How to enable the direct to checkout preorder button
EZ Preorder & Back In Stock can send shoppers straight to checkout when they click the preorder button, instead of leaving them on the product page or in the cart. Turn on Direct to Checkout in Configuration and save. The preorder button then adds the item to the cart and opens Shopify checkout in one step, on product pages and in your theme's featured product sections.
Available on: Professional and Scale plans. On the Free, Core and Growth plans the setting shows Upgrade to Professional instead of a toggle.
Where to find it: EZ PreOrder → Configuration → Direct to Checkout.
Steps
- In EZ PreOrder, open Configuration.
- Under Conversion, click Direct to Checkout.
- Switch on the toggle.
- Click Save in the save bar.
To go back to the normal add to cart behavior, switch the toggle off and click Save. The change applies the next time a shopper loads a page.
What shoppers see with Direct to Checkout on
With Direct to Checkout on, the preorder button looks the same. When a shopper clicks it:
- The button is disabled while the item is added to the cart.
- The item is added exactly as the normal preorder button would add it: the selected variant and quantity, the line item property
type: preorder, the deposit option the shopper chose if partial payments are on, and any free gift the page adds. See Partial payments and deposits and Free gifts with preorders. - The shopper is taken to Shopify checkout.
Checkout shows the whole cart, so anything the shopper already had in the cart is in the checkout too, next to the preorder item. They can return to the cart from checkout to change it.
Where Direct to Checkout applies
| Where the preorder button is | With Direct to Checkout on |
|---|---|
| Product page | Goes straight to checkout. |
| Your theme's featured product sections | Goes straight to checkout. |
| Product card buttons on collection pages | Adds to the cart as usual. |
| Quick add popups | Adds to the cart as usual. |
| Preorder Featured Product block | Adds to the cart and opens the cart page. See How to use the featured preorder section. |
| Custom preorder page | Adds to the cart and stays on the page. See How to set up the custom preorder page. |
Your theme's add to cart button on products that are not on preorder is not affected.
Limitations
- Whole cart at checkout. Shopify checkout always contains the full cart, not only the preorder item.
- No cart drawer. Because the shopper leaves the page, your theme's cart drawer or cart popup does not open.
- Failed adds show no message. If Shopify refuses to add the item, for example because not enough stock is left for the quantity chosen, the button becomes clickable again and the shopper stays on the page without an error message.
- Store-wide. The setting applies to every preorder product. You cannot turn it on for some products only.
Troubleshooting
Clicking the preorder button does nothing. Shopify refused to add the item. Try a quantity of 1 and check the variant's stock and Continue selling when out of stock setting in Shopify admin. If the theme's own button also fails for this product, see I cannot add the preorder product to the cart.
Shoppers still land on the cart page. Check where they clicked. Collection page buttons, quick add popups, the Preorder Featured Product block and the custom preorder page do not use Direct to Checkout. On the product page, check that you clicked Save after switching the toggle on.
Checkout contains products the shopper added earlier. That is how Shopify checkout works; it checks out the whole cart.
The toggle is missing and I see Upgrade to Professional. Direct to Checkout needs the Professional or Scale plan. See Plans and pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Which plan includes the direct to checkout button?
Direct to Checkout is on the Professional and Scale plans. On the Free, Core and Growth plans the Direct to Checkout tab shows an Upgrade to Professional link.
Do deposits and free gifts still work with Direct to Checkout?
Yes. The preorder button adds the same items it would add without Direct to Checkout, including the deposit option and free gifts, before opening checkout.
Does Direct to Checkout work on collection pages?
No. Direct to Checkout applies to the preorder button on product pages and in your theme's featured product sections. Collection page buttons and quick add popups add the item to the cart.
What happens to Direct to Checkout if I move to a lower plan?
The setting stays as it was. If Direct to Checkout was on, preorder buttons keep sending shoppers to checkout, and the tab shows Upgrade to Professional instead of the toggle. Turn it off before you change plans, or contact support to turn it off for you.
Can Shopify Sidekick turn Direct to Checkout on?
Yes, on the Professional and Scale plans. Sidekick fills in the change on the Configuration page and you click Save to apply it. See How to use EZ Preorder with Shopify Sidekick.
Related articles
- How to show the preorder button on collection pages and featured product sections: the other places the preorder button appears.
- How to use the featured preorder section: the block that always opens the cart.
- Partial payments and deposits: deposit options that carry through to checkout.
- Free gifts with preorders: gifts added with the preorder item.
- Plans and pricing: what each plan includes.
- How to use EZ Preorder with Shopify Sidekick: change this setting by asking Sidekick.