Orders, shipping and refunds
What each order status means, how stock and your books change at each step, and how to ship and refund.
Each order shows one chip: where it stands now.
| Stage | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting for payment | Placed, money not in yet | Nothing, or Mark paid when it comes another way |
| To ship / Part shipped | Ready to send | Ship |
| Shipped | On its way | Mark delivered when it arrives |
| Payment due | Delivered (or nothing to deliver), not paid yet | Mark paid |
| Delivered / Paid | All done but not closed | Complete |
| Completed | Paid and delivered | Nothing |
| Cancelled, Refunded, Returned | Closed | Nothing |
A small note beside the chip tells you more when it matters, such as Cash on delivery or Part paid. On the order itself, a progress line shows each step with its date, and under the order number you'll still see all three statuses: order, payment and delivery.
The orders list
- Tabs sort orders by stage: To ship, Waiting for payment, Shipped, Payment due, Completed, Cancelled.
- Next on each row is the one thing to do now: Ship, Mark delivered, Complete or Record payment.
- Filters opens the detailed filters: each status, store and dates.
- Tick orders to work on many at once: Mark shipped, Complete, Packing slips PDF (one after another) and Pick list PDF: one list for all the ticked orders, each item once with its total and the orders it goes to, so you walk the shelves once.
Each order still has three statuses underneath:
| Words you'll see | |
|---|---|
| The order | Waiting for payment, Confirmed, Completed, Cancelled |
| Payment | Unpaid, Part paid, Paid, Part refunded, Refunded |
| Delivery | No delivery, To ship, Part shipped, Shipped, Delivered, Returned |
How stock and the books change
| Step | Stock | Your books |
|---|---|---|
| Order placed, waiting for payment | Kept for the order, so nobody else can buy it | Nothing yet |
| Paid online | Sales order counts it, then the invoice takes it out of stock | Sales order, invoice and payment |
| Cash on delivery, pay when you collect, or pay on invoice | The sales order counts it | Sales order only |
| Shipped, for those orders | The invoice takes it out of stock | Invoice |
| Bank transfer, marked paid | As paid online | Invoice and payment |
| Time to pay ran out | Goes back | Nothing |
| Refund, with restock | Back in stock | Credit note, and payment out if money went back |
| Refund, without restock | No change | Credit note, and payment out if money went back |
An invoice is only made once money is in, or at shipment for cash on delivery. A checkout nobody finished leaves no gap in your invoice numbers.
When your business moves stock with Inventory's packages and shipments, a store shipment makes a package and a shipment there too, and stock follows them.
The last one in stock
Stock is checked under a lock when an order is placed, so two shoppers can't both buy the last one. The second one is told how many are left.
To keep selling when you're out of stock, turn on backorders for a product or for the whole business.
Add an order yourself
For a phone or email order, use New order under Orders. Prices and tax are worked out exactly as at checkout.
Ship an order
Open the order and ship it. You can:
- Ship all of it, or some lines now and the rest later
- Enter the carrier, tracking number and tracking link
- Buy a label, if you connected a carrier. See Delivery and carriers
The customer gets an email, with the tracking number if you gave one. An order can't be shipped while it's still waiting for payment.
Packing slip PDF and Pick list PDF at the top of the order open a PDF with your letterhead, logo and paper size, like your invoices. Use the arrow next to each to download it, or for a quick print from the browser. They list what is still to send; once everything has gone, they list the whole order.
Finish an order
Under the order number, a line tells you the next step: ship it, wait for payment, or finish it.
When the parcel arrives, click Mark delivered and complete (or Complete order) at the top of the order. A paid order with everything delivered becomes Completed.
For cash on delivery: mark it delivered, then use Mark paid when the cash is in. The order completes on its own.
Change the delivery address
In the Customer box, click Edit next to Deliver to. You can change the name, phone, street, town and postcode. The sales order and invoice get the new delivery address too.
The state and country stay as they are, because the tax on the order depends on them. To change those, cancel the order and place a new one.
Record a payment by hand
When cash is collected or a bank transfer arrives, record the payment on the order. Choose the cash or bank account it went into. You can record part of it.
Cancel an order
You can cancel an order with no money on it that hasn't shipped. Its stock, any gift card or store credit used, points and coupon use all go back.
An order that has money on it needs a refund. An order that has shipped needs a return.
Refund an order
Choose what to refund, and whether the goods go back into stock. You can refund some lines, the delivery charge, or just an amount as goodwill.
Then choose how the money goes back:
| Choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| Through the gateway | The gateway is asked to send the money back. If it refuses, nothing is changed, and you can try again or refund by hand |
| By hand | You send the money yourself, and choose the cash or bank account it came from |
| Store credit | The amount goes on the customer's wallet |
| No money now | Only the credit note is made |
Every refund makes a credit note in your books. The customer gets an email. A refund through the gateway can take a few days to reach them, depending on the gateway.
Only Admins, Managers and custom roles with the right can give refunds, record payments or cancel orders. Order staff can ship.
Gift cards and points
A gift card sold is a promise, so it doesn't count as a sale. It moves to a liability account called Gift Cards and Store Credit until it's spent. Points are earned when an order is fully paid. See Marketing.