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# Expiration & Notifications

Every layaway has an expiration date. The app can notify customers and managers before and after a layaway expires.

## Expiration

### Setting the Expiration Date

* **At creation**: When you create a layaway from POS, the expiration date defaults to the number of days set in your [Settings](https://layaway.mantledocs.com/getting-started/settings) (e.g., 30 days from today). You can change it on the summary screen before confirming.
* **After creation**: You can edit the expiration date from the [detail page](https://layaway.mantledocs.com/app-interface/layaway-details) in the admin dashboard, or from POS when updating a layaway.

### What Happens When a Layaway Expires

When the expiration date passes:

| **Current Status** | What Happens |
| ---- |
| **Reserved** | Layaway moves to **Expired**. Reserved inventory is released back to available. |
| **In Progress** | Layaway moves to **Expired**. The linked Shopify order stays open -- this shows up as "Needs Attention" on your dashboard. |

Completed, Canceled, and Restocked layaways are not affected by expiration since they are already in a terminal status.
## Notifications

The app sends 3 types of notifications by email.
### 1. Expiring Soon
Sent **before** a layaway expires, giving the customer (and/or your team) a heads-up.
* **When**: A configurable number of hours before expiration (default: 24 hours)
* **For which layaways**: Those still in **Reserved** or **In Progress** status
* **Sent once**: The notification is sent only once per layaway. If you extend the expiration date, the timer resets and the notification will be sent again based on the new date.

### 2. Expired
Sent when a layaway in **Reserved** status reaches its expiration date.
* **When**: At the moment the layaway expires
* **Purpose**: Lets the customer know their hold has ended, and lets your team know inventory has been released

### 3. Expired with Open Order
Sent when an **In Progress** layaway expires but still has a linked Shopify order that is open. This is common when a customer made a deposit or partial payments but did not finish paying before the deadline.
* **When**: At the moment the layaway expires
* **Purpose**: Alerts your team that manual action is needed -- the customer has an open order with partial payments, but the layaway deadline has passed. You will need to decide whether to cancel the order, issue a refund, or make other arrangements.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/d/d/3/4dd3899948d8e000/screenshot-2026-07-16-at-11473_aqb3ez.png)


## Who Gets Notified?

Each notification type can be sent to different recipients. You control this in [Settings](https://layaway.mantledocs.com/getting-started/settings).

| Notification | **Customer** | **Manager** | **Both** |
| ---- |
| Expiring Soon | Toggle | Toggle | Toggle |
| Expired | Toggle | Toggle | Toggle |
| Expired with Open Order | Toggle | Toggle | Toggle |
* **Customer**: The email on the customer's Shopify profile
* **Manager**: The email address(es) you configure in Settings

## Timing

The "Expiring Soon" lead time is configurable from **1 to 168 hours** (1 hour to 7 days). Choose a window that gives your customers enough time to act:

| **Store Type** | **Suggested Lead Time** |
| ---- |
| Walk-in retail | 24 hours (1 day)) |
| High-value items | 72 hours (3 days)) |
| Short hold periods | 4-12 hours) |

## Tips
* **Extend, do not recreate**: If a customer needs more time, just edit the expiration date. The notification timer resets automatically.
* **Monitor "Needs Attention"**: Expired layaways with open orders need your manual attention. Check the [Dashboard](https://layaway.mantledocs.com/app-interface/dashboard) regularly.
* **Manager emails**: Add multiple manager emails in [Settings](https://layaway.mantledocs.com/getting-started/settings) if you want your whole team notified.