How to Create Pickup Orders Directly in Shopify POS: Bridging the Gap in Omnichannel Retail.

In the world of unified commerce, the line between "online" and "in-store" has been blurring for years. But for many merchants, a specific friction point remained: what happens when a customer is standing in front of you, but they aren't taking the product home right now?

Whether it’s a made-to-order item, a product that needs a custom monogram, or a stock transfer that hasn’t arrived yet, retail teams have historically had to jump through hoops, often relying on Shopify Admin workarounds or manual notes, to handle a future pickup.

With the release of Shopify POS v11.3, that gap is officially closed. You can now create pickup orders directly from the POS device.

This isn't just a minor UI tweak; it’s a tool that streamlines how you manage future fulfillment on the sales floor.

Why This Matters for Scaling Brands

For high-growth retailers, efficiency is everything. If your staff has to leave the POS app to manage a simple customer request, you’re losing time and increasing the risk of data entry errors.

This update moves the needle for a few specific retail scenarios:

• Made-to-Order & Custom Goods: If you sell furniture, tailored clothing, or customized jewelry, the customer pays in-store but collects the item once the work is finished.

• Inventory Transfers: If a customer wants an item that is currently at your warehouse or another location, you can secure the sale today and set it for pickup at your current location once it arrives.

• Pre-Sells & Backorders: Locking in a sale for an item expected to be available later is now a native POS workflow.

By keeping these transactions within the POS environment, you maintain a "single source of truth" for your inventory and order history without the administrative headache.

The New Workflow: How it Works

The beauty of this update is that it doesn’t reinvent the wheel; it plugs directly into the workflows your team already knows.

1. Selection at Checkout: When creating an order in Shopify POS, staff can now select "Pickup" as the delivery method.

2. Integrated Fulfillment: Once the order is created, it enters the standard Shopify fulfillment queue. Staff can use the existing pick and pack workflow within the POS app to prepare the order when the items are ready.

3. Customer Notifications: Because it’s a native Shopify order, your automated "Ready for Pickup" notifications trigger exactly as they should, keeping the customer experience seamless.Setting Up for Success

To leverage this feature, there are a few technical boxes you need to tick. As a Shopify Platinum Partner, we recommend auditing your staff permissions before rolling this out across multiple locations.

Requirements:

• POS Version: You must be running Shopify POS v11.3 or higher.

• Enable In-Store Pickup: The “Pickup in store” fulfillment method must be enabled in your Shopify Admin settings.

• Staff Permissions: Admins should review the “Fulfill shipping and pickup orders” permission under Sales channels > Point of Sale. This ensures only authorized team members are managing the fulfillment side of these orders.

Note: Currently, this release supports pickup orders for the current location where the POS is being used.

The Praella Take: Unified Commerce is the Only Way Forward

We talk a lot about Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and operational efficiency. Every time Shopify moves a complex "back-office" task to the "front-of-house" POS, it reduces the friction of running a modern retail business.

Allowing your sales team to handle the entire lifecycle of a pickup order, from payment to fulfillment, without leaving the floor is a win for the merchant and a win for the customer. It’s another step toward a truly unified commerce experience where the channel doesn't matter; the customer’s convenience does.

FAQ

How do I create pickup orders in Shopify POS?

To create pickup orders in Shopify POS, open the Shopify POS app on your device, add products to the cart, and choose the pickup option at checkout. Select the store location or pickup location where the customer will pick up their order, set the pickup date and pickup time or pickup window if available, and complete the sale. This creates a pickup in store order in your Shopify store and marks the product as a local pickup or local delivery item depending on settings. Use Shopify’s store settings and shipping and delivery settings to ensure pickup availability and to activate pickup in store across multiple pickup locations.

What are the steps for setting up pickup in Shopify and activating pickup in store?

Setting up pickup requires configuring pickup in store settings in your Shopify admin. Go to Settings > Shipping and delivery, enable local pickup for the relevant shipping profile or location, and set pickup windows, pickup instructions, and whether the order is ready for pickup notifications should be sent. If you have multiple pickup locations, enable store pickup per location. Install any Shopify app for enhanced pickup management if needed, and ensure your physical store and store staff are trained to manage customer pickup and fulfill pickup orders.

How do I manage pickup workflow and fulfill a pickup in store?

Manage pickup using the Shopify POS’s existing order management features or a Shopify app that enhances pickup workflow. When an online order or a POS-created pickup order arrives, staff can mark the order as ready for pickup in the shopify store or POS, send pickup confirmation to the customer, then fulfill pickup orders by handing the product to the customer and marking the order as fulfilled. Use tags, separate orders, or the “fulfill shipping and pickup orders” options to track mixed orders that include shipping and local pickup.

Can I create pickup orders in Shopify for online order customers choosing local pickup?

Yes. When customers choose pickup during checkout on your online store, the order will appear in Shopify and in Shopify POS if connected. Store staff can view online pickup orders in the POS, prepare the product for pickup, and update the order status to notify the customer that the order is ready. Make sure product is available for pickup by configuring inventory per store location and enabling local pickup and local delivery options where appropriate.

How does pickup availability and pickup time work across multiple pickup locations?

Pickup availability is controlled by your store settings and inventory at each store location. For multiple pickup locations, enable local pickup per location and set pickup windows or pickup times that reflect staff capacity. The Shopify POS and admin will show which products are available for pickup at which store location. You can also use a Shopify app or Shopify Plus features to create more advanced pickup windows, blockout dates, or pickup date selection for customers.

What notifications in Shopify will customers receive when their order is ready for pickup?

Shopify can send pickup confirmation and order is ready messages via email or SMS when you mark an order as ready for pickup or fulfilled. Customize notification templates in the Shopify admin under Settings > Notifications to inform customers about pickup instructions, pickup location, pickup time windows, and what to bring when they pick up their order. If using a Shopify app for pickup management, it may provide additional automated pickup and local delivery notifications.

How do store staff handle separate orders that include both shipping and pickup items?

When an order contains items that must ship and items set for local pickup, the order can be split into separate fulfillments. Use the “fulfill shipping and pickup orders” options to create distinct fulfillments: one to fulfill a shipping order and one to fulfill a pickup in store. This allows store staff to manage pickup items immediately while arranging shipping for the rest, updating customers separately about shipping and pickup status through the Shopify help center guidance or your notification settings.

Which Shopify apps or tools can help me create and manage customer pickup orders directly?

Several Shopify apps in the Shopify App Store support creating and managing customer pickup orders directly, offering features like pickup time selectors, pickup windows, store pickup maps, and advanced pickup workflow automation. Look for apps that integrate with Shopify POS to sync pickup orders, manage product for pickup inventory per store location, and provide pickup confirmation and pickup reminders for local customers. For enterprise needs, Shopify Plus merchants can leverage more customization and API-based solutions to tailor pickup and delivery experiences.