Description
WooCommerce Plugin
Inventory Reserve & Release
Stop phantom stock blocking from abandoned carts. Time-based reservations hold inventory for 15 minutes when customers add items to cart. Automatic release on abandonment. Real-time countdown timer shows time remaining. Perfect for flash sales, limited releases, event tickets, high-demand products. Prevents overselling during checkout. Priority queue system ensures fair access. Works instantly with zero configuration.
Time-Based Holds
Auto-Release
Countdown Timer
Prevents Overselling
The phantom inventory problem
Limited release sneaker drop. 100 pairs available. First wave of customers adds items to cart. Inventory shows “sold out” instantly. But customers browse for 30 minutes. Never checkout. Inventory locked in abandoned carts. Real buyers see “out of stock” message. Legitimate sales lost. Revenue disappears. No time-based release mechanism. Inventory phantom-blocked until manual intervention or session timeout hours later. This plugin solves this completely with automatic 15-minute reservations that release instantly on cart abandonment.
Time-Based Reservations
Configurable hold duration (1-120 minutes, default 15). Stock reserved when added to cart. Timer starts. Customer completes purchase or time expires. Automatic inventory protection.
Automatic Release
Cart abandoned, reservation expires automatically. Stock returns to available pool instantly. No manual intervention. No waiting for session timeout. Real buyers can purchase immediately. Zero revenue loss from phantom blocking.
Countdown Timer
Real-time countdown displays on cart page. Shows minutes and seconds remaining. Creates urgency. Encourages faster checkout. Prevents cart abandonment. Customer knows exactly how long items are held. Transparent experience.
Prevents Overselling
Active reservations reduce available stock count automatically. Two customers cannot checkout same last item. WooCommerce stock management integrated seamlessly. Works with simple and variable products. Accurate inventory always.
Why standard WooCommerce fails
WooCommerce stock management has no concept of “temporary holds.” When customer adds item to cart, inventory decreases immediately. But cart abandonment is common. Industry average 70% abandonment rate. Customer adds last concert ticket to cart. Browses for 45 minutes. Never checks out. Ticket shows “sold out” to every other visitor during that 45 minutes. Real fans willing to buy cannot purchase. Revenue lost. Manual intervention required to clear phantom reservations. Session cleanup happens hours later. By then opportunity gone. This plugin adds intelligent time-based reservation layer. Stock held temporarily. Abandoned automatically. Fair access guaranteed. Revenue maximized.
Standard WooCommerce blocks inventory indefinitely in abandoned carts
Limited edition sneaker release. 50 pairs available. 80 customers add to cart in first 5 minutes. Site shows “sold out.” But only 12 customers actually checkout. Remaining 38 customers browse, get distracted, close browser. Inventory locked in their sessions. Real buyers see “out of stock” for hours. Sessions expire at midnight. By then hype gone. Product launch failed. Revenue lost. No automatic release mechanism.
No countdown creates false urgency without actual pressure
Flash sale site runs 2-hour deals. Customer adds $500 item to cart. Continues browsing for 90 minutes. No urgency indicator. Finally decides to checkout. Payment processing takes 5 minutes. Total cart time: 95 minutes. Meanwhile item could have been released after 15 minutes for another buyer. Customer has no idea they’re blocking inventory. No incentive to complete quickly. Inefficient use of limited stock during time-sensitive sales.
Inventory Reserve & Release: 15-minute holds with automatic cleanup
Same sneaker launch scenario. Customer adds to cart. Plugin creates 15-minute reservation. Countdown timer shows “Your items reserved for 14:32 remaining.” Creates urgency. Customer completes checkout in 8 minutes. Perfect. Another customer adds to cart but abandons after 3 minutes. At 15-minute mark, reservation expires automatically. Stock immediately available for next buyer. 50 pairs cycle through efficiently. Maximum sales captured. Zero manual intervention. Fair access for all customers. Launch successful.
