> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.flowretail.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.flowretail.com/docs/day-to-day-operations/selling/order-states.md).
# Order states
The states an order moves through, from Open to Complete or Canceled.
**An order can have various states throughout its life cycle.**
A new order starts as Open. From there you can park it (Parked), set it as Confirmed, or add payments until it is fully paid and becomes Complete. Deleting an order sets it to Canceled.
{% hint style="warning" %}
Until the products are delivered, their quantity on the order is *reserved*. Canceling the order releases the reservation.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
**Order *****states*** and **Order *****types*** are distinct. The order types include Order and Offer.\
The key difference is that *offers* do not reserve stock, like *orders* do. See [Order vs Receipt vs Offer](/docs/day-to-day-operations/selling/order-vs-receipt-vs-offer.md).\
This page covers orders of the Order type.
{% endhint %}
## Open state
An open order can only be worked on from one device at a time. Open it on a second device and Flow Client warns: **Order is already open! … Are you sure that you want to take over?** Take over only when you're sure it isn't being edited elsewhere, or you risk updating the same order in two places.
An open order with no payments on it, left untouched for 24 hours, is parked automatically. An empty open order with no order number is deleted instead.
## Parked state
Parking saves a sale for later. A customer might add a few items with a seller in one department, then add more at the checkout.
Open a parked order at any time to add to it, confirm it or settle it. A sale paid straight away never gets parked — it goes directly from open to complete.
Only an order with no payments on it can be parked. Park an order that already has a receipt — a pre-payment or a partial payment — and Flow Client sets it to Confirmed instead. The same goes for a confirmed order you reopen. In Touch mode, **Park** is then replaced by **Save and close**.
{% hint style="info" %}
Parked orders can expire. If **Default Parked Order Lifespan (days)** is set above 0 under **Admin → Settings → Tenants → Settings → Orders and Inventory**, a parked order is canceled once its valid-until date has passed, and its reservation is released. You can change the date when you park. With the setting at 0, parked orders never expire.
{% endhint %}
## Confirmed state
**The confirmed state is something you normally set manually** — for example, when you are sure the customer will buy the products later.
Confirming moves the order from the Parked overview to the Confirmed overview, and freezes campaigns: the lines on the order are no longer recalculated when campaigns change.
{% hint style="info" %}
Orders in Confirmed state are never canceled automatically, whatever the parked-order lifespan.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="warning" %}
If you use pre-payment, an order with one or more pre-payments is *automatically* set to Confirmed when you park it. See [Pre-payment](/docs/pre-payment.md).
{% endhint %}
## Complete state
Orders in the complete state are fully paid for and cannot be changed.
## Canceled state
Deleting an order gives it the state Canceled. You can still find it in **Admin → Orders → All Orders** by filtering on state.
You cannot delete an order that has receipts with payments that haven't been refunded, or an outstanding pre-payment.
*Last updated 24.09.2026*
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