How does Shopify pre-order payments and payouts work?

Short answer: Shopify Payments releases your funds when the pre-orders are marked as "Fulfilled" - not when the order is placed. For deposit-based pre-orders, the initial deposit is paid out within 2-3 business days after you've captured it at checkout, but the remaining balance (deferred payment) is held until you fulfill the order.

How Shopify pre-order payment timing works

Full payment pre-orders

When your customers pay 100% upfront:

• The payment is held by Shopify Payments
• Funds are released 2-3 business days after you mark the order as "Fulfilled"
• The Shopify order status ("Scheduled" vs "Unfulfilled") doesn't affect payout timing

Example: If a customer places a pre-order on January 1st, and you fulfill their order on March 1st, you get paid around March 3-4th.

Deposit pre-orders (Partial payments)

When your customers pay a deposit first:

Initial deposit:

• This will be paid out within 2-3 business days (it follows your regular payout schedule)
• You will receive this immediately, regardless of the order fulfillment date

Remaining balance (Deferred payment):

• This will be captured automatically at your chosen date/after X days/upon fulfillment
• The funds are held until you fulfill the pre-order
• Paid out 2-3 business days after order fulfillment

Example: If a customer places a $50 deposit for a $100 pre-order product on January 1st,  you'll receive the $50 on January 3-4th. The remaining $50 will be captured on a fixed future date (let's say February 1st), but it will be held until you actually fulfill the order (e.g. March 1st), and paid out a few days after (March 3-4th in this case).

Does the Shopify order status affect payment timing?

No. Using the "Scheduled" status instead of "Unfulfilled" will not trigger payouts sooner.

Both statuses mean the order hasn't shipped yet. Only the "Fulfilled" status will trigger payouts from Shopify Payments.

• "Scheduled" = The order will take longer to ship (typically 30+ days)
• "Unfulfilled" = The order is ready to ship soon
• "On Hold" = We're not sure when the order will be ready to ship
• "Fulfilled" = The order has been shipped (This is what triggers the payout)

Why does Shopify hold my pre-order funds?

This is a Shopify Payments policy for consumer protection. Shopify's banking partners require proof of fulfillment before releasing funds to merchants.

This applies to all merchants using Shopify Payments - it's not a limitation of (any) pre-order apps.

Need help?

If you have questions about pre-order payment timing or want to capture deposits to access pre-order funds earlier, let us know by emailing support@shopside.com.au and we'd be happy to help guide your set up.