Online Merch Stores, Products & End-to-End Fulfillment

Online Merch Stores in Print Life Software empowers print shops, screen printers, and apparel decorators to launch branded spirit wear pop-ups, school fundraisers, and corporate swag portals with 0% platform commissions.

The platform unifies the entire merchandise lifecycle: public online storefronts, student/player roster attribution, 1-click master production invoice generation, automated wholesale garment procurement, wave-based bin-wall fulfillment, garment-stack dryer offload sorting, and multi-mode packing (integrated shipping labels, manual tracking, and local pickup hand-offs).

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1. Feature Scope & UI Navigation

Main Stores Directory (/stores)

To access your online merchandise stores, navigate to Merch Stores (/stores) under the Operations section in the main left sidebar.

[!NOTE] Enabling or Disabling the Stores Feature: Online Merch Stores can be activated or deactivated shop-wide under Settings $\rightarrow$ Features tab (/settings?tab=features). Toggle Online Merch Stores to ON to display the feature in the sidebar and enable store creation, or toggle OFF to hide it.

• Header Controls:
  • + New Store: Launches the store creation modal (StoreDialog) to set up a new campaign.
• Store Cards: Each card displays the store's logo, public title, campaign status (Draft, Active, Closed), active batch indicators, revenue tally, and quick-access actions:
  • Manage Store: Opens the Store Command Center at /stores/[id].
  • Fulfillment: Opens the Sorting & Packing Station at /stores/fulfillment/[batchJobId] (active once a batch is finalized).
  • Visit Store: Opens the public customer-facing storefront in a new tab (https://[slug].merch-stores.com).

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Store Command Center (/stores/[id])

Manage products, review orders, analyze fundraiser earnings, and configure storefront branding:

• Header Bar:

  • Status Badge: Real-time store status (Draft, Active, Closed).
  • Public URL: Live storefront link with quick copy action.
  • Countdown Timer: Real-time countdown for time-limited flash pop-up campaigns.
  • Finalize Batch (Primary Action Button): Locks pending retail customer orders, aggregates blank garments, and generates a consolidated Master Production Invoice (INV-XXXX) on your shop dashboard.
  • Edit Settings (Button): Opens the full store settings dialog to update close dates, theme colors, co-pay ratios, and fee overrides.

• Tab Navigation:

  1. Products Tab: Add blank garments from your catalog or live distributor feeds, set retail prices, configure size upcharges (e.g., +$2.00 for 2XL), add custom player personalization fields, and archive or restore products.
  2. Orders Tab: Real-time buyer ledger showing customer names, payment status (Paid, Pending, Refunded), items purchased, and fulfillment state.
     • Production & Fulfillment Hub Card: A dedicated header card displayed once a batch is finalized, providing 1-click shortcuts to:
       • Open Work Order: Takes you to the Master Production Invoice (/quotes-invoices/[batchJobId]).
       • Launch Fulfillment Station: Opens the bin-wall fulfillment station (/stores/fulfillment/[batchJobId]).
       • Print Paperwork: Launches the wave-aware print center (/stores/fulfillment/[batchJobId]/print).
     • Individual Order Actions: Expand any customer order row to view item details, open the linked Work Order, print an isolated single Packing Slip, or issue card refunds via Stripe or Square.
  3. Reports Tab: Item & Size Tally Sheet for printing, sponsor financial summary, CSV roster export (pre-sorted by teacher/classroom), and automated fundraiser kickback check calculations.
  4. Settings Tab: Live hero banner uploader, store logo uploader, primary theme color picker, story copy, customer contact promotional emails, and custom checkout field configuration (Student Name, Homeroom Teacher, Player Jersey Number).

