How to Create a Draft Order in Shopify: A Complete Guide for Merchants

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Understanding Draft Orders
3. How to Create a Draft Order in Shopify
4. Customizing Draft Orders
5. Sending Invoices for Draft Orders
6. Best Practices for Draft Orders
7. Conclusion

Introduction

Did you know that 92% of customers prefer shopping in their local currency? This statistic underscores the importance of tailoring the shopping experience to meet customer needs, especially in today's competitive e-commerce landscape. As Shopify merchants, we are constantly searching for ways to enhance our sales processes and provide seamless customer experiences. That's where the functionality of draft orders comes into play.

Draft orders in Shopify empower merchants like us to manage orders efficiently and meet various customer demands, whether through sending invoices, enabling local currency payments, or recreating orders for returning customers. Creating a draft order helps us maintain flexibility in our pricing and inventory management while providing valuable options for our customers. In this blog post, we will delve into everything you need to know about creating draft orders in Shopify, exploring pragmatic applications and strategies that can enhance our business operations.

As we explore this topic, consider how your Shopify store currently handles orders and what improvements you envision for future transactions. Are you ready to maximize your Shopify store's capabilities and improve customer satisfaction? Let's dive in and discover how to create a draft order in Shopify!

Understanding Draft Orders

What is a Draft Order?

A draft order is a unique order type created by a merchant directly in the Shopify admin, often on behalf of a customer. It serves multiple purposes, including:

• Sending invoices with secure checkout links.
• Accepting payments for phone, in-person, or pre-order transactions.
• Recreating customer orders manually.
• Selling products at discounts or wholesale rates.
• Saving unfinished orders for completion later.
• Using custom items for products or services not listed in our inventory.

This versatility allows us to engage with our customers effectively and adapt our sales strategies to their needs.

Why Use Draft Orders?

By leveraging draft orders, we can take advantage of its many benefits:

• Enhanced Customer Engagement: Draft orders allow us to send invoices that rekindle customer interest, especially useful for abandoned checkouts.
• Flexibility in Payments: With the option to set payment terms and handle invoices in multiple currencies, we can cater to our customers wherever they are.
• Streamlined Order Management: Drafts make it easier for us to manage and edit orders, making processing smoother for both us and our customers.

Understanding the value draft orders bring to our Shopify store is essential for scaling and improving customer experiences.

How to Create a Draft Order in Shopify

Creating a draft order is straightforward whether we prefer using the desktop or mobile app. Let's explore the steps involved in crafting this type of order.

Creating Draft Orders on Desktop

1. Navigate to Drafts: From the Shopify admin, go to Orders > Drafts.
2. Click Create Order: Select the Create order button to initiate a new draft.
3. Add Products: Here, we can add one or more products to the order. We can also create custom items if needed.
4. Customize the Order:
   • Add a Customer: We can select an existing customer or add a new one.
   • Apply Discounts: Discounts can be applied at the item level or for the whole order.
   • Taxes: Decide whether to include taxes in the order.
   • Tags and Notes: We can add tags for better management and notes for our internal records.
   • Market Settings: Adjust the market to display a different local currency.
5. Final Steps: After customizing the order, we can:
   • Send an invoice via email to the customer.
   • Accept payment directly from the customer.
   • Set specific payment terms.
   • Save the order as a draft for later updates.

Creating a draft order from the desktop not only streamlines our process but also provides options to customize the order extensively.

Creating Draft Orders on Mobile

Creating a draft order via the Shopify mobile app is equally user-friendly:

1. Access the App: Tap the Shopify icon on our mobile device.
2. Select Draft Orders: Tap on the Draft orders section.
3. Initiate Order Creation: Tap the plus (+) button to create a new order.
4. Add Products: Similar to the desktop method, we can add products or custom items here.
5. Customize the Order:
   • Select a customer.
   • Apply discounts as necessary.
   • Choose whether to include taxes.
   • Add tags or notes.
   • Adjust the market for currency options.
6. Complete the Process: We can send an invoice, accept payments, or save the order as a draft.

