Reserve Online, Pick Up In Store on Shopify: Reservo Setup Guide

General Setup

What You'll Learn

Configure notification settings and hold periods for ROPIS reservations in Reservo. This includes email notifications for customers and staff, plus automated inventory management for online reservations.

Notification Configuration

Reservo can email your team when customers make online or in-store reservations, and can email customers when reservations are created, cancelled, or expire. Set the shop-wide staff address, enable the staff and customer notification options you want to use, and add your reply-to address in Reservo under Settings, General.

You can edit the subject and wording of each customer email in Settings, General, Email templates. Any template can be reset to the default. If you use deposits, the deposit emails are always sent, even when other customer emails are switched off, so customers know how to pay.

If you run more than one store, you can also route staff alerts by location so each store hears about its own reservations only. For the full setup, routing, and customer-email details, see the reservation notifications guide.

Hold Period Settings

Hold periods control how long stock stays reserved before it is released. We recommend enabling auto-expire so uncollected reservations return to available stock automatically, then setting a default hold period that matches how long you normally keep items aside.

• Recommended: 5 to 7 days for most retailers
• Shorter (1 to 3 days): For clearance items or high-demand stock
• Longer (14 days): For high-value items or custom orders

Staff can also work with per-item hold periods and release a single item without cancelling the whole reservation. For those workflows, see the hold periods and release guide.

Location & Product Setup

What You'll Learn

Choose which locations take online reservations and which offer pick-up, configure customer permissions, choose which products can be reserved online, and decide whether any need a deposit. Includes bulk enablement and theme installation.

Customer Permissions

Registration Requirements

Choose who can create online reservations using ROPIS:

• Registered customers only: Requires account login. Captures customer data, reduces no-shows, easier to contact.
• Any customer: Lower friction for first-time visitors. Less customer data, potentially more abandoned reservations.

Maximum Reservations Per Customer

Set how many active ROPIS reservations one customer can have simultaneously:

• Recommended: 1 to 3 reservations
• Purpose: Prevents individuals from tying up excessive inventory across multiple products/locations
• Customer messaging: Clear notice shown when limit reached

Location Setup

Choose Your Locations

1. In Reservo, open Locations from the main navigation
2. Every active location in your Shopify admin is listed
3. Choose Allow online reservations at this location for each location that can fulfil online reservations
4. Choose Offer pick-up at this location where customers can collect in person

The two settings are separate. A location that allows reservations but not pick-up, such as a warehouse, is shown to customers under Available for delivery. Locations with pick-up on are shown under Available for pick-up, with their address. Delivery itself is handled by your Shopify shipping settings, not by Reservo.

Inventory Visibility

Choose whether to show stock quantities to customers:

• Show inventory: Creates urgency, helps customers choose locations with better stock
• Hide inventory: Better if stock fluctuates frequently or you have limited quantities

Important: Locations must exist in Shopify Settings → Locations first. Add any new locations there before allowing reservations at them.

Product Configuration

Bulk Enablement (Fastest Method)

1. In Reservo, open Products from the main navigation
2. Search for the products you want and select them
3. Open the bulk actions menu and choose Enable Reserve Online
4. Confirm

Individual Product or Variant Setup

1. Open the product, or one of its variants, in Shopify admin
2. Click More actions → Manage reservation settings
3. Turn on Reserve Online, and set a custom hold period or deposit if needed
4. Save

Products with several variants are set up on each variant's page, or all at once from Products.

Critical: Reserve button only appears when:

• ✓ Product has ROPIS enabled AND
• ✓ The variant is stocked at a reservation-enabled location, with available stock or Automation-plan out-of-stock reservations enabled there

On the Automation plan, you can also allow reservations when an enabled variant is out of stock and use Reservo as a product waitlist. Shopify must track inventory for the variant and stock it at the chosen location, even if the available quantity there is zero. For setup and queue behaviour, see the waitlist setup guide.

Deposits (Optional)

You can ask customers to pay a deposit when they reserve online. On the Automation plan, a sold-out variant can take a deposit immediately if Shopify allows it to sell without stock; otherwise the customer waits for stock before receiving the payment request. Set the percentage and payment window in Settings → Online reservations → Deposit terms. Then choose which products need one, in bulk from Products (Require deposit) or from a product's Manage reservation settings. Customers pay through Shopify checkout. An unpaid request holds no stock. For the full setup, see the deposits guide.

