When running pre-orders in your Shopify store, there are cases where you want to restrict customers from adding pre-order items and regular items to the same cart. This guide walks you through, step by step, how to configure the RuffRuff Pre Order app so that pre-order items and regular items cannot be ordered at the same time. This setting helps prevent customer confusion and makes it easier to manage a smooth shipping and fulfillment process.
You can see this in action on the demo product below. Please use it as a reference.
How to Prevent Pre-Order and Regular Items from Being Ordered at the Same Time
This article introduces how to configure RuffRuff Pre Order so that products for which pre-orders are enabled (hereafter, "pre-order items") and products sold as regular items (hereafter, "regular items") cannot be ordered at the same time.
With this setting, your online store will behave as follows.
| Cart status | Adding a pre-order item | Adding a regular item |
|---|---|---|
| Empty (nothing in cart) | ⭕️ Allowed | ⭕️ Allowed |
| Cart contains a pre-order item | ⭕️ Allowed | ❌️ Not allowed |
| Cart contains a regular item | ❌️ Not allowed | ⭕️ Allowed |
Setup steps
(1) Open the RuffRuff Pre Order app
(2) Click "Order limits" in the left-hand menu
(3) Select "Only pre-order items allowed" from the limit level
ℹ️ In this example we selected "Only pre-order items allowed," but be sure to check the "Differences Between Limit Levels" section and choose the limit that's right for your store.
(4) Check the pages where you want to enable the limit
(5) Add the alert message to display on the pages you checked in (4)
(6) Click Save
How to verify the behavior
(1) With a pre-order item in the cart, try adding a regular item to the cart
(2) With a pre-order item in the cart, try adding another pre-order item to the cart
(3) With a regular item in the cart, try adding a pre-order item to the cart
(4) With a regular item in the cart, try adding another regular item to the cart
(5) Confirm that the alert message appears and the item cannot be added to the cart only in cases (2) and (3)
This completes the setup.
Differences Between Limit Levels
There are four limit levels for pre-order items.
- All allowed: Pre-order items can be ordered at the same time as regular items. There are no restrictions on combinations.
- Only pre-order items allowed: Cannot be ordered at the same time as regular items, but combinations of different pre-order items are allowed.
- Only pre-order items with the same rules are allowed. Cannot be ordered at the same time as regular items. Combinations of pre-order items are only allowed between items that share the same pre-order rule.
- Not allowed: Pre-order items can only be ordered on their own. They cannot be ordered at the same time as any other item, whether regular or pre-order.
In Closing
In this article, we explained how to prevent pre-order items and regular items from being ordered together in your Shopify store. With the RuffRuff Pre Order app, you can prevent regular items from being added when a pre-order item is already in the cart, and vice versa.
Cases where this setting is especially useful
- When you sell items with significantly different shipping timelines
- When the fulfillment process differs between pre-order items and regular items
- When you want to prevent customer confusion and reduce shipping-related inquiries
Since this setting affects the customer's purchasing experience, we recommend using a clear message to explain why items cannot be purchased together. Also, be sure to review your settings periodically and choose the limit level that best fits your business needs.
Make the most of this setting to achieve a smooth sales experience and efficient operations.
