We don't carry inventory but need to take orders online

[c12281]

We don't carry inventory.  We work with a promotional company that fills orders for us on an as requested basis.  We need to take the orders online but are having difficulty doing this in Square's online store.  The items show "Available Later."  We don't need to track inventory and we would like to notify buyers when the orders are available for pickup.  Anyone else doing this?  If yes, would appreciate guidance on how to set up!  Thank you!

[Goldneye]

HI, when dropshipping you can add your items as inventory and leave the Track Stock blank (unlimited inventory). 

You can add in the description stating example: extended delivery 3-5 business days or extended delivery will notify when available for pickup.

You would need to be sure to deactivate shipping.

[c12281]

Thanks Terri.  I'm new to Square so not seeing exactly how to do this.  When I add inventory for an item (I added 1 as a test) the Track Stock option automatically switches to on.  How do I add inventory without tracking stock?  Thanks!

[Goldneye]

HI, can you please share a screenshot? or link?  

Track Stock does not auto apply to items.  You need to click on the Track Stock option to turn on the button.

[c12281]

Here's how it looks when there is no stock.

Here's how it looks after I added 1 item of inventory.  The Track option toggled on automatically for the item with inventory.  As soon as I toggle it off, the inventory goes back to zero automatically.

[Goldneye]

HI, thank you for the screenshot.  I am not familiar with that format.  

Are you using Square for Retail? or Are you using the Menu Format template?

This is the Retail Format template for Variations on a clothing item.

[c12281]

Mmm.  Not sure.  We're using the free version of Square. Here's what I see for variations.

[Goldneye]

HI, still not familiar.  Retail Format template screenshots below regarding Dashboard and Add Item.

Here is how I see my Online Dashboard.

Here is what I see when I add a new inventory item.

[c12281]

Yes, my Online screenshot and Add Item screenshot are exactly the same as yours.  When I go to enter stock, it says I must save the item first.  When I go to edit the item, it brings up this screen.  The only way for me to add inventory is to toggle Track Stock on.  And hence the problem begins!

So if you turn off inventory tracking, does it keep your inventory intact or does it revert your inventory to zero?

[mainstreetbook1]

Hello! You may want to ensure that some settings on this page are set as intended.

To edit these options, click edit on the upper-right. This may allow you to list items without inventory tracking. I personally list items without stock tracking all the time.

[Goldneye]

HI, sorry I was blocked as Spam, guess helping too many at one time.

[c12281]

Thank you mainstreetbook1!  This seemed to help.  Now some of the items are showing up for order but others still have the Available Later tag.  Maybe it's a timing thing?  Also, is there a way to get ride of the "Available 3-5pm" from under the Merchandise title?  It requires me to put a timeframe in there for pickup and then puts in the office hours.  I'd like to get rid of this info altogether or be able to provide some kind of custom message (i.e. orders take approximately 2 weeks to come in.  We will call you when your order is available for pickup).  Is this possible?  I tried to upload a screenshot but it's saying "You do not have permission to upload images."  Strange because I've been doing it all day!

[c12281]

And just to clarify, I did make sure the "Mark new imported items as unavailable online" is not checked under Item Sync.  I also checked each item individually and they are all checked "visible"

[mainstreetbook1 · Accepted solution]

If I'm understanding correctly, I'd say the problem there is with the availability. If you have nothing on hand, maybe disable the Pickup availability, as this is more designed for the customer to schedule their pickup. To facilitate your business, it seems like you might want to set things as available for shipping only, then add these fulfillment details in your custom shipping option text.