When are we going to get a Retail Made-to-order Feature

[mamac]

I’ve been with Square since 2018 and for 8 years that I am aware there have been promises to provide a fix/patch/feature and even a “we’re working on it…soon.” Which was particularly galling because I recall that “soon” after that little gem the thread got archived as deep as the Arc of the Covenant. So square your online costs have just jumped and your solution for this little crafter is to give you more money either by upgrading my plan or taking a tiny bullet with each online purchase (when I can get them,) Sigh. 

What can I do? You are the big dog on the porch. Please give us a feature to so that customers can order something that is not food but may take 3 weeks to make and ship to them. My customers trust you. I need you and you know it. Don’t forget us little guys. 

[JacintaOgden]

I know how you feel! I would love to do custom made lithophanes; whether it's baubles, lamps, hearts or whatever but I can't find a way around this other than people using my contact form and sorting it out through email.

[TheRealChipA]

@mamac @JacintaOgden At the risk of upsetting someone, I'd like to ask a few questions so that I might be able to help you use existing Square features to make your life easier.  Also, by going through a question-and-answer session here, we might be able to refine your ask from "Retail made-to-order feature" (which covers A LOT of ground) to more specific, easy-to-address features that Square might be able to add to complete the picture for made-to-order sellers.  So, if you'll indulge me, here are my first questions.

Are you aware of what are known as "text modifiers?" Basically, they allow us in our online stores to ask for things like "engraving name" or "birthdate," etc, in order to customize items being ordered.

Secondly, are you aware that modifier sets can be named so that they act like questions to be answered?  For example, if you create a required modifier set called "Notice -- customizable items can take up to three weeks to be shipped.  Please indicate your understanding and acceptance?"  This could then have two choices -- blank and "Yes, I understand."

Lastly for this round of questions, can you list SPECIFIC things you need Square Online to do that you think it doesn't do now?

Thanks for working with me here.

[JacintaOgden]

A custom lithophane needs a photograph, not text or any other personalisation. I need an upload picture button or something like that to streamline the process instead of someone using the contact form, emailing backwards and forwards, writing invoices etc

[amystreasuresde]

I completely agree!  I offer customization as well, but currently included drop down menus and blank form fields for the customer to fill out.  I haven't gotten a single one, I rarely get orders, but at least I can make it work with the types of product I sell right now. 

[JacintaOgden]

I don't tend to get custom orders through here. I don't get many orders either. I hope that will change with a little bit more effort this year.

[mamac]

No, risk at upsetting me, ChipA. Believe me, all I want is a solution to a very real 8 year old problem. I am aware of the modifiers. I hadn’t used them quite like that because as soon as a product became sold out it became unavailable for sale. 
I wish that Square would make a simple available to order button where the buyer could purchase the entire item just as it already existed with the understanding that it was a “custom” made piece with a delivery date of x weeks or days and that’s it. What you have now is arcane and seems to be directed towards the restaurant industry. Does that help?

[JKO]

Hear, hear!!! I, too, want an option like this. I make custom-made jewelry and ornaments. For the ornaments in particular, I'd like to have exactly what you suggest, an "available to order" option! 

[TheRealChipA]

@mamac Ah.  That makes sense, now.  I wasn't understanding that initially.  So you are not wanting for customers to be able to customize items which you would then make to order according to THEIR specs.  Definitely a difference, so I appreciate the clarification.  So....  

Can I see an example of what you have now?  Possibly a link to your online store that I could noodle around?  If you give me that link, please give me an item or two that I can specifically look at.  Maybe/hopefully we can come up with a short-term solution.

Also, another couple of questions.

1) You said "as soon as a product became sold out it became unavailable for sale."  Does this mean you ONLY sell one of each of these custom items and then they are gone forever?  

2) So, if I'm reading you correctly, you'd like the order confirmation email to specify the expected delivery (or shipping) date, which you could update if needed.

[mamac]

Absolutely, my site is carolynsbeehive.com. I sold this item: The Monstera Leaf Corner, at our Holiday Market last December. Now my Square site has marked it out of stock, because it is. I would love to make it available to order but I have dozens of products and I wish I could predict what people are going to want to buy. Then I would be rich beyond my wildest dreams and I would take you, ChipA on a fabulous tropical vacay. Sorry, it's cold and rainy here. Anyway, here is the link: https://www.carolynsbeehive.com/product/monstera/271?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=...

