Preorders on Shopify POS
Use this guide to add STOQ's two Shopify POS tiles to your retail devices: one lets staff take a preorder at the register, the other lets staff sign a customer up for a back-in-stock alert. Both work entirely on the POS device, with no extra configuration in the Shopify admin beyond adding the tiles.
- Add preorder to cart: adds a preorder item to the POS cart for a customer, with all preorder details attached, so staff can complete checkout as normal.
- Register for back in stock alert: signs a customer up for an email or SMS restock alert for any out-of-stock product, without going through checkout.
Before you begin
| Prerequisite | Details |
|---|---|
| Shopify POS app | Shopify POS must be installed on your device. Get it from apps.shopify.com/shopify-pos. |
| STOQ installed | Restock Rocket (STOQ) must be installed on your Shopify store. |
| Active preorder offer (for preorders) | You must have at least one enabled preorder offer before the preorder tile can add products to a POS cart. See Set up preorders. |
| Offer POS setting enabled (for preorders) | Each preorder offer has a per-offer Sell preorders on POS toggle (enabled by default). Confirm it is on for the offers whose products you want to sell at POS. See Preorders on POS, B2B, and with Bundles. |
What customers will see
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Preorder line item | If the offer has a shipping or delivery timeline configured, that text appears on the order's line item details, visible in the order receipt. |
| No native selling plan | Shopify POS doesn't support selling plans at checkout, so a POS preorder never shows the subscription-style selling plan block customers see on an online preorder. STOQ still tracks and manages the order as a preorder internally. |
| Deposit at checkout | Not available. POS always collects full payment; see Limitations. |
| Back-in-stock notification | Once you register a customer, they get notified automatically when the product restocks in your Online Store, no further action needed. The notification links to the product on your Online Store, since that's where the customer completes the purchase. |
Set it up
Add the preorder tile to your POS device
Open the STOQ section in the POS app
- On your POS device, open the Shopify POS app.
- Tap Apps (or the tile grid).
- Find the STOQ section.
Add the 'Add preorder to cart' tile
In the STOQ section, locate and add the tile named Add preorder to cart. This installs STOQ's preorder extension on your POS device.
Confirm the tile is visible on your POS home screen
After adding it, the Add preorder to cart tile should appear on your POS home screen or tile grid and is ready to use.
Take a preorder at POS
Once the tile is installed, any staff member can take a preorder at the register.
Tap 'Add preorder to cart'
On the POS home screen, tap the Add preorder to cart tile. A product search screen opens.
Search for and select the product
- Type a product name in the search bar to find it.
- Tap the product to continue.
Select the variant
If the product has multiple options (size, color, etc.), a variant list is shown. Tap the correct variant to select it.
Review eligibility and confirm
A confirmation screen appears showing:
- The product name and variant
- Remaining preorder availability (if a preorder limit is set on the offer)
- Line item details that will be visible to the customer on their order receipt (such as estimated shipping text, if configured on the offer)
If the variant is not eligible, an error message is shown and the Add to cart button is disabled. The most common reasons are: the variant is in stock and Do not check inventory is off (standard behavior requires the variant to be out of stock and allow orders when out of stock), or all preorder slots are taken.
Tap Add to cart to add the preorder item to the POS cart.
Complete checkout normally
The preorder item now appears in the POS cart. Complete the sale through Shopify POS as you would any other order. Shopify controls payment processing, receipts, and taxes. STOQ adds the preorder designation and details to the line item.
What STOQ attaches to the cart
When the item is added to the cart, STOQ sets a Purchase Type: Preorder property on the line item, plus the shipping text if the offer has one configured, and its own internal tracking properties so it can identify the order as a preorder and where it came from. These carry through to the completed order, where STOQ uses them to track and manage the preorder, and they're what you'll see in the order details in Shopify admin.
Add the back-in-stock alert tile to your POS device
Open the STOQ section in the POS app
- On your POS device, open the Shopify POS app.
- Tap Apps.
- Find the STOQ section.
Add the 'Register for back in stock alert' tile
Locate and add the tile named Register for back in stock alert.
The navigation path shown in STOQ is: App > STOQ > Register for back in stock alert.
Confirm the tile is on the POS home screen
The tile should appear on your POS home or tile grid and is ready to use.
