How do I set delivery dates and daily limits?

If you make things to order, you cannot take an order for tomorrow when the cake needs two days. Delivery dates let the buyer choose a day and let you decide which days are possible. VeloCMS works out the available days on the server, so a buyer cannot book a date you have closed, even with an old page still open.

First: set your store timezone

Dates are worked out in your store timezone. Set it in Admin → Settings → Advanced, in the Timezone section. If you have already set a timezone for restaurant ordering, that one is used instead. Without a timezone nothing can be saved on the dates card, and buyers see that the store has not finished setting up delivery dates. The store readiness check also flags it when products need a date.

Where do I set the store-wide rules?

Open Admin → Settings → Commerce and find the card Delivery and pickup dates. It has these fields.

• Order cut-off time: a time in 24-hour HH:MM form. Orders placed after it count as placed the next day. Leave it empty for no cut-off.
• Open weekdays: the weekdays buyers can pick. At least one must stay open.
• Days you are closed: single days or ranges, such as a holiday. You can add up to 200.
• How far ahead buyers can book (days): from 1 to 180. The default is 60.
• Orders per day: the most orders you take for one date. 0 or empty means no limit.
• Time windows: optional slots such as 10:00 to 13:00, up to 8. Each has a label, an optional Arabic label, start and end times, an optional order limit, and a choice of where it is offered: local delivery, pickup or shipping. Ticking none offers it everywhere.

Click Save dates when you are done.

How do I make a product need a date?

Open Admin → Products, edit the product and find the card Delivery or pickup date.

• Customer picks a date: the buyer must choose a date for this product.
• Lead time: how long you need before the earliest date, in days or hours, up to 90 days. 0 means none. When a cart holds several products, the longest lead time counts.
• Units per day: the most units of this product you take for one date. 0 or empty means no limit.

To change many products at once, select them in the product list and use Delivery date for the selected products. You can require a date or stop requiring one, and set a lead time in the same step.

What does the buyer see?

The cart shows Choose your date with a month calendar. Days you are closed show as not available, days at their limit show as fully booked, and days before the lead time ends are not offered. If you use time windows, the buyer picks one after the date. Product pages show Earliest with the first date that works. A product that needs a date is bought through the cart, because the date is chosen there.

What if I make to order and ship?

For a shipped product that has a lead time and no date picker, the cart shows Ships by and a date worked out from the lead time. The order keeps that date and shows it.

How do daily limits count?

A date's limit counts paid orders and cash on delivery orders. A card order that was started but not paid holds its date for about 35 minutes, then lets it go. Cancelled and refunded orders free their place at once. VeloCMS checks the limit when the order is created, before the buyer pays, so two buyers cannot both take the last place. A buyer who loses that race is asked to pick another date.

How do I see what to prepare for a day?

Open Admin → Orders and click Day sheet. Pick a date and click Show. You get What to prepare, with each product and its units, and the orders for that day with their time windows. Use Print to print it.

How do I move an order to another date?

Open the order and use Change date. Choose the new date and, if you use windows, a window. The buyer gets an email with the new date. If that day is already full, you are asked to confirm with Move it anyway. A cancelled or refunded order cannot be moved.