Double-booking a busy day
The production list shows the units already promised for each date, so you can close a date before the oven is overbooked.
Pre-orders & deposits
A bakery pre-order system where every box has a date and a deposit.
Take orders for any future day, collect a deposit up front, and let the balance wait for pickup. Every pre-order lands on the right day’s bake list, so January 5 knows how many Roscas January 6 needs.
- ThuJan 12 × Rosca grandeRamírez Deposit paid
- FriJan 230 × bánh mì rollsNguyen Paid in full
- SatJan 3Fruit cake 10″Chen Balance due
- MonJan 56 × RoscaOffice order Deposit paid
- TueJan 63 × Rosca + chocolateHernández Deposit paid
What is a bakery pre-order system?
A bakery pre-order system records orders for a future pickup date, takes a deposit or full payment when the order is placed, and shows the balance due at pickup. A good one also adds those orders to the production list for the right day, so the kitchen bakes what was promised and nothing is lost in a notebook.
- Panaderías in Rosca and pan de muerto season
- Mooncake and Tết orders at Chinese and Vietnamese bakeries
- Eid mithai boxes and corporate gifting in Karachi and Dubai
- Thanksgiving pies and holiday trays in the US
Try a deposit rule
How much should a bakery deposit be?
Most bakeries ask for 25–50% on everyday pre-orders and 50–100% on custom cakes. Slide to see what your rule means for one order — the example rule in our demos is 50%.
The numbers here are an example customer order in your selected currency, not our prices.
Paid today—
Due at pickup—
The order shows both numbers; the receipt prints the balance.
How it works
From order to pickup in four steps
The same flow at the counter, on the phone and online. Times are what a trained counter assistant takes.
1 minTake the order
At the counter, by phone or through your online store: items, sizes, pickup date and time, customer name and number.
at orderCollect the deposit
Cash, card through your processor, or a custom method like Zelle, JazzCash or Easypaisa. The balance is shown on the order.
automaticIt lands on the bake list
The order appears on the production list for its pickup day, merged with what you bake for the case.
30 secPickup and balance
Find the order by name or number, take the balance, print the receipt. The order closes itself.
What should a bakery deposit policy say?
Say how much is paid up front, by when the balance is due, what happens if plans change, and what happens on a no-show. Put it where the customer sees it before paying: the order form, the receipt footer and your online store.
- The deposit amount or percentage, and which orders need one.
- The last day to change flavour, size or inscription.
- Whether the deposit is refundable, and until when.
- How long you hold an order after the pickup time.
Thank you! Your deposit holds your order for the date above. Changes up to 48 hours before pickup. Deposits are not refundable after we start baking. Orders not collected by closing time are held one day.
What can go wrong with pre-orders, and how is it handled?
The customer changes the order
Edit the order; the deposit stays attached and the balance recalculates. The bake list updates on its own.
A no-show
The deposit is recorded against the order. Your policy decides whether to keep or refund it; either way the books stay right.
Two shops, one order book
On Commissary each order has a pickup location, and each shop sees its own pickups for the day.
How pre-orders sound at the counter
These are sample reviews, written to show how bakeries use each feature. Real, named reviews replace them as customers share them.
“Our Rosca orders used to live in a spiral notebook. Now every order has a pickup day and a deposit, and on January 5 the bake list tells us exactly how many to make.”
“The customer's reference photo, the inscription and the deposit are all on the order. Our decorator opens it on the tablet instead of reading WhatsApp screenshots.”
“Three restaurants take baguettes every morning on a standing order. The invoices go out on terms and I can see who still owes for last week.”
Pre-order and deposit questions
How do bakery deposits work in GetBakeryPOS?
A deposit is a partial payment recorded against a future order. You take it when the order is placed; the order shows the amount paid and the balance due; at pickup you collect the balance and the order is completed. Reports show deposits held for orders not yet picked up.
Can I require a deposit only on big orders?
Yes. Your staff follow the rule you set (for example, 50% on any order over a certain amount, or full payment on custom cakes). The order records what was paid, so nobody needs to remember who paid what.
What payment methods can a deposit be paid with?
Cash, card through your own processor, and any custom payment method you add — Zelle, Venmo, JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank transfer are common. Card payments run on your processor’s terms; we do not process them.
Can customers choose a pickup date online?
Yes. Your auto-generated online store lets customers order for pickup and pick a date you allow. You can pause online pre-orders for a day that is full.
What happens if a customer doesn’t pick up?
The order stays open with its deposit recorded. Your own written policy decides whether the deposit is kept or refunded; the system records either outcome. We suggest putting the policy on the receipt footer and on the online store page.
Can I send pickup reminders?
Yes, by email or SMS through notification templates (SMS needs your own SMS provider account). A reminder the day before cuts no-shows on big holidays.
How do pre-orders reach the production list?
Every pre-order carries its pickup date, so the production list for a given day adds the pre-ordered quantities to your usual par levels. See daily production lists.
Can I stop taking orders when a day is full?
Yes. Close a pickup date in the online store and tell staff at the counter; the production list shows how many units are already promised for that day, so you know when to stop.
Does it handle Rosca, mooncake and Thanksgiving pie rushes?
That is what it is built for: hundreds of orders for a handful of days, each with a deposit, all visible on one list. The holiday pre-order calendar shows when to open orders for each season.
Which plan includes pre-orders and deposits?
Every plan, starting with Counter. Custom cake orders with photos start at Bakehouse.
No question matches that. Try another word, or ask us on the demo.
Works together with
- Custom cake ordersSize, flavour, inscription and reference photos on one order.
Weighing scalesScale labels scan straight into the sale, priced by weight.- Daily production listsTomorrow's bake list from pre-orders plus par levels.
Expiry & lot trackingBatch lots, sell-by dates, first-expiring sold first.
Recipe costingTrue cost per piece, wastage included.- Wholesale accountsCafé and restaurant accounts on price lists and terms.
Open Rosca orders with deposits this year.
Set up in an afternoon, take the first deposit tomorrow.
