What is partial fulfilment?
November 12, 2026
Partial fulfilment is shipping only some of the items in an order because the rest are out of stock or delayed. The remaining items are either sent later, which creates a backorder, or cancelled and refunded.
Why it matters for online retailers
Shipping what you have gets products to the customer sooner and can protect marketplace despatch targets. It also costs more in postage and packaging, and some customers would rather wait for everything to arrive together.
Options when an order can't be fully fulfilled
- Ship in full later: hold the whole order until everything is in stock.
- Partial shipment: send what you have now and the rest when it arrives.
- Partial cancellation: send what you have and refund the rest.
How to decide
- Check each marketplace's rules for late despatch and cancellations.
- Weigh the extra postage against the value of the order.
- Tell the customer what is happening and when to expect the rest.
- Fix the cause: keep stock synced across channels so you don't sell what you don't have.
How StoreFeeder handles it
StoreFeeder handles backorders, so items that are out of stock can wait for new stock while stock levels stay synced to every channel. That reduces the overselling that causes most partial orders in the first place.
Read more about StoreFeeder order fulfilment.
Frequently asked questions
Is partial fulfilment the same as a backorder?
Not quite. Partial fulfilment means part of the order ships now. The items still waiting are on backorder.
Does partial fulfilment cost more?
Usually, because you pay postage and packaging twice for the same order.
Do marketplaces allow partial shipments?
Most do, but each has its own rules on despatch times and cancellations, so check before splitting orders.
