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✂️ Setting Category Cut-off Times

Category Cut-Off Rules let you set different pre-order deadlines per category (with ongoing and date-specific schedules), ensuring production is protected while customers see only categories that are genuinely available for their chosen fulfilment time.

Setting up and managing pre-order deadlines (Category Cut-Off Rules)

The Category Cut-Off Rule feature lets you set specific pre-order deadlines for individual categories. This helps you protect production timelines while keeping the ordering experience simple for customers. 

Example:

  • General pre-order cut-off: 1 day before at 11:59pm

  • Platters category cut-off: 3 days before at 5:00pm

Setup: Create a category cut-off rule for Platters with a 3-day cut-off at 5:00pm. Outcome: For a fulfilment date of 10 January, Platters will no longer appear at checkout after 7 January at 5:00pm, while other categories using the general cut-off remain available.

Benefits of Category Cut-Off Rules

  • Streamlined Operations: Use different cut-offs per category without creating extra locations.
  • Improved customer experience: Customers order from a single location, with consistent, predictable availability.
  • Flexibility and control: Adjust cut-offs for seasonal peaks or promotions without changing your core schedule.
  • Better order management: Ensure production deadlines are met by enforcing realistic lead times per category.

 

Schedule Types

You can configure two schedule types for category cut-off times:

Ongoing

Use this for rules that apply indefinitely. 
    • Example: Platters always require a cut-off of 3 days before at 5:00pm.

Specific Dates

Use this for fixed date ranges, such as festive periods or one-off promotions.

    • A Specific Dates schedule overrides an Ongoing schedule when fulfilment dates overlap.
    • Example: For 24–26 December, set a 5-day cut-off before 5:00pm. This rule applies only during those dates; after 26 December, the standard 3-day Ongoing rule resumes automatically.

How to Set Up a Category Cut-Off Plan

  1. Log in to your Controls Dashboard.
  2. Use this Quick Link ⚡ to access -- Locations tab
  3. Click on the ‘Availability Rules’ button.



  4. On the ‘Availability Rules’ page, click ‘CREATE AVAILABILITY RULE’ then ‘CATEGORY CUT-OFF’
    1. Define Categories and Locations: Choose the categories and locations your rule will apply to.
    2. Select Schedule Type: Choose either Ongoing or Specific Dates schedule.
    3. Configure Cut-Off Times:
      1. Set the start and end (not required for an Ongoing schedule) dates for the rule.
      2. Define the cut-off time for each day of the week
  5. Click ‘Save’ to activate the category cut-off plan. The rule will begin on the specified start date.

 

Integration with Special Availability

This feature works seamlessly with Special Availability. A category with both cut-off times and special availability will only appear during the defined availability period if it meets the cut-off time.

Example:

  • The Platters category is available Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 2:00pm (via Special Availability).
  • A cut-off time of 3 days before at 5:00pm is set.
  • To order for Wednesday, customers must place their order by Sunday at 5:00pm. The category will appear for fulfillment times between 10:00am and 2:00pm on Wednesday.