Partial fulfillment

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 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 does.

The other one is confusing this with a 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.