Substituting unavailable items helps customers receive a complete order and helps you retain sales that would otherwise be lost.
What are item substitutions?
The Item Substitutions feature allows customers to choose what should happen if an item in their order is out of stock.
If any items are unavailable, customers can choose one of the following options:
Substitue with the best available items (default option)
Remove items from the order
Cancel entire order if unavailable
When an order is placed, you will see the customer’s selected preference in the Order Picker. You should follow this preference when picking the order.
Important: Price differences
Some stores can select more expensive substitute items.
If you choose a more expensive substitute:
You must cover the price difference.
This may increase the likelihood of finding a suitable replacement.
If preferred, you can set a store-wide policy to only allow cheaper substitutes.
The substitution process
Follow these steps when picking an order.
1. Review the order
Check whether any items are marked as “Reject if out of stock.”
If one of these items is unavailable, select Reject order.
2. Substitute the item (if available)
If the Substitute button appears:
Tap Substitute.
Search for a suitable replacement.
Confirm the substitute once selected.
When choosing a substitute:
Follow the customer’s preferences carefully.
Confirm the item is available in-store before selecting it.
Do not substitute without checking stock.
If no suitable substitute is available, or there is not enough quantity:
Tap Remove and Refund.
3. Remove the item (if substitution is not available)
If the Substitute button is not displayed:
Reduce the item quantity to zero.
The item will be removed from the order.
4. Undoing a mistake
If you select the wrong substitute or remove an item by mistake:
Tap Undo.
Repeat the process with the correct item or quantity.
Guidelines for choosing the right substitute
When selecting a substitute, follow these best practices.
Price
You may select a more expensive substitute (if enabled for your store).
You will cover the price difference.
To avoid this, set your store policy to allow only cheaper substitutes.
Size
Choose a substitute that is the same size or larger.
Example:
A pack of 6 biscuits should be replaced with a pack of 6 biscuits or more.
Quantity
Replace the full quantity of the unavailable item.
Example:
3 apples should be replaced with 3 equivalent apples (not 2 apples and 1 pear).
Dietary category
Ensure the substitute matches the same dietary category.
For example:
Gluten-free → gluten-free
Dairy-free → dairy-free
Premium products
If replacing a premium item, select a reasonable premium equivalent.
Example:
Replace premium sea salt with a similar premium sea salt, not table salt.
When to remove instead of substitute
If you are unsure whether a substitute meets the guidelines above:
Remove the item from the order instead.
You can also mark certain items as ineligible for substitution. In these cases, pickers will only have the option to remove the item.
If you need help with the Order Picker, see: How to use the Deliveroo Order Picker