Informing customers about an estimated delivery or pickup date
You can show an estimated delivery date at checkout and on a product page. An estimated delivery date is a time range when an order is expected to arrive to your customer. For self-pickup, you can show an estimated available time for pickup instead.
The delivery date is calculated based on multiple factors: order preparation time, transit time, and the preferred shipping method. Once you set up your shipping settings, an approximate delivery time automatically appears at checkout. Customers will see estimated delivery dates for different shipping options, including local delivery and pickup, and be able to choose the one that works best for them.
For Germany-located stores, an estimated delivery time appears automatically on a product page once you specify it in your shipping settings. For other stores, enabling an estimated delivery time on a product page is optional.
Adding an estimated delivery time to checkout
To show delivery time at checkout, you need to set up order preparation and transit time for your shipping methods. If you ship with real-time rates, your store automatically calculates transit time. If you use flat rates or custom rates, you will need to specify transit time for orders manually. For self-pickup, you need to specify the order fulfillment time.
To add an approximate delivery date to checkout:
- From your store admin, go to Shipping & Pickup.
- Choose an existing shipping method or create a new one.
- In shipping settings, enable the Show approximate delivery date at checkout toggle.
- (for non-real-time rates methods) In the Estimated transit time, specify how long it usually takes for a shipping company to deliver an order.
- In the Order preparation time, specify how long it usually takes for you to prepare an order.
- In the Days when you pack orders, specify when you pack orders for shipment.
- In the I pack orders received past this time on the next day, set the final time to pack orders.
- Click Save.
- From your store admin, go to Shipping & Pickup.
- Choose an existing self-pickup method or create a new one.
- Enable the Ask for pickup date and time at checkout toggle.
- Specify your business hours and order fulfillment time.
- (optional) In the Allow choosing pickup date within, specify how far into the future customers will be able to schedule a pickup.
- (optional) In the Blackout dates, set specific dates when the pickup option is unavailable. These dates will override your business hours settings.
- Click Save.
Now your customers will see an estimated delivery time at checkout or will be able to choose a pickup date for self-pickup:
Adding an estimated delivery time to product pages
You can show an estimated delivery time for a product on a product page. It comes in handy if you offer express shipping methods and want to emphasize the advantage of fast delivery right away.
To enable an estimated delivery time for products:
- Specify an approximate delivery time in your shipping, delivery, or self-pickup settings.
- From your store admin, go to Catalog → Products.
- Tick products you want to display an approximate delivery time for. You can tick the checkbox above the catalog list to select all products.
- Click Mass Update.
- Choose Change Other Settings → Estimated Delivery Time → Show Estimated Delivery Time on Product Page.
- Specify an approximate delivery time in your shipping or self-pickup settings.
- From your store admin, go to Catalog → Products.
- Click Edit product next to an item for which you want to specify a delivery time.
- On the product editing page, select Shipping & Pickup tab.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and turn on the Show estimated delivery date on the product page toggle.
- Click Save.
Now your customers will see an estimated delivery time on product pages:
You can change where to display the estimated delivery time on a product page.
To change the place of the estimated delivery time section on a product page:
- From your store admin, go to Design.
- Scroll down to the Sidebar section.
- Drag and drop the Estimated delivery time field to change its position on a product page.
An estimated delivery date on a product page is visible to all store visitors even if they live in a state or country where you don’t ship to. If you have shipping area limitations, buyers will learn about restrictions during the checkout.
Setting an estimated delivery time for a specific product
If one of your products requires more time to prepare, you can change the order preparation time specifically for the product. It will affect delivery or pickup dates shown at checkout and on the product page.
Let’s say you sell cakes, and it normally takes you 2 days to bake one. But for wedding cakes, it takes 3 days. You can specify 2 days as order preparation time that will apply for all products in your shipping settings. As for wedding cakes, you can change the product preparation time to 3 days. That way, you will have different delivery dates for wedding cakes and other products in your store.
To set up an individual estimated delivery time for a product:
- From your store admin, go to Catalog → Products.
- Click Edit product next to an item for which you want to specify a delivery time.
- Select Shipping & Pickup tab.
- Scroll down to the Product preparation time section and click Edit:
- Specify the time it takes to prepare this product for shipping or pickup.
- Click Save.
Now customers will see a specific estimated delivery date for a product both at checkout and on a product page.
If an order contains products with different estimated delivery dates, your customers will see the latest delivery date. Let’s say someone ordered a regular cake and a wedding cake. A regular cake takes one day to prepare while the wedding cake takes three. Your store will take three days as order preparation time to calculate an estimated delivery date for the order.