👟 Real Example: Sneaker Launch
Before: 100 pairs available, 23 pairs sold, launch failed
Limited sneaker drop scheduled 10am Friday. 100 pairs in stock. 10am hits. 200 customers rush site. First 100 add to cart instantly. Site shows “sold out” by 10:02am. Remaining 100 customers leave disappointed. But of those first 100 cart-holders, only 23 complete checkout. Rest get distracted, tab sits open, sessions last 4-6 hours. By evening 77 pairs technically available but still showing “out of stock.” Manual intervention at midnight clears sessions. Too late. Hype dead. Social media complains “bots bought everything” (they didn’t, just cart abandonment). Only 23/100 pairs sold. Revenue target missed by 77%. Brand reputation damaged.
After: 100 pairs available, 94 pairs sold, successful launch
Same scenario with plugin active. 10am launch. 200 customers rush. First 100 add to cart. Plugin creates 15-minute reservations each. Countdown timer shows on cart page: “Reserved for 14:58 remaining.” Creates urgency. First wave: 35 checkout within 10 minutes. Reservations completed. Second wave: 40 abandon carts without checkout. At 15-minute mark, those 40 reservations expire automatically. Stock counter updates real-time. Now showing “40 available.” Customers 101-140 successfully add to cart. Same 15-minute cycle. Third wave converts 28 more sales. Fourth wave converts 21. Process continues throughout day. By 6pm: 94 pairs sold organically. Only 6 left (reserved by actual buyers completing payment). Fair distribution. Maximum revenue. Zero phantom blocking. Social media praises smooth launch. Success.
🎫 Concert Ticket Fairness
Problem: 500 tickets for popular band. Onsale 9am. Within 2 minutes all “sold” but only 67 actual purchases. 433 tickets trapped in abandoned carts for hours. Fans angry.
Solution: 10-minute reservation window (tighter for high-demand). Ticket added, 10-minute timer starts. Customer must complete checkout or ticket auto-releases. Priority queue ensures fairness.
Result: 487 tickets sold in first 3 hours (compared to 67 without plugin). Remaining 13 available for genuine fans. Fair access. Efficient inventory turnover. Customer satisfaction high. Venue happy.
Complete feature set
Time-based reservations, automatic cleanup, countdown timers, admin monitoring, WooCommerce integration. Everything needed for fair, efficient limited-stock management.
⏱️ Reservation System
• Configurable hold time (1-120 min)
• Default 15 minutes
• Auto-reserve on add to cart
• Session-based tracking
• Works simple & variable products
• Database-backed persistence
• Survives page refresh
• Accurate stock reduction
🔄 Auto-Release Logic
• Expires after set duration
• Stock returns to pool instantly
• Background cleanup cron job
• Configurable frequency
• Hourly/twice-daily/daily
• Manual cleanup trigger
• Cart emptied = release
• Item removed = release
⏰ Countdown Timer
• Displays on cart page
• Real-time JavaScript counter
• Shows minutes:seconds
• Can be disabled in settings
• Theme-inherited styling
• Mobile responsive
• Updates on quantity change
• Expiration warning message
🛡️ Stock Protection
• Prevents double-selling
• Adjusts available quantity
• Reserves from other sessions
• Current session sees full stock
• Others see reduced amount
• Real-time calculation
• Variation support
• HPOS compatible
📊 Admin Dashboard
• View active reservations
• Statistics panel
• Total active/expired/completed
• Real-time monitoring
• Session ID tracking
• Product name display
• Expiration timestamps
• Manual cleanup button
⚙️ Settings Control
• WooCommerce settings page
• Enable/disable reservations
• Set hold duration
• Toggle countdown display
• Cleanup frequency picker
• All configurable
• No code needed
• Works out of box
Perfect for
Limited Release Products
Sneaker drops, collectibles, artist editions. High demand, low stock. Phantom blocking catastrophic. Need fair access mechanism. Countdown creates urgency without penalizing genuine buyers. Maximum revenue from limited inventory.
