Preorder deposits for game stores: rules that keep release day calm

Preorders lock in demand before your distributor order is due, but loose rules make for a messy release day: no-shows, arguments over who gets the short allocation, and deposits that end up counted as sales.

Pick a deposit type per product

• No deposit: fine for low-risk restocks and regulars you trust.
• Fixed amount: simple to explain at the counter ("$20 holds it").
• Percentage: scales with price; 25% is a common starting point for booster boxes.
• Paid in full: for allocated or high-demand product where no-shows hurt.

Set limits before you announce

• A per-customer limit stops one buyer from taking your whole allocation.
• A total cap matched to what your distributor confirmed, plus a waitlist after that.
• A close date so the order you send your distributor reflects real demand.

Decide allocation order in advance

When you get shorted, publish the rule you'll use. A fair default: customers paid in full first, then by order date. Anyone who doesn't fit moves to the waitlist and keeps their deposit or gets it back. Writing it down ahead of time avoids the release-day argument.

Keep deposits separate from sales

A deposit isn't revenue yet; it's money you owe back if you can't fill the order. Track deposits in their own ledger, apply them as a tender when the customer picks up, and refund to cash or store credit if the preorder is cancelled. Your sales reports then show the sale on release day, not weeks earlier.

Hold allocated stock

Once product arrives and you assign it to preorders, those units should disappear from walk-in and online availability. Otherwise you can sell a reserved box to the next person who asks.

In TCGCORE

Preorders in TCGCORE support all four deposit types, per-customer limits and caps, paid-in-full-first allocation, a separate deposit ledger, and pickup that applies the deposit to the final sale. Allocated units are held from the register and the online shop.