Running pre-order sales on Shopify lets you gauge demand ahead of time, so you can expect more efficient inventory management and promotional activity. However, running pre-order sales properly requires dealing with a variety of challenges. In this article, we explain the key points for choosing an app to implement pre-order sales on Shopify, along with tips for making pre-order sales successful. We hope this helps Shopify store owners considering introducing pre-order sales.
What is pre-order sales?
"Pre-order sales" refers to a sales method where you sell products before they arrive, letting you sell "products not yet released" or "products currently out of stock."
Pre-order sales is often used interchangeably with terms like "pre-order purchase," "advance order," "advance sale," "advance reservation," and "advance order."
7 Shopify pre-order apps
Here are the pre-order apps introduced in this article.
- RuffRuff 予約販売
- Preorder Now Presale Timesact (formerly: Timesact)
- PreOrder Wolf ‑ Pre‑order Now
- Appikon ‑ Pre‑Order (formerly: Pre‑order Today)
- PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock
- Amai PreOrder Manager + Notify (formerly: Pre‑Order Manager)
- Yoyaku Hanbai
Let's go through each one in detail.
Shopify pre-order app: RuffRuff 予約販売
"RuffRuff 予約販売" helps reduce the missed sales opportunities that arise from being out of stock, ahead of a new product launch, or waiting on restocks, supporting sales growth. It lets you set up pre-orders on your own Shopify store remarkably easily, letting you register an unlimited number of pre-order products and accept an unlimited number of pre-orders. It can also prevent pre-order items and regular items from being ordered together, and can notify customers when a restock date isn't yet set.
It also has many unique features not found in other pre-order apps, such as "deferred payment," which lets you collect payment before the product ships, and a "countdown timer" feature that shows the time remaining until launch or until sales end.
It has also earned "Built for Shopify" status, Shopify's official mark of the highest-quality apps that meet its standards for speed, ease of use, and reliability.
Recommended for
- Those who want Japanese-language support
- Those who want lots of features at an affordable price
- Those who want pre-order sales not just on product pages, but on collections and other pages too
- Those who want various sales setups, like limited-time sales, discount sales, member-only sales, deferred payment, or one-per-customer limits
- Those who don't want regular and pre-order items ordered together
Pricing plans
Shopify pre-order app: Preorder Now Presale Timesact (formerly: Timesact)
This is one of the world's most well-known apps among Shopify apps for pre-order sales. It's also feature-rich, and while support is in English, it's available 24/7, so its support system is strong.
On the free plan, you can accept up to the first 10 pre-orders. On the $1/month plan, you can accept up to 5 pre-orders per month. Note that the plan letting you accept unlimited pre-orders ranges from $19 to $99/month depending on your Shopify plan.
The blog post below introduces points to watch out for and how to set up Preorder Now Presale Timesact (formerly: Timesact | advance reservation). Please use it as a reference.
Recommended for
- Those who want to try it for free first
- Those who also want to run price cuts alongside pre-order sales
- Those who are fine with the admin screen being in English
Pricing plans
| Plan name | Monthly fee | Number of products | Number of pre-orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Unlimited | First 10 only |
| Flexible | $1 | Unlimited | 5/month |
| Fixed - Basic | $19 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Fixed - Shopify | $39 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Fixed - Advanced | $59 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Fixed - Plus | $99 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Shopify pre-order app: PreOrder Wolf ‑ Pre‑order Now
PreOrder Wolf ‑ Pre‑order Now is a pre-order app you can start relatively cheaply, from $4.99/month. Setting up pre-orders is also simple and intuitive, requiring just 3 steps: "① Choose the product, ② Choose the conditions, ③ Set the button text and other wording."
On the other hand, its drawbacks are that it has fewer features than other pre-order apps, there's a cap on the pre-order amount you can accept per month depending on your plan, and it doesn't support Japanese.
The blog post below explains in detail Preorder Wolf's main features, benefits, and how to use it. Please use it as a reference.
Recommended for
- Those who want a simple setup without complexity
- Those who don't need anything beyond basic pre-order functionality
- Those who want to use it as cheaply as possible
Pricing plans
Shopify pre-order app: Appikon ‑ Pre‑Order (formerly: Pre‑order Today)
Appikon ‑ Pre‑Order (formerly: Pre‑order Today) is one of the world's most well-known apps among Shopify apps for pre-order sales.
