Pre-order Campaigns with Fundpop
The complete guide to running pre-order campaigns that validate demand, fund production, and turn customers into advocates—all before you manufacture.
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Pre-orders let you sell products before they exist. Instead of guessing what customers want and investing thousands in inventory, you collect payment commitments first. If enough people want your product, you manufacture. If not, you pivot—without losing money on unsold stock.
For Shopify merchants, this model eliminates the biggest risk in product development and provides working capital upfront. With average campaign revenues of $47K and 73% of merchants returning for more campaigns, pre-orders have become a proven strategy for product launches.
What Are Pre-order Campaigns?
A pre-order campaign is a limited-time offering where customers pay (or commit to pay) for a product that will be delivered later. You set a funding goal—the minimum amount needed to proceed with production. If you hit the goal, you manufacture and ship. If not, customers are refunded.
This model works for everything from new product launches to limited editions and seasonal items. The key difference from traditional retail: you know exactly how many units to produce because customers have already committed.
Modern pre-order campaigns can use:
- Immediate payment capture — Charge at checkout
- Deferred payments — Only charge when the campaign succeeds
Why Pre-orders Work for Shopify Merchants
Traditional inventory models are risky. You estimate demand, order products, and hope they sell. Get it wrong, and you're stuck with dead stock or missed opportunities.
Pre-orders flip this equation. You validate demand with real money before spending a dollar on production.
Beyond risk reduction, pre-orders create:
- Urgency — Limited time to buy creates action
- Community — Backers become invested in your success
- Working capital — Payments before production costs
Many merchants find their pre-order customers become their most loyal advocates—73% of Fundpop merchants return to run additional campaigns.
Key Benefits
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Zero Inventory Risk — Only produce what customers have already purchased. No dead stock, no markdown losses, no warehouse waste.
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Validate Before You Build — Real purchase intent tells you more than surveys ever could. Money talks—test your product idea with actual commitments.
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Working Capital Upfront — Collect payments before production costs hit. Better cash flow for growing businesses without taking on debt.
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Built-in Urgency — Campaign deadlines drive immediate action. No "I'll buy it later" window shopping—customers decide now.
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Community Building — Backers feel invested in your success. They share with friends, advocate on social media, and return for future launches.
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Production Planning — Know exact quantities before you order. Negotiate better rates with manufacturers when you have firm numbers.
Note
Average Fundpop campaign revenue: $47K. Total fees: ~3.5% vs 8-10% on Kickstarter/Indiegogo.
Real-World Example
“Thank you so much! You saved us €6,000! We had an existing site and didn't want to externalize to Ulule or Kickstarter which would divert traffic and take 8-10% commission.”
David Huin
Founder, Lumios
€80K
Raised
200%
Funded
€6,000
Saved
Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Pre-orders
Define Your Product and Costs
Before launching, know exactly what you're selling and what it costs. Get quotes from manufacturers for different quantities. Understand your minimum order quantity (MOQ) and per-unit costs.
Factor in shipping, packaging, and potential returns. Your funding goal should cover all production costs plus a margin for unexpected expenses.
Pro Tip
Get quotes for 3 quantity tiers (minimum, expected, stretch goal). This helps you plan reward unlocks.
Set Your Funding Goal
Your goal should be the minimum amount needed to proceed profitably. Too high, and you create doubt about reaching it. Too low, and you might not cover costs.
Most successful campaigns set achievable goals and use stretch goals for momentum. Consider:
- Manufacturing costs
- Shipping expenses
- Shopify fees
- Buffer for unexpected expenses
Pro Tip
Lower goals are easier to hit. Reaching 200% funded looks better than reaching 50% of an ambitious goal.
Choose Your Payment Model
Decide between immediate capture (charge at checkout) or deferred capture (charge when campaign ends).
- Immediate capture — Best if you're confident you'll hit your goal. Gives you working capital sooner to start production.
- Deferred capture — Best for all-or-nothing campaigns. Lower risk if your goal isn't met—customers aren't charged unless you succeed.
Fundpop supports both models.
Pro Tip
Use deferred payments for all-or-nothing campaigns. Use immediate capture if you're confident you'll hit your goal.
Create Your Campaign Page
Your campaign page needs to answer every question a buyer might have:
- High-quality product images (renders work for pre-production)
- Clear specifications
- Your story/credibility
- Transparent pricing
- Realistic timelines
- FAQ section
Show your manufacturing process or prototypes to build trust.
