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# Creating a Layaway

This guide walks you through creating a new layaway from Shopify POS.

## Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

*   A customer selected (or ready to attach) in the POS cart
*   The items the customer wants added to the cart

## Step-by-Step

### 1. Build the Cart

Add the products the customer wants to set aside to your POS cart, just like you would for a normal sale.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/d/d/3/4dd3899948d8e000/img0694_1nq98lk.jpg)


### 2. Attach a Customer

If you have not already, attach a customer to the cart. The layaway needs to be linked to a customer record.



![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/d/d/3/4dd3899948d8e000/img0711_1x9ramr.jpg)


### 3. Tap the Layaway Tile

On the POS home screen, tap the **Create Layaway** tile.



![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/d/d/3/4dd3899948d8e000/img0710_qzojw5.jpg)


### 4. Review the Confirmation Screen

You will see a summary showing:

*   The attached customer
*   The items in the cart
*   A total summary

Review everything to make sure it looks correct.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/d/d/3/4dd3899948d8e000/img0698_1d2vng1.jpg)

### 5. Review the Summary

On the summary screen, you can:

*   **Set an expiration date** -- this is the deadline for the customer to pay in full. The default is based on your app settings (see [Settings](../getting-started/settings)), but you can change it here.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/d/d/3/4dd3899948d8e000/img0699_8jcq65.jpg)

Tip: If you want to add notes to the layaway, add them to the Shopify cart notes before creating the layaway. The layaway will preserve the cart note.


### 6. Choose How to Create

You have two options:

#### Option A: "Reserve Items"

Tap **Reserve Items** to reserve the items without collecting any payment.

*   The layaway is created with a **Reserved** status
*   Inventory is reserved at your current POS location (items move from "available" to "reserved")
*   No Shopify order is created yet
*   The customer will come back later to start paying

#### Option B: "Collect Deposit"

Tap **Collect Deposit** to create the layaway and proceed to checkout to collect a deposit or payment.

*   The POS payment screen opens so you can collect a partial payment (deposit)
*   Use **split payment** to capture just the deposit amount, then tap **"Mark as partially paid"**
*   A Shopify order is created and linked to the layaway immediately
*   The layaway starts in **In Progress** status (since an order is already linked)
*   The customer can make follow-up payments later


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/d/d/3/4dd3899948d8e000/img0700_v56o3i.jpg)


## What Happens Next?

*   The layaway appears in the **Layaway Orders** tile on POS (for your current location) and in the [admin dashboard](../app-interface/dashboard) on the web
*   If notifications are enabled, the customer and/or manager will be notified before the layaway expires (see [Expiration & Notifications](../key-concepts/expiration-and-notifications))
*   When the customer returns to make payments, see [Completing a Layaway](../using-layaways/completing-a-layaway)

## Tips

*   **Double-check the customer** before creating -- you can change the customer later by loading the layaway via "Edit in Cart" and updating the cart customer, but it is easier to get it right the first time.
*   **Set a realistic expiration date** -- too short and customers may not have time to come back; too long and you are holding inventory unnecessarily.
*   **Use cart notes** in the Shopify POS cart to record anything the customer mentioned (e.g., "Will return on Friday" or "Wants gift wrapping"). The layaway will preserve the cart note and display it in the summary.