Since you can use all features for free for up to 1 product, it's recommended for those with a small product catalog or who don't run pre-order sales all that often.
The blog post below introduces points to watch out for and how to set up Appikon ‑ Pre‑Order. Please use it as a reference.
Recommended for
- Those who want to try it for free first
- Those with a small product catalog who don't run pre-order sales often
- Those who also want to run discounts alongside pre-order sales
Pricing plans
| Plan name | Monthly fee | Number of products | Number of pre-orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| FREE | Free | 1 | Unlimited |
| STARTER | $7.99 | 5 | Unlimited |
| PRO | $14.99 | 10 | Unlimited |
| PREMIUM | $24.99 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Shopify pre-order app: PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock
This is one of the world's most well-known apps among Shopify apps for pre-order sales.
It's also feature-rich, and as the app name suggests, it includes a restock request (Back In Stock) feature.
It's recommended for those who want to show both a pre-order button and a restock-request button depending on the situation.
The blog post below introduces points to watch out for and how to set up PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock. Please use it as a reference.
Recommended for
- Those running cross-border e-commerce who want multilingual support
- Those who want both a pre-order button and a restock-request button
- Those who want an alert shown when regular and pre-order items are mixed in the cart
Pricing plans
| Plan name | Monthly fee | Number of products | Number of pre-orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| FREE | Free | Unlimited | First 10 only |
| BASIC(WAS $9.9) | $6.70 | Unlimited | 25/month |
| PREMIUM (WAS 14.9) | $9.90 | Unlimited | 50/month |
| PRO(WAS 29.9) | $19.90 | Unlimited | 500/month |
Shopify pre-order app: Amai PreOrder Manager + Notify (formerly: Pre‑Order Manager)
Amai PreOrder Manager + Notify (formerly: Pre‑Order Manager) is one of the world's most well-known apps among Shopify apps for pre-order sales.
Like "PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock," it's feature-rich and also includes a restock request (Back In Stock) feature.
The difference is that "PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock" charges based on usage (number of pre-orders, SMS messages, DMs sent, etc.), whereas "Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder"'s price varies by Shopify plan, with unlimited pre-orders, SMS messages, and DMs.
Since it's unlimited, the monthly cost for "Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder" is higher, but depending on your number of pre-orders, SMS messages, and DMs, it can end up cheaper than "PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock."
It also has a unique feature that lets you limit the number of pre-orders that can be placed in a single day.
Recommended for
- Those who want to use it without worrying about order counts or messages sent
- Those who want to limit the number of pre-orders that can be placed per day
- Those who want to control pre-orders by country
Pricing plans
| Plan name | Monthly fee | Number of products | Number of pre-orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHOPIFY BASIC | $24.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| SHOPIFY STANDARD | $39.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| SHOPIFY ADVANCE | $59.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| SHOPIFY PLUS | $89.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Shopify pre-order app: Yoyaku Hanbai (Pre-Order App)
* No longer offered on the Shopify App Store (as of August 12, 2024)
"Yoyaku Hanbai" (Pre-Order App) is a Japan-made app developed by the Japanese company GOODROID, Inc. (previously offered by Hashigo Co., Ltd.). Since it's a Japan-made app, support is available in Japanese. It has fewer features than other apps, and feels closer to "PreOrder Wolf ‑ Pre‑order Now." There are no conditions for switching to pre-order sales — only "always pre-order" is supported. It also can't run pre-order sales per variant. It has a simple, easy-to-understand single pricing plan.
Recommended for
- Those who want Japanese-language support
- Those who want an easy setup
- Those who only need bare-minimum features (simple functionality is enough)
Pricing plans
| Plan name | Monthly fee | Number of pre-order products | Number of pre-orders |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | $19.99 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
A thorough comparison of Shopify pre-order apps
Comparing by pricing plan
Many pre-order apps have different limits on the number of pre-order products you can register and the number of pre-orders you can accept, depending on the pricing plan. The table below summarizes each app's registration and order limits by pricing plan.
