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What is a pre-order?

A pre-order is a purchase of a product before it's in stock or released, paid now or at shipping.

A real store example

Frank & Eileen coming soon page: about 70 Meta ads linked here.

Frank & Eileen runs ads to a coming-soon page before products launch. Collecting interest before stock arrives is the step before taking pre-orders: it shows how much demand a launch has before the brand commits to inventory.

Open the pageSee their ads

Getting pre-order right

  1. State the ship date

    Put the expected ship date by the button and in the confirmation email. Uncertainty is the main reason pre-orders get cancelled.

  2. Give a reason to order early

    First access, a launch price or a limited color turns interest into an order now.

  3. Collect interest first

    A waitlist page before pre-orders open tells you how much stock to make.

Ask Replo: "build a coming-soon page that collects emails for my launch".

Build my waitlist page

Pre-order questions

Is it legal to take pre-orders?
Yes. In the US, the FTC's mail order rule requires you to ship within the time you state, or within 30 days if you state none, and to offer a refund if you can't. Say the ship date clearly.
Should I charge at order or at shipping?
Charging at order funds production and confirms demand. Charging at shipping is easier on buyers but leads to more cancellations. Card authorizations expire, so long waits usually mean charging up front.
How is a pre-order different from a backorder?
A pre-order is for a product that isn't released yet. A backorder is for a product that's released but out of stock. Both take payment for stock you don't have yet.

Related terms

Browse the glossary

Lead magnet

A lead magnet is something free, such as a sample, discount, quiz result or guide, offered in exchange for a visitor's contact details.

Landing page

A landing page is a page built for one campaign or audience, with one goal, usually where ad or email traffic lands.

SKU

A SKU (stock keeping unit) is a unique code a store gives each product variant it sells, so it can track inventory and sales for that exact item.

DTC

DTC (direct to consumer) is a brand selling straight to shoppers through its own site instead of through retailers or wholesalers.

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