Sales Order Item Limits

A guide for printIQ users

What is this feature?

Sales Order Item Limits let you cap how many units of a store item can be ordered within a rolling time window. You set a quantity, a period such as days, weeks, or months, and the level the limit applies at: per user, per customer, or per customer group. The limit is checked when a quote is accepted, so customers can still build a quote freely but are stopped at the point of conversion if they have ordered too much, too recently.

Why would I use it?

• Stop customers ordering more of a controlled item than their contract allows.
• Prevent end users from over-ordering shared stock such as branded uniforms or marketing collateral.
• Apply different caps to different customers or customer groups from one place.
• Let trusted staff bypass the cap when they need to, without removing the limit for everyone else.
• Keep finance and stock teams out of routine quantity disputes.

When does this apply?

The check runs every time someone tries to accept a quote that contains a store item with a limit set. The system looks back across the configured period (days, weeks, or months) from the current day, adds up the quantity already accepted on prior orders, and checks the new quote against the cap. If the total would exceed the limit, the acceptance is blocked. Cancelled orders do not count toward the total.

What qualifies?

A quote is checked against an item's limit when all of the following are true:

• The item is a sales item (print products are not subject to these limits).
• The item has Item Order Limits switched on, or has an override that applies to the accepting user, customer, or customer group.
• There is a base limit set on the item, or an override that matches the quote.
• If the limit is by customer group, the quote's customer belongs to at least one group. Customers with no groups are not affected by a group-level limit.

How are limits resolved?

Limits can be set at the base item level and through overrides. The system applies the rules in this order:

• If an override matches the accepting user, customer, or customer group, that override is used and the base limit is ignored.
• If no override applies, the base item limit is used.
• If more than one limit applies (for example, a user limit and a customer limit), the lower of all applicable limits wins.
• Promotional product items are included in the check. Items inside product ranges are not.

What happens after a check runs?

1. Quote details show a per-item indicator: Any item over its limit shows an indicator next to it. Hovering on the indicator shows a tooltip with the limit type, the limit amount, and either the quantity you can still order or the next date the item becomes available again.
2. Accept button is disabled: If any item on the quote is over its limit, the Accept button is disabled and a tooltip lists which items are over and by how much. Users with a bypass role see a popup instead and can choose to proceed.
3. Kit items are flagged together: A kit with one or more items over their limit shows a single indicator at the kit level. Expanding the kit shows the same indicator on the specific items that are over.
4. API responses return a warning: GetPrice, GetPriceForProduct, and CreateQuoteWithDelivery return a warning in the same format as the tooltip when an over-limit item is added. The quote can still be created. Acceptance via API is blocked unless the calling user has a bypass role.
5. CSV upload surfaces warnings: CSV uploads accept quotes that contain over-limit items, but the warnings are returned so the uploader can review and resolve them.
   Quote checkout screen showing the product indicator if the item quantity is over its limit allowed.
   
   

What about overrides?

Each override on an item carries its own quantity, time period, and target (a user, a customer, or a customer group). When an override matches the quote, the override values are used in full and the base item limit is set aside. Overrides do not stack with the base limit.

What about kits and promotional products?

Kits show a single combined indicator at the kit level: "Item(s) in this kit are over their limit". Expand the kit to see which specific items are over. Promotional product items are checked the same way as regular store items. Items inside product ranges are not checked.

What about cancelled orders?

Cancelled orders are not counted against the limit. The check looks at active accepted orders only. Reactivating a cancelled order does not trigger the limit check, so a previously cancelled order can be brought back without being blocked.

What about staff edits after acceptance?

If an IQ Staff user edits an order's quantity after it has been accepted, the edited quantity is what counts against the limit going forward. The post-acceptance edit itself is not blocked, but the new quantity is included in the rolling total for future quotes.

Places this works with

• Quote Details: the Accept button is disabled when any item is over its limit.
• Checkout: each over-limit item shows an indicator with hover tooltip.
• Sales Item Admin board: items with limits show an indicator with a tooltip describing whether they have a base limit, an override limit, or both.
  
  Sales Item Admin board showing the 'Limits' indicator
• GetPrice, GetPriceForProduct, and CreateQuoteWithDelivery API endpoints: return warnings and block acceptance when over the limit.
• CSV quote upload: returns warnings without blocking quote creation.

Settings to know about

Frequently Asked Questions:

Open the item on the Store Item Admin screen and confirm Item Order Limits is enabled. If it is off, neither the base limit nor any overrides will apply.

Does an override match the accepting user, customer, or customer group?

If an override matches the quote, the base limit is ignored. Check the item's override list to see what is configured. Remember that an override targeting a customer group has no effect on a customer with no groups.

Is the limit period covering the right range?

The check looks back from the current day across the configured number of days, weeks, or months. If the period is set wider than expected, older orders may still be counted. For weekly periods, confirm the configured first day of the week.

Is the customer in a group when the limit is by customer group?

A by-group limit only applies if the customer is in at least one group. Customers with no groups are skipped for that limit.

Are cancelled orders being counted?

They should not be. Cancelled orders are excluded from the rolling total. If you are seeing an order counted that you expect to be excluded, check that it is actually in the cancelled state and not just on hold.

Is the accepting user in a bypass role?

Users in any role listed under "Roles that can Bypass Sales Order Item Limits" see a confirmation popup instead of a hard block. If a quote is being accepted that you expected to be blocked, check the accepting user's roles. For anonymous acceptance, the relevant user is the one who sent the email.

Still not seeing the expected behaviour after checking the above?

Reach out to your system administrator or the printIQ support team for a closer look at the configuration.