How Post Purchase Upsells Affect Your Order Fulfillment

Understanding the fulfillment process when using Essential Upsell & Cross Sell post-purchase offers.

Order Status Changes

When a customer completes checkout and is eligible for post-purchase offers, Shopify automatically places a fulfillment hold on their order. This prevents premature fulfillment while the customer considers additional purchases.

The Fulfillment Hold System ❓

What is a Fulfillment Hold?

• Orders are marked as “On Hold” when post-purchase offers are shown
• This signals to your fulfillment team that the order may be modified
• Additional items could be added if the customer accepts an upsell

Hold Duration 🕟

The fulfillment hold automatically releases in these different scenarios:

• Customer Accepts Offer: The hold releases immediately after the customer accepts the upsell products. The order status changes to “Unfulfilled” and now includes the additional upsold items. All items will be fulfilled together in a single shipment.
• Customer Declines Offer: The hold releases immediately when the customer declines post-purchase offers. The order status changes to “Unfulfilled” with only the original items, and fulfillment can begin right away.
• Customer Abandons Page: If the customer closes their browser or navigates away without making a decision, the system automatically releases the hold after exactly 60 minutes from when the order was created. The order then becomes “Unfulfilled” with only the original items.
• No Post-Purchase Offer Shown: If the customer’s order doesn’t qualify for post-purchase offers (due to payment method, currency, or other limitations), no hold is applied and the order immediately becomes “Unfulfilled” for normal processing.

Impact on Different Business Types 📍

Standard E-commerce

• 60-minute delay maximum before fulfillment can begin
• Most customers interact with offers within 5-10 minutes
• Minimal impact on shipping times

Digital Products/Downloads

• Creates delivery delays for instant download products
• Customers expect immediate access, but may wait up to 60 minutes
• Consider this limitation when selling digital goods

Dropshipping Operations

• May affect automated order processing systems
• Ensure your automation accounts for “On Hold” status
• Don’t process orders until status changes to “Unfulfilled”

Order Modification Process 🔍

When Customer Accepts Offer

1. Order Updated: Original order is modified (not duplicated)
2. Payment Charged: Additional payment processed automatically
3. New Line Item: Upsold product added to existing order
4. Hold Released: Order becomes available for fulfillment
5. Single Fulfillment: All items ship together in one package

When Customer Declines or Abandons

1. No Changes: Original order items remain unchanged
2. Hold Released: Order immediately becomes “Unfulfilled”
3. Ready for Processing: Can be fulfilled normally

Best Practices for Fulfillment 📦

Automated Systems

• Program systems to wait for “Unfulfilled” status before processing
• Don’t begin fulfillment for orders marked “On Hold”
• Account for a 60-minute maximum hold duration

Manual Processing

• Check order status before picking/packing
• Wait for the hold release if the order shows “On Hold”
• Process all items together after hold release

Customer Communication

• Inform customers about potential processing delays
• Add shipping policy notes about post-purchase offers
• Include hold information in order confirmation emails

⚠️ Remember: The fulfillment hold system is a global Shopify feature that ensures order accuracy when post-purchase offers are available. Plan your fulfillment processes accordingly to maintain efficient operations.