Processing orders

When a customer buys something from your online store or any other sales channel, it appears as a new order in the Orders page of Shopify.

What happens when you receive an online order

When you receive an online order:

  • You receive a new order notification by email.
  • The Orders page of Shopify shows the new order.
  • The customer receives an order confirmation email.
  • Order processing begins.

What happens when you process a Shopify POS order

When you make a sale in person by using Shopify POS:

  • The Orders page of Shopify shows the order with a payment status of Paid or Partially paid.
  • If the customer provided their email address, then they receive a POS receipt by email.

Typical processing flow for online orders

Every online order goes through 3 stages. At each stage, a different action is required in Shopify. You can set up Shopify to perform these actions automatically, or you can do them manually:

Typical processing flow for online orders
Order stateWhat you need to do
1. Order has been placed. Capture payment.
2. Order has been paid. Fulfill the order.
3. Order has been fulfilled and paid. Archive the order.

Depending on your own business needs, you can automate some or all your order processing at each stage.

Automate your order processing

If you are selling digital products or using a fulfillment service, then you might want to automate your order processing by turning on the following automations:

Ready to start selling with Shopify?Try it free