Scheduled Ordering lets customers book their pickup or delivery for a future date and time, rather than expecting their order straight away. If you're setting it up for the first time or working out how to handle a specific situation, you'll find answers to the most common questions below. If yours isn't covered, get in touch and we're happy to help.
Related help guides:
- What do I need to prepare before I can enable Scheduled Ordering?
- How to use scheduled ordering - let your customer book orders in advance
- How to manage orders with scheduled ordering?
- How to adapt scheduled ordering to my business scenario?
Setting up product options
How can I set up options that customers can choose from?
Rocketspark's variants feature lets you set up to three types of variants per product. For example, if you sell an omelette, you could add a variant for fillings so customers pick what they want before adding it to their cart.
See how to set up variants.
Can I change the way people select how many items they want to buy?
If the standard quantity dropdown doesn't suit your product (say you sell in bulk, or sell individual items), you can switch to a text input instead so customers type the exact quantity they need.
See how to add quantity input to the "add to basket" button, or how to enable text input for quantities in the basket.
Order limits and minimums
Can I set a minimum order value? We don't want orders that are too small.
There's no dedicated minimum order value feature, but there are a couple of ways to manage this. Some merchants state a minimum order amount directly on the page as a workaround. A more built-in option is to set a minimum order value for free delivery, with a delivery cost high enough that most customers choose to reach it rather than pay for shipping.
Keep in mind that a complicated checkout can increase drop-off, so it's worth testing what works for your customers.
Is there a way to cap the number of orders placed within a certain timeframe, so we don't get overrun at peak times?
Yes. You can limit the number of orders allowed per 30-minute time slot.
See how to limit the number of orders per time slot.
Is there a way to cap the amount an individual customer can purchase?
There's no built-in order cap, but you can note a maximum quantity per customer in the product title or description. If someone orders well over that amount, you can contact them directly to sort it out.
How do we restrict orders to the areas we actually deliver to?
Set up a sub-region for each area you deliver to, so customers select their area at checkout.
See how to add shipping rate sub-regions.
Add-ons and related products
I want to sell add-on products. How do I make this clear during checkout?
For date-specific add-ons, you have two options: set them up as variants of the main product, or create them as separate products and link them using the related products feature.
See enabling and editing product variants, or about adding related products.
Store closures and pausing orders
What if my store is closed on a certain day?
You can exclude specific dates from Scheduled Ordering, which is helpful for holidays, breaks, or one-off closures. Go to your Scheduled Ordering settings, select the dates to exclude, and add a reason if you'd like. Those dates won't be offered at checkout.
There's no need to manually turn your shop off outside trading hours. Scheduled Ordering only offers the dates and times you've set, and excluding specific dates covers temporary closures on top of that.
If a customer has already booked an order for a date you later exclude, that order won't change automatically. You'll need to contact them to reschedule or arrange fulfilment as agreed.
How can I temporarily disable online ordering?
Switch your store to Catalogue-only mode. This stops customers adding items to their cart or checking out, which is useful if you're closed or can't offer pickup or delivery for a while.
See Catalogue-only mode.
Pickup and delivery scheduling
Can I offer a different pickup schedule than my delivery schedule?
Yes. Uncheck "use same schedule for pickup and delivery" in your Scheduled Ordering settings, then set each schedule separately. This gives you full control over which days and times apply to pickup versus delivery.
I only deliver out of town once a week. Can I set different delivery schedules for different areas?
All delivery areas currently share one delivery schedule. The best approach is to base that schedule on your most regular deliveries, then use the delivery message feature at checkout to add a note for less frequent areas, for example: "We deliver to X, Y, and Z once a week, on Thursdays. Orders for these areas go out on the next available Thursday."
Can I remove the region field from checkout? I only deliver locally, so it's not relevant.
You can't remove the region field, but you can relabel it in your store preferences to capture different information instead.
Can I set an exact minimum wait time for orders?
