Preorders and Shopify subscription apps
Use this guide if a customer can't choose between a subscription and a one-time preorder on the same product, or if your subscription app (Appstle, Recharge, Bold, Seal, and similar) seems to be blocked by the STOQ preorder button. This is a Shopify platform limitation, not a STOQ restriction: one Shopify product variant can only carry one selling plan group at a time, and both preorders (via STOQ) and subscriptions (via your subscription app) work by attaching a selling plan. When both try to claim the same variant, only one wins.
Before you begin
Check which purchase option mode your offer uses: Preorders in the left menu bar, Offers tab, open your offer, Customize, More settings, Advanced, Purchase option. This setting is what decides whether the conflict happens at all.
Choose your setup
Use Shopify purchase option (default)
STOQ attaches a Shopify selling plan to the product for the preorder. If your subscription app also needs a selling plan on that same product, the two apps compete for the same slot, so customers can't pick "subscribe" on a product where STOQ's preorder selling plan is active.
Use without Shopify's purchase option
STOQ manages the preorder through its storefront integration instead of a native Shopify selling plan, which frees the selling plan slot for your subscription app. Customers can then choose subscription or one-time preorder on the same product. This is the same toggle used for gift card and BXGY compatibility; see Which Shopify discounts work with preorders for the full mechanics.
What you give up by switching to this mode:
- Partial payments. Full payment is collected at checkout only.
- The STOQ offer-level discount. Shopify discount codes still work independently.
- Scheduled and On-hold fulfillment dates. Fulfillment resets to Unfulfilled. See Hold preorders without the Shopify purchase option if you still need to hold these orders.
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 offer editor
- In the left menu bar of the STOQ app, click Preorders.
- Click the Offers tab, then open the offer you want to change.
- Click Customize to open the editor.
Open Advanced settings
In the settings list, click More settings, then Advanced.
Switch off the Shopify purchase option
Under Purchase option, select Use without purchase option. A confirmation dialog lists the trade-offs above; confirm to proceed.
Save
Click Save.
Check your setup
Add the product to your cart as a subscription (through your subscription app) and as a one-time preorder (through STOQ's preorder button), and confirm both checkout paths complete without one blocking the other.
FAQ
Why does the preorder button block my subscription app in the first place?
Both preorders and subscriptions are Shopify selling plans, and Shopify only allows one selling plan group per product variant at a time. It's a platform-wide limit, not something either app controls.
Will my STOQ preorder discount still work in this mode?
No. The offer-level discount depends on the Shopify purchase option. Shopify discount codes still apply normally; only the discount configured inside the STOQ offer stops working. See Which Shopify discounts work with preorders.
Can I still schedule or hold fulfillment for these preorders?
Not through the Scheduled or On hold selling-plan mechanism. Use the fulfillment-hold path in Hold preorders without the Shopify purchase option if you need orders held before shipping.
Related guides
Preorder advanced settings
The Purchase option setting and STOQ's other offer-level advanced controls.
Which Shopify discounts work with preorders
The same purchase-option mechanics behind gift card and BXGY compatibility.
Hold preorders without the purchase option
Hold fulfillments when the Shopify purchase option is off.
Choose a fulfillment setup
How the purchase option affects fulfillment statuses and payments.
