Orders and fulfillment
Checkout creates an order that you process from Orders. A signed-in customer can keep several addresses and choose one shipping address for that order. Billing can be a different address.
Order lifecycle
Guest checkout is off until you turn it on under Currency & tax. When it is on, a shopper without an account gets a confirmation email. The link in that email is how they reopen the order. You process a guest order on the same order screen as a registered one.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending Payment | Checkout finished, payment not settled. |
| Processing | Paid and waiting to be fulfilled. |
| Partially Shipped | At least one shipment has gone out, and some quantity remains. |
| Shipped | The ordered quantity is in shipments. |
| Delivered | Marked delivered. |
| Completed | Closed. |
| Cancelled | Cancelled. |
| Refunding / Refunded | A refund is in progress, or recorded as done. |
Payment has its own status: Pending, Paid, Failed, Cancelled, Refunded, or Partially Refunded.
Status emails are the ones you enable under Email Settings → Order emails. Until you change that list, the default messages are Processing and Shipped. Partially Shipped, Delivered, Cancelled, and Refunded can be added.
Fulfillment
An order is postal shipping, pickup, or digital. You add shipments while the order is Processing, Partially Shipped, or Shipped.
| Method | What you do |
|---|---|
| Postal shipping | Create a shipment, enter the carrier and tracking number, and choose which lines and quantities go in that package. |
| Local pickup | The shopper picks a pickup point and enters a name and phone. The order shows that point and that contact, so staff can match the person collecting the goods. |
| Digital | Record a license and an authorization code instead of a carrier. |
Split shipments
Each shipment covers the lines and quantities you select. A line can ship in part. The remainder stays available for the next shipment, with its own carrier and tracking number. Repeat until every unit is in a shipment. Set the order to Partially Shipped while quantity remains, and to Shipped when it does not.
Returns
System → After-sales controls whether shoppers can request a return, a refund, or an exchange. It stays available until you turn it off. Turning it off hides the storefront form. Orders → Returns stays available, and requests already filed are kept.
When it is on, the customer applies from the order page. The window is counted from delivery, or from shipment if the order is not marked delivered. The default is 7 days. You can change that number.
A request is refund only, return and refund, or an exchange. Review it under Returns, then record the refund after you have confirmed it, or record the replacement shipment. The exchange reship fee is collected outside the checkout.
Next step
With fulfillment in place, continue to Promotions and marketing for product discounts, spend-and-save offers, and coupon codes.