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Fulfillment Command Center (/stores/fulfillment/[id])

Designed specifically for high-volume apparel decorators handling hundreds of individual retail orders:

• Header Bar:
  • Back to Work Order: Direct link to the Master Production Invoice (/quotes-invoices/[id]).
  • Bin Wall Setup & SOP: Opens cubby capacity configuration (e.g., 12, 24, or 48 physical bins) and standard operating procedures.
  • Print Paperwork: Opens the wave-aware print center (/stores/fulfillment/[id]/print?wave=[N]).
• Wave Navigation:
  • Wave Switcher Banner: Interactive progress pills (e.g., [ Wave 1 of 3 (24 Orders) ]) tracking active items sorted and orders ready to pack.
  • Wave Milestone Banner: Celebration banner displayed once all cubbies in the current wave are shipped, prompting operators to advance to the next wave (Start Wave 2).
• Tab 1: Sort & Bin Wall (?tab=sorting):
  • Mode A: Sort by Garment Stack (Dryer Offload): Operators take physical stacks of identical garments coming off the dryer belt, select the garment style and graded size pill ([ S (4) ] [ M (6) ] [ L (8) ]), and view destination cubbies with one-click drops (Place in Bin [X]), ✨ Custom personalization badges, and instant placement undo.
  • Mode B: Scan / Search (Single Piece): Barcode scanner input and live search by buyer name, order number, or custom player name.
  • Physical Bin Wall Grid: Interactive digital twin of your physical cubby wall showing empty, partial, and ready states. Tapping any cubby opens the Bin Inspection Modal to view contents, remove accidental pieces (Remove 1 Piece), or clear the bin (Empty Bin).
• Tab 2: Pack & Ship (?tab=packing):
  • Ready to Pack Orders: Verified checklist of items in the cubby.
  • Integrated Shipping Labels: Live carrier rate shopping (USPS, UPS, FedEx) via ShipStation/EasyPost, address validation, packaging dimension presets, and automated buyer tracking emails.
  • Manual External Carrier: Record outside tracking numbers (Pirate Ship, carrier counter, courier) and mark orders shipped to clear the cubby.
  • Local Pickup Hand-Off: One-click in-store customer hand-off that marks orders fulfilled and clears the cubby without generating a shipping label.
  • Notify Buyers: Bulk personalized pickup-ready notification emails sent to local pickup customers.

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Wave-Aware Print Station (/stores/fulfillment/[id]/print)

• Wave Selector Toolbar: Filter paperwork for the active wave or all waves (?wave=1, ?wave=2, ?wave=all).
• Master Pick List: Aggregated garment pick list and production matrix recalculated dynamically for the selected wave.
• Itemized Packing Slips: Slips printed with prominent physical cubby badges (e.g., WAVE 1 • BIN 03), barcode, buyer attribution, and custom player details.
• Single Slip Isolation: Accessible via ?orderId=[orderId] to reprint a single customer's lost or damaged packing slip on demand.

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2. Capabilities & Operational Boundaries

Supported Capabilities

• 0% Platform Fees: Print Life Software never takes a percentage cut or per-order transaction fee from your store sales.
• Dedicated Storefront Subdomains: Instant hosting on clean URLs: $$\text{https://}\mathbf{\text{your-store-slug}}\text{.merch-stores.com}$$
• Flash Pop-Up Timers: Automated opening and closing dates with real-time countdown clocks.
• Student & Player Attribution: Require or request buyer fields during checkout (Student Name, Homeroom Teacher, Grade, Classroom #, Jersey Number).
• Consolidated Master Batch Invoicing: Converts hundreds of individual customer checkouts into one master shop invoice (INV-XXXX) for bulk blank ordering and streamlined production.
• Wave-Based Fulfillment Engine: Automatically partitions batches larger than shop cubby capacity (e.g., 60 orders across 24 bins) into sequential waves ($1 \dots N$).
• Garment-Stack Dryer Offload Sorting: Sort matching stacks of apparel directly from the dryer belt into cubbies with one-click drops.
• Personalization Badges: Purple ✨ Custom badges highlight personalized garments (names, numbers, add-ons) directly in the sorting workflow.
• Interactive Cubby Inspection & Instant Undo: Reverse accidental drops immediately, inspect any cubby's contents, remove individual items, or reset a bin.
• Multi-Mode Shipping & Local Hand-Off: Print integrated shipping labels, enter external tracking numbers, or complete in-store pickup hand-offs.
• Ascending Size Blank Procurement: Blanks on the Ready to Order procurement tab automatically sort from smallest to largest (XS -> 5XL) within each supplier and color group.

Operational Boundaries

• Custom Apex DNS Records: Stores are hosted on [slug].merch-stores.com. Connecting third-party custom apex domains (e.g., shop.mybrand.com) to individual stores is not supported.
• Unbatched Individual Drop-Shipping: Online Merch Stores is optimized for aggregated batch production (bulk blank purchasing and batch decoration runs), not single-piece on-demand dropshipping.
• Bulk "Place All in Bins": To ensure zero mispacked orders and count drift, garments must be placed cubby-by-cubby using dedicated placement buttons.

