Option to replace or refund items in online purchase

[Cheesetique]

Our inventory changes so quickly that sometimes a customer purchases something online that is no longer in stock. Is there a way to add an option to the online checkout process where we can ask customers, "if an item you selected is out of stock, would you like us to replace it with something similar OR refund the item?"

This would save us a TON of time over having to call customers when something is out of stock to offer them substitutes. Thank you!

[BernadetteA]

Hi @Cheesetique

We don't technically have a feature like that, but I think you could use an item modifier to give your customers the option. You can set it up so that the customer must select either option from a dropdown. 

Out of curiosity, are you tracking inventory for your online items? 

[Cheesetique]

Sorry for the delay, @BernadetteA. Yes, we track inventory online for some items, but because we also have in-person stores where people buy at the counter, it's not super accurate.

Setting up a modifier is hard to do for every single item (we have thousands). Plus, asking the customer to select the same modifier option for each item in their order is a pain. I'd rather it be at the order level, not the item level.

[BernadetteA]

That definitely makes sense if you have a lot of items, and it's not just 1 or 2 specialty items. 

If you do decide to go this route, there is a way to bulk apply the modifier through the Square dashboard by clicking Items > Modifiers > Create Modifier Set. Once the modifier has been created you can click on the link that says "apply to items" to quickly select your items in bulk. 

Another option I can think of is to add an "item" as a service that has the same information as the suggested modifier. This might be a quick way for you to see that the entire order has the okay to substitute items. You could put some type of notice like a popup or banner notification on the site to let customers know the option is there. It's a bit of a work around, but maybe another seller can offer a suggestion for you as well. 

Thanks again for the feedback. We'll make sure to pass it along to our product teams. 😊

[Cheesetique]

I think I'll wait for a more elegant solution. But thanks for the idea.