Event Tickets & Registrations
Concerts, conferences, workshops. Fixed capacity. Overselling not possible. Abandoned cart reservations block real attendees. 10-15 minute holds ensure fair distribution. Priority queue benefits legitimate purchasers. Sell-out events successful.
Flash Sales & Daily Deals
Time-limited promotions. 2-hour windows. Need inventory to cycle efficiently through interested buyers. Reservation system prevents hoarding. Stock refreshes every 15 minutes. Maximum conversions during short sale windows. Revenue optimized.
Any High-Demand Store
Products sell fast. Cart abandonment common. Current system causes phantom stock problems. Need automated solution. This plugin essential for accurate inventory management and customer satisfaction.
Common use cases
Sneaker Store Launch Day
100 limited edition pairs. 10am release. Plugin set to 10-minute holds. Launch happens. First 100 add to cart. Countdown running. 45 checkout fast. 55 abandon. Stock released immediately. Customers 101-155 can now purchase. Process repeats. 89 total sales by noon. Success.
Concert Ticket Fair Access
500 tickets. Onsale 9am. 15-minute reservations. Fans add tickets, timer shows “14:23 remaining.” Creates urgency without panic. Payment processors slowly. 12 minutes used. Perfect. Abandoned carts auto-release. Queue moves. Fair distribution. Venue sells out properly.
Flash Sale Efficiency
2-hour deal on premium headphones. 30 units. 15-minute holds. Customers add quickly. Some hesitate, time expires. Stock refreshes. New buyers grab released inventory. 2 hours ends. 28 sold (compared to 8 without plugin due to phantom blocking). Revenue 3.5x higher.
🚀 Setup Process
Step 1: Install and activate (requires WooCommerce)
Step 2: WooCommerce → Settings → Inventory Reserve
Step 3: Set reservation time (default 15 min works great)
Step 4: Enable countdown timer (optional but recommended)
Step 5: Plugin works immediately. Add to cart = reservation created automatically.
Frequently asked questions
How do reservations work exactly?
Customer adds item to cart. Plugin creates database reservation with expiration timestamp (e.g., 15 minutes from now). Stock quantity reduced by reserved amount for other sessions. Current session sees full stock. Timer counts down. Purchase completes or expires.
What happens when timer expires?
Reservation automatically released. Stock becomes available to other customers immediately. Cart countdown shows expiration message. Customer can re-add item if still available. Creates new reservation. Fair access maintained.
Does this work with variable products?
Yes. Each variation tracked separately. Blue shirt size M has own reservation pool. Red shirt size L has different pool. Works perfectly with all product types including simple, variable, grouped.
Can I customize the hold duration?
Yes. Settings allow 1-120 minutes. Default 15 minutes works well for most stores. Event tickets might use 10 minutes (faster turnover). Expensive items might use 30 minutes (more consideration time). Fully flexible.
Will this slow down my site?
No. Efficient database queries. Minimal overhead. Background cleanup runs via cron. Frontend only loads JavaScript on cart/checkout pages. Well-optimized code. No performance impact on product pages or other site areas.
Can I disable the countdown timer?
Yes. Settings include toggle to hide timer. Reservations still work behind scenes. Timer just not displayed to customer. Useful if you want reservation system without visible urgency indicator. Completely optional.
Is this HPOS compatible?
Yes. Fully compatible with WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage. Declares compatibility in plugin header. Custom database table for reservations. Works with latest WooCommerce versions. Future-proof architecture.
What about theme compatibility?
Works with all WooCommerce themes. Countdown notice inherits theme styles using currentColor CSS. Matches your checkout design automatically. Zero styling conflicts. Tested with popular themes. Universal compatibility.
Technical requirements
WordPress
6.0 or higher
WooCommerce
8.0 or higher
PHP
8.2 or higher
Setup Time
5 minutes or less
