Mintsoft training · Orders

Managing back orders.

Selling out is a good problem to have. When an order is waiting for stock, it goes on back order. Here’s how to find them, see what’s missing and decide what to do, screen by screen.

Start step 1 Your four options
Checked against Mintsoft’s help centre, October 2026
Check them dailywe can only pick NEW orders
Wait, split, change or cancelit’s your choice for each order
Oldest orders firstwhen new stock is booked in
1

Find your back orders

Click the ONBACKORDER number in the Order Status Summary on your dashboard, or go to Orders → Back Orders.

  1. 1
    ONBACKORDERHow many orders are waiting for stock. Click it to see them.
  2. 2
    Back OrdersThe same list, from the menu.

Check this every day. Orders can only be picked once they’re NEW.

Illustration of the client portal. Your screen may look slightly different.

2

See which item is missing

Click the small arrow next to an order to see its items. Compare Committed with Allocated.

  1. 1
    ArrowOpens the order’s item list.
  2. 2
    CommittedHow many the customer ordered.
  3. 3
    AllocatedHow many we have in stock for this order.
  4. 4
    The missing itemWhere the two numbers don’t match. Here, the pink mug is out of stock.

Illustration of the client portal. Your screen may look slightly different.

Your options

Four ways to deal with a back order.

Option 1

Wait

Leave it. The whole order ships in one parcel when the missing item arrives.

Option 2

Split it

Send the in-stock items now and the rest later. Two parcels, two delivery charges.

How to split it
Option 3

Change the items

Swap the missing item for something in stock, or remove it.

How to change the items
Option 4

Cancel it

Can’t wait and nothing to swap? Cancel the order from Orders → Overview.

3

Option: split the order

Send what we have now, and the rest when it arrives. Tick the order, choose Split in Bulk Actions and click Go.

  1. 1
    Tick the orderOn the Back Orders page.
  2. 2
    SplitSeparates the in-stock items from the missing ones.
  3. 3
    GoSplits the order straight away.

Two parcels means two delivery charges. You can only split an order once.

Illustration of the client portal. Your screen may look slightly different.

4

What a split looks like

You’ll now have two orders. One goes out now; the other waits for stock and ships automatically when it arrives.

  1. 1
    In-stock partStatus NEW, ready for us to pick. It has -Copy on the end of the number.
  2. 2
    Back-ordered partStays on back order until the missing item arrives.

Illustration of the client portal. Your screen may look slightly different.

5

Option: change the items

Swap or remove the missing item. Open the order with Actions → Details and go to the Items tab.

  1. 1
    ProductFind the replacement and set the quantity.
  2. 2
    Add Order ItemAdds it to the order.
  3. 3
    RemoveRemoves the out-of-stock item. The order then reprocesses and becomes NEW, ready to pick.

If the order only has one item, add the replacement before removing the old one.

Illustration of the client portal. Your screen may look slightly different.

6

Stock arrived but still on back order?

Tick the order on the Back Orders page, choose Reprocess and click Go.

  1. 1
    Tick the orderAny order still waiting after its stock has been booked in.
  2. 2
    ReprocessChecks stock again and moves the order to NEW if it’s all there.
  3. 3
    GoRuns it straight away.

Still stuck? The stock may be in a different warehouse. Email us and we’ll check.

Illustration of the client portal. Your screen may look slightly different.

Wait or split by default?

Choose how we handle out-of-stock orders.

We can set your account to do one of these automatically. Tell us which suits your business.

Place on back order

One parcel, when it’s all here

1whole order waits
  • One delivery charge per order
  • You can still split any order yourself
  • In-stock items wait too
Split order

Send what we have now

12part 1 now, part 2 later
  • Customer gets most of their order faster
  • Happens automatically
  • Two parcels, two delivery charges

Questions

Common questions.

Will back orders go out on their own when stock arrives?

Yes. When we book the stock in, it’s given to the oldest back orders first, and those orders move to NEW ready to pick. If one is still waiting after the stock has arrived, reprocess it (step 6) or email us.

Why is the whole order waiting for one item?

Back orders hold the whole order so it goes out in one parcel with one delivery charge. Split it if you’d rather send the in-stock items now.

Can I split an order more than once?

No, only once. If the back-ordered part needs splitting again, email us and we’ll help.

Will my customer get two tracking numbers after a split?

Yes, one for each parcel. If the order came from your webshop, both are usually sent back to it.

How do I cancel a back order?

Go to Orders → Overview, tick the order, choose Cancel in Bulk Actions and click Go. The stock it was waiting for is released.

How do I stop back orders happening?

Keep an eye on stock levels and send ASNs for deliveries early. You can also take out-of-stock products off your webshop until they’re back.

Based on Mintsoft’s Understand back orders, Resolve stock allocation and back order issues, Split orders, Add or remove order items and Cancel orders guides.

Related guides

Keep orders moving.

Place a single order

Key in one order by hand.

Open guide

Create an ASN

Tell us when new stock is arriving.

Open guide

Copy an order

Resend a previous order in a few clicks.

Open guide

Need a hand?

We’re here to help.

Back order stuck, or want to change how we handle them? Send us the order number.

support@scale3pl.co.ukUK supporteu@scale3pl.co.ukEU All Mintsoft guides