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3. Step-by-Step Operating Procedures

Workflow 1: Creating & Branding an Online Merch Store

1. In the sidebar, expand Operations $\rightarrow$ click Merch Stores (/stores).
2. Click + New Store to open the StoreDialog.
3. Phase 1: Basic Information:
   • Store Name: Enter a public title (e.g., Lincoln High Tigers Spirit Wear 2026).
   • Store Type:
     • Flash Pop-up (Time-Limited): For campaign-based spirit wear or fundraiser drives with automated open/close dates and countdown timers.
     • Evergreen (Always Open): For ongoing corporate swag portals or continuous team shops.
   • Close Date: For flash stores, select the date and time when ordering ends.
   • URL Slug: Enter a clean URL slug (e.g., lincoln-tigers $\rightarrow$ https://lincoln-tigers.merch-stores.com).
   • Customer Link: Select the customer profile (school, athletic department, or business) that owns the store.
4. Phase 2: Checkout & Revenue:
   • Select your billing structure: 100% Buyer Paid, Corporate Co-Pay, or Fundraiser Payout (detailed in Section 4).
   • Configure optional per-store credit card fee or sales tax overrides (detailed in Section 5).
5. Click Create Store.
6. In the store's Settings tab:
   • Store Logo: Upload the school or corporate emblem.
   • Hero Banner: Upload a high-resolution banner image (1920×600 recommended).
   • Primary Theme Color: Select the primary accent hex color to match school or brand branding.
   • Headline & Story Copy: Enter promotional instructions and distribution details for buyers.
   • Promote Store via Email: Under the Promotion Suite, use "Promote Store via Email" to send the public storefront link to the store-owning customer's primary contacts and sponsors (not individual store buyers).
7. Toggle Store Status to Active when ready to take orders.

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Workflow 2: Adding Products & Custom Personalizations

1. Open /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ select the Products tab $\rightarrow$ click + Add Product.
2. Product Selection:
   • Choose a blank garment from your custom catalog or search live distributor inventories (SanMar, S&S Activewear, AlphaBroder) via PromoStandards.
3. Product Configuration:
   • Product Name & Description: Customize the public title and merchandise details.
   • Base Cost & Retail Price: Enter the selling price (e.g., Blank cost $4.50 $\rightarrow$ Retail price $25.00).
   • Colorways: Select available colors and upload or generate mockup images.
   • Size Variants & Upcharges: Check all sizes to offer (Youth XS to Adult 5XL). Set size upcharges (e.g., +$2.00 for 2XL, +$3.00 for 3XL).
4. Custom Add-Ons & Personalizations (ProductAddonManager):
   • Click + Add Custom Add-On to offer optional buyer customizations at checkout.
   • Example: Player Name on Back:
     • Title: Player Name on Back
     • Price: $5.00
     • Input Field Label: Player Last Name
     • Input Type: Text (Required)
   • Example: Jersey Number on Sleeve:
     • Title: Jersey Number on Sleeve
     • Price: $3.00
     • Input Field Label: Jersey #
     • Input Type: Number (Required)
5. Click Save Product.
6. Product Controls: On each product card, use the action menu to Edit Product, Archive Product (temporarily hides the item without deleting order history), or Delete Product.

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Workflow 3: Setting Up Student & Player Attribution Fields

1. Open /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ select the Settings tab.
2. Scroll to the Custom Checkout Fields card.
3. Click + Add Custom Field.
4. Configure the field parameters:
   • Field Label: Enter the prompt shown to buyers (e.g., Student Full Name, Homeroom Teacher, Grade Level, Classroom #, or Employee ID).
   • Field Type: Choose Text, Dropdown Select, or Number.
   • Required Toggle: Turn ON to require buyers to complete this field before checking out.
5. All custom field data automatically synchronizes to:
   • The Store Orders roster.
   • The Master Production Manifest.
   • Individual packing slips for seamless classroom or department delivery.

