Websites · Glossary

What is click and collect?

Click and collect is a way of shopping where the customer orders and usually pays online, then picks the order up from the shop or a collection point instead of having it delivered. In the United States it is often called buy online, pick up in store, or BOPIS. It saves delivery costs and lets customers collect at a time that suits them.

For a small shop with a counter or a door, click and collect is the cheapest fulfilment option there is. It does need clear slots, an order ready notice and a simple check at handover.

Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder

4 min read · Published 21 October 2026

Click and collect against other fulfilment options
Option	Where the customer gets it	Cost to the shop	Best for
Click and collect	At the shop counter	Staff time to pick and hand over	Local customers, bulky or fresh items
Kerbside pickup	Brought out to the car	Staff time plus a bay	Grocery and large orders
Local delivery	At the customer's door	Driver, fuel, time	Nearby customers who will pay a fee
Parcel delivery	Through a carrier	Postage and packaging	Customers outside the local area

How it works step by step

The customer adds items to a cart, chooses pickup at checkout, picks a collection time if the shop offers slots, and pays. The shop receives the order, picks and packs it, and marks it ready, which triggers a notice to the customer. At collection, staff check the customer's name or order number and hand it over, then mark the order collected. Pickup slots with a capacity limit stop too many orders landing at once, and an order tracking page saves phone calls asking whether it is ready.

Why shops offer it

Click and collect removes the cost and risk of delivery, gets the customer into the shop where they may buy more, and suits items that do not travel well, such as cakes, plants or furniture. Customers like avoiding delivery fees and missed parcels. Official statistics bodies track online retail closely; the US Census Bureau publishes quarterly e-commerce sales, and the UK Office for National Statistics reports the online share of retail sales each month, both of which show how much buying now starts online even when the goods are collected locally.

The rules that still apply

Ordering online does not reduce a customer's rights. In the UK, an order placed online is usually a distance contract under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which generally give a cancellation period even when the goods are collected, with exceptions such as perishable goods and items made to order. In Australia, the consumer guarantees of the Australian Consumer Law apply to the goods whichever way they are handed over. Say clearly how long orders are held and what happens to uncollected ones.

Common mistakes

Telling customers an order is ready before it is packed is the fastest way to lose goodwill. Others include taking more pickup orders than staff can prepare in a slot, holding uncollected orders forever with no policy, handing orders over without checking who is collecting, and making the pickup point hard to find. A short note in the ready message, such as where to go and what to bring, solves most of the last problem.

Where it shows up in OneCraft

OneCraft has no ready made store or checkout. With its delivery guide, the agent builds delivery and pickup into the site's own database: Delivery or Pickup tabs at checkout, delivery zones by postcode with a fee, minimum order and free delivery threshold, time slots with a capacity that show when they are full, and a tracking page with statuses from received and preparing to ready for pickup and collected. The admin area groups today's orders by slot and steps each one through its statuses.

Questions people ask

Is click and collect free for customers?

Usually, because the shop saves on delivery. Some retailers charge a small fee for collection from a third party locker or for very large orders. If you charge, show the fee before checkout, and in Australia include it in the total price where practicable so the price shown is the price paid.

How long should a shop hold a click and collect order?

Set a period that suits the goods, such as the same day for fresh food or seven days for dry goods, and state it at checkout and in the ready notice. Say what happens after that, for example a refund minus nothing for non perishables or a cancellation for perishables.

Can someone else collect my order?

That depends on the shop's policy. Many allow it if the collector shows the order number or confirmation email, and some ask for the buyer's name and identification for high value items. Shops should state the rule at checkout so buyers can arrange a collector in advance.

What is the difference between click and collect and kerbside pickup?

With click and collect the customer comes to the counter. With kerbside pickup, staff bring the order out to the customer's car at a marked bay. Kerbside suits heavy or bulky orders and customers with children or limited mobility, but it needs a parking area and someone watching for arrivals.

Do I need online payment for click and collect?

Not always; some shops let customers pay at pickup. Taking payment online reduces no shows and speeds up the handover, though, and it means the order is committed before you spend time preparing it. Paying online is especially worth it for made to order items.

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Sources

Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked 21 October 2026.