Using the mobile app to create draft orders makes order management on the go a breeze, ensuring that we can address customer needs promptly, no matter where we are.

Duplicating Existing Orders

To save time, we can also duplicate existing orders or draft orders. This option is particularly useful for:

• Recurring Customers: If we frequently create orders for returning customers, duplicating their previous orders simplifies the process.
• Editing Orders: Duplicating an existing order can help us quickly make changes without starting from scratch.

Steps to Duplicate an Order

1. Desktop: Navigate to Orders and select the existing order we wish to duplicate. Click on Duplicate to generate a new draft order.
2. Mobile: Access the Shopify app, locate the existing order to duplicate, and tap on the appropriate option.

This ability to duplicate orders enhances our productivity and keeps our order processing efficient.

Customizing Draft Orders

Adding Products to Draft Orders

We can add products directly to our draft orders in several ways:

• Using the Product Picker: Titles of products will autocomplete, making it easy to find what we need.
• Creating Custom Items: If a product isn’t listed, we can create a custom item for one-off services or products.

A few considerations when adding products:

• Inventory levels show availability.
• If an item is out of stock, an alert will display unless we allow overselling.

Using Custom Items

Custom items can be advantageous for:

• Special services not included in our inventory.
• Items that require unique shipping arrangements.

However, we should limit our use of them to avoid complications with shipping and accounting.

Sending Invoices for Draft Orders

Sending invoices directly from draft orders can significantly enhance customer engagement. It’s particularly effective for encouraging follow-through on abandoned carts.

How to Send an Invoice

1. From the Drafts section in the Shopify admin, select the desired draft order.
2. Click on Send Invoice.
3. Complete the necessary details and review before sending.

Invoices include a secure checkout link, allowing customers to complete their purchase easily.

Currency Considerations

To cater to a global audience, we can send invoices in local currencies. Shopify Payments automatically adjusts the currency based on the customer’s location, further enhancing the shopping experience.

Best Practices for Draft Orders

Experiment with Discounts

When offering products at discounted rates, employing draft orders can help us gauge customer interest while protecting our brand’s value.

Maintain Clear Communication

Engaging customers through invoices requires clarity. Ensure that customers understand what the draft order entails, including discounts, taxes, and shipping.

Track Draft Orders Effectively

Organizing draft orders through tags or notes aids in inventory control and recording. Regular review of saved drafts ensures we’re not losing potential sales due to oversight.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive digital marketplace, utilizing draft orders in Shopify opens pathways for effective customer engagement and streamlined order processing. By crating, customizing, and managing these orders efficiently, we can significantly enhance our customer experience and adapt to unique demands, whether it’s through offering discounts or shipping in local currencies.

As we consider the techniques discussed in this post, we invite you to explore the functionality offered by Tevello. With our all-in-one course platform seamlessly integrated into the Shopify ecosystem, we empower merchants to unlock new avenues for revenue generation.

Are you ready to take your Shopify store to the next level? Let’s dive deeper into the world of draft orders together. Start your 14-day free trial of Tevello today!

FAQ

Q: Who can create draft orders in Shopify?
A: Only Shopify merchants (admin users) can create draft orders through the backend.

Q: Can customers create their draft orders?
A: No, customers cannot create draft orders directly. However, merchants can utilize apps that may allow for more custom functionalities.

Q: How do I view my draft orders?
A: We can view draft orders by navigating to the Orders > Drafts section in the Shopify admin.

Q: Can I edit a draft order after it’s been created?
A: Yes, draft orders can be edited at any time before payment is accepted.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of draft orders I can create?
A: No, there is no limit to the number of draft orders that can be created within Shopify. However, it’s best to manage them effectively to maintain order processing efficiency.

With this comprehensive guide on how to create a draft order in Shopify, we hope you feel equipped to utilize this feature to enhance your e-commerce strategy. Enjoy experimenting with draft orders and see how they can transform your business operations!