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Workflow 4: Campaign Closing & 1-Click Production Batch Finalization

1. When ordering ends, navigate to /stores/[id].
2. Review pending retail orders on the Orders tab.
3. In the top header bar, click Finalize Batch:
   • The system locks all pending orders into ready_for_production.
   • Automatically generates a consolidated Master Production Invoice (INV-XXXX) on your shop dashboard.
   • Aggregates total quantities, blank requirements, and decoration artwork placements.
4. Production & Fulfillment Hub Card:
   • A dedicated hub card appears at the top of the Orders tab with direct shortcuts:
     • Open Work Order: Takes you to the Master Invoice (/quotes-invoices/[batchJobId]).
     • Launch Fulfillment Station: Opens the Sorting & Packing Station (/stores/fulfillment/[batchJobId]).
     • Print Paperwork: Opens the wave-aware Print Station (/stores/fulfillment/[batchJobId]/print).
   • Every individual order row provides direct links to view order details, open the Work Order, or print a single Packing Slip.

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Workflow 5: Procurement & Blanks Receiving

1. Open the Master Work Order at /quotes-invoices/[batchJobId].
2. Master Blanks Readiness Header Badge:
   • Check the blanks status badge beside the Batch Job Number:
     • 🟢 Blanks In-House & Verified: All garments counted in or pulled from stock.
     • 🔵 All on PO (Awaiting Arrival): Wholesale purchase orders placed for 100% of the batch.
     • 🟡 Partially Ordered ([X] Missing): Part of the batch still needs purchasing.
     • 🔴 Blanks Needed ([X] Pcs): No purchase order placed yet.
3. Ordering Blanks via the Procurement Engine (/purchase-orders):
   • In the sidebar, click Procurement $\rightarrow$ select the Ready to Order tab.
   • All blanks needed for the store batch appear grouped under their supplier (SanMar, S&S, AlphaBroder).
   • Ascending Size Sorting: Garments automatically sort from smallest to largest (XS -> S -> M -> L -> XL -> 2XL -> 3XL...) within each supplier and color group.
   • Click Create PO or Create & Auto-Order (via PromoStandards API).
4. Receiving Boxes at the Shop Receiving Desk:
   • When shipments arrive, open the PO $\rightarrow$ click Receive Stock $\rightarrow$ verify received counts $\rightarrow$ linked store batch jobs automatically advance to Blanks Sourced.

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Workflow 6: Wave-Based Fulfillment & Paperwork

1. Setting Shop Bin Wall Capacity:
   • Go to Settings $\rightarrow$ Features $\rightarrow$ Bin Wall Setup (or click Bin Wall Setup & SOP inside Fulfillment).
   • Enter your shop's physical cubby capacity (e.g., 12, 24, or 48 bins).
2. Automated Wave Partitioning:
   • If a batch has 50 orders and your wall has 24 bins, Studio deterministically partitions orders into:
     • Wave 1: Orders 1–24 (mapped to physical Bins 1–24).
     • Wave 2: Orders 25–48 (mapped to physical Bins 1–24).
     • Wave 3: Orders 49–50 (mapped to physical Bins 1–2).
   • This ensures all packing slips and station screens match the physical numbered stickers on your wall 1:1.
3. Printing Wave Paperwork:
   • Click Print Paperwork $\rightarrow$ use the wave pills: [ Wave 1 (24) ] [ Wave 2 (24) ] [ All Waves (50) ].
   • Master Pick List: Dynamically recalculates to display only the garments required for the selected wave.
   • Packing Slips: Slips print with high-visibility physical bin badges (e.g., WAVE 1 • BIN 04), barcode, student/player attribution, and custom add-on text.
   • Single Slip Printing: If a packing slip is damaged or lost, click Packing Slip on that customer's row in /stores/[id] to print that isolated slip (?orderId=...).
4. Advancing Waves:
   • Once all orders in Wave 1 are packed and shipped, the Wave Milestone Celebration Banner appears.
   • Click Start Wave 2 to reload your cleared cubbies with the next wave of orders.

