Why Shopify POS orders show Unfulfilled, and what it means
Updated · 7 min read
By Invenire Studios, makers of Countermade
The short answer
A POS sale is recorded Unfulfilled when Mark as fulfilled was off for that sale, either as the default (in the POS app: Settings > Orders > Mark in-store order as fulfilled) or in the cart. Shipping and pickup orders always start Unfulfilled, and so, by default, do orders paid by link. Turn the setting on for future counter sales; fulfill the ones already made in the Shopify admin or the Shopify app.
Why does Shopify POS mark in-store sales as “Unfulfilled”?
Shopify POS records each in-store sale as Fulfilled or Unfulfilled based on one setting: Mark as fulfilled. With it on, the order is marked Fulfilled. With it off, the order is marked Unfulfilled. The setting lives in two places: the default in the POS app’s Settings, and a per-sale version in the cart.
Check which way yours is set before you change anything.
As the default, in POS Settings:
- In Shopify POS, tap the Horizontal menu icon (More), then Settings.
- Under Orders, turn Mark in-store order as fulfilled on or off.
For one sale, from the cart:
- In the cart, tap the Horizontal menu icon, then tap the Horizontal menu icon in the Cart section.
- Turn Mark as fulfilled on or off, tap Close, then take payment.
Shipping orders are different. When you ship items to a customer from POS, the order is always marked Unfulfilled, whatever the setting says.
Can I change a Shopify POS order back to Unfulfilled after the sale?
No. Shopify says you can’t manually change an order to Unfulfilled after it’s placed. If you want a sale recorded as Unfulfilled, switch off Mark as fulfilled before you take payment. For a one-off, use the cart setting for that sale and leave the default in Settings alone.
That matters most for items you owe the customer. For example, a bookshop ordering in a title can take payment now and keep the sale open until the book arrives. With ship and carry out (POS Pro), the order is recorded as Partially fulfilled: carry-out items are fulfilled and shipped items stay unfulfilled. The full set of options is in taking special orders in Shopify POS.
How do I mark a POS order as fulfilled once the customer has it?
Fulfill an in-store sale left Unfulfilled in the Shopify admin (on the web, or in the Shopify app on your phone or iPad): open the order and click Mark as fulfilled. You can’t do it in POS. Shipping orders use Ship from store in POS and pickup orders use Mark as picked up; both need POS Pro.
| Order type | Status at the sale | Where you fulfill it |
|---|---|---|
| In-store sale, Mark as fulfilled on | Fulfilled | Nothing to do |
| In-store sale, Mark as fulfilled off | Unfulfilled | Shopify admin or the Shopify app |
| Shipping order (POS Pro) | Unfulfilled | Ship from store in POS, or the admin |
| Ship and carry out (POS Pro, POS 9.31 or later) | Partially fulfilled | Carry-out items already Fulfilled; shipped items: Ship from store in POS |
| Pickup order (POS Pro) | Unfulfilled | POS: Ready for pickup, then Mark as picked up |
Fulfill an in-store sale in the Shopify admin:
- Go to Orders and open the order.
- In the Unfulfilled (or In progress) section, click Mark as fulfilled.
- Optionally change quantities, and tick Send a notification to the customer if the order has an email.
- Click Mark as fulfilled.
In the Shopify app, tap the Orders icon, open the order and tap Mark as fulfilled in the same section.
Clear a backlog of finished counter sales in one go:
- In the Shopify admin, go to Orders and select the Unfulfilled tab.
- Check the boxes for the sales your customers already have.
- Click Mark as, then Fulfilled.
- Leave Send a notification to the customer unticked unless you want them to get a shipping confirmation, then click Mark as fulfilled.
Ship from store needs staff permissions, including Fulfill shipping, pickup, and delivery orders (formerly Fulfill shipping and pickup orders). For the pickup flow, see setting up pickup orders, and for which features need Pro, POS Lite vs Pro for counter orders.
What do Unfulfilled, In progress, On hold and “Not required” mean on a Shopify order?
Unfulfilled means no items have been handed over or shipped yet. In progress means someone marked the order as being prepared. On hold means it can’t be fulfilled until the hold is released. Not required (Fulfillment not required) means nothing is left to fulfill, usually because the order was canceled, or fully refunded before anything was fulfilled. These track the goods, not the payment.
