Out of Stock Email to Customer: 4 Templates to Copy
An out of stock email to customer works when it does three things: it says clearly which item is missing, it gives an honest date (or says you don’t have one), and it offers a choice between waiting, swapping or a refund. Send it as soon as you find the problem. In the US, send it no later than the ship date you promised, because that is when the FTC expects a delay notice.
Below you’ll find a decision table, four out of stock email samples you can copy for the most common situations, and short subject lines. These are replies to customers who already wrote to you or already paid. They are not marketing campaigns.
Which situation are you in?
Most guides treat “out of stock” as one email. On a Shopify store it is at least four different tickets, and each one needs a different promise.
| Situation | What the customer needs to hear | Offer | Risk if you get it wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asked before buying (“Is this back soon?”) | Whether a date is known | A back in stock alert or a close alternative | Lost sale, not a refund |
| Paid order, whole item out of stock | Exact status and a clear choice | Wait, swap or full refund | Chargeback, FTC exposure in the US |
| Paid order, one item of several missing | What ships now, what doesn’t | Ship the rest, refund the missing item, or hold | Double shipping cost, confusion |
| Product discontinued | It isn’t coming back | Refund or replacement | Customer waits for nothing |
If the order was oversold because your stock count was wrong, start with our guide on handling Shopify oversold item support. If the customer wants to exchange for a size that is gone, read Shopify exchange when the size is out of stock. This article is about the email itself.
If these tickets fill your inbox every week, Relay answers, refunds and resolves your Shopify tickets 24/7, following your rules, including the “where is my order?” emails that a stock problem creates.
When to send it: the FTC rule in plain words
In the US, the FTC’s Mail, Internet or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule sets the timing. Here is what its business guide says:
- If you can’t ship within the time you stated, or within 30 days if you stated none, you must send a delay notice no later than that original deadline. It must let the customer agree to the delay or cancel and get a prompt refund.
- For a delay of 30 days or less, the customer’s silence counts as agreement.
- For a delay of more than 30 days, or an unknown date, the customer must actively agree. Without that, the order is cancelled automatically 30 days after the original deadline.
- Refunds are due within 7 working days for non-credit payments, or within one billing cycle if you are the creditor.
Practical rule: email the day you find the gap. If you wait until the deadline, the customer has time to write “where is my order?” first. This is general information, not legal advice.
Out of stock email subject lines
Keep subject lines to about 20 to 40 characters so they read well on mobile. Name the order, not the feeling.
- “Update on your order #1042”
- “Your Linen Shirt is delayed”
- “Part of your order ships today”
- “Action needed: order #1042”
- “This item is no longer made”
Avoid “We’re so sorry!!” or “Important news”. They look like promotions and get skipped.
4 out of stock email samples to copy
Each example uses a realistic order so you can see the tone. Swap in your own details.
1. Out of stock email to customer before purchase
The customer asked if an item will be back. Nothing is paid, so be honest and give one next step.
Subject: Linen Shirt in size M
Hi Sam,
Thanks for asking. The Linen Shirt in size M is out of stock right now, and we don’t have a confirmed restock date yet.
If you’d like, click “Notify me” on the product page and you’ll get an email the day it’s back. The same shirt in sage green is in stock in M if the color works for you.
Maria, Customer Support
If you do know the date, say it once, and only if your supplier confirmed it. A missed date creates a second ticket.
2. Paid order, item out of stock
This is the email the FTC rule covers. Give the choice, the date and the refund timing.
Subject: Update on your order #1042
Hi Sam,
The Linen Shirt (size M) in your order #1042 is out of stock. Our supplier has confirmed new stock for November 12, so we can ship it that week.
You can choose:
- Wait, and we ship it as soon as it arrives.
- Switch to another size or color that’s in stock today.
- Cancel and get a full refund to your original payment method.
Just reply with 1, 2 or 3. If you choose the refund, we’ll process it right away and let you know when it’s done.
Maria, Customer Support
No confirmed date? Replace the second sentence with “We don’t have a confirmed restock date yet.” If the delay is over 30 days or unknown, ask the customer to confirm they want to wait, because silence no longer counts.
Start the 14-day trial and let Relay send this reply with the right order details, following your rules.
3. Partial order: one item out of stock
Tell the customer what ships now before what’s missing.
Subject: Part of your order ships today
Hi Sam,
Good news first: the Canvas Tote and the Wool Socks from order #1042 ship today. You’ll get tracking by email.
The Linen Shirt (size M) is out of stock. We don’t have a confirmed restock date, so we’ve refunded that item to your original payment method. You don’t need to do anything.
If you’d rather wait for it, reply to this email and we’ll hold a shirt for you instead.
Maria, Customer Support
Pick your default once: refund the missing item, or hold the whole order. A refund by default closes the ticket in one email. Our guide on Shopify backorder customer emails covers orders you choose to hold.
4. Product discontinued
Tell customers when a product is gone for good, not only when it returns. Never let someone wait for an item that won’t come back.
Subject: This item is no longer made
Hi Sam,
We’re sorry: the Linen Shirt in your order #1042 has been discontinued, and we won’t be restocking it.
We’ve refunded it in full to your original payment method. If you’d like something similar, the Cotton Camp Shirt is the closest match in cut and fabric, and it’s in stock in size M.
Maria, Customer Support
What makes the best out of stock email to customers
Use this checklist before you hit send:
- One fact up top. Item, size, order number. No warm up paragraph.
- One honest date, or none. “No confirmed date yet” beats a guess.
- A choice the customer can answer in one word. Numbered options get faster replies.
- Refund timing you can keep. Only promise a delay you control.
- Alternatives in stock today. Check before you suggest them.
- Discounts only if they’re your policy. A code offered in one ticket and not the next shows up in reviews. If you use one, set the amount per situation in advance.
- One apology, no excuses. “We’re sorry” once is enough.
- A follow up when stock arrives. A one line “It’s back and ships today” closes the loop for customers who chose to wait.
How to send these without hiring
Writing the email is quick. The slow part is everything around it: finding the order, checking stock, picking the right template and issuing the refund. Do that for every customer on a sold out product and you lose an afternoon.
Relay is an AI support agent that understands your product, answers customer questions, takes action, and knows when to bring in your team. You set your store’s rules once, such as how you handle an item that is out of stock. Relay retrieves the Shopify order, applies those rules and acts within the permissions you give it, for example a refund or a cancellation. When a ticket needs a person, it brings in your team.
Relay answers, refunds and resolves your Shopify tickets 24/7, following your rules. You stay in control of what it can do.
FAQ
How do you tell a customer an item is out of stock?
Name the item and order number in the first sentence, say whether you have a confirmed restock date, and offer a choice: wait, swap or refund. Keep it short and send it as soon as you know.
Should I offer a discount in an out of stock email?
Only if it’s part of a set policy. A refund or an in stock alternative usually solves the problem. A code is a goodwill extra, and handing them out case by case makes your replies inconsistent.
How long can I delay an order before refunding?
Under the FTC rule, you must send a delay notice by your promised ship date, or within 30 days if you promised none. Delays over 30 days need the customer’s active consent, or the order is cancelled automatically 30 days after the original deadline.
What is a good out of stock email example for a partial order?
Lead with what ships today, then name the missing item and what you did about it (refund or hold). The third template above is a complete example you can copy.