Articles on: Pickup Settings

Store Pickup: Preparation Time

Control which pickup slots and dates appear in the calendar widget. Preparation time hides slots and dates that don't meet your lead time requirements, ensuring customers can only select available pickup times.



Table of Contents




What Preparation Time Does


What this feature does:

  • Hides time slots that are too soon (e.g., 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM slots hidden if 4-hour lead time requires 2:00 PM minimum)
  • Blocks entire dates when same-day pickup is disabled (1-day lead time, date grayed out/blocked)
  • Supports same-day, next-day, or custom lead times per location
  • Optional cut-off time for different lead times before/after deadline
  • Can be customized by day of the week


What this feature does NOT do:

  • Does not block specific dates
  • Does not set operating hours



Prerequisites


Before configuring preparation time, ensure:


  1. Pickup is enabled for the location in Bird Settings
  2. Availability schedule is configured (operating hours and time slots)


If any prerequisite is missing, preparation time won't work correctly.



Step-by-Step Configuration


Step 1: Access Preparation Time Settings


  1. Go to Bird Settings > Configure Locations (if you see "Pickup & Delivery" you're in legacy mode)
  2. Click on the location where you want to configure preparation time
  3. Scroll down and find Edit Settings button for Store Pickup
  4. Click Edit Settings
  5. Scroll to Preparation Time section




Step 2: Enable Preparation Time


  1. Toggle Enable Preparation Time to Enabled
  2. If disabled, all available slots and dates from your availability schedule will appear in the widget



Step 3: Choose Preparation Time Configuration


Select how you want to configure preparation time:


Option A: Same Preparation Time for All Days


  1. Select Same Preparation Time for All Days
  2. Configure a single lead time that applies to all days


Option B: Customize Preparation Time by Day


  1. Select Customize Preparation Time by Day
  2. Set different lead times for specific days
  3. Important: Configure preparation times for all 7 days when using this option




Step 4: Configure Lead Time


If you have no cut-off time:


  1. Find the Lead Time input box
  2. Enter the lead time value
  3. Select the unit: Days, Hours, or Minutes
  4. Important: Choose the appropriate unit based on your needs (see Choosing the Right Time Unit below)
  5. Click Save


Example: With 4-hour lead time, if a customer views the widget at 10:00 AM:

  • Slots before 2:00 PM are hidden
  • Slots at 2:00 PM and later are available


If you have a cut-off time:


  1. First, configure cut-off time (see Step 5 below)
  2. Enter Lead Time Before Cut-off Time (e.g., 1 day)
  3. Enter Lead Time After Cut-off Time (e.g., 2 days)
  4. Select the unit for each lead time: Days, Hours, or Minutes
  5. Important: Lead time after cut-off must be longer than lead time before cut-off
  6. Important: Choose the appropriate unit for each lead time (see Choosing the Right Time Unit below)
  7. Click Save




Step 5: Configure Cut-Off Time (Optional)


Cut-off time is optional. You can use lead time alone without a cut-off time.


If you want to set a cut-off time:


  1. Find the Cut-off Time dropdown
  2. Select your daily cut-off time (e.g., 6:00 PM)
  3. Enter Lead Time Before Cut-off Time in the input box
  4. Select the unit for lead time before cut-off: Days, Hours, or Minutes
  5. Enter Lead Time After Cut-off Time in the input box
  6. Select the unit for lead time after cut-off: Days, Hours, or Minutes
  7. Important: Lead time after cut-off must be longer than lead time before cut-off
  8. Important: Choose the appropriate unit for each lead time (see Choosing the Right Time Unit below)
  9. Click Save


Example Configuration:

  • Cut-off time: 6:00 PM
  • Lead time before cut-off: 1 day
  • Lead time after cut-off: 2 days


Result:

  • Customer views widget before 6:00 PM: Next-day date is available
  • Customer views widget after 6:00 PM: Next-day date is grayed out/blocked, only dates starting two days later are available





Step 6: Save and Preview


  1. Review all your settings
  2. Click Save to apply changes
  3. Go to Bird Settings > Widget Design and use Widget Preview on the right
  4. Select Pickup method in the preview
  5. Simulate any date and time via Change Current Date and Time option
  6. Verify that preparation time is respected (earliest available date/time based on your lead time settings)



Understanding Lead Time


Choosing the Right Time Unit


Select the appropriate time unit based on how you want the system to handle day boundaries.


