Why partial deliveries need care
A partial delivery is when only some of an order arrives. It's common: a product sells out at the supplier, a shipment splits, or a pallet is delayed. If it isn't recorded carefully, your stock counts go wrong and you can end up reordering things that are already on the way.
When the delivery arrives
- Count against the packing list and your purchase order, product by product.
- Record only what actually arrived and is fit to sell.
- Note damaged or wrong items separately, with photos, before you accept them.
- Keep the rest of the order open, so you know it's still coming.
Ask the supplier about the rest
Hi [name], thanks, we received part of order [reference] today. These items are still to come: [list]. Could you confirm when they'll ship? [If anything arrived damaged:] We also received [quantity] damaged [product], photos attached. Could you send replacements or credit them?
Decide: wait, or close it short
- Wait if the rest is coming soon and you still need it.
- Close the order short if the supplier can't send the rest, or you no longer want it. Ask them to adjust the invoice to what arrived.
Don't forget the costs
If you paid freight or duty on the whole order, spread it over what actually arrived, not what you ordered. Otherwise your cost per unit comes out too low. Our landed cost guide shows how.
How Posto helps
Receive each delivery as it arrives, and Posto adds only those units to your Shopify stock at the location you choose. The order stays open, and the rest counts as on order, so you won't reorder it by mistake, until everything arrives or you close it short. Once the order is finished, freight and duty are split over what actually arrived.