
Preorder | Notify Me Timesact
A Data-Driven Review by GetEcomTools
Provides a streamlined way for brands to manage pre-orders, back-in-stock alerts, and made-to-order sales, empowering store owners to capture future revenue and build customer anticipation.
About Preorder | Notify Me Timesact
This app provides a robust framework for managing non-standard inventory states, such as pre-launches, out-of-stock items, and made-to-order products. Its core capabilities are designed to help store owners transform pot...
Rating
5/5
Reviews
1,617
Free Plan
Available
Updated
Aug 2025
Categories
Official Links:
The GetEcomTools Verdict: Our Data-Driven Analysis
Our Take:
"The app's intuitive pre-order system empowers brands to launch new products effectively, though merchants should carefully evaluate the pricing model to ensure it aligns with their growth trajectory and protects profit margins."
Best for:
Brands launching new products or managing made-to-order items who need a straightforward system to capture sales before inventory arrives and build a loyal following.
Key Consideration
High-volume stores anticipating rapid, unpredictable sales spikes may find usage-based limits restrictive, potentially hindering momentum during a critical launch phase.
Data-Driven Performance Snapshot
Overall Performance
The platform's capabilities enable a straightforward and effective pre-order setup. Core design principles support the entire pre-sale lifecycle, from adding 'notify-me' buttons to managing back-in-stock alerts, allowing brands to build anticipation and secure revenue for upcoming product launches.
Core design principles support a highly intuitive interface, as noted in our analysis of its intuitive system. The system's design positions merchants to quickly configure and deploy pre-order campaigns, which is essential for elevating storefront quality without a steep learning curve.
The system's design provides solid automation for converting out-of-stock items into pre-orders. However, the requirement for stock to hit zero before pre-orders activate introduces a potential point of friction. This presents an opportunity for strategic refinement to create a more seamless transition and maximize sales velocity for growing brands.
The tool's setup reveals a flexible entry point but also a usage-based model that warrants careful evaluation for scaling businesses. While it allows for low-cost experimentation, the tiered limits could create friction during high-growth periods. A thorough review of the usage-based pricing is a key consideration for ensuring long-term scalability.
Pros & Cons: Key Findings From Our Analysis
Pros
Intuitive System
The app's core functionality is designed for clarity and efficiency, enabling store owners to implement pre-order campaigns without significant technical hurdles. As noted by some merchants, the workflow is fluid and well-conceived. This allows brands to focus on marketing their launch and building customer loyalty, rather than getting bogged down in complex configurations, ultimately leading to a higher quality storefront experience.
Effective Launches
The platform is particularly effective for new businesses and product launches. By allowing merchants to validate demand and secure sales before committing to large inventory purchases, the app directly empowers emerging brands to grow sustainably. This capability is crucial for managing cash flow and building the brand equity needed to create a retail-ready product line from day one.
Cons
Usage-Based Pricing
A key consideration is the app's pricing model, which includes usage-based limits on pre-orders. While this structure offers a low-cost entry point for testing pre-sale strategies, it can also introduce unpredictable costs or service interruptions during a highly successful launch, as a few merchants have pointed out. This approach requires careful monitoring to ensure that campaign success doesn't inadvertently lead to scaling friction. To mitigate this, merchants should project their potential order volume and select a plan that provides ample buffer for growth.
Inventory Logic
The app's design requires a product's stock level to reach zero before pre-orders can be activated. This is a deliberate choice that simplifies inventory states but may not be ideal for all retail strategies. A point raised by users is that this can lead to missed opportunities if a customer wants to pre-order an item that still has minimal stock. This trade-off between simplicity and flexibility means merchants should plan their inventory transitions carefully to maximize sales opportunities and maintain momentum.
Top Alternatives to Preorder | Notify Me Timesact (Based on Performance Data)
The Deep Dive: Full Analysis & Audited Data
Free
Free
Free
Usage & Quotas
10
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
10
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
50
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
Key Features
- Unlimited coming soon products
- No transaction fees
- Email & Chat Help
- Phone Support (US/CA/AU/UK)
Flexible
$1.00
/ monthly
Usage & Quotas
5
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
25
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
5
/ monthUpgrade plan for more
Key Features
- All features from 'Free'
Fixed
$19.00
/ monthly
Usage & Quotas
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Key Features
- No transaction fees
- Phone Support (US/CA/AU/UK)
1.What is Timesact Preorder primarily used for?
Timesact Preorder is used to create and manage pre-order campaigns, back-in-stock alerts, and made-to-order sales. This allows you to capture future revenue and build customer anticipation for new or sold-out products. The complete list of features shows its full capabilities.
2.How does Timesact help with new product launches?
The app empowers you to launch new products by creating pre-sale campaigns before inventory is available. This is a core part of its design for effective launches, helping you validate demand and secure revenue from day one.