| App name | Plan name | Monthly fee | Pre-order products | Pre-orders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RuffRuff 予約販売 |
Starter | $9 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Basic | $52 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Pro | $199 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Timesact Advance Reservation |
Free | Free | Unlimited | First 10 only |
| Flexible | $1 | Unlimited | 5/month | |
| Fixed | $19 ~ $99 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| PreOrder Dawg ‑ Pre‑order Now | Beginner | $4.99 | Unlimited | Up to $500 |
| Growth | $19 | Unlimited | Up to $2,000 | |
| Growth+ | $38 | Unlimited | Up to $3,000 | |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | - | $19.99 | - | - |
| Pre‑order Today |
FREE | Free | 1 | Unlimited |
| STARTER | $7.99 | 5 | Unlimited | |
| PRO | $14.99 | 10 | Unlimited | |
| PREMIUM | $24.99 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock |
FREE | Free | Unlimited | First 10 only |
| BASIC(WAS $9.9) | $6.70 | Unlimited | 25/month | |
| PREMIUM (WAS 14.9) | $9.90 | Unlimited | 50/month | |
| PRO(WAS 29.9) | $19.90 | Unlimited | 500/month | |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | SHOPIFY BASIC | $24.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| SHOPIFY STANDARD | $39.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| SHOPIFY ADVANCE | $59.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| SHOPIFY PLUS | $89.95 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Comparing by Built for Shopify status
Built for Shopify is an official Shopify credential that only apps meeting 4 evaluation criteria — "easy to use, secure, high performing, and helps merchants solve problems" — can earn, out of the more than 8,000 apps listed on the Shopify App Store (as of May 2023). Built for Shopify status can be considered a mark of the highest-quality apps. The table below summarizes each app's Built for Shopify status. (as of August 18, 2023) Please use it as a reference when choosing a pre-order app.
| App name | Built for Shopify status |
|---|---|
| RuffRuff 予約販売 | ◯ |
| Timesact Advance Reservation | ✕ |
| PreOrder Wolf | ✕ |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | Discontinued |
| Pre‑order Today | ✕ |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock | ✕ |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | ✕ |
Comparing Japanese-language support
The table below summarizes whether each pre-order app's "admin screen," "help page," and "support contact" support Japanese, in addition to the "Shopify App Store" listing. Please use it as a reference when choosing a pre-order app.
| App name | Shopify App Store | Admin screen | Help page | Support contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RuffRuff 予約販売 | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| Timesact Advance Reservation | ◯ Auto-translated | ◯ Auto-translated | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Wolf | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | △ Discontinued | △ Discontinued | △ Discontinued | △ Discontinued |
| Pre‑order Today | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock | ◯ Auto-translated | ◯ Auto-translated | ✕ | ✕ |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Comparing conditions for switching to pre-order sales
When running pre-order sales, you may want different setups — "always run pre-order sales," "run pre-order sales when out of stock," "run pre-order sales for VIP members only," and so on. Whether you can implement these depends on whether the app has the condition settings needed to switch a product into pre-order mode.
The table below summarizes support for the condition settings needed to switch to pre-order sales. Please use it as a reference when choosing a pre-order app.
| App name | Inventory condition | Date condition | Recurring condition | Customer condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RuffRuff 予約販売 | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| Timesact Advance Reservation | ◯ | ◯ | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Wolf | ◯ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Pre‑order Today | ◯ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock | ◯ | ◯ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | ◯ | ◯ | ✕ | ✕ |
Comparing integration with delivery-date-selection apps
Many Shopify stores in Japan use a delivery-date-selection app, don't they?
Pre-orders tend to have a longer shipping timeline compared to regular orders.
Because of this, there are many cases where a product can't be delivered by the customer's requested delivery date. That's why you need the ability to hide the delivery-date-selection module whenever a pre-order item is in the cart, so customers can't set a requested delivery date.
The table below summarizes integration with delivery-date-selection apps popular in Japan. Please use it as a reference when choosing a pre-order app.
| App name | Delivery & Order Supporter | Delivery Date Designation.amp | Calendar Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| RuffRuff 予約販売 | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| Timesact Advance Reservation | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Wolf | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Pre‑order Today | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| App name | Plus Shipping | Japan Order CSV | Delivery Manager |
| RuffRuff 予約販売 | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ |
| Timesact Advance Reservation | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Wolf | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Pre‑order Today | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
The blog post below introduces how to use RuffRuff 予約販売 to make requested-delivery-date selection unavailable for pre-order items. Please use it as a reference.
