To help ensure a smooth and fair shopping experience, CartGenie includes a built-in inventory reservation system during checkout.
When Are Items Held?When a customer clicks the “Checkout” button on your store, CartGenie will hold the selected product(s) for 15 minutes. This means the items are temporarily removed from available inventory to give the customer time to complete their purchase (this will be labeled as “Reserved stock” in webhooks and Zapier payloads).
This reservation window only begins once the checkout process is started — items sitting in a cart without clicking “checkout” are not reserved.
Why This MattersMany customers use third-party payment providers like PayPal, Klarna, or Apple Pay. These platforms often redirect the shopper away from your store to complete their payment. Without holding the inventory:
The item could be purchased by someone else before the customer returns to complete their payment.
Customers may encounter errors or confusion if an item sells out during payment, leading to frustration and lost sales.
By reserving inventory during checkout, CartGenie helps prevent these issues and increases your chances of successfully converting high-intent buyers.
What Happens After 15 Minutes?
If the customer doesn’t complete the order within 15 minutes:
The hold is released.
The item is returned to available inventory.
Another customer may then purchase it.
This ensures that inventory isn’t locked indefinitely and stays fairly available to all customers.
