Old delivery times still getting checked out hours later?
Expire stale delivery dates before they reach checkout
Avoid old time slots slipping through after your cut-off. Selection expiry clears stale dates so your customers choose again from what's still available.
One customer's cart
10:00 AM
Picks a shipping date: Thu, Oct 15
3:00 PM
Comes back to pay, 5 hours later
3:00 PM
Selection cleared: past the 4-hour window
Validations
Selections expire in
4 hours▾
At checkout, the customer sees
Your selected time has expired. Please pick a new date and time.
What changes when you expire stale date selections?
Old slots stop sneaking through checkout
After your window ends, the old date and time are cleared. Your customer picks again from what is still possible now.
Cut-off rules keep doing their job
A slot that was valid in the morning cannot slip through in the afternoon after your cut-off has passed.
Fewer last-minute schedule surprises
Your team works from current availability, not a stale pick from an idle cart.
What is stale date protection in Bird?
In Bird Pickup & Delivery, the Shopify app by BirdChime, selection expiry clears your customer's pickup, delivery, or shipping date and time after a window you set from 1 to 24 hours. If your customer comes back later, they pick again from current availability, so cut-off and preparation time rules still apply.
| Window | Set by you, from 1 to 24 hours |
|---|---|
| Timer starts | When your customer makes the selection, not when the cart was created |
| Price | From $19.99 a month, billed through Shopify, with a 14-day free trial. Compare plans |
| Used by | 7,000+ Shopify stores in 60+ countries |
Everything you can set
Why do stale dates happen?
Carts sit idle while your schedule moves on.
Why do stale dates happen?
Carts sit idle while your schedule moves on.
| You can | What happens | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Idle carts | Your customer picks a slot, leaves, and comes back hours later to pay. | Example: A customer picks Friday at 1:00 PM, leaves the cart open, and returns at 7:00 PM to check out. |
| Missed cut-offs | By then your cut-off time or preparation time may rule that slot out. | Example: Your cut-off is 3:00 PM for next-day delivery. A customer returning at 6:00 PM can no longer keep tomorrow's slot. |
| The result | Without expiry, the old selection can still go through and upset your preparation schedule. | Example: A slot your kitchen already planned around gets booked late, forcing a rush change for the team. |
How does selection expiry work?
Set a window, and once it passes the selection is cleared.
How does selection expiry work?
Set a window, and once it passes the selection is cleared.
| You can | What happens | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Your window | Choose anything from 1 to 24 hours under Validations, Basic validation settings. | Example: A 4-hour window: a shipping date selected at 10:00 AM Monday is cleared when the customer returns at 3:00 PM. |
| Re-selection | After the window, your customer picks a new date and time based on current availability. | Example: Before paying, your customer reselects a shipping date from what's available now. |
How long should the window be?
Long enough for a normal checkout, short enough to catch your cut-offs.
How long should the window be?
Long enough for a normal checkout, short enough to catch your cut-offs.
| You can | What happens | For example |
|---|---|---|
| Cut-off times | Use expiry when a cart left idle could otherwise miss a cut-off. | Example: If your cut-off is 4 hours before dispatch, set a 4-hour expiry so stale picks are cleared in time. |
| Preparation time | It keeps lead time rules current for customers who return later. | Example: You need 24 hours to prep custom boxes. A customer coming back later must re-pick from dates that still fit that lead time. |
What does the customer see?
Your customer sees a message at checkout, then does a quick re-pick.
What does the customer see?
Your customer sees a message at checkout, then does a quick re-pick.
| You can | What happens | For example |
|---|---|---|
| At checkout | A message appears telling your customer their date and time have expired. | Example: A customer returning after the window sees the expiry message, then picks a new slot before paying. |
| Your words | Edit that message in Text and languages to match your brand, in each language you sell in. | Example: English says "Your time selection expired." French storefront text shows the same warning in French. |
| Mandatory dates too | Pair it with Validate selections so no order can check out without a date in the first place. | Example: An expired selection is cleared, and checkout still blocks until a new date and time are chosen. |
Selection expiry or Validate selections?
They solve different problems, and they sit side by side in the same settings.
| Capability | Selection expiry | Validate selections |
|---|---|---|
| Stops | Selection expiryOrders with a date your customer picked too long ago | Validate selectionsOrders with no date at all |
| When | Selection expiryAfter your 1 to 24 hour window | Validate selectionsBefore the customer can check out |
| Customer sees | Selection expiryThe selections expiry message | Validate selectionsThe date or time required message |
| Setting | Selection expiryEnable selections expiry | Validate selectionsValidate selections |
How do I turn on selection expiry?
Open Bird Settings, then Validations, check Enable selections expiry under Basic validation settings and choose a window. Edit the customer message in Text and languages.
FAQ
What else do merchants ask about stale dates?
How do I stop customers checking out with an old delivery date?
Turn on Enable selections expiry in Bird's Validations settings and choose a window from 1 to 24 hours. After that, your customer has to pick a new date and time before ordering.
When does the expiry timer start?
When your customer makes their selection, not when they created the cart.
Does it work for pickup and shipping too?
Yes. Selection expiry applies to store pickup, local delivery and shipping.
What message does the customer see?
A message at checkout saying your customer's date and time have expired. You can rewrite it in Text and languages, for each language.
Customers say they can't check out with a date they picked. Why?
Your customer's selection may have expired. Compare when it was made with the current time, and lengthen the window or turn expiry off if it's too strict.
Can customers change their date after ordering instead?
Yes, from the Thank You and Order Status pages. Expiry handles dates before the order; editing handles them after.
Do I need a developer?
No. Tick one box and pick the number of hours in Bird's Validations settings.
How much does it cost to expire stale delivery dates?
Paid plans start at $19.99 a month, billed through Shopify, with a 14-day free trial and 10% off annual billing. The pricing page shows what each plan includes.
Terms on this page
- Selection expiry
- Clearing your customer's date and time after a set window.
- Expiry window
- How long a selection stays valid, from 1 to 24 hours.
- Stale selection
- A date picked earlier that no longer matches current availability.
- Cut-off time
- The time after which a given date is no longer offered.
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Every date still valid when they pay.
Try Bird free for 14 days. Set a short expiry window, place a test selection, come back later, and see the message.