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Workflow 7: Dryer Offload Garment-Stack Sorting

1. Navigate to /stores/fulfillment/[id] $\rightarrow$ select 1. Sort & Bin Wall.
2. Mode A: Sort by Garment Stack (Dryer Offload):
   • Operators stand at the dryer offload belt with a physical stack of identical garments (e.g., 6 Black Medium t-shirts).
   • Click the Garment Style & Colorway Card (e.g., Gildan 5000 - Black).
   • Select the graded Size Stack Pill (e.g., [ Medium (6) ]).
   • The station displays the destination cubbies table showing every order needing that piece.
3. Personalization Identification:
   • Size pills detect personalized garments and display a bright ✨ Custom badge.
   • Personalized rows highlight with a distinct purple theme and display the exact customization details (e.g., Player Name: JOHNSON | Number: 24).
   • Standard shirts are clearly labeled Standard (No Personalization).
4. Placing Garments in Cubbies:
   • Walk down the wall and place the garment into the target cubby.
   • Click Place in Bin [X] on that specific row.
   • When all items for an order are sorted, the cubby illuminates green: Ready to Pack!
5. Instant Undo & Error Correction:
   • Placed a shirt in the wrong cubby? A prominent action card immediately appears:

     Placed Gildan 5000 (Black / M) into BIN 04 for Sarah Johnson — [ Undo Placement ]

   • Tapping Undo Placement immediately decrements the count, updates the order status, and returns the garment to your active sorting stack.
6. Interactive Cubby Inspection (BinGrid):
   • Tapping any cubby on the digital bin wall opens the Bin Inspection Modal.
   • Displays buyer name, order number, fulfillment status, items already placed, and items still missing.
   • Click Remove 1 Piece next to any item to return an accidental piece to the sorting queue.
   • Click Empty Bin to completely reset the cubby if an order needs to be re-sorted.
7. Mode B: Scan / Search Mode:
   • Switch to Mode B to scan garment barcodes with a USB/Bluetooth scanner, or search directly by customer name, order number, or custom player name.

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Workflow 8: Multi-Mode Pack & Ship Station

1. Navigate to /stores/fulfillment/[id] $\rightarrow$ select 2. Pack & Ship.
2. Select any order that has reached Ready to Pack (illuminated green).
3. Review the verified item checklist against the physical bin contents.
4. Choose Your Fulfillment Method:
   • Option 1: Integrated ShipStation / EasyPost Shipping Labels:
     • Select from saved Package Presets (Small Polymailer, Medium Box, Large Flat Rate, Custom) or enter custom weight and dimensions.
     • Live carrier rates appear from USPS, UPS, and FedEx.
     • Click Buy Label & Mark as Shipped. Studio prints the 4×6 thermal shipping label, clears the cubby, and automatically emails the tracking link to the buyer.
   • Option 2: Manual External Carrier Fulfillment:
     • For labels purchased outside Studio (e.g., Pirate Ship, direct carrier portal, or courier):
     • Click Manual / External Carrier.
     • Select the carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, Courier, Other) and paste the tracking number.
     • Click Mark as Shipped & Clear Bin [X]. The order updates to shipped and the cubby is cleared for the next wave.
   • Option 3: Local In-Store Pickup Hand-Off:
     • For orders marked for in-store or school pickup:
     • Hand the bagged order to the customer or school coordinator.
     • Click Complete Hand-Off & Clear Bin [X]. The order updates to fulfilled and the cubby is instantly cleared.
5. Completed Orders History & 1-Click Void / Re-Pack:
   • Completed orders immediately move to the Completed section directly below "Ready to Pack".
   • Tap any completed order to preview the 4×6 shipping label or reprint via direct thermal print.
   • Click Void Label & Re-Pack to automatically cancel the label with EasyPost or ShipStation, request a postage refund, and return the bin back to "Ready to Pack".
6. Batch Local Pickup Notifications:
   • In the Pack & Ship station, click Notify Buyers next to the local pickup roster to send personalized, individual "Your Order is Ready for Pickup!" emails with pickup instructions.

