> ## Knowledge Base Index > Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://stoqapp.crisp.help/sitemap.xml > Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further. > Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash). # Why customers are charged double shipping on preorders (and how to fix it) When customers purchase both preorder and in-stock items in the same cart, they may be charged shipping twice. This isn’t a bug - it’s how Shopify calculates shipping. This guide explains why it happens and how to prevent it. ### Overview Double shipping occurs when Shopify splits an order into multiple **fulfillment groups** and applies shipping to each group separately. For example, if your shipping rate is $5 and two fulfillment groups are created, the customer may be charged $10. STOQ provides settings to help ensure customers are only charged once. ### Prerequisites Before making changes, ensure: * You have an active preorder offer in STOQ * You know which **fulfillment status** your preorder uses: Unfulfilled, Scheduled, on hold * You have access to **Shopify Admin > Settings > Shipping and delivery** ### Why Double Shipping Happens Shopify calculates shipping **per fulfillment group**, not per order. A mixed cart (preorder + in-stock) can create: 1. **In-stock group**: Ships immediately and Status: Unfulfilled 2. **Preorder group**: Ships later and status would be Scheduled or On hold so each group gets its own shipping charge. ### When this usually happens * **Specific date** * **After specific number of days** These create a **Scheduled fulfillment**, separate from in-stock items. | Double shipping only happens for mixed carts. Orders with only preorder or only in-stock items are unaffected. ### How to Prevent Double Shipping Choose the option that best fits your workflow: ### Option 1: Use "Unfulfilled" All items stay in **one fulfillment group**, so shipping is charged once. **Steps:** 1. Go to STOQ → Preorders 2. Open your offer 3. Go to "**Shipping"** 4. Select "**Same shipping timeline for all products"** 5. Set fulfillment status as "Unfulfilled" 6. Save **Trade-off:** You must manually control when preorder items are fulfilled. ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/6/9/b/f69b1402a211d800/image_8hp9oy.png) ### Option 2: Enable Split Fulfillments Customers are charged **once at checkout**, but orders are split **after checkout**. **Steps:** 1. Go to STOQ → Preorders 2. Open your offer 3. Go to "**Shipping"** 4. Set fulfillment status as "Unfulfilled" 5. Under Fulfillment options, enable "**Split fulfillments" for preorders** 6. Save ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/6/9/b/f69b1402a211d800/image_8etqcx.png) | Notes: Works only with "Unfulfilled" fulfillment setup and keeps operations separate without affecting checkout ### Option 3: Use "Hold all fulfillments" All items go into a single **On hold** group → one shipping charge. **Steps:** 1. Go to STOQ → Preorders 2. Open your offer 3. Go to **Shipping** 4. Set fulfillment status as "Unfulfilled" 5. Under Fulfillment options, enable "**Hold all fulfillments" for preorders. **This setup ensures the customer pays a single shipping charge at checkout, and the entire order would be on hold (in-stock and Preorder) so it can be fulfilled together when the preorder inventory arrives. 6. Save ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/6/9/b/f69b1402a211d800/image_ii7de2.png) **Trade-off:** In-stock items won’t ship immediately—you must manually release them. ### Option 4: Check Shopify Shipping Profiles Different shipping profiles = separate charges (always). **Steps:** 1. Go to Shopify Admin → Settings → Shipping and delivery 2. Ensure preorder and in-stock products are in the **same profile** ![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/6/9/b/f69b1402a211d800/image_1t1du2i.png) ### How to Verify the Fix After making changes: 1. Add one preorder item and one in-stock item to the cart 2. Proceed to checkout 3. Review the shipping step 4. Confirm only one shipping charge appears 5. (Optional) Place a test order to confirm. Please refer to this document on how you can place a test order - [Test your preorder](https://help.stoqapp.com/en/article/test-your-preorder-offer-x5bvtn/) ### Quick Comparison | Option | Separate Fulfillment Handling | In-stock Ships Immediately | One Shipping Fee | | ---- | | Unfulfilled | No | Yes | Yes | | Split fulfillments | Yes (after checkout) | Yes | Yes | | Hold all fulfillments | Yes (all held) | No | Yes | | Same shipping profile | Depends | Depends | Yes | ### Known Limitations * Scheduled fulfillment status always create separate fulfillment groups * Split fulfillments only works with **Unfulfilled fulfillment status** * Hold all fulfillments delays in-stock shipping * Shipping profiles override STOQ settings * Past double charges must be refunded manually ### Troubleshooting | Issue | Cause | Fix | | ---- | | Still seeing double shipping | Changes not saved | Save and retest checkout | | Only certain products affected | Different shipping profiles | Move to same profile | | Split option missing | Wrong fulfilment status type | Switch to "Unfulfilled" | | Two shipping lines in order | Post-checkout split | Second line is $0 (no extra charge) | | In-stock items not shipping | Hold enabled | Release manually in Shopify | | Still double shipping | Scheduled fulfilment status type | Switch to Unfulfilled or use split | | Can't enable both options | Conflict | Choose one | ### FAQs **Q: Is double shipping a bug in STOQ?** **A:** No. Double shipping is caused by how Shopify calculates shipping for orders with multiple fulfillment groups. When preorder and in-stock items are in different fulfillment groups, Shopify charges shipping for each group separately. STOQ provides options to work around this behavior. **Q: Which fulfilment status type avoids double shipping by default?** **A:** **Unfulfilled** avoids double shipping because all items go into the same "Unfulfilled" fulfillment group. The **Scheduled fulfillment status** create a "Scheduled" fulfillment group, which Shopify treats as separate from in-stock items. **Q: Will customers get a refund if they were already charged double shipping?** **A:** You will need to manually refund the extra shipping charge through Shopify admin. Go to the order, click **Refund**, and refund the duplicate shipping amount. STOQ does not handle shipping refunds automatically. **Q: Does this affect orders with only preorder items?** **A:** No. Double shipping only occurs on mixed cart orders where both preorder and in-stock items are present. Orders containing only preorder items or only in-stock items have a single fulfillment group and only one shipping charge. **Q: Can I use "Hold all fulfillments" to prevent double shipping?** **A:** Yes. **Hold all fulfillments** places all items (including in-stock items) into a single "On hold" fulfillment group, which means Shopify charges shipping once. However, this also prevents in-stock items from shipping immediately, so you will need to manually release them. **Q: Can I use split fulfillments with a scheduled fulfilment status?** **A:** No. Split fulfillments is only available with the **u**nfulfilled. If you are using a scheduled fulfilment status, consider switching to "Unfulfilled" and enabling split fulfillments instead.