Is that all you needed? I would be happy to adjust delivery times for each product as needed. That is not an issue.

[TheRealChipA]

We're definitely making progress.  Of course, there are no guarantees here, but I'll do my best.  So..... sorry, but still more questions?

1. Do you have any items that are not made-to-order, or are they all made-to-order?
2. Is there any reason you need to track inventory for ANY of your made-to-order products?  I can't see a reason why you would, but it's not my business.
3. If you don't need to track inventory for any of your made-to-order products, can you live with the fact that when one is unavailable, you'll have to mark it so manually?
4. Is your lead time to delivery pretty standard, or all over the map?
5. Finally, would you be ok spending the time to add a modifier set to each of your items?  Keep in mind that there is a batch method of doing this so you would not have to edit each item.  But, it would still take time, depending on how many different lead times you have.

That's it for the moment.  Thanks for hanging in there with me.

[TheRealChipA]

@mamac (and everyone else in this thread)

Unfortunately, as I was setting up and making screen shots for how to implement made-to-order items, I ran into a brick wall.  There's no need to go into detail other than to say that my idea can't be fully implemented.  I need one thing that I don't have access to.  So, my apologies for leading anyone down this rabbit hole.  I truly believed that I could give you an elegant solution, but that is not the case.

@mamac I recommend going to the feature request board. There, you can submit a feature request for consideration.  I'd highly recommend that when you do this, come back here and post a link to your request so that everyone here can support it.

Anyway, @mamac, request a "made to order" item type, for sure.  Give the engineers a list of specific functions it should have, such as:

• no inventory tracking or out-of-stock
• new fields to specify expected shipping date and/or lead times
• the ability to make it unavailable manually
• etc (other functionality you think it needs)

Honestly I think this is a very worthy feature request.  I'd even be willing to help you word it so that it could be properly considered, if you want.  If so, just send me a private message here.  Regardless, I'll definitely upvote and support this feature request with my own thoughts.

Again, apologies for getting anyone's hopes up that there might be a good work-around.  After more than a decade with Square it surprises me when I can't find one.  This time I did.

[JKO]

Thanks for trying! I truly appreciate your attempt to find a work-around for us!

[bonny]

And on top of that, you have to figure out shipping.  Because each one is unique and will weigh something different, I can see the challenge of figuring that out depending on where it's going.  I think it would be a lot of emailing back and forth.  

Bonny Wagoner - Artist/Illustrator

[JKO]

I make and sell jewelry, so I have a fixed amount that covers most shipping, so I don't see that as an issue for me.

[JKO]

Hi Chip,

A lot of my products are truly one-of-a-kind, and I'd like to continue to have them made "unavailable" after the item is ordered. But some, like my ornaments, I can remake on demand. I would love an option that says, "non on hand, but can be made when you order." You can check out my site www.jewelrybyjko.com. Focus on the category of "ornaments" to see examples. 

While we're at it, I'd also like to have a better way of creating a gallery of previous work that allows people to ask for "something like this" as a custom order. Ideally, once an item is sold, it would be added to the gallery automatically.

[TheRealChipA]

Hey @JKO.. It sounds like you and @mamac have a similar business model.  In order not to confuse this thread too much, after @mamac replies to my questions, I'm going to lay out a few ideas.  From what I'm seeing on your website and from your post, I think that what I'm going to suggest should work for you, as well.  Just give me time to reply to them so that I can finish my thoughts there.  Then I can entertain questions from everyone if I haven't already answered them.  Honestly, Square can already do what you folks want.  But it requires a little out-of-the-box thinking due to the sheer number of ways that catalogs and even inventory can be set up.  In fact, I think that Square has more flexibility that simply marking an item as "made to order."  Stay tuned.....

[Lisa3002]

Eagerly following along as I would also like to see 'made to order' or 'custom order' type options. I make mostly one-of-a-kind baskets. I currently use modifiers but it's a clumsy way of doing so. 

I also do not like when pieces are sold they are marked 'unavailable' or 'out of stock' when a 'Made to Order' option would be excellent. My only resort is to remove them from active listings, but then customers cannot order one of these pieces. 

Curious to see where this ends. I've been with square for a few years now and it seems this is a continual request especially for custom / made-to-order pieces. 

[G_26]

We are designer craftsmen.  Everything we do is done one at a time.

Some are repeat designs, in a series..  but still one of a kind

I have done our hair accessories and kitchen ware as made to order since the late 90s.