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4. Store Billing Models & Revenue Breakdown

Print Life Software supports three distinct store billing models. Selecting the correct model ensures exact financial reporting, avoids sponsor billing confusion, and eliminates manual kickback calculations:

                            ┌──────────────────────────────────┐
                            │    Store Billing Models Engine   │
                            └─────────────────┬────────────────┘
                                              │
         ┌────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────┐
         │                                    │                                    │
         ▼                                    ▼                                    ▼
┌───────────────────┐               ┌────────────────────┐               ┌────────────────────┐
│ 100% Buyer Paid   │               │  Corporate Co-Pay  │               │ School & Charity   │
│ (Standard Retail) │               │     (Subsidies)    │               │    Fundraisers     │
├───────────────────┤               ├────────────────────┤               ├────────────────────┤
│ • buyerRatio: 1.0 │               │ • buyerRatio < 1.0 │               │ • buyerRatio: 1.0  │
│ • Buyers pay 100% │               │ • e.g., 50% Buyer  │               │ • Buyers pay 100%  │
│ • Sponsor Bill: $0│               │   50% Sponsor      │               │ • Sponsor Bill: $0 │
│ • Shop keeps 100% │               │ • Sponsor Billed   │               │ • Sponsor Comm:    │
│   of revenue      │               │   on Master Inv.   │               │   Flat $ or % cut  │
└───────────────────┘               └────────────────────┘               └────────────────────┘

Model A: 100% Buyer Paid (Standard Retail & Merch Drops)

• Goal: Individual customers pay the full retail price via credit card at checkout.
• Configuration: In Edit Settings $\rightarrow$ Phase 2: Checkout & Revenue, set Corporate Co-Pay / Sponsor Subsidy (buyerRatio) to 1.0 (100% Buyer Paid).
• Master Invoice Result: The Master Invoice records Sponsor Billed: $0.00 because buyers paid 100% of the funds upfront. The shop retains all collected revenue.

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Model B: Corporate Co-Pay / Subsidy Stores (e.g., Employee Uniforms)

• Goal: An employer agrees to subsidize a portion of their employees' apparel orders.
• How It Works:
  • Example: A branded softshell jacket costs $60. The employer pays 50% ($30), and the employee pays 50% ($30) at online checkout.
  • In Store Settings $\rightarrow$ Phase 2: Checkout & Revenue, set Corporate Co-Pay / Sponsor Subsidy (buyerRatio) to 0.5 (50% Buyer / 50% Sponsor).
  • When the employee buys the jacket, their credit card is charged $30.
  • When the batch is finalized, the Master Production Invoice records Sponsor Billed: $30 per jacket — this represents the balance the employer owes your print shop.

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Model C: School & Charity Fundraisers (Automated Sponsor Kickbacks)

• Goal: A sports team, school booster club, or non-profit sells spirit wear to raise funds.
• How It Works:
  • Example: A spirit wear hoodie is sold for $40. Buyers pay 100% ($40) at checkout.
  • In Store Settings $\rightarrow$ Phase 2: Checkout & Revenue:
    1. Keep Corporate Co-Pay (buyerRatio) at 1.0 (buyers pay in full).
    2. In the Sponsor Commission / Fundraiser Payout card:
       • Select payout mode: Flat Rate ($ per item sold) (e.g., $5.00 / item) or Percentage (% of gross sales) (e.g., 20%).
       • Enter the payout rate and beneficiary name (e.g., Lincoln High Booster Club).
  • Your print shop collects 100% of checkout payments directly via Stripe or Square.
  • Studio automatically tracks the accrued Sponsor Commission on every order.
• Paying Out the Profit Check:
  1. Open /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ select the Reports tab (or navigate to Financials $\rightarrow$ Reports $\rightarrow$ Merch Stores Performance).
  2. The report clearly itemizes:
     • Buyer Paid: Total collected from retail checkouts (e.g., $8,000)
     • Sponsor Bill: $0.00 (buyers paid in full)
     • Sponsor Commission: Exact kickback check owed to the organization (e.g., 200 hoodies $\times$ $5.00 = $1,000)
     • Shop Net: Net revenue retained by your print shop (e.g., $7,000)
  3. Cut the check to the organization with zero manual spreadsheet calculations.

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5. Per-Store Checkout Overrides: Card Processing Fee & Sales Tax

Both settings live in Store Settings $\rightarrow$ click Edit Settings $\rightarrow$ Phase 2: Checkout & Revenue. Both are OFF by default and scoped strictly to the individual store without altering shop-wide settings:

Card Processing Fee Override

• Function: Overrides the shop-wide transaction fee (configured at Settings > Features > Transaction Fee Recovery) for this store only.
• Off (Default): Applies your global shop-wide credit card fee policy.
• On: Enter a custom Flat Fee ($) and Percentage (%) applied at checkout when buyers pay by card.
• Use Case: Absorb fees entirely for preferred enterprise accounts or pass through custom merchant rates.

