When Does Amazon Charge for Pre-Orders? (Amazon Q&A)

When you really want an item, but it’s not available, Amazon gives you the option to pre-order it, which ultimately means you reserve the product. However, when does Amazon charge for pre-orders exactly?

This post outlines what both buyers and sellers can expect when dealing with pre-orders on Amazon.

When Does Amazon Charge for Pre-Orders?

In general, you can expect Amazon to charge your card two to three days before the pre-ordered item is available for everyone to buy.

This way, if your payment doesn’t go through, you have a chance to correct the issue before the item is available to the public.

You will also see that Amazon secures authorization for this charge on your card when you pre-order a product. However, your card is only charged once your order is marked as Shipped.

If you’re a seller, the same process applies. If a customer pre-orders one of your products, you are only paid once the order ships.

There is a catch, though. You should also be prepared to deal with rolling reserves.

When a product is marked as reserved, it might mean the item is being moved between warehouses or that Amazon has initiated a verification process – you can read more about what reserved means.

Are Amazon Pre-Orders Guaranteed?

When you pre-order an item on Amazon, it could be months before it’s actually released. This means that prices could fluctuate between the time you pre-order and when the product is released.

Pre-order prices are based on information received by the manufacturer, but if the product’s price drops, you are charged the lower price once the item ships. This is part of Amazon’s Pre-Order Price Guarantee.

If for any reason, Amazon charges your card after a price drop, they usually refund you the difference.

Pre-Order Delivery and Cancellations

Customers who pre-order an item can expect it to ship a few days before the item’s street date. Depending on the shipping option you selected, you may receive your products a few days before the release date or on the release date. This is generally the case if you select Amazon’s free shipping options.

If you’ve pre-ordered downloadable content, though, you can expect to receive the link on the item’s release date.

Should you wish to cancel a pre-order, this is possible.

All you need to do is log in to your Amazon account and select View Open Orders (you will find this under Order History).

This won’t be possible if Amazon is in the process of preparing your order, though. If your order is marked as Shipping Soon, cancellation won’t be possible. You will still have the option to return the item once it reaches you, though.

And there you have it – that’s Amazon’s pre-order process in a nutshell.

Let me know if you have any further questions by leaving me a comment below.