When to use Days:

  • For 24-hour periods or longer (e.g., next-day pickup)
  • When you want entire dates blocked (dates grayed out in widget)
  • Recommended: Use Days unit and enter 1 for 24-hour lead time (instead of Hours unit with 24)


When to use Hours:

  • For same-day pickup with specific hour requirements (e.g., 4 hours, 6 hours)
  • When you need to hide specific time slots within the same day
  • For lead times less than 24 hours that don't need day boundary handling


When to use Minutes:

  • For very short lead times (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour)
  • When you need precise minute-level control
  • Typically for same-day pickup with minimal preparation time


Example - Why use Days for 24-hour periods:

  • Using Days unit with 1: Properly grays out/blocks same-day date, ensures next-day dates are available regardless of order time
  • Best practice: If you want "next-day pickup," use Days unit with 1, not Hours unit with 24



Understanding Day Boundaries


Example with 4-hour lead time (Hours unit):

  • Customer views widget at 2:00 PM Monday > Slots before 6:00 PM are hidden, slots at 6:00 PM and later are available
  • Customer views widget at 7:00 PM Monday > Slots before 11:00 PM are hidden, slots at 11:00 PM and later are available
  • Customer views widget at 11:00 PM Monday > Same-day slots are hidden, Tuesday slots become available (earliest, hours do not get rolled over to the next day)


Example with 1-day lead time (Days unit):

  • Customer views widget at 2:00 PM Monday > Monday date is grayed out/blocked, Tuesday and later dates are available
  • Customer views widget at 11:00 PM Monday > Monday date is grayed out/blocked, Tuesday and later dates are available
  • Day boundary is always respected, ensuring next-day dates are available



Configuring Cut-Off Time


Important Rules


Lead time after cut-off must be longer than lead time before cut-off.


Valid Examples:

  • Before: 1 day, After: 2 days ✅
  • Before: 4 hours, After: 1 day ✅
  • Before: 1 day, After: 1 day ❌ (must be longer)



Examples and Use Cases


Example 1: Same-Day Pickup Allowed


Scenario: Store processes orders quickly, allows same-day pickup with 4-hour lead time.


Configuration:

  1. Enable Preparation Time
  2. Select Same Preparation Time for All Days
  3. Set Lead Time: 4 (select Hours unit)
  4. No cut-off time
  5. Save


Result: When customers view the widget at 10:00 AM, slots before 2:00 PM are hidden. Slots at 2:00 PM and later are available.



Example 2: Next-Day Pickup Only


Scenario: Store needs full day to process orders, blocks same-day pickup.


Configuration:

  1. Enable Preparation Time
  2. Select Same Preparation Time for All Days
  3. Set Lead Time: 1 (select Days unit - recommended for 24-hour periods instead of using Hours unit with 24)
  4. No cut-off time
  5. Save


Result: When customers view the widget on Monday, the Monday date is grayed out/blocked. Tuesday and later dates are available.



Example 3: Cut-Off Time with Different Lead Times


Scenario: Orders before 6:00 PM can be picked up next day. Orders after 6:00 PM need 2 days.


Configuration:

  1. Enable Preparation Time
  2. Select Same Preparation Time for All Days
  3. Set Cut-off Time: 6:00 PM
  4. Set Lead Time Before Cut-off: 1 (select Days unit)
  5. Set Lead Time After Cut-off: 2 (select Days unit)
  6. Save


Result:

  • Customer views widget Monday 3:00 PM (before cut-off): Tuesday date is available
  • Customer views widget Monday 7:00 PM (after cut-off): Tuesday date is grayed out/blocked, only Wednesday and later dates are available



Example 4: Different Lead Times by Day


Scenario: Weekdays need 4 hours, weekends need 1 day.


Configuration:

  1. Enable Preparation Time
  2. Select Customize Preparation Time by Day
  3. Monday-Friday: Set Lead Time: 4 (select Hours unit)
  4. Saturday-Sunday: Set Lead Time: 1 (select Days unit)
  5. Save


Result: On weekdays, slots before the 4-hour lead time are hidden. On weekends, the same-day date is grayed out/blocked.