Charge Tax At Checkout (Store Tax Override)

• Function: Applies one of your configured Sales Tax Rates (Settings > Business Info > Sales Tax Rates) to retail store checkouts.
• Off (Default): No sales tax is charged at checkout.
• On: Select a tax rate from the dropdown. Tax is:
  • Calculated on the merchandise subtotal (excluding shipping).
  • Itemized clearly for buyers on both shipping and payment steps.
  • Charged in full even on co-pay stores (tax is never discounted by sponsor subsidies).
  • Recorded on order ledgers and automatically refunded during customer return flows.

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6. Troubleshooting & Diagnostic Matrix

Symptom / Question	Root Cause	Exact Remediation Step
I don't see "Merch Stores" in my sidebar	The feature is turned off in shop settings.	Go to Settings $\rightarrow$ Features tab (/settings?tab=features) $\rightarrow$ toggle Online Merch Stores to ON.
Master Invoice shows "Sponsor Revenue: $0" on a fundraiser	buyerRatio is set to 1.0 (100% Buyer Paid), which is correct for fundraisers.	$0 Sponsor Billed means the sponsor owes no co-pay money because buyers paid 100% at checkout. Check the Sponsor Commission metric on your Reports tab to see the exact kickback check owed to the organization.
I have 50 orders but only 24 physical bins	Batch orders exceed physical cubby capacity.	Studio automatically activates Wave Fulfillment! Wave 1 maps Orders 1–24 to Bins 1–24. Once Wave 1 is packed and shipped, advance to Wave 2 to reuse your cleared bins.
Packing slips printed with blank bin numbers	Missing wave filter during print generation.	Open /stores/fulfillment/[id]/print and select the active wave pill (e.g., [ Wave 1 (24) ]). Packing slips will print with matching physical bin badges (WAVE 1 • BIN 04).
I placed a garment in the wrong cubby by mistake	Accidental sorting drop.	Click the Undo Placement banner immediately, or tap the cubby on the digital bin wall $\rightarrow$ click Remove 1 Piece next to that item to return it to the active sorting queue.
How do I print a single customer's lost packing slip?	Packing slip misplaced on shop floor.	Go to /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ Orders tab $\rightarrow$ locate the customer row $\rightarrow$ click Packing Slip to print that isolated slip with barcode and customizations (?orderId=...).
How do I fulfill orders if I buy shipping labels outside Studio?	Using external carrier software (e.g., Pirate Ship, carrier counter).	In /stores/fulfillment/[id] $\rightarrow$ Pack & Ship, select the order $\rightarrow$ choose Manual / External Carrier $\rightarrow$ paste the tracking number $\rightarrow$ click Mark as Shipped & Clear Bin.
How do I complete a local pickup order?	Order marked for in-store pickup.	In Pack & Ship, select the order $\rightarrow$ click Complete Hand-Off & Clear Bin. The order updates to fulfilled and clears the cubby without requiring a shipping label.
Blanks on the Ready to Order tab are out of size order	Looking at un-sorted list.	Blanks on /purchase-orders (Ready to Order tab) automatically sort by garment size from smallest to largest (XS -> 5XL) within each color group.
Where do I find the Work Order for a finalized store batch?	Batch quote link needed.	Open /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ Orders tab $\rightarrow$ click Open Work Order on the top Production Hub card (or open the Master Invoice in /quotes-invoices).
Store displays "Currently Closed" page	Close date has passed or status is draft/closed.	Open /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ Settings $\rightarrow$ click Edit Settings $\rightarrow$ extend the Close Date or toggle status to Active.
Buyer checkout does not ask for student name	Custom checkout field not created or not marked required.	Open /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ Settings tab $\rightarrow$ Custom Checkout Fields $\rightarrow$ add "Student Name" $\rightarrow$ toggle Required ON.
Store URL shows 404 not found	Invalid slug characters.	Open /stores/[id] $\rightarrow$ Settings $\rightarrow$ click Edit Settings to check the URL slug. Slugs must only contain lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens (e.g., lincoln-tigers).

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7. Frequently Asked Questions & Action Prompts

How do I set up a school spirit wear pop-up store?

