Checkout blocking is available on the Pro and Enterprise plans, where buyers select the pickup point during checkout (Shopify Plus). It stops buyers from completing a checkout when they choose a pickup point shipping option but don’t select a pickup point. It is the most reliable way to make sure every pickup point order arrives with a pickup point, and we recommend turning it on for every store.
#Why turn it on
Without checkout blocking, a buyer can choose a pickup point shipping option and complete the purchase without selecting a pickup point. You end up with an order you can’t ship to a pickup point, and you have to contact the buyer to find out which pickup point they want. This is the most common cause of missing pickup point details on orders on the Pro and Enterprise plans.
#What buyers see
Checkout blocking only steps in when a pickup point is actually missing:
- Home delivery is never blocked. Checkout blocking only applies to shipping options you have linked to a pickup point configuration.
- Buyers who selected a pickup point check out as usual.
- Buyers always have a way forward. If a pickup point is missing, checkout shows “Select a pickup point or change the delivery method”. The buyer can select a pickup point, or switch to another shipping option and complete the purchase.
#How it works
Checkout blocking uses your enabled pickup point configurations, their assigned countries, and shipping options to determine whether a checkout requires a pickup point.
When a buyer tries to complete a checkout:
- Atlas checks whether the checkout’s selected shipping option is assigned to any pickup point configuration for the buyer’s country.
- If it is, Atlas verifies that a pickup point has been selected. If no pickup point is selected, checkout is blocked and the buyer sees the error above.
- If it is not, the order is treated as a home delivery and checkout proceeds normally.
Checkout blocking is made up of two settings that work together. For the best effect, we recommend enabling both:
| Setting | Where to find it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Block checkout without a selected pickup point | Atlas Pickup Points → Settings → Checkout blocking | Checks the checkout server side, with a Shopify Function, when the buyer tries to complete the purchase. This also covers express payments made on the checkout page |
| Allow app to block checkout | Checkout Editor → Pickup point selection block → Checkout behavior | Lets the Pickup point selection block stop the buyer client side, in checkout itself, until they select a pickup point |
#How to enable it
#1. Block checkout without a selected pickup point
Go to Atlas Pickup Points → Settings and under Checkout blocking, check Block checkout without a selected pickup point and click Save.
#2. Allow app to block checkout
This setting is off by default.
- Go to Shopify Admin → Settings → Checkout → Checkout Editor
- Select the Pickup point selection block
- In the block’s settings, open Checkout behavior and turn on Allow app to block checkout
- Click Save
#How to test it
Start a checkout, choose a pickup point shipping option, and try to complete the purchase without selecting a pickup point. Checkout should stop and show “Select a pickup point or change the delivery method”. Then switch to a home delivery option and check that you can continue. To test safely on a live store, see How to test Atlas Pickup Points.
#Accelerated (express) checkouts
Checkout blocking also covers accelerated (express) checkout methods (Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal) used on the checkout page. Their payment dialogs can’t show the pickup point selection, so without checkout blocking these orders would be placed without a pickup point. For the full overview of express methods, see How do accelerated checkouts work with pickup points?
For example, with Apple Pay:
- The buyer selects Apple Pay on the checkout page.
- The buyer selects a pickup point shipping option in the Apple Pay dialog.
- The buyer approves the payment.
- The payment doesn’t go through because no pickup point has been selected.
- The buyer is shown an error and the pickup point selection widget.
- The buyer selects a pickup point.
- The buyer clicks “Pay now” and the checkout is completed.
Shop Pay is not affected by this. It shows the pickup point selection itself, as long as Include block in Shop Pay is turned on in the Pickup point selection block’s settings. It’s off by default, see Configure the Pickup point selection block.
#DHL Postnumber verification (Germany)
If you offer DHL in Germany and turn on Show Postnumber field in the DHL pickup point configuration, checkout blocking also verifies the Postnumber entered by the buyer. The Postnumber is required for Packstations (lockers), as recommended by DHL, and optional for Postfilialen (service points).