Theme Installation

1. App Embed (Reservation Cart)

• Online Store → Themes → Customize
• Left sidebar → App Embeds
• Find "Reservation Cart" (Reservo)
• Toggle ON
• Save

2. Reserve Button Block

• In theme editor, open product template
• Find buy buttons / add to cart section
• Add Block → Search "Reserve Online"
• Position where desired
• Save

3. Customer Profile Extension

• Theme editor → Checkout and customer accounts → Orders template
• Add "Customer Reservations" block
• Position appropriately
• Save

Customers can now view and manage active reservations from their account page.

Customer Experience

What You'll Learn

See exactly what your customers experience when using ROPIS to reserve products online. Understand the complete journey from your website's product page to in store collection.

Customer Journey Overview

Understanding the customer experience helps you set expectations and train staff on what customers see before they arrive.

Step 1: Product Page

Reserve Button Appears When:

• Product and selected variant have ROPIS enabled
• The variant is stocked at a location that allows reservations, with available stock or Automation-plan out-of-stock reservations enabled there
• Button appears alongside standard buy buttons

Step 2: Login/Registration

If Registration Required:

• Customer must log in or create account
• After login, returns to reservation flow
• Account stores all reservation history

If Guest Reservations Allowed:

• Customer proceeds directly to location selection
• Provides contact details for notifications

Step 3: Location Selection

Multi-Location Display:

• Locations that allow reservations are shown, grouped into Available for pick-up and Available for delivery
• Stock availability indicated (if inventory visibility enabled)
• Customer selects preferred pickup point
• Pick-up locations show their full address

Step 4: Reservation Details

Information Collected:

• Product(s) being reserved
• Selected pickup location
• Collection deadline (based on hold period)
• Optional notes field (size questions, special requests, etc.)

Customer Reviews:

• Summary of reservation
• Confirms location is correct
• Understands collection timeframe

Step 5: Confirmation

Immediate Feedback:

• On-screen confirmation message
• Reservation reference number
• Collection deadline clearly stated
• Email confirmation sent (check inbox)

If a deposit is required: the confirmation screen shows the deposit and payment deadline. When a payment link is available, Pay deposit now opens Shopify checkout. The customer gets an email link if they leave without paying.

Mixed carts: if one reservation cart has items that need a deposit and items that don't, or items in stock and items that aren't, Reservo splits it into separate reservations. Each has its own reference.

Language

The fixed reservation wording follows English, French or German when that storefront language is selected.

How the reservation becomes an order

Without a deposit, an online reservation is not a Shopify order yet, and the customer does not check out online. The item is held for collection. When the customer comes into store, staff open the reservation in Shopify POS, tap Convert to Cart, and complete checkout there. That is the moment the Shopify order is created and linked back to the reservation.

With a deposit, paying through Shopify checkout creates an order marked partially paid. An unpaid deposit request holds no stock. For a sold-out item, payment can be requested before stock arrives only if Shopify allows the variant to sell without stock; otherwise the request follows the stock arrival. The balance is taken when the order is fulfilled.

Staff can also take a deposit in store: convert the reservation to a cart and use Shopify POS split payment. The order is then marked partially paid until the final balance is collected.

Customer Account Features

Viewing Reservations

• Access from account profile page
• See all active reservations
• View collection deadlines
• See which location to visit
• Pay a deposit, if one is due
• Review any notes added

On the Automation plan, items without a deposit can wait for incoming stock and become ready for collection when allocated. A paid deposit on a sold-out item creates an order that awaits stock. See the waitlist setup guide.

Multiple Reservations

• Can create multiple separate reservations (up to your limit)
• Can add multiple items to single reservation
• Persistent reservation cart while shopping

Reservation Cart Workflow

1. Start reserving item 1
2. Click "Continue Shopping" instead of confirming
3. Persistent bar appears at bottom of all pages
4. Browse and add item 2 to same reservation
5. Return to reservation cart anytime
6. Confirm when ready (multiple items, one reservation)

Maximum Reservation Limits

When Limit Reached

• Clear message displayed
• Explains current limit (e.g., "Maximum 2 reservations")
• Customer must collect or cancel existing reservation
• Then can create new reservation

Why Limits Exist

• Prevents inventory lock-up by single customer
• Encourages timely collection
• Protects availability for other customers

Staff Workflow

What You'll Learn

Complete staff training for managing ROPIS reservations using Reservo at Shopify POS. Learn to create, manage, and convert online reservations to sales.

