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Shopify incoming inventory vs open purchase orders: avoid double ordering
Your Shopify inventory page says 20 units are on hand. A supplier has confirmed another 30, but the Incoming column has not changed. If you reorder from the inventory number alone, you might buy stock that is already committed. First check the purchase order, its linked transfer, and any orders tracked in another app.
A purchase order and incoming stock are different records
Shopify’s current purchase-order workflow lets you save a draft, mark it as Ordered after supplier confirmation, and create a linked inventory transfer. The PO records the commercial agreement. The transfer tracks shipments and receiving. Shopify’s transfer statuses say an in-progress transfer marks inventory as incoming at the destination; a draft transfer does not commit inventory.
That distinction matters when a supplier has accepted an order but the associated transfer has not progressed. The number in Incoming need not be a complete list of every unit you have ordered. Check the PO and transfer records before treating a low Incoming number as a reason to buy again.
| Record | What to check before reordering |
|---|---|
| Stock on hand | The current location and variant, not a total across warehouses |
| Shopify purchase order | Whether the supplier confirmed it and how many units remain expected |
| Linked transfer | Its destination, shipment status, and quantity already received |
| Purchase order in another app | Whether it represents a separate physical order or the same order again |
Shopify already supports supplier POs and receiving through linked transfers. If that covers your process, you can use the built-in workflow. A separate inventory app is useful when you also need a persistent reorder policy based on sales pace, supplier lead time, and stock already ordered.
Work through the quantity once
Suppose your replenishment target is 100 units at one location. You have 20 on hand, 30 genuinely inbound through Shopify, and a different 10-unit supplier order tracked in your inventory app. The uncovered amount is 100 − 20 − 30 − 10 = 40 units. This is an illustration, not a recommendation for your actual target or safety stock.
Now suppose the 30-unit Shopify transfer and a 30-unit app PO describe the same physical order. Subtracting both would treat 60 units as on the way. The suggested new order would be too small. Keep an order identifier, supplier, SKU, destination, and outstanding quantity together so you can spot that overlap. For the reorder-point formula itself, see our Shopify reorder points guide.
When goods arrive, record the receipt once
Shopify’s linked-transfer receiving guide covers partial deliveries: accept the quantity that arrived, reject or cancel units as appropriate, and leave outstanding units for a later shipment. Receiving affects the destination inventory. If you also use an app to record a receipt and write it back to Shopify, choose one route for the stock adjustment and reconcile the records before the next order.
UreyukiBox keeps its own purchase orders; it does not create Shopify’s native purchase orders. On Starter and above, it suggests reorder points and quantities from Shopify sales, stock on hand, Shopify inbound inventory, and open quantities marked as ordered in UreyukiBox. You review the supplier and quantity before emailing a PO. If one physical order is entered both as Shopify inbound and as an open UreyukiBox PO, both sources may be subtracted. Compare the two workflows before choosing how to track orders.
You can install UreyukiBox and use Free for manual purchase orders and receiving at one location with up to 100 products. Quantity suggestions and supplier PO emails start on Starter. Keep the original order records until your counts agree.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Shopify purchase order automatically become incoming inventory?
An ordered purchase order can be linked to an inventory transfer. Shopify records inventory as incoming when the transfer is in progress, so check both the purchase order and its linked transfer before planning another order.
Should I enter the same supplier order in Shopify and UreyukiBox?
Do not count the same physical order as both Shopify inbound stock and an open UreyukiBox order when reviewing a suggested quantity. Both quantities can be subtracted, making the new order too small. Keep one purchasing record for each order and reconcile what is already on the way.