---
title: "Use STOQ preorders with Shopify Bundles"
description: "Shopify's native Bundles app works with STOQ preorders one way: an in-stock offer with the Shopify purchase option turned off. Why that's the only route, and how to set it up."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorders-with-shopify-bundles/
product: "Preorders"
section: "Notifications and integrations / Bundles"
last_updated: 2026-11-02
---

# Use STOQ preorders with Shopify Bundles

> Shopify's native Bundles app works with STOQ preorders one way: an in-stock offer with the Shopify purchase option turned off. Why that's the only route, and how to set it up.

STOQ preorders work with Shopify's own **Shopify Bundles** app, but only in one configuration: an **in-stock** offer with the Shopify **purchase option turned off**. This comes down to how Shopify bundles handle inventory, not a STOQ setting. This guide covers the inventory model, the setup that works, and why an out-of-stock (backorder) preorder can't work for a bundle.

## How Shopify bundles handle inventory

- A bundle has **no stock of its own**. Its available quantity is the **lowest** of its components. If one component has 20 units and another has 50, the bundle reads as 20.
- You **can't** edit a bundle's inventory directly, and you **can't** turn on **Continue selling when out of stock** for the bundle itself.

So a bundle only sells while every component is in stock, and STOQ can't run its usual out-of-stock (backorder) preorder on a bundle.

## The setup that works: an in-stock offer with the purchase option off

| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shopify Bundles installed | Shopify's own free bundles app, from **Customize** > **More settings** > **POS, B2B & Bundles** > **Shopify Bundles** > **Get app** |
| A Specific products offer | The in-stock button option is only available with the **Specific products** product type |
| The bundle in stock | Keep the bundle's components in stock so the bundle itself reads as available |

1. **Create the bundle in Shopify Bundles**

   Install **Shopify Bundles** and build your bundle in it.

2. **Show the Preorder button for in-stock products**

   Open the offer, click **Customize**, click **Inventory** in the sidebar, and choose **Show 'Preorder' for in-stock products**. See [Configure inventory settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-inventory-settings/).

3. **Turn off the Shopify purchase option**

   In the editor, click **More settings** to expand it, click **Advanced**, and under **Purchase option** select **Use without purchase option**. Confirm, then **Save**. This step is required for bundles: with the purchase option on, Shopify refuses to add the bundle to the cart.

4. **Add the bundle product to the offer**

   In the offer's **Products** section, click **Add products** and pick the **bundle product** in the picker, not the products inside it. A bundle counts only when the bundle product is in the offer. Adding a whole collection skips bundle products, so add the bundle on its own. You can add the individual components to the same offer too, and they aren't double counted when a customer buys the bundle. See [Add products to an offer](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/add-products-to-an-offer/).

5. **Check the storefront**

   Open the bundle's product page, click **Preorder**, and confirm it adds to the cart with the purchase type shown as **Pre-order**.

> **Warning**
>
> Turning off the Shopify purchase option is a tradeoff. The offer can't use **partial payments**, a **preorder deposit**, a **preorder discount** (these all rely on the Shopify selling plan), or a **Scheduled** fulfillment status. Payment is taken in full at checkout, and a Scheduled status becomes **On hold**. If you need to hold fulfillment, see [Hold preorders without the Shopify purchase option](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/auto-hold-fulfillments-without-purchase-option/). For every knock-on effect, see [What changes when you switch a preorder setting](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-setting-side-effects/).

## Why an out-of-stock bundle preorder can't work

The usual STOQ backorder preorder shows the **Preorder** button once a variant hits 0 with **Continue selling when out of stock** on. A bundle can't meet those conditions:

- With every component at zero, the bundle reads as **sold out**.
- Turning on **Continue selling** on the components doesn't change this, and you can't enable Continue selling on the bundle itself.
- STOQ's out-of-stock tracking and automatic stop can't drive a bundle, because the bundle's availability is derived from its components.

There's no out-of-stock route for a bundle. Keep the components in stock and use the in-stock setup above.

## How the sale is counted

Shopify doesn't put the bundle itself in the finished order, only the products inside it. STOQ reads the bundle back from the order and counts it **once**, on the bundle product, at the quantity ordered. Units sold, your [quantity limit](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/set-preorder-quantity-limits/), batches, and revenue all count on the bundle product. The order gets STOQ's preorder tag, the preorder confirmation email, and the Shopify Flow trigger, the same as any other preorder.

## Check your setup

- Open the bundle on your storefront and confirm the **Preorder** button shows and adds to the cart without an error.
- In the cart, confirm the purchase type reads **Pre-order**.
- Place a test preorder and confirm, in **Reports** > **Preorders** > **Orders**, that it's counted once as the bundle product, not as the separate components.

## FAQ

### Why do I get an error adding my bundle to the cart?

The offer still uses the Shopify purchase option (selling plan), which Shopify refuses to attach to a bundle. Turn it off: **Customize** > **More settings** > **Advanced** > **Purchase option** > **Use without purchase option**, then try again.

### Can I take a deposit or partial payment on a bundle preorder?

No. The working route needs the purchase option off, which removes deposits, partial payments, and the selling-plan discount. Bundle preorders are charged in full at checkout.

### Do I add the bundle or the products inside it to the offer?

The bundle product. A bundle sale only counts when the bundle product is in the offer. You can add the individual components too, and they aren't double counted when a customer buys the bundle.

### Can I run a backorder (out-of-stock) preorder on a bundle?

No. A bundle has no stock of its own and you can't enable Continue selling on it, so it can't meet the out-of-stock button conditions. Keep the components in stock and use the in-stock route.

### My bundle stopped showing the Preorder button

One of its components is out of stock, so the bundle reads as sold out and the in-stock Preorder button disappears. Restock the component to bring the bundle back.

## Related guides

- [Configure inventory settings](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-inventory-settings/): The in-stock button option this route depends on.
- [What changes when you switch a preorder setting](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-setting-side-effects/): Everything the purchase-option-off switch changes.
- [Hold preorders without the purchase option](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/auto-hold-fulfillments-without-purchase-option/): Hold fulfillments when the selling plan is off.
- [Preorders on POS, B2B, and bundles](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-pos-b2b-bundles/): POS and B2B preorders, and the tested bundle apps.