Use STOQ preorders with Shopify Bundles

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.

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.

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.

Caution

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. For every knock-on effect, see What changes when you switch a preorder setting.

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, 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 settingsThe in-stock button option this route depends on.

What changes when you switch a preorder settingEverything the purchase-option-off switch changes.

Hold preorders without the purchase optionHold fulfillments when the selling plan is off.

Preorders on POS, B2B, and bundlesPOS and B2B preorders, and the tested bundle apps.