Reserve Online, Buy In-Store (Reserve for Pickup)
Give your customers a way to reserve a product at a nearby retail partner through HoverCart without paying upfront, then complete their purchase in person at the store.
In This Article
- What Is Reserve Online, Buy In-Store (ROPIS)?
- How to Enable ROPIS for Your Storefront
- The Customer Experience
- How ROPIS Orders Are Handled in Quivers
- ROPIS with Ship-to-Store (STS)
- ROPIS for FFL-Regulated Products
- Best Practices & Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Reserve Online, Buy In-Store (ROPIS)?
"ROPIS" (Reserve Online, Buy In-Store) — also called “Reserve for Pickup” — lets a customer select a product and a pickup store in HoverCart and reserve the item without paying online. Because no payment is collected online, the reservation flow requires only the customer’s name, email address, and phone number.
The customer then visits the selected store to complete the purchase and pay in person.
This is different from BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store), where the customer pays online before pickup. ROPIS is ideal for customers who prefer to pay in store, or for retailers who want to guarantee a customer will visit their location.
How It Works
- No upfront payment required — customers reserve without entering payment details online.
- Drives guaranteed store visits — customers must come in person to complete the purchase.
- Friction-free reservation flow — only name, email, and phone number required.
- Compatible with Ship-to-Store — out-of-stock retailers can still participate as pickup locations.
Why It Matters
ROPIS lets brands and retailers turn online interest into a guaranteed store visit without asking the customer to commit payment information up front. For retailers, it removes the friction that can stall an online sale while still bringing the customer through the door to complete the purchase and see the rest of what's in stock. For brands, it's a low-commitment way to extend HoverCart into product categories where customers strongly prefer to see or try an item before paying for it.
How to Enable ROPIS for Your Storefront
Complete the steps below in order. Reach out to support@quivers.com if you need help at any point.
Prerequisites
✓ A Quivers storefront — ROPIS requires an active storefront.
✓ HoverCart implemented on your website.
✓ Bill Later enabled as a payment method on your storefront.
Enable Bill Later
- Open your storefront in the Quivers Admin Panel and go to the Storefront tab.
- Click Edit under the payment details section.
- Under Payment Methods, check “Quivers PayPal (HoverCart).”
- Click Save.
Turn On ROPIS
- In your Quivers Admin Panel, open your storefront settings.
- Under Enabled Fulfillment Methods, check “Reserve Online - Buy In Store.”
- Save your settings.
Note: In the Admin Panel, orders and order line items placed through ROPIS are labeled “Reservation.” Once a retailer confirms pickup, the item status reads “Complete” rather than “Shipped,” since no shipment took place. Where horizontal space is limited — for example, in tables with many columns — you may see the abbreviation “R.O.B.I.S.” used instead of the full name.
Note: There are currently no ROPIS-specific transaction fees. Any applicable fees are handled through your existing subscription or pre-paid agreement with Quivers, not charged per ROPIS order.
The Customer Experience
- A customer views a product in your HoverCart storefront.
- They click Reserve for Pickup — a separate button from Add to Cart and In-Store Pickup.
- A streamlined dialog box appears. The customer enters only their name, email address, and phone number.
- The customer selects their preferred pickup store.
- They submit the reservation — no payment is collected at this stage.
- The order is created in Quivers and assigned to the selected retailer.
- The retailer is notified of the reservation and holds the item for the customer.
- The customer visits the store and completes the purchase in person.
Note: A CAPTCHA verification is included in the reservation dialog to prevent abuse.
Note: If the customer is logged into their HoverCart account, the email used for the reservation must match their logged-in account email. This keeps the reservation properly tied to the customer’s own order history.
Because no payment is taken online, there's no need for the customer to enter a shipping address, billing address, or payment details — the reservation is fast, friction-free, and leads directly to a store visit.
How ROPIS Orders Are Handled in Quivers
ROPIS orders use the Bill Later payment method — the order is created in Quivers without any payment collected. Payment is handled at the store when the customer arrives.
