List a pre-ordered or back-ordered product

Should I set up pre-ordering or back-ordering for my products?

Back-ordering: You should set up back-ordering when the product has already been sold in the past and is currently out of stock. Through back-ordering, you can accept orders for now, and ship it at a later date (restock date) when the product is back in stock. You should only enable back-ordering when you can fulfill the order within 30 days.

Pre-ordering: You should set up pre-ordering when the product is not yet ready for sale and you want to accept orders in advance. A product that has a release date in the future is generally buyable as a pre-order.

The "promised ship date" is the date you promise to ship a product to the buyer. For a back-order and a pre-order product, Amazon sets the promised ship date to the restock date and release date, respectively, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or certain holidays. In those cases, the promised ship date is the first available shipping date after the restock date or release date.

How to set up back-order products

To list a back-ordered product using Manage Inventory, do the following:

1. Select Inventory, and then click Manage Inventory.
2. Search for the SKU for which you want to set up back-ordering, and then click Edit.
3. In the Offer tab, click the calendar icon next to the Restock Date field to select a date when the product will be available for sale.
4. Click Save and Finish.

To set up back-order products using an inventory file upload, do the following:

1. Download the category-specific inventory file template.
2. In the restock_date column, enter the date when the product will be back in stock. Provide all values for the required columns, including: item_sku, standard_price, and quantity. You will also need to enter PartialUpdate in the update_delete column.
3. In Seller Central, select Inventory, and then click Add Products via Upload.
4. On the Add Products via Upload page, upload your inventory file.

How to set up pre-order products

To list a pre-ordered product using Add a Product, do the following:

1. Select Inventory, and then click Add a Product.
2. Click I'm adding a product not sold on Amazon.
3. Select the product category and type.
4. Select Advanced View.
5. In the Offers tab, click the calendar icon next to the Release Date field to select a date that is no more than 30 days in the future.
6. When all of the remaining listing information has been captured, click Save and Finish.

To set up pre-order products using an inventory file upload, do the following:

1. Download the category-specific inventory file template.
2. In the merchant_release_date column, enter the date when the product will be available. You will also need to enter Update in the update_delete column.
3. In Seller Central, select Inventory, and then click Add Products via Upload.
4. On the Add Products via Upload page, upload your inventory file.