Comparing quantity-limit features
A quantity-limit feature controls sales so that no more than a set number of units can be sold per order. This is used when running pre-order sales for products with limited stock, or popular items, for purposes like "wanting to deliver the product to as many people as possible" or "wanting to reduce reselling as much as possible."
The table below summarizes support for quantity-limit features. Please use it as a reference when choosing a pre-order app.
| App name | Quantity-limit feature |
|---|---|
| RuffRuff 予約販売 | ◯ |
| Timesact Advance Reservation | ✕ |
| PreOrder Wolf | ✕ |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | ✕ |
| Pre‑order Today | ✕ |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock | ◯ |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | ✕ |
You can check out RuffRuff 予約販売's quantity-limit feature on the demo product below. Please use it as a reference.
Comparing simultaneous-order control features
There are cases where you don't want customers to buy regular and pre-order items together, since their shipping timelines differ. This is where a "simultaneous-order control feature" — which prevents customers from buying regular and pre-order items together — comes in handy.
The table below summarizes support for simultaneous-order control features. Please use it as a reference when choosing a pre-order app.
| App name | Quantity-limit feature |
|---|---|
| RuffRuff 予約販売 | ◯ |
| Timesact Advance Reservation | ✕ |
| PreOrder Wolf | ✕ |
| Yoyaku Hanbai | ✕ |
| Pre‑order Today | ✕ |
| PreOrder Globo Back in Stock | ◯ |
| Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder | ✕ |
You can check out RuffRuff 予約販売's simultaneous-order control feature on the demo product below. Please use it as a reference.
The blog post below also introduces Shopify apps that enable simultaneous-order control on Shopify. Please use it as a reference.
Restock notification (Back In Stock) feature
Some apps have a feature that can display not only a pre-order button but also an arrival-notification button. RuffRuff 予約販売 also supports restock notifications.
The blog post below explains restock notifications in detail. Please use it as a reference.
Countdown timer
This feature counts down the date and time until a product switches to regular sales.
Some apps also have features that let you control which pre-orders are offered by country, or limit how many pre-orders can be placed in a single day.
How to choose a Shopify pre-order app
There are 4 things to look at when choosing a pre-order app.
- Does it have the features you need?
- Is it easy to use and easy to set up?
- How much does it cost?
- Does it support Japanese?
Let's go through each one in detail.
Does it have the features you need?
Pre-order apps each have things they can and can't do, so it's a good idea to list out the must-have features before choosing one.
Features common to Shopify pre-order apps
- Automatically changes the cart button text to something like "Pre-order"
- Hides the express checkout (Buy Now) button
* Shopify apps that comply with Shopify's requirements for pre-order sales support this feature. - Choosing which products to run as pre-orders
Features that vary between Shopify pre-order apps
- Setting the conditions for switching to pre-order sales
- Automatically tagging pre-order products and orders
- Countdown feature
- Discount feature
- Deferred payment
- Showing a badge on pre-order product images
- A restock-notification button in addition to pre-order sales
- Sending SMS or email on a pre-order
- Customizing the design of the cart button (pre-order button)
- Showing a message on the pre-order product or cart page
- Quantity-limit feature (e.g., one per customer per order)
- Robust validation (Cart and Checkout API support)
- Purchase restrictions (member-only, time-limited, etc.)
and more
Is it easy to use and easy to set up?
For ease of setup, check whether it can be installed with as little code as possible, and whether it's compatible with your own theme.
Also, depending on the app vendor, some vendors will even support you through the setup process.
For ease of use, check whether the settings screen is simple and easy to use, and whether you can configure multiple products in bulk.
How much does it cost?
Pre-order apps come with a variety of pricing structures.
After confirming it has the features you need, it's a good idea to choose the one that best fits your situation — your number of products, your Shopify plan, and so on.
Pricing structures for Shopify pre-order apps
- Fixed fee (e.g., Yoyaku Hanbai)
- Price varies based on your Shopify plan (e.g., Pre‑Order Manager | PreOrder)
- Price varies based on the number of products you want to pre-sell (e.g., Pre‑order Today)
- Price varies based on your monthly pre-order volume (e.g., Timesact | Advance Reservation)
- Price varies based on your monthly pre-order amount (e.g., Preorder Wolf | Pre order now)
and more
Does it support Japanese?