Register a customer for a back-in-stock alert
Tap 'Register for back in stock alert'
On the POS home screen, tap the tile. A product search screen opens.
Search for and select the product
- Search by product name.
- Tap the product to select it.
Select the variant
If the product has multiple variants, select the specific one the customer wants to be notified about.
Fill in customer details
The form screen titled Register customer opens. Fill in:
- Name (if your STOQ settings have the name field enabled)
- Email: the customer's email address
- Phone no: in international format starting with
+(e.g.+1 123 456 7890); required if no email is provided - Quantity: the number of units the customer needs (use the stepper to adjust)
- Market: if your store has multiple Shopify markets configured, a market selector appears; choose the relevant market
- Marketing consent: select Yes or No to record whether the customer agrees to receive promotional content
Either email or phone number is required. If both are provided, SMS is used as the notification channel (phone takes precedence over email).
Tap Save
Tap Save to submit the signup. A toast notification confirms the request was saved. The customer is now registered in STOQ and will receive an alert automatically when the product is restocked in your Online Store.
Add more products or close
On the success screen, tap Add new to register the same customer for additional products, or tap Close to dismiss the tile.
Check your setup
For preorders: after taking a POS preorder, go to Orders in Shopify admin. The new order should appear with the line item properties STOQ attached (Purchase Type: Preorder, etc.) visible in the order details. Then in STOQ, go to Reports → Preorders → Orders. The order should appear there as a tracked preorder order. To check a single offer, open Preorders in the left menu, click the Offers tab, open the offer, and go to its Orders tab.
For back-in-stock alerts: after registering a customer, go to Back in stock alerts in STOQ and open the Signups or customer list. The customer's signup should appear, attributed to the POS sign-up source. When the product is restocked in your Online Store, they'll receive a notification automatically, with no additional step required.
Troubleshooting
A product doesn't show up when searching in the preorder tile
The tile only returns products from offers that have Sell preorders on POS enabled. Turn it on for that offer. See Preorders on POS, B2B, and with Bundles.
The Add to cart button is disabled, or the confirmation screen shows the variant as not eligible
Check these:
- The variant is out of stock and set to allow orders when out of stock (unless the offer's Do not check inventory setting is on).
- The offer hasn't reached its total or per-variant preorder limit.
- The offer is active and not paused.
The customer doesn't get a preorder confirmation email or SMS
Confirm you have a preorder confirmation notification configured in STOQ and that it triggers on order creation. Place a POS test order to verify. See Preorder confirmation notification.
Limitations
POS preorders don't support a deposit or partial payment: Shopify POS always collects the full payment at checkout, since STOQ's deposit option relies on Shopify selling plans, which POS checkout doesn't support natively.
FAQ
Where do I find the STOQ tiles in the POS app?
In the Shopify POS app, tap Apps (or the tile grid icon). Scroll until you see the STOQ section. Both tiles, Add preorder to cart and Register for back in stock alert, are listed there. Tap a tile to add it to your POS home screen.
Does the POS preorder charge the customer a deposit at checkout?
No. Shopify POS always collects the full payment at checkout; see Limitations above. Plan accordingly if your offer has a deposit option: POS customers always pay in full.
Can a customer who signed up for a back-in-stock alert on POS buy online when they get notified?
Yes.
- The alert sent to the customer contains a link to the product on your Online Store.
- The customer clicks the link, adds the product to their online cart, and completes checkout on your Online Store, not at POS.
- The POS signup only registers the customer's intent; the purchase path is Online Store.
Do I need to do anything in STOQ after taking a POS preorder order?
No extra STOQ-side steps are needed for a standard POS preorder. Once the Shopify order is created, STOQ processes it automatically and the order appears in your STOQ preorders list. You then manage it the same way as any other preorder: releasing fulfillment holds, communicating with the customer, etc. See Handle orders after receiving preorder inventory.
Related guides
Preorders on POS, B2B, and with Bundles
Configure per-offer POS settings including the inventory check bypass and B2B and bundle options.
Set up preorders
Create your first preorder offer and get products ready to sell on any channel.
Preorder order limits
Set per-variant or total quantity caps that apply across Online Store and POS.
Handle orders after receiving preorder inventory
Fulfill and release POS preorders once your inventory arrives.
Preorder confirmation notification
Set up the email or SMS confirmation customers receive after placing a preorder.