| Status | What it means | At a counter store | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unfulfilled | No items fulfilled yet. Orders start here by default. | A sale with Mark as fulfilled off, a shipping or pickup order, an order paid by link | Fulfill it once the customer has the goods |
| Partially fulfilled | Some items fulfilled | Ship and carry out: carry-out items fulfilled, shipped items not | Fulfill the rest when they ship |
| In progress | Marked in progress, or sent to a fulfillment service | You’re preparing it; a shipping order being packed with Ship from store | Fulfill it when it’s ready |
| On hold | You or an app put it on hold. Stock can be reserved, but it can’t be fulfilled. | Held by you, Shopify Flow or a system hold such as Awaiting return items | Click Release hold when it can go |
| Scheduled | A prepaid subscription order before its fulfillment date | Only if you sell prepaid subscriptions | Wait for the date |
| Fulfilled | All items fulfilled | A normal counter sale with Mark as fulfilled on | Nothing |
| Fulfillment not required (Not required) | Nothing left to fulfill | Canceled, or fully refunded before fulfillment | Nothing; it’s left out of the Unfulfilled view |
| Request declined | A fulfillment service rejected some items | Only if you use a fulfillment service | Check with the service |
To mark an order in progress, open it in the admin and, in the Unfulfilled section, use the drop-down to choose Mark as in progress. To hold one, choose Mark as on hold, pick the items and a Hold reason, then click Mark as on hold. Pickup and local delivery orders can’t be marked in progress, and an order on hold can’t have its status changed until you release it. Local delivery has its own steps in local delivery orders in Shopify POS.
Is “Unfulfilled” the same as “Unpaid”?
No. Fulfillment and payment are separate statuses on every Shopify order. Unfulfilled means the goods haven’t been handed over or shipped. Unpaid covers orders where the money isn’t fully in.
| Compared | Unfulfilled | Fulfilled |
|---|---|---|
| Paid | You owe the goods: a special order, a shipping order, a link the customer has paid | A normal counter sale |
| Unpaid | Payment is due later, and the goods are still with you | The goods left before the money; check it was meant to be paid later |
Payment statuses such as Pending and Authorized are covered in what “payment pending” means on Shopify.
Why does an order paid by payment link show Unfulfilled?
An order paid by payment link shows Unfulfilled because Shopify orders start Unfulfilled unless the admin’s automatic fulfillment setting is on: payment and fulfillment are tracked separately. When a customer pays a draft order’s link, the draft becomes an order on the Orders page, marked Paid. The money is in, but the goods are still with you. Hand them over or ship them, then mark the order fulfilled in the admin.
A draft isn’t an order yet, so it doesn’t sit in the Unfulfilled view, though stock reserved on a draft counts as Committed. More on drafts in Shopify POS draft orders, and knowing when a payment link is paid covers the paid side.
Why does it matter if counter sales stay Unfulfilled?
Unfulfilled orders tie up stock and clutter your to-do list. Units in an unfulfilled order are Committed, meaning set aside and not counted as sellable. And if Automatically archive the order is on, Shopify only archives orders that are paid and fulfilled (or fully refunded), so finished counter sales left Unfulfilled stay in your Unfulfilled view. POS can’t fulfill an in-store sale after the fact, so the backlog has to be cleared in the Shopify admin or the Shopify app.
How Committed stock works with drafts is in committed inventory on draft orders.
The admin also has Settings > General > Order processing > Automatically fulfill the order’s line items. That’s a separate admin setting, not the POS one, and Shopify advises against turning it on if you pack and ship products yourself. For counter sales, use the POS setting above.
Where Pay Link and Prep Ticket fit
Pay Link and Prep Ticket are Countermade’s Shopify POS apps, from Invenire Studios. Pay Link covers orders the customer pays away from the counter. Prep Ticket covers the step before: orders still being made, kept as drafts.
Pay Link: staff build the order in Shopify POS, and the customer pays the full amount on Shopify’s own secure checkout, so staff never see or type card details. Pay Link shows staff the total up front, with a note when checkout will add shipping. Turn on local pickup at your store so the customer can choose it at checkout. Staff can see whether a link has been paid.
Prep Ticket: from a draft order in Shopify POS, it prints a price-free prep ticket with items, quantities, customer and notes, through the iPad’s print dialog.
Both need Shopify POS Pro.
Check the setting before your next sale
Open POS Settings > Orders and confirm Mark in-store order as fulfilled is set the way you want.
Pay Link and Prep Ticket aren’t on the Shopify App Store yet. Get early access and we’ll email you when they’re ready to try.
Pick one app or both
Thanks. You’re on the list, and we’ll email you when each app is ready to try.
Common questions
Why are my Shopify POS orders showing as Unfulfilled?
What does “In progress” mean on a Shopify order?
Can I fulfill an Unfulfilled POS order from the POS app?
What does “Not required” mean on a Shopify order?
Why is my paid payment-link order Unfulfilled?
Read next
About Pay Link- Guide How to take phone orders on Shopify without asking for card details Send the caller a checkout link by email or text, set pickup, then check it’s paid.
- Guide How to send a Shopify draft order payment link by text message Shopify only emails invoices. Copy the checkout link and text it from your own phone.
- Guide Shopify payment links explained: draft orders, Quick Sale and POS Every way Shopify bills by link, what each creates and where the paid order lands.
- Guide Taking a card by phone in Shopify: key it in or send a link Key a caller’s card or send a checkout link: when each fits, and how to turn keying off.
- Guide How to create a local delivery order in Shopify POS Local delivery at the POS checkout: the taps, the rules, and how to deliver phone orders.
- Guide How to take pre-orders at the counter in Shopify POS Shopify pre-orders are online only. Here’s the POS routine for dated counter and phone orders.