When a product you’re selling goes out of stock, we’ll choose a suitable alternative and automatically substitute the original product in your order to avoid fulfillment delays. In case we can’t find a compatible replacement, you’ll need to wait for the original product to be restocked.
We recommend enabling Product Alternatives to avoid fulfillment delays when we’re out of stock. Using alternatives allows you to keep selling your designs on similar products without your sales missing a beat.
To enable Product Alternatives, go to Dashboard > Settings > Orders > Product Alternatives. Tick the box that says “Use Product Alternatives for my orders” and press Save.
Does this service increase the price of the product?
No, we’ll cover the difference for product alternatives that cost more than the original product. For product alternatives that cost less than the original product, we’ll refund you the difference to your Printful Wallet.
How can I know that a product alternative is set for my order?
When we use a product alternative for your order, you’ll see the Alternative tag in the order view. Under the Alternative tag, you’ll see what product is used as the alternative for the original.
How are the alternatives picked?
Alternatives are carefully picked by our Product Managers. We evaluate the fit, color, and quality to make sure the closest alternative is set. Your products will only be fulfilled with an alternative product if it’s a close alternative to the original.
Please note that we don’t provide alternatives for every product, so there may be some products that we won’t be able to substitute.
Can products with custom inside labels have alternatives?
Products with custom inside labels won’t be fulfilled with alternatives because the product information on custom labels has to be changed manually. Products with native labels that generate automatically will be replaced with alternatives in out-of-stock situations.
Will my orders be fulfilled in my selling region?
Yes, if your customer orders a product from Europe, we’ll fulfill the order in Europe the same as we would for an order without an alternative. This way, the shipping time stays intact and you don’t have to worry about customs.
What should I communicate with my customers?
When allowing us to use alternatives for your orders, nothing will change in your storefront and product descriptions. We suggest informing your customers that a close alternative can be used in their order.
