Why does it display “One or more items in your cart is a deferred or recurring purchase.” at my Shopify checkout for pre-order items, and how can I hide this?

You might have noticed that when your customers purchase any pre-order items, at Shopify's checkout a message is displayed above the Pay Now button:

“One or more items in your cart is a deferred or recurring purchase. By continuing with your payment, you agree that your payment method will automatically be charged at the price and frequency listed on this page until it ends or you cancel. All cancellations are subject to the cancellation policy.”

It mentions that the customer’s payment method will automatically be charged at the price and frequency listed on the page until it ends or they cancel - which can be confusing for those who are purchasing a one-off pre-order item or paying in full upfront.

A screenshot of Shopify Checkout Page displaying the Purchase Options Agreement Label — The Purchase Options Agreement Label is shown to customers when they have a pre-order item in their cart.

What is the Purchase Options Agreement Label?

The Purchase Options Agreement Label is a message which automatically appears at checkout when a customer buys an item with a purchase option, such as a pre-order or subscription.

Shopify enforces this label to ensure customers are aware of what they’re purchasing. Customers cannot complete their checkout without agreeing to the terms of this label.

While you can’t remove this message completely, you can edit the text to better match your store’s pre-order setup.

How to Edit Your Shopify Purchase Options Agreement Label

Go to Online Store > Themes.
Click the ... beside the theme that you want to edit.
Select Edit default theme content from the dropdown menu.
Click on the tab Checkout & system.
Scroll all the way down to find Purchase Options Agreement Label (it's a super long page...).
Edit the labels/messages here as desired.

A similar label may also be displayed in your customer's cart. You can find it by searching for "Buyer Consent Cart". (See second and third screenshots.)

A screenshot of editing default theme content in Shopify Admin to edit the Purchase Options Agreement Label — You can edit the text of your Purchase options agreement label, but won't be able to fully remove it.

The Buyer consent cart appears in your customer's cart when they add an item with a purchase option (such as pre-order or subscription).

A screenshot of editing default theme content to update the buyer consent cart label on a Shopify store — You can edit the Buyer consent cart label to inform your customers about the terms of their purchase BEFORE they proceed to checkout.

What should I include in my Shopify Purchase Options Agreement Label if I only accept full upfront payments for pre-orders?

If you plan to only capture full payments upfront for your pre-order products, you can paste this into your Shopify Purchase Agreement Options Label field:*

"One or more items in your cart are pre-order products. By continuing, I acknowledge that I am paying in full upfront for these items and agree to the cancellation policy."

If you plan to also capture partial payments/deposits for your pre-order products, you can paste this instead:

"One or more items in your cart are pre-order products. By continuing, I acknowledge that I am either paying in full upfront or making a partial deposit for these items. I agree to the cancellation policy and authorize the remaining balance to be charged to my payment method as specified until my order is fulfilled or I cancel, if permitted."

This way, with the updated message you can avoid confusing customers into thinking they’re signing up for a subscription instead of a one-time pre-order purchase.

*DISCLAIMER: These templates are for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Further setting clear expectations for your customers

You can further set clear expectations and avoid customer confusion by communicating the pre-order details clearly in:

Your product page descriptions (shipping timeframe, estimated arrival date etc.)
Your order confirmation email (see our help article on how to edit it)
Your shipping policy page (see our blog article for more pre-order policy templates)

Before going live, make sure you do a test checkout adding a pre-order item to your cart to check your updated purchase options agreement and buyer consent cart labels!

Need help?

If you have any questions about Shopify pre-orders or partial payments in general, feel free to connect with us on LinkedIn or email us at hello@shopside.com.au to see how we can help!