A preorder is an order placed for a product before it is available with the understanding that it will be shipped later. Often preorders are taken before products have gone into production. You can set products with this listing type within the product editor.
For information on apparel-specific preorders, please see our Help Center article Apparel Preorders.
How do I set up a preorder item?
To create your preorder product listing:
- Navigate to the Products tab in your portal.
- Select add a new product or edit an existing one
In the product editor, you will be able to indicate the item availability. For preorders:
- Toggle "On" the "Let retailers preorder this product" option in the Product Settings
- Then enter your expected "Ship Date" range (start and end date) and "Deadline to place an order" using the calendar fields.
The "Deadline to place an order" field is optional and allows you to accept preorders up to the date specified. Once this date has passed, the preorder listing will automatically deactivate.
If you do not need to have all orders in by a certain date, you may leave this field blank and the listing will not be deactivated until the "Ship Date" has passed.
You also have the ability to keep your preorder item available for sale after the “Deadline to place an order” and “Ship Date” end date by selecting the checkbox under the "Deadline to place an order" field.
When you have a specific inventory amount set, unchecking "continue selling when out of stock" will still allow those units to be sold on preorder. The system will track sales against your set inventory amount. Once your inventory amount has been reached, the item will then change to ‘out of stock’.
Can I limit who can purchase my preorders?
If you are concerned about who can see and ship your preorder items, you have the ability to sell preorders to qualified retailers only. This setting is the default setting and is already toggled “on'' in your Shop settings tab.
Qualified retailers are those who have met Faire’s wholesale buying requirements or are on your Faire customer list. With this toggle on, only these retailers will be able to view your preorder items.
Can I bulk upload preorders?
Yes! If you would like to add preorder products in bulk to your shop, you can add these listings to your shop using the bulk upload tool in your portal.
To add preorders in bulk, go to the Bulk upload tab and select Start upload or download a template under Step 1 to get started.
The below sections must be filled out in the Bulk upload template to create a preorder product:
- Preorder (Y/N)
- Ship By Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- Ship By End Date (if range, YYYY-MM-DD)
- Order By Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- Sell After Order By/Ship Date (Y/N)
For more information about each section that must be filled out to create a preorder, follow these instructions:
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Ship By Date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
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Ship By End Date (if range, YYYY-MM-DD) |
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Order By Date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
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Sell After Order By/Ship Date (Y/N) |
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Once the template has been filled in with all of your product details, you can move on to Step 2 in your portal and upload your complete spreadsheet. Once you click Submit, you will receive an email confirmation that the upload is complete. To learn more about the Bulk Upload process visit How do I add products using the Bulk Uploader?
How do I accept a preorder?
To accept a preorder, follow the same process as accepting an ATS order. To find new preorders:
- Look for the "New Wholesale Order" email that was sent to you
- Click on View Order or log into your Faire account
- Navigate to My Orders, or click View Order and input order details
You can accept the preorder by selecting the Accept Preorder button on the order page. You’re able to update the expected ship date as needed, as we realize these orders are often fulfilled several months after the preorder is placed. Preorders that are not accepted within 30 days are auto-canceled.
Can I set or change the estimated ship date on preorders?
At the start of your ship window, you will receive reminders to input the estimated ship date. You can input your estimated ship date on the order page. If for some reason there is going to be a delay in shipment or you would like to change the estimated ship date again you can select a date outside of your original ship window to communicate this new estimated ship date to the retailer. Your retailers will be automatically notified that their order is processing.
How do I cancel a preorder?
To cancel the order, click the "Cancel" button on the right side of the fulfillment page. This will automatically notify the retailer that their order has been canceled and will not be fulfilled.
How do I edit a preorder?
- Select the order that you wish to edit from your Orders tab
- From the order fulfillment page, select Edit
- Add preorder products by selecting Add Product
- In the search bar, type in the name of the preorder product you would like to add, then select the product
- Once your edits are complete, select Update to save and leave an optional note for the retailer.
Note, you can’t have non-preorder listings and preorder listings in the same order due to different ship dates.
Why am I getting an error message?
Error: Product preorder details cannot be changed due to unconfirmed invoice #XXXX
- This means you have a pending invoice that includes this product. Please go to the Invoicing tab and search for the invoice number. Products included on an unconfirmed invoice cannot be updated. To get the invoice confirmed, send a reminder for the invoice or reach out to the retailer directly for more information. If you do not need this invoice, you can select delete. This will allow you to change the product availability.
Error: Cannot backorder a preorderable product/ Product that is pre-orderable cannot be back-ordered
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This means your product option was marked as unavailable, which prompted it to go out of stock. To set the product option as a preorder, you will need to first mark the product as in stock by clicking Mark as In Stock. This will allow you to list the product option as a preorder.
How do I write a preorder for my retailers?
To write a preorder for your retailers:
- Go to the Invoicing tab
- Select Create order
- Add products to the order
- Once you have added all the products to the order, select Save as Draft
Please note: you can’t have non-preorder listings and preorder listings in the same order due to different ship dates. The first product you list will determine what “Ship Date” option is chosen, whether it's: Ship now, Scheduled Ship Date or Preorder. (I.e. Adding a preorder listing first, will automatically select "Set future ship date" as the ship date.)
For more information on how to write orders and preorders through Faire, visit How to write your orders through Faire
How do I split a preorder?
Splitting a preorder allows you to partition an existing preorder into separate orders to easily account for changes on some of the preorder products in an unfulfilled order. When you split a preorder, you specify the quantities of product you’d like to move from the original preorder into a new preorder.
To learn more about how to split a preorder, visit How to split an order
How will preorders appear in my account?
When a retailer places an order that includes both available-to-ship and preorder products, the order will be split into separate orders based on the product's expected ship date.
Why is this preorder under my order minimum?
When retailers place an order with both ready-to-ship products and preorder products, the order will be split into two separate orders. This is due to the different ship dates assigned to the products. That said, when placed, the total amount of the order should meet your set order minimum. So if you are seeing an order that is below your minimum and contains pre-order products, it is most likely because the original order was split into two.
When will I be paid for preorders?
Payouts work the same as regular order payouts. You will be paid based on your terms of payout according to the order's ship date. For more details visit What are my options for payouts?