How to show estimated delivery dates for pre-orders and backorders on Shopify

The problem with pre-order silence

When customers pre-order an item and you don’t show a delivery date, they assume the worst. most abandon before checkout because the uncertainty is too high. showing “ships August” or “arrives August 15” cuts pre-order hesitation in half.

two strategies: month-based vs specific date

month-based: “Ships July 2026”. use this when inventory arrives mid-month and you don’t want to be too specific. advantage: low pressure, hard to get wrong. disadvantage: vague, customers overestimate wait time.

specific date: “Arrives August 12”. use this when you know exactly when stock arrives and how long delivery takes. advantage: removes all doubt, customers convert. disadvantage: if you’re 3 days late, customer anger.

Step 1. Know your restock date

contact your supplier. when does the next batch arrive? account for lead time from port to warehouse. example: supplier ships July 15, takes 2 weeks to land, arrives July 29.

Step 2. Add processing time

when your warehouse receives the pre-order stock, how long until you pick, pack, and ship it? typical: 1-2 days. if you batch pre-orders with regular orders, add 3-5 days.

Step 3. Add shipping time

same as your regular zones. example: domestic = 2 days, EU = 10 days.

Step 4. Pick your messaging

once you have the date, decide if it’s specific enough to say “arrives August 12” or vague enough to say “ships July”. if your restock is within a 5-day window, use “ships [month]”. if you know the date, be specific.

Step 5. Update Arrively

in the app, mark the pre-order product as “backordered”. set the restock date and estimated ship window. the app will show “Coming soon: August 12” or “Backordered, ships July 29” depending on your copy choice.

Critical: update when stock arrives

the day your warehouse receives inventory, update the ETA in the app. change the status from “pre-order” to “in stock” and let customers know the date just moved up. this drives urgency and goodwill.

Common mistake: hiding the date to avoid blame

some merchants show nothing because they’re afraid of being late. the result is higher cart abandonment. it is better to show a conservative date and ship early than hide the date and disappoint.

Why specific dates convert better

when customers see “Arrives August 12”, they can plan around it. they know if they need it in August or if they can wait. that confidence lifts conversion 20-30 percent versus “Coming soon, date unknown”.

see the shopify estimated delivery date guide for the full strategy on how transparent delivery windows drive trust and reduce refunds.

also check the arrively app page to set pre-order dates in your store free (Arrively’s free plan covers backordered items).