Creating In-Store Reservations

When to Use

• Customer in store wants to hold item
• Out of stock at this location but available elsewhere
• Customer needs time to arrange payment

Steps

1. Add product(s) to cart in Shopify POS
2. Assign cart to customer (create new or select existing)
3. Tap "Reservo" tile
4. Review reservation details (hold period shown)
5. Adjust hold period (if staff override enabled)
6. Tap "Reserve Items"
7. Select reason for reservation
8. Add notes (optional but recommended)
9. Tap "Confirm Reservation"
10. Reference number appears
11. Cart clears automatically

Email Notifications

Staff Receive

• Instant notification when ANY ROPIS reservation is created (online or in store)
• Email includes customer details, items reserved, location, collection deadline

Action Required

When notification received:

1. Physically remove item from sales floor
2. Store safely with reservation reference
3. Mark with collection deadline
4. Ensure item stays in good condition

Daily Routine Recommendation

• Check reservation manager in the morning
• Check at key points throughout day
• Ensures online ROPIS reservations are actioned promptly
• Customers find items ready when they arrive

Viewing & Managing Reservations

Find any reservation in seconds: search by barcode, product title, or SKU. Scan it or type it.

At POS

• Tap "Manage Reservations" tile
• View all active holds
• Filter by location, customer, status
• Tap any reservation to view details

In Shopify Admin

• Open Reservo app
• Centralised dashboard shows all locations
• Click reservation to view full details
• Can modify, extend, release, or cancel remotely
• Perfect for multi-location managers

Reservation Details Show

• Customer information
• Items reserved
• Pickup location
• Hold period expiration
• Staff notes
• Creation date/time
• Status (for example Reserved, Awaiting deposit, Order placed (partially paid), Completed, Expired, Cancelled)

Real-Time Inventory

Automatic Updates

• Reserved item immediately marked "unavailable"
• Reflects in POS inventory instantly
• Updates Shopify admin dashboard
• Syncs across all channels (online store, other locations, POS)
• Prevents overselling reserved items

If a reservation shows Inventory location needs attention, check whether Shopify still stocks its variants at the reservation location. A disconnected inventory level can leave earlier holds unreconciled. Review those holds in Shopify before fulfilling the reservation. If Shopify assigned the order to another location, review its fulfilment location before preparing collection.

Check Inventory Anytime

• View product → See current stock
• Shows ROPIS reserved quantities separately
• Available stock excludes reservations

Cancelling Reservations

When to Cancel

• Customer doesn't collect within hold period
• Customer requests cancellation
• All items are unavailable. For a single damaged item, release just that item instead.

Steps

1. Find reservation (POS or admin)
2. Tap/click reservation
3. Select "More Actions" → "Cancel Reservation"
4. Confirm cancellation
5. Customer receives email notification
6. Stock automatically restored to available
7. Inventory updates immediately across all channels

Releasing One Item Without Cancelling

If a customer only wants some of their reserved items, you can release one item without cancelling the whole reservation. See the hold periods and release guide for the step-by-step workflow.

Converting to Sale

When Customer Arrives to Collect

1. POS → Tap "Manage Reservations"
2. Find customer reservation
3. Tap reservation to open
4. Tap "Convert to Cart"
5. Confirm action
6. Items added to POS cart
7. Process checkout normally
8. Collect payment
9. Complete sale

Reservation Status

• Automatically updates to "Completed"
• Links to order number
• Full traceability maintained

Completing a Sale Taken Elsewhere

If a reservation was paid for outside Shopify, for example as a bespoke order, use More actions → Manually mark reservation as complete in the Reservo admin or the POS reservation manager. With Permanently deduct stock selected, the held units are deducted without a Shopify order. Don't also create a Shopify order for the same item, or the stock is deducted twice.

Online Deposits

While an online deposit is outstanding, staff can open the reservation and use Resend deposit request, or Deposit taken in store / Waive deposit. Staff can also convert the reservation to a cart and take payment at POS. See the deposits guide.

Taking Deposits in Store

If Customer Wants to Pay Deposit

1. Convert reservation to cart (steps above)
2. At checkout, select "Split Payment"
3. Enter deposit amount customer paying today
4. Process payment (card, cash, etc.)
5. Mark order as "Partially Paid"
6. Tap Done

Result

• Reservation status updates to show partial payment
• Order created with deposit recorded
• When customer returns, find order and collect final payment
• Complete sale

Traceability

Full Connection

• Reservation reference → Order number
• Order details → Reservation reference
• Complete audit trail
• Easy to track progression
• Useful for reporting and analysis

In Admin Dashboard

• Reservation shows linked order
• Order shows original reservation reference
• Both accessible from either view
• Perfect for resolving customer queries