1. Go to Merch Stores (/stores) $\rightarrow$ click + New Store.
2. Set the Store Type to Flash Pop-up (Time-Limited) and pick your Close Date.
3. Enter a clean URL slug (e.g., tigers-spirit-wear).
4. In Settings, upload your school banner, logo, and set your team primary color.
5. Add custom checkout fields like Student Name and Homeroom Teacher so orders are pre-sorted for classroom distribution!

[How do I add products to my store?](chat:How do I add products to my store?) • [Show me Merch Stores](chat:Show me the Merch Stores page)

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How do I add products and player name customizations to my store?

1. Open your store at Merch Stores $\rightarrow$ select the Products tab $\rightarrow$ click + Add Product.
2. Pick a style from your catalog or search live distributor blanks (SanMar, S&S Activewear, AlphaBroder).
3. Set your retail price, available colors, and size variants (Youth XS to Adult 5XL).
4. To offer custom names or numbers, scroll to Product Add-Ons $\rightarrow$ click + Add Custom Add-On (e.g., Title: Player Name on Back, Price: $5.00, Input Label: Player Name).
5. When buyers enter their name at checkout, it automatically prints on packing slips and highlights in the sorting station!

[How do I finalize a store for production?](chat:How do I finalize a store batch for production?)

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How does wave fulfillment work if I have more orders than physical bins?

Studio automatically handles physical cubby limits using Wave-Based Fulfillment:

1. Configure your shop's physical cubby capacity (e.g., 24 bins) under Settings > Features > Bin Wall Setup.
2. When a batch has more orders than bins (e.g., 60 orders), the system partitions them into sequential waves:
   • Wave 1: Orders 1–24 (Bins 1–24)
   • Wave 2: Orders 25–48 (Bins 1–24)
   • Wave 3: Orders 49–50 (Bins 1–2)
3. Paperwork prints with physical bin numbers ($1 \dots 24$) for the active wave.
4. Once Wave 1 is packed and shipped, your cubbies are cleared and you advance to Wave 2!

[How does dryer stack sorting work?](chat:How does the dryer offload stack sorting station work?)

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How does the dryer offload stack sorting station work?

The Garment-Stack Sorting Station is designed specifically for screen printers and DTF shops coming off the dryer belt:

1. Open /stores/fulfillment/[id] $\rightarrow$ select 1. Sort & Bin Wall.
2. Grab your physical stack of matching garments coming off the dryer (e.g., 6 Medium Black tees).
3. Click the Black garment card $\rightarrow$ click Medium (6).
4. The screen displays the destination cubbies. Personalized shirts display a purple ✨ Custom badge with player details!
5. Walk down your wall and click Place in Bin [X] as you drop each piece.
6. Made a mistake? Tap Undo Placement immediately, or tap any cubby on the screen to inspect or remove mis-sorted pieces.

[How do I pack and ship sorted bins?](chat:How do I pack and ship sorted bins?)

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How do I fulfill orders if I buy shipping labels outside Studio?

You can fulfill orders using external carriers (Pirate Ship, carrier counter, courier) with zero friction:

1. In Fulfillment $\rightarrow$ switch to 2. Pack & Ship.
2. Select any green, ready-to-pack order.
3. Click Manual / External Carrier.
4. Select your carrier (UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, Courier) and paste your tracking number.
5. Click Mark as Shipped & Clear Bin. The order updates to shipped and your cubby is instantly cleared for the next wave!

[How do in-store local pickups work?](chat:How do I complete in-store local pickups?)

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How do I complete in-store local pickups?

1. In Pack & Ship, select the local pickup order.
2. Hand the bagged order to the customer or school coordinator.
3. Click Complete Hand-Off & Clear Bin.
4. The order marks fulfilled and clears the cubby immediately. You can also click Notify Buyers to email all local pickup customers when their orders are ready!

[Show me the Merch Stores page](chat:Show me the Merch Stores page)

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How do I turn on or off Online Merch Stores?

1. Expand Finance & Settings in the left sidebar $\rightarrow$ click Settings (/settings).
2. Select the Features tab (/settings?tab=features).
3. Locate Online Merch Stores in the Features & Preferences list.
4. Toggle the switch ON to enable merch stores across your workspace, or OFF to hide the feature from the sidebar navigation.

[Show me Features Settings](chat:Show me Features Settings)