Yes. If your products take a certain number of days, hours, or minutes to prepare, set this under Store Preferences > Scheduled Ordering.
Vouchers and subscriptions
Can we sell vouchers for pickup and delivery?
Yes. Create a single voucher product, then add a variant for the voucher amount and a variant for delivery type (email, post, or courier with tracking). You could add a third variant asking whether to combine amounts into one voucher or keep them separate, so you know whether to create one coupon code or several.
Vouchers follow the same checkout flow as food orders, so buyers will still choose a pickup or delivery time. You could add a checkout message noting that vouchers are sent by courier within 2-3 days instead.
Use the coupon code feature to generate the voucher codes.
See our guide to creating coupons.
Can I sell on subscription with Rocketspark? Does it work with Scheduled Ordering?
Yes. Subscription orders renew automatically at the frequency you set, for example weekly or fortnightly, and the customer's card is charged each time.
See selling on subscription with Rocketspark.
Scheduled Ordering works alongside subscriptions. You can restrict delivery days (say, Thursdays only) and set a minimum wait time so a new subscriber's first order isn't due sooner than you can prepare it. Changing your weekly delivery schedule only affects new subscribers, not existing ones.
Date and time selection applies to the first order if enabled. Renewals after that are day-only, not date and time.
If Scheduled Ordering is on, your store is set to "date only" mode in Store Preferences, and the subscription is weekly or fortnightly, renewal dates are worked out from your delivery or pickup day minus the minimum wait time you've set. Renewals process in the early hours of the morning.
See how subscription orders all renew at the same time.
Store layout and design
Can I show a cart icon in a bar at the top of my page?
Yes, this is the contact bar. Turn it on once your store is live, and make sure the shop search icon is ticked too.
See the contact bar help guide.
How can I change the order products appear in my store?
By default, products are listed alphabetically. To bring a specific product to the front, click the star on it in your shop products area while in Editor mode.
See how to feature a product, or how to change the order of products in your shop.
Can someone design my site for me?
Yes. Rocketspark works with a network of design partners who can build your site for you, then hand it over so you can make ongoing updates yourself, like changing your menu.
Learn more about getting your website designed for you.
Is there a way to add items to the cart with a single click?
Switching to list view adds an "add to cart" button directly to each product. If a product needs a variant selected first (like "gluten free"), the customer will still be taken to the product page to choose it.
See how to switch to list view for your shop.
You can also build a grid gallery with add-to-cart links on each image, including set quantities and variants.
Terms, marketing, and dietary requirements
How do I get customers to confirm terms and conditions?
Terms and conditions are set up in your shop settings, and the opt-in checkbox is added automatically. You can choose whether to make it required. Given the risks around food allergies, we'd recommend making it required and keeping your terms clear.
Our sample terms were drafted by commercial lawyers in New Zealand and the UK, and are a solid starting point.
See editing your shop's terms and conditions.
How do I invite customers to opt in to marketing emails?
The Mailchimp Ecommerce integration adds an opt-in at checkout, along with abandoned cart messages and automated product recommendations. To start with just the opt-in, follow the setup guide below.
See how to connect your Rocketspark store with Mailchimp Ecommerce.
Learn more about the benefits of Mailchimp Ecommerce, or about Mailchimp abandoned cart messages.
How should I capture dietary requirements?
A few options work well together:
- Add a note to a product confirming whether dietary requirements can be catered for, or set up a gluten-free option as a variant.
- Relabel the checkout's additional notes field to "Dietary requirements" using the Store Preferences checkout relabelling feature.
- Add a link to a page about food allergies and dietary requirements in your pickup and delivery messages. These messages appear on the order confirmation the customer receives, and can be edited in Store Preferences.
Managing orders
I'm a baker. What's the best way to group my orders into baking batches?
Export your orders for the period you need, then use a spreadsheet to build a product list from them. A pivot table is a handy way to consolidate quantities across orders.
Need more help?
If you're still stuck, flick us a message at support@rocketspark.com. We're happy to help.