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How to offer layaway on Shopify POS

Shopify POS has no built-in layaway as of October 2026. How shops run layaway on Shopify POS today, what a good layaway policy covers, and where apps fit.

By Blake Smith, founder of Music City Labs. Updated .

Short answer: Shopify POS doesn't have a built-in layaway feature as of October 2026. Shops usually take each payment as its own transaction, set the item aside, track the balance on paper or in a spreadsheet, and ring up the final sale at pickup. A layaway app keeps the deposits, balances and due dates in one place instead.

Decide your policy first

Write these down and give the customer a copy at the counter:

  • Deposit: a minimum amount or percentage to start a layaway, such as 20 percent.
  • Term: how long the customer has to pay it off, such as 30, 60 or 90 days.
  • Payment schedule: fixed dates or any amount any time before the end of the term.
  • Fees: whether there's a service fee and whether it's refundable.
  • Cancellation: what happens to payments if the customer cancels or misses the deadline. Refund, store credit or a cancellation fee.
  • Eligible items: sale items, special orders and minimum prices.

Some states regulate layaway terms and disclosures, so check your state's rules before you publish a policy.

How shops run it on Shopify POS today

  1. Start the layaway. Take the deposit as a transaction tied to the customer's profile, and note the item, the full price and the balance owed.
  2. Set the item aside. Move it to a layaway shelf and tag it with the customer's name and due date. Adjust inventory so it isn't sold twice, online or in store.
  3. Record each payment as it comes in, with the date and the new balance, on a layaway card, spreadsheet or customer note.
  4. Close it out at pickup. Ring up the item, apply what's been paid, collect the remainder and mark the layaway complete.
  5. Review weekly. Look for layaways coming due or past due and contact those customers.

Where it breaks down

  • Balances live outside Shopify, so staff can't see them at the register without the binder.
  • Deposits show up in reports as odd sales, which muddies daily numbers.
  • Items set aside can still be sold online if inventory isn't adjusted.
  • Past-due layaways get forgotten, tying up stock for months.

Those are the problems a layaway app solves: deposits, balances, due dates and set-aside stock tracked together and visible at the register.