In the Quivers Admin Panel, ROPIS orders appear like any other Bill Later order. The retailer fulfills the order by marking it as completed after the customer pays in store.
ROPIS with Ship-to-Store (STS)
When Ship-to-Store is also enabled, out-of-stock retailers can still appear as selectable pickup locations — the item is shipped from a brand warehouse or distributor to the retailer's store, where the customer completes their ROPIS purchase in person.
How It Works
- The customer clicks Reserve for Pickup on a ROPIS-enabled product.
- The store locator opens and displays nearby retail partners — including STS-enabled retailers, even if they are currently out of stock.
- The customer selects their preferred store and submits the reservation.
- The order is routed to the selected retailer as a Ship-to-Store line item, and the inventory is shipped to that store.
- The retailer notifies the customer once the item has arrived and is ready for pickup.
What Customers See
- STS-eligible retailers appear alongside in-stock retailers in the store locator.
- The retailer tile may show an “Available in X Days” message to indicate the item will be shipped before it’s available for pickup.
- The reservation flow works the same as a standard ROPIS order — no payment is collected online.
Enabling ROPIS + STS
Retailers must have Ship-to-Store enabled in their Quivers settings to appear as STS-eligible pickup locations. Contact support@quivers.com if you need help configuring STS for your retail partners.
For full STS setup details, see the Ship-to-Store App article.
ROPIS for FFL-Regulated Products
If a ROPIS product is subject to Federal Firearms License (FFL) requirements, only retailers with a verified FFL number on file will appear as pickup options in the store locator for that product. Retailers without a verified FFL number won’t be shown, even if they otherwise carry inventory.
Make sure any retailer you want to offer as a ROPIS pickup location for FFL-regulated products has added and verified their FFL number in their Quivers account.
Best Practices & Tips
- Choose the right product categories — ROPIS works best for products customers prefer to see and try before buying, such as sporting goods, apparel, footwear, and specialty products.
- Brief your retailers — Ensure connected retailers know how to handle ROPIS orders, including how to hold items and when and how to notify customers that their item is ready.
- Set clear customer expectations — Communicate that ROPIS is a reservation, not an online purchase. Customers should understand they are not paying until they arrive in store.
- Monitor reservation completion rates — If customers consistently don't show up to redeem their reservations, consider setting a reservation expiry period.
- Keep HoverCart up to date for STS — If using ROPIS with Ship-to-Store, ensure your HoverCart integration is current so STS-eligible retailers display correctly in the store locator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between ROPIS and BOPIS?
With BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store), the customer pays online before picking up their order. With ROPIS, no payment is collected online — the customer reserves the item and pays in person when they pick it up.
Does ROPIS charge a transaction fee?
No. There are currently no ROPIS-specific transaction fees; any applicable fees are handled through your existing subscription or pre-paid agreement with Quivers.
What payment method do ROPIS orders use?
ROPIS orders use the Bill Later payment method in Quivers — no payment is collected when the reservation is placed.
Can an out-of-stock retailer be a ROPIS pickup location?
Yes, if Ship-to-Store (STS) is also enabled. Inventory is shipped from a brand warehouse or distributor to the retailer's store ahead of the customer's pickup.
Why does an order or line item show as "R.O.B.I.S." instead of the full name?
In places with limited horizontal space, like tables with many columns, Quivers displays the abbreviation “R.O.B.I.S.” instead of spelling out “Reserve Online, Buy In-Store.”
Why does a completed ROPIS order show as "Complete" instead of "Shipped"?
Because no shipment takes place — the customer picks up and pays for the item in person — completed ROPIS line items are labeled “Complete” rather than “Shipped.”
Do retailers need an FFL number to be a ROPIS pickup location for firearm-related products?
Yes. For FFL-regulated products, only retailers with a verified FFL number on file will appear as pickup options in the store locator.
Need Help?
Our support team is here to help you get the most out of Quivers.