Reserve Inventory for Cash on Delivery Orders in Shopify

A store accepts both online payment and cash on delivery (COD). If a pending COD order does not hold stock, another customer may buy the same units before the first order is paid or fulfilled. The store needs a clear distinction between a temporary reservation and a final inventory deduction.

Illustrative scenario: Order and stock quantities below are examples, not a real merchant's results.

Follow one pending COD order

Suppose a bound product is supported by 10 available units and a pending COD order requests 3 units. With Auto selected under When orders affect inventory, the pending COD order holds 3 units. The amount left for other customers is 7 units, assuming no other activity.

The paid-order row is a transition, not another three units taken from seven. If the pending order is cancelled instead of paid, its hold should be released. Different order-timing rules change when the hold or final deduction occurs.

Configure and inspect the workflow

1. In Inventory rules, review the store's payment methods and choose When orders affect inventory → Auto when both COD and online payments need the described behavior.
2. Save the rule. Create a controlled test order using a configured product and the intended COD payment flow.
3. Open Reserved orders. Find the Shopify order by ID or date, then check whether it is awaiting deduction or already deducted.
4. Compare the Shopify payment and fulfillment status with the reservation record and the material or bundle's available quantity.

If a reservation release and final consumption appear for the same order, compare the final available quantity before diagnosing a double deduction. Orders already in progress when a rule is changed deserve separate review. For all rule choices and status filters, see When orders affect inventory and Review reserved orders.