How to Enable Pre Order Functionality in Prestashop
In e-commerce, product availability can significantly influence purchasing decisions. Customers often encounter situations where an item they want is temporarily out of stock or hasn’t been released yet. Instead of losing these potential sales, offering a PrestaShop pre order option allows customers to reserve the product in advance.
Pre-order functionality benefits both customers and store owners. It keeps buyers engaged, builds anticipation, and ensures you capture sales even before products are available for immediate shipment. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to enable and manage pre-order functionality in your PrestaShop store.
Why Offer Pre Orders in Your PrestaShop Store?
Pre-orders are more than just a convenience — they can be a powerful business tool. Key benefits include:
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Securing early sales – Collect revenue before the product is released.
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Gauging demand – Understand how popular a new product might be before committing to large inventory orders.
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Retaining customers – Keep shoppers engaged even if the product isn’t immediately available.
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Improving cash flow – Generate income before production or restocking is complete.
How Pre Orders Work in PrestaShop
Pre-orders allow customers to purchase products that will be delivered at a future date. In PrestaShop, this functionality can be enabled by modifying stock settings and displaying clear messaging so customers understand they are pre-ordering and not receiving immediate delivery.
The process typically works like this:
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Customer views a product marked as available for pre-order.
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They place an order and complete payment.
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Once the product becomes available, the order is fulfilled and shipped.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enable Pre Order Functionality
Step 1: Prepare Your Product Listing
Log in to your PrestaShop back office and go to Catalog > Products. Select the product you want to make available for pre-order.
Step 2: Adjust Stock Settings
In the Quantities tab, set the stock to zero if the product is not yet available. Enable the option that allows backorders so customers can still purchase the item even if it’s out of stock.
Step 3: Add Pre-Order Messaging
Use the When out of stock field to display a custom message, such as “Available for pre-order – ships on [date].” This ensures customers understand the nature of the purchase.
Step 4: Set Availability Dates
In the Availability date field, specify the date when the product will be in stock. This information will be visible to customers, helping manage expectations.
Step 5: Save and Test
Save your settings and view the product page to confirm that the pre-order message and availability date appear correctly. Test the checkout process to ensure everything works smoothly.
Best Practices for Managing Pre Orders
To make your pre-order system successful, follow these best practices:
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Be transparent – Clearly communicate that the product is a pre-order and provide estimated shipping dates.
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Offer incentives – Consider offering discounts, free shipping, or bonuses for pre-order customers.
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Manage inventory carefully – Track pre-order numbers to ensure you can fulfill them on time.
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Update customers – Send email notifications about production updates, shipping status, or any delays.
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Set realistic timelines – Avoid overpromising delivery dates you can’t meet.
The Customer Experience Benefits
From a customer’s perspective, pre-orders allow them to secure a desired product before it sells out. This can create a sense of exclusivity and excitement, particularly for limited-edition releases or new product launches. It also shows that your store values customer demand and is willing to accommodate purchase requests in advance.
How Pre Orders Support Your Marketing Strategy
Pre-orders can be integrated into your marketing campaigns to build anticipation. You can:
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Promote upcoming products on social media.
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Send email announcements to your mailing list.
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Offer early-bird pricing to encourage pre-orders.
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Use countdown timers to create urgency.
These strategies help generate buzz and increase conversions before the product is available.
SEO Advantages of Pre Orders
Having pre-order pages indexed by search engines can improve your visibility for upcoming product searches. This means customers searching for “coming soon” products may find your store before the competition. Be sure to optimize product descriptions, meta tags, and URLs to capture this early interest.
Conclusion
Enabling a PrestaShop pre order system is an effective way to maintain sales momentum even when products are not immediately available. It helps you secure revenue early, build customer loyalty, and gather valuable insights into product demand.
By following the setup steps and best practices outlined in this guide, you can create a seamless pre-order process that benefits both your business and your customers.