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# How to configure prep time & cut-off time?

How to configure prep time & cut-off time

Control the earliest date and time a customer can choose, so you always have enough time to prepare and dispatch the order.

|| Available on all plans.



## Overview

Three settings work together to decide the earliest available slot:

* **Prep time** — how long you need to prepare an order (e.g., a bakery needs 2 hours to bake and pack).
* **Delay time** — a buffer between prep finishing and delivery starting (e.g., a florist needs 1 hour to assign a driver).
* **Cut-off time** — the latest time of day a customer can still order for same/next-day fulfillment (e.g., 5 PM).

|| Changing these affects only which future slots customers can pick — it never changes existing orders.



## How they work together

When a customer orders, DingDoong calculates the earliest slot as **prep time + delay time**, and shifts everything to the next day if the order is placed after the cut-off.

**Example:** Prep 2h, Delay 1h, Cut-off 4 PM. Order at 3 PM → prep to 5 PM → delay to 6 PM → earliest slot 6 PM same day. Order at 5 PM (after cut-off) → slots shift to the next day.



## Before you start

* A delivery/pickup/shipping method is enabled with a scheduling rule.
* Decide your schedule type (single date, date + fixed time, or date + time range) — it affects which units you can use.



## How to set it up

Here's how, step by step:

<!-- EDITOR: thay IMAGE_URL_STEP_N bằng URL ảnh screenshot (kéo-thả ảnh vào Crisp editor hoặc dùng link CDN có sẵn) -->

### Step 1: Open the method's scheduling rule

Go to the method (Local delivery, Pickup, or Shipping) and open its scheduling rule.

![Step 1: Open the scheduling rule](IMAGE_URL_STEP_1)

### Step 2: Set prep time and delay time

Enter your prep time and delay time. **Single-date** schedules use the **day** unit only. **Date + fixed time / time range** schedules require prep and delay to use the **same unit** (day-day, hour-hour, or minute-minute).

![Step 2: Set prep and delay time](IMAGE_URL_STEP_2)

### Step 3: Set the cut-off time

Set the daily cut-off. Orders after it move to the next day's slots.

![Step 3: Set the cut-off time](IMAGE_URL_STEP_3)



## Common scenarios

### Same-day fulfillment

* Single date: prep = 0 day → same day; after cut-off, delay = 1 day → next day only.
* Date + time: prep = 2 hours; after cut-off, delay = 6 hours → next-day slots only.

### Next-day / pre-order

* Single date: prep = 1 day → tomorrow; after cut-off, delay = 1 day → from 2 days out.
* Date + time: prep = 1 day; after cut-off, delay = 1 day → from 2 days out (order day counts as day 1).

### Account for driver dispatch

Use delay time (e.g., 1 hour) on top of prep so slots leave room to load and route.



## Configuration options

| Option | Description | Units | Notes |
| ---- |
| Prep time | Time to prepare an order | day / hour / minute | Single-date = day only |
| Delay time | Buffer after prep before fulfillment | same unit as prep | day-day / hour-hour / minute-minute |
| Cut-off time | Latest order time for the day | time of day | After it, slots shift to next day |
| Prep time calculation | How prep is counted | current order time / business hours | "Business hours" counts only your open hours |



## Tips & Best practices

|| If you only sell same-day before a deadline, set the cut-off to your real kitchen/dispatch deadline — it's the single most important number for preventing impossible orders.

| Use the "business hours" calculation method if you don't want prep time counting overnight or on closed days.



## Troubleshooting

### Customers can pick slots too soon?

Increase prep and/or delay time, or bring the cut-off earlier.

### No same-day slots ever appear?

Your prep + delay may exceed the remaining day. Reduce them or check the cut-off.



## FAQ

### Can prep be in hours but delay in days?

No — for time-based schedules, prep and delay must use the same unit.

### How do I revert?

Set prep and delay back to 0 and clear the cut-off; the earliest slot becomes immediate.



## Related articles

* [How to limit orders](https://help.omegatheme.com/en/article/how-to-limit-orders-xiw9n0/) — Cap orders per day/slot *(Schedule & Availability)*
* [Time slots setup](#) — Build the slots customers pick *(Schedule & Availability)*
* [How to restrict future orders](https://help.omegatheme.com/en/article/how-to-restrict-future-orders-exobu1/) — Limit how far ahead they can book *(Schedule & Availability)*



||| If you need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us via live chat or email at contact@omegatheme.com. We're happy to help!