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 (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 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.
Who Gets Notified?
Each notification type can be sent to different recipients. You control this in 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 regularly.
- Manager emails: Add multiple manager emails in Settings if you want your whole team notified.
Updated on: 17/07/2026
Thank you!