Shopify has well-known overseas pre-order apps such as "Timesact | Advance Reservation," "PreOrder Wolf ‑ Pre‑order Now," and "PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock."
Choosing an app just because it's well-known can lead to hidden work costs (such as translation work or having to make inquiries when something goes wrong), so be careful.
First, check whether the following support Japanese.
- The storefront
- The app's admin screen
- The help page
- Support contacts
Frequently asked questions about Shopify pre-order apps
Are there any pre-order apps I can use for free?
Yes, there are.
"Timesact Advance Reservation" can be used for free. "RuffRuff 予約販売" gives you full access to all features for free on a development store.
Are there any pre-order apps that support Japanese?
Yes, there are.
"RuffRuff 予約販売" is a genuinely Japan-made pre-order app developed by a Japanese e-commerce development company. Both the app's admin screen and support contacts are fully in Japanese.
Please also refer to the page below for the Japanese-language support status of well-known Shopify pre-order apps.
We investigated the Japanese-language support status of well-known Shopify pre-order apps
Which payment methods can I use with pre-order apps?
Available payment methods differ between "pre-orders using purchase options" and "pre-orders not using purchase options."
With "pre-orders using purchase options," only Shopify Payments or PayPal Express can be used.
On the other hand, with "pre-orders not using purchase options," all payment methods can be used.
Shopify's help page, "Pre-orders - Shopify Help Center," states that only Shopify Payments or PayPal Express can be used, but this refers specifically to "pre-orders using purchase options."
The pre-order app "RuffRuff 予約販売" lets you choose whether or not to use purchase options, so you can also use payment methods other than Shopify Payments or PayPal Express.
Reference: About pre-orders｜RuffRuff 予約販売 Help Center
When does payment happen when using a pre-order app?
It depends on the app, but for pre-orders that simply change the cart button text, payment happens at the same timing as a regular order.
Some pre-order apps also support "deferred payment," letting you shift the payment-finalization timing to any point you choose, such as before the product ships. However, since a pre-order app's deferred-payment feature relies on Shopify's purchase-options mechanism, you can only use Shopify Payments or PayPal Express.
Currently, only a handful of pre-order apps support deferred payment, but "RuffRuff 予約販売" lets you use the deferred-payment feature.
Reference: Using deferred payment｜RuffRuff 予約販売 Help Center
What other features do pre-order apps have?
It varies by app, but some pre-order apps offer features like the following.
Discount feature
Lets you sell pre-order products at a discounted price.
Like movie advance tickets, you can also set prices so that buying earlier gets you a better deal.
"RuffRuff 予約販売" also has a discount feature.
You can check it out on the demo product below. Please use it as a reference.
Pre-order condition settings
A condition-setting feature lets you run pre-order sales beyond just "always run pre-orders," such as:
- Only run pre-orders when out of stock (useful if you don't want to lose sales on out-of-stock items)
- Only run pre-orders when in stock (useful if you want to limit the pre-order quantity)
- Only run pre-orders during a specific period
- Start pre-orders from a specific date
- Run pre-orders until a specific date
- Run pre-orders every Wednesday
- Run pre-orders on dates containing a 5, every month
- Only run pre-orders for members
- Only run pre-orders for members with a VIP tag
- Only run pre-orders for members without a blacklist tag
and more
"RuffRuff 予約販売" currently lets you configure the following condition items.
Combining these condition items lets you achieve the kinds of pre-order setups listed above.
(Condition items you can configure in RuffRuff 予約販売)
- Inventory level
- Start date/time
- End date/time
- Recurrence (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Customer info (logged in or not, customer tag, excluded customer tag)
Action settings when conditions aren't met
You can configure what happens to the cart button, and whether orders are accepted, when the pre-order conditions aren't met. This feature lets you handle cases like "don't accept orders outside the pre-order period."
"RuffRuff 予約販売" also lets you configure actions for when conditions aren't met.
(Actions you can configure in RuffRuff 予約販売 for when conditions aren't met)
- Disable/hide the cart button
- Change the cart button text
- Product message
Automatic product/order tagging
Automatically tagging products and orders lets you filter pre-order products and orders not just within the app, but in the Shopify admin as well, and lets you streamline your operations by combining this with features like Shopify Flow.
