Setting your deposit and signature requirements before the first order

Suppose a salesperson places a $9,400 custom sectional order on a busy Saturday without a signature or deposit. Purchasing sends the PO on Monday, and the customer goes quiet on Tuesday. The store has made a commitment before settling the customer's agreement and payment.

Decide those requirements before the first order. In OrderPilot, category and product-template rules can require a signature and define deposit requirements. Pair the settings with the payment route your Shopify plan supports and a named person responsible for exceptions.

Make the requirement follow the furniture

Set requirements on the category or template where the risk belongs. An illustrative starting policy might require a signature for custom upholstery and made-to-order case goods, while a stocked accessory follows the store's normal sale process.

The order follows the strictest requirement among its lines. Adding a lamp does not remove the sectional's signature requirement. Rehearse a mixed order so staff understand why a small accessory purchase can sit beside a larger requirement on the same record. Use the signature-requirements guide for the detailed setup. Put this decision into the first-week plan before staff begin converting practice quotes into orders.

Separate taking a deposit from enforcing the native rule

Any Shopify plan can take an OrderPilot deposit through a separate deposit order. Enable Deposit orders in Settings › Quotes & orders › Delivery & stock and use the Admin route on the quote or draft before placement. The customer receives a pay link for that deposit order, and the payment counts toward the main record's balance.

On a $3,000 purchase, a $1,500 deposit leaves $1,500 outstanding. Choose the percentage or amount your policy calls for, then review the actual total and payment history before requesting it. Shopify's own percentage deposits in payment terms require Plus, as described in its draft-order guidance. OrderPilot's POS Take Deposit and native minimum-deposit requirement also depend on that Plus route. A paid separate deposit order does not satisfy the native minimum-deposit rule on a non-Plus store.

You can still insist on a deposit as store policy without Plus. Use the deposit-order route and a deliberate, authorized placement review that confirms the actual payment before purchasing. The plan-by-plan deposit guide helps choose that route, with the payment and balance kept on the sale.

Give exception authority to a named person

An unmet requirement should prompt a decision, not an improvisation at the register. POS presents the required signature step; Admin warns about unmet requirements and lets a person with the appropriate authority place anyway, with the skipped requirement recorded. Give that authority to the people responsible for the commitment and name a backup. Review the role permissions explicitly; the role's title alone does not establish how restricted it is. Staff should know whether they need a signature, evidence of a payment, or an approver's judgment.

Record the reason for an exception. “Customer signed on paper; copy recorded” describes a different situation from “Customer has not agreed.” Keeping the distinction clear gives purchasing a useful handoff.

Control when customers see payment actions

If the vendor price still needs confirmation, keep customer payment access off until the order is ready for it. OrderPilot's payment-access setting can keep customer pay surfaces hidden until payment is enabled on the order.

Use that control alongside the quote's wording. The customer should understand whether the store is still preparing the final offer or asking them to pay an agreed amount. The payment-access guide covers how the setting and payment terms work together.

Give staff a short explanation and a rehearsal

A useful script: “We'll confirm the fabric and finish, have you review and sign the quote, and collect the agreed deposit before we place the vendor order.” Adapt it to the store's actual policy and payment route.

Then rehearse the sample sectional with a missing signature, an unpaid deposit, and a mixed accessory line. Test the authorized exception separately. Staff should be able to explain the waiting step while the swatches are still on the table; walnut and smoked oak have enough scope for discussion already.

Before live use, the store should have an approved policy, matching category or template requirements, the tested payment route, and named exception holders. Use the custom-furniture deposit-policy template to put the customer explanation into a consistent form.

Sources

1. Creating draft orders — Shopify Help Center.