How to accept pre-orders in WooCommerce

Decide whether customers should pay at checkout or when the product is released. Also confirm the expected availability date, how many units you can supply, whether customers can order other products in the same cart, and what happens if the release is delayed.

Paying upfront is simpler to operate, but you must handle refunds if the launch is cancelled. Paying upon release reduces that problem, but requires a compatible gateway or a second payment request when the product becomes available.

For a small launch, WooCommerce core may be enough. Edit the product, open Product data > Inventory, enable stock management if you need to track quantities, and set Allow backorders to either allow them or allow them while notifying the customer. Add a clear availability message to the product description or short description. WooCommerce documents backorders as the built-in route for selling when stock is unavailable.

This route does not create a proper pre-order status, schedule a release, collect payment later, or automatically notify every customer when the product is ready. You will need to track the orders yourself, contact customers manually and change the product settings when stock arrives. Do not promise a date that is only written in product text, because WooCommerce will not enforce it.

Use a dedicated pre-order extension when you need a release date, pre-order-specific order management, customer notifications or payment upon release. Install the extension from Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin, activate it, and follow its setup screen. The exact menu names depend on the extension and its version.

The official WooCommerce Pre-Orders documentation describes product-level pre-orders, an active pre-order stage and separate handling for upfront and upon-release payments.

Edit the product and enable pre-orders in the product data panel. Enter the expected availability date and time, choose whether payment is taken upfront or upon release, set the customer-facing message, and decide whether a pre-order fee applies. For variable products, check how the extension handles variations before publishing: the official WooCommerce extension applies its pre-order setting at product level, while WooCommerce backorders can be configured for individual variations.

Set stock limits if supply is restricted. If you allow unlimited backorders or pre-orders without checking incoming stock, you can sell more units than your supplier can provide.

Review the payment method shown during pre-order checkout. With an upon-release workflow, a supported gateway may charge saved payment details when the order is completed; otherwise, customers may receive a payment-required message and return to your shop to pay manually. The payment gateway must support the method you choose, and a card can expire before the release date.

Open the extension email settings and customise the pre-order confirmation, release-date change, cancellation and availability messages. Include the expected date, whether payment has already been taken, shipping expectations and what customers should do if the date changes.

Place a test order as a customer using the same product, variation and payment method you plan to offer. Check the product message, cart, checkout, confirmation page, order status, stock count and customer emails. If you mix a pre-order with an immediately available product, confirm whether the extension holds the whole order until release or splits fulfilment.

After the product is available, complete one test release before contacting customers. Confirm that payment, stock reduction, fulfilment status and the availability email all work. For a managed workflow, WooCommerce Pre-Orders is a suitable option when you need scheduled availability, deposits or payment timing, inventory handling and release emails.