Common Questions


What happens if I disable preparation time?


All slots and dates from your availability schedule appear in the widget. No slots or dates are hidden or blocked due to preparation time.



Can I set different preparation times for different locations?


Yes. Each location can have its own preparation time settings. Configure them separately in Configure Locations > [Select Location] > Edit Settings.



What if my cut-off time is in the middle of a time slot?


The cut-off time applies to when the order is placed, not when the time slot is. If an order is placed before cut-off, it uses the "before cut-off" lead time even if the selected time slot is after cut-off.



Can I use preparation time without a cut-off time?


Yes. Cut-off time is optional. You can set a single lead time that applies to all orders regardless of when they're placed.



What if pickup preparation time conflicts with pickup availability schedule?


Preparation time takes precedence. If preparation time requires next-day pickup but same-day slots are available in your schedule, the same-day date is grayed out/blocked in the widget. Customers can only see and select next-day dates.



Troubleshooting


Issue: Customers can still see same-day pickup slots/dates when preparation time is set


Problem: Preparation time may not be enabled or configured correctly.


Solution:

  1. Verify Enable Preparation Time is toggled ON
  2. Check that lead time is set correctly (e.g., 1 day for next-day only)
  3. Ensure you saved your settings
  4. Use Widget Preview to verify that same-day date is grayed out



Issue: Cut-off time not working correctly


Problem: Lead times may not be configured correctly.


Solution:

  1. Verify lead time after cut-off is longer than lead time before cut-off
  2. Check that cut-off time is set correctly
  3. Ensure both lead times are entered (before and after)
  4. Test with Widget Preview at different times of day



Issue: Customers are placing orders with pickup selections that violate cut-off time rules


Problem: Customers selected a pickup slot before your cut-off time (when it was valid), but completed checkout after the cut-off time. Without selection expiry, the old selection remains valid and the order goes through even though it violates your cut-off time rules.


Solution:

  1. First, verify your preparation time settings are correct
  2. Check that your cut-off time and lead times are properly configured
  3. Enable selection expiry to invalidate old selections when cut-off time passes


Example Scenario:

  • Cut-off time: 4:00 PM
  • Lead time before 4:00 PM: 1 day (next-day pickup allowed)
  • Lead time after 4:00 PM: 2 days (next-day pickup blocked)


What happens:

  1. Customer views widget at 3:30 PM and selects next-day pickup (valid at that time)
  2. Customer proceeds to checkout
  3. Customer completes checkout at 4:15 PM (after cut-off)
  4. Without selection expiry: The old next-day selection remains valid, order is placed successfully (violates your 2-day lead time rule)
  5. With selection expiry: The old selection expires, customer must re-select with 2-day lead time applied (next-day date is now grayed out/blocked)


To Enable Selection Expiry:

  1. Go to Bird Settings > Validations > [Cart and Checkout Validation]
  2. Check "Enable selections expiry"
  3. Select your preferred expiry time limit


Selection expiry invalidates pickup selections when they no longer meet your current lead time rules, ensuring orders placed after cut-off time use the correct lead time.



Issue: Preparation time blocking all dates


Problem: Lead time may be set too long (e.g., 30 days).


Solution:

  1. Check your lead time setting
  2. Reduce lead time if it's too long
  3. Verify maximum available days setting (in Blockout Dates)
  4. Ensure lead time doesn't exceed maximum available days



Quick Reference


Preparation Time Options:

  • Same Preparation Time for All Days: Consistent lead time
  • Customize Preparation Time by Day: Different lead times per day


Lead Time Units:

  • Days: Next-day or multi-day fulfillment
  • Hours: Same-day fulfillment
  • Minutes: Very short lead times


Cut-Off Time:

  • Optional daily deadline
  • Lead time after cut-off must be longer than before cut-off


Navigation: Bird Settings > Configure Locations > [Select Location] > Edit Settings (beside "Store Pick is Enabled" text) > Preparation Time


Note: If you see "Pickup & Delivery" instead of "Configure Locations" in Bird Settings, you're using legacy mode. See Store Pickup: Overview for information about switching to location-specific configuration.

Updated on: 01/13/2026

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