Shopify POS, which is available on most Shopify plans. The basic POS Lite is included with all Shopify plans, while POS Pro requires an additional subscription. STOQ's POS extension works with both versions.

Q: Can I take preorders for products that aren't in a preorder offer?

A: No. Products must be added to an active preorder offer in STOQ before they can be sold as preorders through POS. The STOQ extension only shows products that are in active preorder offers.

Q: How do I collect the remaining balance for partial payment preorders?

A: Use STOQ's Reports section to collect remaining payments. You can collect individually or in bulk. Automatic collection is also available if you've configured it in your offer settings.

Q: Will customers receive confirmation emails for POS preorders?

A: Yes, if you've enabled preorder confirmation emails in STOQ and captured the customer's email at checkout. The same notification settings apply to both online and POS preorders.

Q: Can I offer different preorder terms in-store vs. online?

A: No. Preorder offers apply to all sales channels. If you need different terms, you would need to create separate products or manage expectations through staff training and customer communication.

Q: What happens if a customer wants to cancel a POS preorder?

A: Handle cancellations the same way as online preorders. If you've enabled the cancellation link in confirmation emails, customers can cancel themselves. Otherwise, cancel the order through Shopify admin and process any refunds as needed.

Updated on: 02/04/2026