# Partial fulfillment

> Partial fulfillment is sending some line items of an order now and the rest later, leaving the order open in between.

- Source: https://storestandards.com/glossary/partial-fulfillment/
- Updated: 2026-08-14
- Author: Marcus Ilori, Support lead, Store Standards

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Three items ordered, two in stock. Send the two, keep the order open for the
third.

## When it is the right call

- The missing item is on a [purchase order](https://storestandards.com/glossary/purchase-order/) with a
  date you trust
- The customer needs the rest now, not later
- The items are heavy or bulky enough that one parcel was never realistic

Each shipment gets its own tracking number, and Shopify emails the customer
each time.

## What it costs

Two parcels, two labels, two picks. On a low-value order the second shipment
can cost more than the item in it.

Under about ten pounds of goods, ask whether the customer would rather wait or
be refunded. Most say refund, and it is cheaper for both of you.

## Where it goes wrong

The remainder never ships. The order sits as partially fulfilled, which does
not appear on the unfulfilled list everybody actually reads, so it hides
better than an [unfulfilled order](https://storestandards.com/glossary/unfulfilled-order/) does.

The other one is confusing this with a
[part delivery](https://storestandards.com/glossary/part-delivery/). That is your supplier sending you
half an order. This is you sending half of one. They often happen in the same
week, for the same reason, and they are recorded in completely different
places.

## Related terms

- [Fulfillment](https://storestandards.com/glossary/fulfillment/): Fulfillment is the step where you tell Shopify an order has been picked, packed and sent, which closes it and releases the stock.
- [Unfulfilled order](https://storestandards.com/glossary/unfulfilled-order/): An unfulfilled order is one that has been paid for but not yet sent. Its stock is committed and cannot be sold to anyone else.
- [Part delivery](https://storestandards.com/glossary/part-delivery/): A part delivery is when a supplier sends some of an order now and the rest later, against the same purchase order.