It is a difficult issue but we manage.

Our web site is awkward for customers and labororious.

I am working on it now 

We sell at a farmer's market March through December and handed out almost 5000 cards in 2025 to customers specifically requesting the ability to potentially order 

Our web sales are pathetic.  My fault lack of time..  our work is labor intensive

We are looking for a calmer and more productive 2026.

Martha Baerreis

Designs by Baerreis

Baerreis.com

[kayteeS]

Same problem-- everything I have is OOAK, and I'm the JOAT ("Jill" of all tasks), from sourcing materials to "making" to marketing to selling to shipping, and answering any emails/DMs. 

My inventory (Excel sheet) has ~ 10K items... my Square "store" has maybe 200. Aside from the time and aggravations of photographing/editing, describing, and the listing procedure, even with less than 2% listed, the site is clunky. Clunky to set up listings, and clunky to search through as a potential buyer, so even though I do custom work, I don't promote or sell it through Square. 

I've had Square almost since it started-- when there was a period of no per charge fee, and way before they absorbed Weebly and somehow deleted my Weebly website in the process.  However, I've had only a couple of sales directly from my website. The rest have been via invoices and in-person sales using the dongles (rarely can get the "contactless" square thingy to work), or cash/check/Venmo payments. Also, through consignment/art shows (gallery type set-up) where somebody else deals with the sale process.

If there was a way to leave sold items visible but "not available", as mentioned by a few others on this thread (like JKO), that would be great. Maybe a "down payment" option to start custom (re)creations, and a "final payment" (special invoice?) when it's ready to ship/pick up.

[TheRealChipA]

@mamac @kayteeS @JacintaOgden @G_26 @JKO

So, it has taken me a couple of days, but I've found and tested a solution for the issue of made-to-order items showing up as unavailable after they are ordered one time.  First, though, a little background and information about item setup.

When you are editing/adding variation details, if you click on the inventory tab, you'll get the first screen shown below.  If you click the "Change tracking" link, you get to choose from tracking "tracking by availability" or "tracking by stock count," as shown in the second screen shot below.  Most likely, since you are retail sellers, you are choosing "by stock count."  For made-to-order items, this is incorrect.  Setting those to "tracking by availability" will cause the online store to ALWAYS show those as available to order UNLESS you manually make an item unavailable.  (Post continues after screen shots).

For most of you, you probably have off-the-shelf (OTS) items as well as made-to-order (MTO) items.  This simply means that you should use two inventory methods, as well -- "by availability" for your made-to-order items and "by count" for your off-the-shelf items.  MTO items will always show available unless you mark them as unavailable for a while.  Your OTS items will obey normal stock tracking and show out of stock when necessary.

Now.... the next problem is that many of you probably have a large library of MTO items.  Which means you need a bulk method for switching their inventory method to "by availability."  Otherwise, you would be stuck changing each one individually which would drive anyone insane!  I checked the dashboard bulk and mass item editing functions and found there was no such bulk edit for this setting. However, I stumbled upon a method that does work. 

I created a few test MTO items and set them up to track inventory by count (the wrong way).  Then I exported my item catalog and edited that spreadsheet.  In the column "New Quantity [location]" I entered the letter "N" for those three items.  Then I re-uploaded the catalog.  As expected, those MTO items were changed to track inventory "by availability."

Anyway, for those of you with MTO items, you have two ways to keep them from becoming out of stock after one is sold:

1. If you ONLY have a few MTO items, you can simply edit each one in your dashboard and change the tracking method from "by count" to "by availability," then save them.
2. If you have a lot of MTO items, you can do the following:
   • Download your item catalog
   • Precaution in case you mess something up later -- make a copy of this downloaded file and leave it alone.
   • Edit it using a spreadsheet app
   • For each of your MTO items, go to column AI (New Quantity [location]) and enter "N." Please resist the urge to make any other changes other Thant changing this column to "N" as needed.
   • Save your modified catalog, then go back to your dashboard and re-upload it.  Note that I recommend leaving the option to "replace entire catalog" toggled off.  This will cause the import function to match items in your import file with items already in your catalog.  It's less invasive, IMO.
   • Finally, edit an MTO item or two to be sure it is tracking by availability now

That's it.  Please note that I did not address any other issues that any of you brought up here.  If you have other MTO item issues, please start a new thread of your own for those.  You can tag me in those posts if you want me to reply.  Otherwise, if you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to ask.