Processing orders
This page was printed on Nov 05, 2022. For the current version, visit https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/orders/understanding.
When a customer buys something from your online store or any other sales channel, it appears as a new order in theOrderspage of Shopify.
What happens when you receive an online order
When you receive an online order:
- You receive anew order notificationby email.
- TheOrderspage of Shopify shows the new order.
- The customer receives an order confirmation email.
- Order processing begins.
What happens when you process a Shopify POS order
When you make a sale in person by using Shopify POS:
- TheOrderspage of Shopify shows the order with a payment status of Paid or Partially paid.
- If the customer provided their email address, then they receive a POS receipt by email.
Typical processing flow for online orders
Every online order goes through 3 stages. At each stage, a different action is required in Shopify. You can set up Shopify to perform theseactions automatically, or you can do them manually:
| Order state | What you need to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Order has been placed. | Capture payment. |
| 2. Order has been paid. | Fulfill the order. |
| 3. Order has been fulfilled and paid. | Archive the order. |
Depending on your own business needs, you can automate some or all your order processing at each stage.
Automate your order processing
If you are selling digital products or using a fulfillment service, then you might want to automate your order processing by turning on the following automations:
- Automatic payment capture, so that your payments are captured at the time of the order.
- Automatic order fulfillment, so that your fulfillment service is notified (and digital downloads are made available).
- Automatic order archiving, so that your order's status is set to close.