Pro Tip
Add a "Why Pre-order?" section explaining the model for customers unfamiliar with it.
Build Your Launch List
Never launch to strangers. Before going live, build an email list of interested customers:
- Share behind-the-scenes content
- Show prototypes and production updates
- Create anticipation
- Aim for 100-200 subscribers minimum
These early supporters will provide the initial momentum that attracts others.
Warning
The first 48 hours determine your campaign's trajectory. Front-load your promotional efforts.
Launch and Promote
Launch to your email list first—give them a window of exclusivity. Then expand:
- Social media — Share progress, celebrate milestones
- Content marketing — Blog posts, videos about your product
- Paid ads — If appropriate for your audience
Keep backers updated throughout. Celebrate milestones publicly. Address questions quickly. Maintain momentum with stretch goals and time-limited bonuses.
Pro Tip
Schedule your promotional content in advance so you can focus on customer conversations during launch.
Fulfill Your Promises
After your campaign succeeds, the real work begins:
- Communicate production timelines clearly
- If delays happen (they often do), be honest and proactive
- Ship on time or explain why not
- After delivery, ask for reviews and feedback
Your fulfillment experience determines whether these customers return.
Warning
Under-promise on timelines. Delivering early delights customers; delivering late damages trust.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Launching Without an Audience — Cold launching a pre-order campaign rarely works. Without existing interest, you're asking strangers to trust you with money for a product that doesn't exist. Build your email list first.
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Unrealistic Timelines — First-time creators consistently underestimate production time. Manufacturing, shipping, and customs take longer than you think. Add significant buffer to your estimates.
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Setting the Wrong Goal — Too high, and you never reach it—killing momentum and credibility. Too low, and you can't actually afford to produce. Calculate your real costs.
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Poor Communication After Funding — Backers invested in you, not just your product. Radio silence between funding and fulfillment erodes trust. Send regular updates—even when there's nothing new to report.
How Fundpop Powers Pre-order Campaigns
Fundpop turns your Shopify store into a pre-order powerhouse:
- Funding goals that must be met before orders are captured
- Countdown timers for urgency
- Early bird pricing and reward tiers
- Real-time progress display to build social proof
- Stretch goals & milestone rewards
- Native Shopify checkout — familiar to customers
Every order flows through your normal Shopify checkout—integrated with your fulfillment. Unlike Kickstarter, you keep all customer data for future marketing.
Frequently Asked Questions
With Fundpop, you choose. All-or-nothing campaigns only capture payment if you hit your goal. Flexible campaigns capture immediately. For pre-orders, most merchants capture at order time—this provides working capital and demonstrates real commitment. Just be clear about your expected shipping timeline.
With all-or-nothing funding, customers aren't charged and orders aren't created. You learn what didn't resonate and can try again with improvements. With flexible funding, you keep what you raised but must fulfill orders—which may mean lower margins.
Be extremely clear about timelines on your product page. Use language like "Pre-order: Ships March 2026" prominently. Add a FAQ section explaining the pre-order model. Most customers understand and appreciate the transparency—it's the surprises that cause problems.
Absolutely. Create product variants for different tiers, or use separate products for different reward levels. Fundpop displays these like normal Shopify products, so your existing theme and checkout handle everything.
Products with manufacturing minimums (custom goods), limited editions, seasonal items, and new product launches all work well. The key is having something customers want enough to wait for. Physical products with clear value propositions tend to perform best.
With deferred payments, customers provide payment info at checkout but aren't charged until your campaign ends and hits its goal. If the campaign fails, they're never charged. This reduces friction for all-or-nothing campaigns and matches the Kickstarter experience.
Pre-orders are commitments to buy a product before it ships—simple and straightforward. Crowdfunding adds funding goals, campaign timelines, and often stretch goal rewards. Pre-orders work for ongoing product sales; crowdfunding creates event-style launches with more urgency.
Yes. Your pre-order products live in your regular Shopify catalog alongside in-stock items. Fundpop just adds the campaign functionality. Customers can mix pre-order and regular products in the same cart if you allow it.
Related Guides
Campaign Execution Playbook
The ultimate tactical guide: pre-launch, launch day, mid-campaign, and final push
What is Crowdfunding?
Complete guide to crowdfunding models and how they work
Stretch Goals Guide
How to use stretch goals to increase campaign momentum
Kickstarter Alternative
Compare pre-orders on Shopify vs Kickstarter campaigns