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ShipBob orders on hold, and why they make stock numbers differ
Updated 16 October 2026 · 5 min read · ShelfTrue team
When ShipBob can't ship an order yet, it marks it On hold or Exception. Those orders can make Shopify and ShipBob stock look out of sync: Shopify has already set the units aside, while ShipBob may not count them the same way. Here is what each reason means, what to do about it, and why it moves your numbers.
On hold or Exception?
- On hold: the order isn't ready to ship, even if the stock is there. Usually something is missing, like a valid address.
- Exception: the order can't ship as it is, for example because an item is out of stock or inactive.
An order can have more than one shipment. ShipBob gives the order the status of its shipments: for example, an order is On hold when all of its shipments are on hold.
On hold reasons
| Reason | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Payment declined | The payment failed. | Check the payment in Shopify; collect it or cancel the order. |
| Invalid address | The address can't be shipped to as written. | Correct the address with the customer. |
| Reserve date not met | Waiting for the date the order may be picked. | Nothing, unless the date is wrong. |
| Missing customs information | An international order lacks the customs details it needs. | Add the customs details for the product. |
| Manual | Someone put it on hold by hand. | Find out who and why; release it when it can go. |
| International hazmat | A hazardous item can't ship to that country. | Change the item or refund the customer. |
| Package preference not set | No packaging choice is set for the product. | Set a packaging preference for the product. |
| Automatic processing paused | Automatic processing is paused. | Ask ShipBob support why, and when it resumes. |
Exception reasons
| Reason | What it means |
|---|---|
| Out of stock | No stock on hand for an item in the order. |
| Inactive item | An item in the order is inactive at ShipBob. |
| Unknown item | ShipBob has no history of an item in the order, often a product code that doesn't match. |
| Bundle or merged item | The order contains a bundle or a merged item that needs handling first. |
| Stock moving between warehouses or bins | The stock is on its way inside ShipBob. It clears when the move is done. |
| Stock in a place it can't be picked from | The units are stored where they can't be picked for orders. |
| Partly set aside | Only some of the units the order needs are set aside for it. |
Why they make the stock numbers differ
Shopify sets an order's units aside as Committed as soon as the order comes in, and keeps them there until it's fulfilled. ShipBob's Fulfillable is its on hand minus the units committed to orders waiting to ship. ShipBob also reports a Sellable number, which is fulfillable minus exception orders. It's only given for all of ShipBob's warehouses together.
So an order stuck at ShipBob can be counted in Shopify's Committed but still sit inside ShipBob's Fulfillable. Shopify then looks lower than ShipBob by exactly the units in those orders. That's not missing stock: once the order ships or is cancelled, the two numbers move back together. (More causes of different numbers.)
Keep them from piling up
Each held order is a customer who has paid and is waiting. Look at ShipBob's on hold and exception orders once a day, starting with the oldest, and fix the reason rather than waiting for it to clear by itself.
Related guides
- Why Shopify stock doesn't match ShipBob (and how to find which products)
- How to find paid Shopify orders that never reached ShipBob
- Shopify oversold but ShipBob has none: what to check first
- Shopify says sold out but ShipBob has stock
- Available, on hand, fulfillable: which stock numbers to compare
- How to check Shopify stock against ShipBob after Black Friday
- Shopify inventory discrepancy: how to find it, fix it and keep it from coming back
- Shopify Available vs On hand vs Committed: which number to trust
- Cin7 Core and Shopify stock don't match: what to check
- Katana and Shopify stock don't match: what to check
- Mintsoft and Shopify stock don't match: what to check
- Inventory reconciliation for a Shopify store: a routine you can keep
- How to move Shopify inventory to a third-party warehouse, step by step
ShelfTrue does the stock part of this check for you. Upload your warehouse's stock file and ShelfTrue compares it with Shopify at least once an hour on paid plans. It tells you which products are at risk of overselling and which are sold out in Shopify while the warehouse has stock. Coming soon: connect ShipBob directly, and ShelfTrue will allow for held orders in the compare and list them for you. We can look, but never change anything at the warehouse.
Your first check is free.
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