"RuffRuff 予約販売" has a feature that automatically tags pre-orders with an order tag. You can also set your own custom order tags.
Badge display on pre-order products
Depending on the app, you can show a badge on product listings in collection pages or search results whenever a pre-order product is included.
Product card badge illustration for RuffRuff 予約販売
RuffRuff 予約販売 lets you display product card badges on product images on the Starter plan or higher. The legacy pre-order badge has been retired.
Email/SMS sending
This feature automatically sends an email or SMS when a customer places a pre-order or when the product arrives.
Simultaneous-order control feature (cart mixing alert)
This feature shows customers an alert when they add both regular and pre-order items to their cart at the same time. This makes them aware of the pre-order item ahead of time, helping prevent inquiries and issues before they happen.
With RuffRuff 予約販売, the "simultaneous-order limits" feature lets you not only show an alert message when regular and pre-order items are added to the cart together, but also show an alert when multiple pre-order items are added to the cart together — letting you freely adjust the scope (the level of restriction) of what can be ordered together.
For more on achieving simultaneous-order control on Shopify, please also refer to the blog post below.
Restock notification (Back In Stock) feature
Depending on the app, you can show not just a pre-order button but also a restock-notification button. RuffRuff 予約販売 also supports restock notifications.
The blog post below explains restock notifications in detail. Please use it as a reference.
Countdown timer
This feature counts down the time remaining until the product switches to regular sales.
Some apps also have features that let you control which countries see pre-order sales, or limit the number of pre-orders that can be placed in a single day.
What happens if I uninstall the app?
Most apps appear to be built so that all code is removed when you uninstall them.
Can I switch or migrate to another app?
"Timesact｜Advance Reservation" and others appear to support migrating from another app. However, communication will be in English.
What's the difference between pre-orders and restock notifications?
Pre-orders let you sell a product before its launch or before it arrives, and ship it once it arrives.
Restock notifications (arrival notifications), on the other hand, don't sell the product — they just notify customers once the product has arrived.
Since pre-orders let you sell at a time when purchase intent is high, they can be said to reduce missed sales opportunities more than restock notifications.
How do I decide between pre-orders and restock notifications?
We think it's best to choose pre-orders when the arrival timing is clear (you can deliver by a promised date), or when you're reasonably confident you can deliver within 30 days of purchase. Otherwise, we recommend choosing restock notifications.
What's the difference between pre-orders and made-to-order?
Both pre-orders and made-to-order share the feature that it takes time between order and shipment, but they differ somewhat in when orders are accepted and what happens afterward.
Pre-orders accept orders before launch (or before arrival) and ship on the launch date (or once the item arrives), whereas made-to-order accepts orders at any time, begins production once ordered, and ships once production is complete.
The blog post below introduces the benefits of made-to-order and recommended apps. Please use it as a reference.
How much do pre-order apps cost?
Pre-order app costs vary by app.
For details, please see "Comparing by pricing plan."
How long is the free trial for pre-order apps?
The free trial period for pre-order apps varies by app. Specifically, it's as follows:
- RuffRuff 予約販売 3 days
- Preorder Now Presale Timesact (formerly: Timesact) None
- PreOrder Wolf ‑ Pre‑order Now 10 days
- Appikon ‑ Pre‑Order (formerly: Pre‑order Today) None
- PreOrder Globo | Back in Stock None
- Amai PreOrder Manager + Notify (formerly: Pre‑Order Manager) 14 days
- Yoyaku Hanbai 7 days
In closing
To make pre-order sales successful on Shopify, choosing the right pre-order app and running effective promotions are key. In this article, we compared and analyzed representative Shopify pre-order apps and explained tips for making pre-order sales successful.
We hope this article helps you choose a pre-order app that fits your product characteristics and needs, and run effective promotions to make your pre-order sales a success.
Pre-order sales offer many benefits, such as demand forecasting and more efficient inventory management, but there are also points to watch out for, such as preventing buyers from forgetting their order and managing shipments. We hope the information in this article helps you succeed with pre-order sales on your Shopify store.
The blog post below, besides pre-order apps, introduces various other recommended apps by category, such as for "attracting customers," "increasing sales," and "expanding blog functionality." Please use it as a reference.
