Sell Bespoke Products on Shopify Using Deposits

Learn how to sell bespoke, custom, or made-to-order products on Shopify using deposits when draft orders are not an option. Shopify draft orders do not currently support partial payments, so this guide walks through proven storefront-based workflows using unlisted product pages and checkout links with Downpay.

This setup is commonly used by jewelry brands, bridal designers, furniture makers, and other merchants selling high-value custom products.

On this page

Overview

When to use this workflow

Method 1: Create deposit checkout links

Method 2: Sell bespoke products using unlisted product pages

• Create an unlisted product
• Create a deposit purchase option in Downpay
• Share the product with your customer

Phone orders and sales-assisted checkout

Overview

Many Shopify brands sell bespoke or custom products that require a deposit before production begins. Common examples include:

• Custom engagement rings and fine jewelry
• Wedding dresses and bridal wear
• Made-to-order furniture
• Personalized or commissioned goods

Today, Shopify draft orders do not support partial payments with card on file unless you are on Shopify Plus for B2B. This is a platform limitation, not a Downpay limitation. While Shopify has indicated improvements are coming, many brands need a reliable way to collect deposits now.

Because Shopify does support partial payments on the online storefront, Downpay customers commonly use the workflows in this guide as temporary, supported workarounds. These approaches allow brands to:

• Collect deposits at checkout
• Keep payments and orders fully tracked in Shopify
• Avoid manual draft-order workflows with duplicate orders and discounting
• Operate within Shopify’s current constraints

This guide walks through the most common workarounds brands use today while we wait for native draft order support.

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When to use this workflow

This setup is ideal if:

• You want customers to pay a deposit before work begins
• You do not want bespoke products publicly listed on your storefront
• You want to avoid duplicate draft orders with discounts
• You want the order and payment tracked normally in Shopify but have a card on file

If you need deposits to appear directly on public product pages, see the main Downpay setup guides instead.

Method 1 Create deposit checkout links

Checkout links are the fastest way to collect a deposit for a bespoke order without creating a public product page.

Option 1 Checkout Links app integration

• Skip product pages entirely
• Send a single link via email, SMS, or DM
• Take customers directly to checkout with the deposit pre-selected

How it works

Downpay integrates with the Checkout Links app to let you generate custom checkout URLs that include a deposit.

You can:

• Preload the exact product
• Apply discounts or incentives
• Ensure the deposit option is already selected

Full setup guide: https://docs.downpay.app/en/article/jigw7

Option 2 Deposit checkout link generator button

Some merchants enable a private checkout-link button inside an unpublished theme so their sales team can generate deposit checkout links without leaving Shopify.

For an overview, see this video walkthrough:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFOwtwPfpn0

If you're interested in this workflow, please reach out to our support team for setup assistance.

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Method 2 Sell bespoke products using unlisted product pages

This is the most common setup for brands selling custom or one-off items.

You create a product that:

• Feels bespoke to your customer
• Is hidden from your storefront and search engines
• Has a deposit option attached via Downpay
• Is shared only with the intended customer

Create an unlisted product

1. Create a new product in :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
2. Set the product status to Unlisted
3. Add a product tag such as downpay
4. Save the product

Unlisted products:

• Are not indexed by search engines
• Do not appear in collections or storefront search
• Can only be accessed via their direct URL

Note: Some third-party apps may still surface unlisted products. See Shopify’s documentation for details.

Create a deposit purchase option in Downpay

This section assumes Downpay is already installed and enabled on your theme.

1. Open the Downpay app in Shopify Admin
2. Click Create purchase option
3. Name it something like Bespoke deposit
4. Select Tags as the product selection method
5. Choose the downpay tag
6. Set your deposit amount and type
7. Configure the remaining balance due date

Best practice:

If you want to reuse this purchase option for all bespoke products, set the due date to a number of days after checkout, such as 90 days. You can later adjust checkout messaging using Downpay’s date language tools.

8. Save the purchase option

Share the product with your customer

Before sharing:

• Preview the product to confirm the deposit is visible
• Confirm the product is not publicly accessible

To share:

1. Open the product in Shopify Admin
2. Click Share
3. Send the private product link to your customer

Once the customer checks out:

• The order appears in Shopify as partially paid
• The customer’s payment method is stored
• You can collect the remaining balance later

After checkout, you may archive or delete the bespoke product if desired.

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Phone orders and sales-assisted checkout

For phone orders or sales-assisted purchases, you can place the order directly through your storefront on behalf of the customer.

This allows you to:

• Take a deposit at checkout
• Store the customer’s payment method
• Charge the remaining balance later or send an invoice

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Updated on: 08/01/2026