Pricing Plans: Preorder Limits and what happens when you Reach Them (Essential Preorder app)
This article explains how the monthly preorder limit works on each Essential Preorder plan, what the app does as you get close to it, and what happens when you reach it. It is for shop owners deciding which plan they need, or wondering why a Preorder button disappeared.
What counts toward the preorder limit
Every order that contains at least one preorder item placed through an Essential Preorder campaign counts as one preorder. Orders are counted per calendar month (UTC). The count starts again on the 1st of each month, not on your Shopify billing date.
Where to see your usage
- Home shows a usage bar with preorders used this month against your plan limit.
- Pricing plans shows your current plan, its limit and the rate above the limit.
Limits and rates per plan
| Plan | Preorders included per month | Above the limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 25 | No overage. Campaigns unpublish 3 days after you reach the cap |
| Lite ($4.95/month) | 100 | $0.25 per order |
| Starter ($8.95/month) | 300 | $0.20 per order |
| Essentials ($24.95/month) | 500 | $0.10 per order |
| Professional ($59/month) | Unlimited | No cap, no overage |
Examples:
- Lite, 130 preorder orders in a month: 100 included, 30 × $0.25 = $7.50
- Starter, 350 preorder orders: 300 included, 50 × $0.20 = $10.00
- Essentials, 560 preorder orders: 500 included, 60 × $0.10 = $6.00
Overage is billed through Shopify as app usage charges, so it appears on your Shopify bill. Paid plans never unpublish campaigns. You get one email when you pass your included amount.
Warnings on the Free plan
The app warns you three times on the way up, at 20%, 50% and 70% of your monthly limit. Each warning is a banner on Home and an email to your store email. It says the same thing: campaigns will unpublish at the cap.
When you reach the limit, the banner changes to a countdown: You reached your monthly preorder limit. Campaigns will unpublish in 3 days. You also get a countdown email. Upgrade during those 3 days and nothing is unpublished.
What happens at the Free plan cap
Three days after you reach 25 preorders:
- Your preorder campaigns are unpublished. The Preorder button stops showing on your store.
- For campaigns whose Continue selling when out of stock control is set to Automatic (the default), the app turns Shopify’s “Continue selling when out of stock” off for the products in them. Out-of-stock products then show as sold out instead of buyable.
- Campaigns set to Manual are left as they are. The app does not touch “Continue selling” for them.
- A product that is also in another published campaign that needs “Continue selling” on keeps it on.
Every change the app makes is listed under Home → Activity log, with the reason Campaign unpublished. See Shopify “Continue selling when out of stock” and Essential Preorder.
To get the button back, upgrade and republish the campaigns, or wait for the count to reset on the 1st of next month and republish then.
Common questions
Will my Preorder button disappear if I hit the Free limit?
Yes, 3 days after you reach it, unless you upgrade first.
Do limits reset monthly?
Yes, on the 1st of each month at 00:01 UTC. Your Shopify billing date does not matter.
Do Back in Stock notifications count?
No. They have their own limit, see Back in Stock notification limits.
What should I do if I am about to hit the limit?
Upgrade before you reach it, especially if a live campaign cannot afford a pause. For plan details see Plans and billing.
Still stuck?
Contact support from the app with your store name and the campaign that was unpublished. We can see your usage and the exact time of the change.