---
title: "Refund a preorder that was moved to a separate order"
description: "Refund a preorder item that STOQ moved into its own split order, without misreporting sales or tax."
url: https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/refund-a-separate-preorder-order/
product: "Preorders"
section: "Fulfillment and shipping / Holds and splits"
last_updated: 2026-11-11
---

# Refund a preorder that was moved to a separate order

> Refund a preorder item that STOQ moved into its own split order, without misreporting sales or tax.

Use this guide if your offer uses [Move preorder items to a separate order](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/separate-orders-for-mixed-preorders/) and you need to refund a preorder item. A refund takes two steps, one on each order, because the item and the customer's payment end up on different orders. By the end, the customer gets their money back once, and your sales, sales tax, and inventory are correct.

If you use [Split fulfillments](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/split-fulfilment-for-preorders/) instead, the preorder stays on one order and you refund it as usual in Shopify.

## Before you begin

| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| The order was split by STOQ | The preorder item is on its own order, named like `#1001-SPLIT` (or with your own suffix, or a sequential number) |
| The original order name | The split order's note says which order it was split from, and its **Additional details** show `original_order` |
| Shopify admin access | Both refunds are done in Shopify admin, not in STOQ |

## Why refunds need two steps

When a customer checks out with in-stock items and a preorder item, STOQ:

1. **Removes the preorder item from the original order.** The order timeline shows this as a refund ("STOQ refunded 1 item"), but no money moves. The item appears under **Removed**.
2. **Creates a separate order for the preorder item**, for example `#1001-SPLIT`. It holds the item and its tax, and is marked **Paid** with a **Prepaid** placeholder, because the customer already paid on the original order.

| | Original order | Split order (`#1001-SPLIT`) |
|---|---|---|
| Customer's real payment | Here | Not here, only a **Prepaid** placeholder |
| Preorder item, its sales and tax | Removed | Here |

So to refund a preorder, you reverse the sale on the split order, then return the money from the original order.

## What customers will see

- If you follow the steps below, the customer gets one refund email, from the original order, for the amount actually returned to them.
- If you leave **Send notification to customer** ticked on the split order, they also get a "you've been refunded" email before any money has gone back to them.

## Refund the preorder

1. **Refund the item on the split order**

   1. In Shopify admin, open the split order (for example `#1001-SPLIT`) and click **Refund**.
   2. Select the preorder item and the quantity to refund.
   3. Leave **Restock item** ticked if the item hasn't shipped.
   4. Untick **Send notification to customer**.
   5. Check that the refund method shows **Prepaid**. That's expected: no money moves on this order.
   6. Click **Refund**.

   This removes the item's sales and sales tax from your Shopify reports and puts the item back in stock.

2. **Refund the money from the original order**

   1. Open the original order (for example `#1001`) and click **Refund**.
   2. The preorder item isn't listed, because STOQ already removed it. Enter the refund amount manually: the split order's total, including tax.
   3. Shopify shows a warning: "For accurate sales and taxes, refund items or add a discount for partial refunds." You can ignore it here, because step 1 already reversed the item's sales and tax.
   4. Leave **Send notification to customer** ticked, so the customer gets one email for the real refund.
   5. Refund to the original payment method and click **Refund**.

> **Warning**
>
> Don't cancel the split order instead of refunding it. Cancelling restocks the item, but the order stays **Canceled** and **Paid** with its sale and sales tax still counted, so your reports over-report sales and sales tax. Archiving the split order doesn't reverse anything either.

## Example

A customer paid $1,998.84 for an in-stock item and a preorder item. The preorder item was moved to `#1001-SPLIT`.

| | Before the refund | After step 1 | After step 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original `#1001`, paid | $1,998.84 | $1,998.84 | $1,034.26 ($964.58 refunded) |
| `#1001-SPLIT` | $964.58 ($885.95 + $78.63 tax), Prepaid | $0, Refunded | Unchanged |
| Sales report for `#1001-SPLIT` | $885.95 sales, $78.63 tax | $0 net sales, $0 tax | Unchanged |
| Preorder inventory | 1 committed | Back in stock | Unchanged |

## Check your refund

1. Open the split order. It shows **Refunded** with a $0 balance.
2. Open the original order. Its net payment equals what the customer paid for the items they're keeping.
3. In your Shopify sales report, the split order shows returns that cancel out its sales and tax.

## Troubleshooting

### The customer got a refund email before the money was returned

**Send notification to customer** was left ticked on the split order. Refund the money from the original order straight away, so the customer receives it, and let them know the first email was sent early.

### The preorder item doesn't appear when refunding the original order

That's expected. STOQ removed it from the original order when it created the split order. Enter the split order's total, including tax, as the refund amount.

### I can't find the original order

Open the split order. Its note names the order it was split from, and its **Additional details** show `original_order`.

## FAQ

### Why does the original order say STOQ refunded an item?

That's how STOQ removes the preorder item from the original order when it moves it to the split order. No money moved; the item is listed under **Removed**.

### Why does the split order show Prepaid instead of a payment?

The customer paid once, on the original order. STOQ marks the split order as paid with a **Prepaid** placeholder so it doesn't charge them again. You can rename it with **Split order payment method label** in the offer's separate order settings; it's only a label.

### Can I refund the whole amount from the original order and skip the split order?

No. The customer would get their money back, but the split order would still count the preorder item's sales and tax in your reports, and the item wouldn't be restocked.

### Will the customer get two refund emails?

Not if you untick **Send notification to customer** on the split order. Then they only get the email from the original order, for the money actually refunded.

## Related guides

- [Move preorders into a separate order](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/separate-orders-for-mixed-preorders/): How STOQ splits preorder items into their own order, and its settings.
- [Split fulfillments](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/split-fulfilment-for-preorders/): Keep preorder and in-stock items on one order, so refunds work as usual.
- [Let customers cancel preorders](https://help.stoqapp.com/preorders/preorder-cancellation/): The customer-facing cancellation flow and how it refunds orders.