Introduction to Pre-Order
Pre-Order lets a product take orders before it exists. A shopper reserves it today, you charge them now or take a deposit, and the plugin releases the product on the date you set.
What it is for
Section titled “What it is for”A launch date is the hardest part of selling something new. You need to know how many to make before you make them, and a shopper who lands on an out-of-stock page rarely comes back.
Pre-Order turns that page into a reservation. The product keeps its Add to cart slot, the button reads Pre-Order, and the shopper sees when it arrives instead of seeing nothing.
What it adds to your store
Section titled “What it adds to your store”- A pre-order layer on any simple product: Set a release date, a stock figure, and whether the countdown shows.
- Two ways to charge: Full price up front, or a deposit now with the balance collected on release.
- A release date that acts on its own. The plugin flips the product to available when the date arrives and emails everyone who reserved it.
- A pre-order record for the shopper. A My Pre-Orders page in their account, with what they paid and what is left to pay.
- Numbers for you: Reserved stock, pre-order revenue, and which products are due to release.
What the shopper sees
Section titled “What the shopper sees”A pre-order product carries a badge in the shop, a release date, a countdown, and a short notice you write. The price line shows what they pay today.
The Customer Experience walks that journey from the shop page to the balance payment.
Where the settings live
Section titled “Where the settings live”Everything is under DevDiggers Plugins → Pre-Order. Four screens: Dashboard, Products, Orders and Configuration.
Pre-order settings do not live on the WooCommerce product editor. A product becomes a pre-order from the plugin’s own Products screen, which keeps the release data in one place and leaves the product itself untouched.
What is free and what is Pro
Section titled “What is free and what is Pro”The free version sells pre-orders at full price. Everything about money and eligibility is Pro.
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-order any simple product, with a release date and stock | Yes | Yes |
| Full payment when the shopper reserves | Yes | Yes |
| Deposit now, balance on release | No | Yes |
| Automatic balance charge on release day | No | Yes |
| Release the product automatically on its date | Yes | Yes |
| Badge, release date, notice and storefront colours | Yes | Yes |
| Countdown timer | Minimal style | Five styles |
| Order confirmation and availability emails | Yes | Yes |
| Release reminders, and emails when a date moves | No | Yes |
| Pre-order surcharge at checkout | No | Yes |
| Restrict pre-orders to logged-in customers or roles | No | Yes |
| Quantity limits per order and per customer | No | Yes |
| Restrict which payment gateways accept pre-orders | No | Yes |
| Turn out-of-stock products into pre-orders automatically | No | Yes |
| Export products and orders to CSV | No | Yes |
The free version is a complete pre-order plugin for a store that charges the full price up front. Deposits are the reason most stores upgrade.
Requirements
Section titled “Requirements”WooCommerce 9.5 or later, WordPress 6.5 or later. The Pro version installs the free plugin alongside itself and needs both active.