3.Is the Timesact app easy to set up and use?
Yes, the app is built to be highly intuitive and efficient for store owners. Based on its design and user feedback from over 560 reviews, it provides an intuitive system that allows you to configure pre-order campaigns quickly, without needing deep technical knowledge.
4.What kind of support can I expect if I run into issues?
Timesact provides excellent and responsive customer support, a strength highlighted consistently by users. The team is known for quickly resolving issues, providing custom code assistance, and offering guided setup calls to ensure you get the most out of the app. This dedication is a key factor in its high User Experience rating.
5.What's the difference between the Free and paid plans in 2025?
The Free plan is designed for you to test the core functionality with your first 10 pre-sale orders and 50 restock emails. Upgrading to a paid plan unlocks higher volume limits, making it ideal for scaling your pre-order strategy once you've validated it. The complete pricing analysis details the different tiers.
6.How does the Timesact pricing model work for growing stores?
The pricing is structured to scale with your business, with higher-tier plans aligned to your store's Shopify plan level. This model provides a predictable cost structure as your brand grows, allowing you to move from testing strategies to managing large-scale pre-order campaigns. You can review the full breakdown in the pricing analysis.
7.How can I use Timesact to capture leads from out-of-stock products?
You can transform out-of-stock pages into powerful lead-capture tools. Instead of showing a simple 'Backorder' badge, you can guide customers to a page that captures their email for restock alerts, turning a potential lost sale into a future opportunity. This is a key strategy outlined in our merchant playbooks.
8.Does Timesact work well with different Shopify themes?
Yes, Timesact integrates directly with the Shopify platform and is designed to work with its themes. If any display issues arise from a custom or new theme, the app's support team is frequently praised for providing rapid fixes to ensure seamless compatibility. This deep integration is central to its high User Experience score.
9.What is the best way to handle made-to-order products with this app?
The app is ideal for managing made-to-order items by using its pre-order functionality. This allows you to secure payment upfront and align your production schedule directly with customer demand, minimizing inventory risk. Many merchants use this for made-to-order fulfillment, as shown in the merchant playbooks.
10.How can Timesact help increase sales from sold-out items?
Timesact helps increase sales by automatically converting sold-out items into pre-orders or by creating waitlists with back-in-stock alerts. This strategy captures sales you would otherwise lose, builds customer loyalty, and provides valuable demand data. The app includes a full list of features to support this.
11.How quickly can I set up my first pre-order campaign?
You can set up your first pre-order campaign very quickly, often within a few hours. The app is praised for its guided onboarding calls and intuitive system, which streamlines the entire process from installation to launch.
12.What store data does Timesact access?
Timesact accesses essential data needed to function, such as product, inventory, and order information, to manage pre-orders and notifications. It operates as a standard Shopify app partner, handling data securely to power your campaigns while respecting customer privacy.
13.What are the best strategies for using partial payments for pre-orders in 2025?
You can use partial payments to lower the barrier to entry for high-ticket items, securing a commitment from the customer without requiring full payment upfront. This is a powerful feature to increase conversion rates on pre-orders and is a core capability you can explore in the audited features.
14.How can a small business use pre-order automation to scale?
Small businesses can use pre-order automation to test new product ideas with minimal financial risk and manage cash flow effectively. By automating the switch from in-stock to pre-order, you ensure a continuous sales cycle, which is a key component of its Inventory Automation capabilities.
15.Can I use Timesact to create a 'coming soon' product page with a countdown timer?
Yes, you can absolutely create 'coming soon' pages complete with countdown timers to build excitement for a product drop. This feature is designed to help you build an email list before a launch and is a key part of how the app supports effective launches.
16.What are the benefits of Timesact's back in stock notification strategy?
The primary benefit is converting missed sales opportunities into future revenue and customer data. By allowing shoppers to sign up for restock alerts, you build a valuable waitlist of interested buyers and can notify them automatically when the product is available. This is a core function detailed in the list of features.
17.How does Timesact help build customer loyalty with pre-orders?
The app helps build loyalty by creating an exclusive experience for customers who pre-order, giving them first access to new products. You can also offer automatic discounts on pre-orders, rewarding early adopters and making them feel valued. These features contribute to its strong Pre-Order Management capabilities.
18.How does Timesact compare to other Shopify pre-order apps like Notify! in 2025?
Timesact is cited by users as a strong alternative due to its combination of a high pre-order threshold on certain plans and exceptionally personable, hands-on support. This combination makes it a compelling choice for stores that value both scalability and direct access to expert assistance for effective launches.
20.Does the app support pre-orders for specific product variants?
Yes, the app allows you to control pre-order and restock availability based on inventory levels for specific product variants. This gives you granular control to manage different sizes or colors, ensuring you can run targeted campaigns. This functionality is a key part of the audited features.