---
key: hold-inventory-from-quotes-and-invoices
title: Hold inventory from quotes and invoices
audience: staff
section: administration/billing-commerce
routes: ["/settings/org/billing/document-defaults"]
permissions: ["billing.document_templates.read"]
features: ["billing.setup"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Decide when a quote or invoice reserves stock, whether short items can be backordered, and which shipping options appear on documents that ship goods.
keywords: [reserve stock, inventory hold, backorder, out of stock, shipping method, ship via, courier, pickup, capacity]
related: [set-invoice-terms-and-quote-expiry-defaults, add-a-product-or-part, count-stock, create-an-invoice]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Document Defaults** under **Sales & Billing**. The page address is `/settings/org/billing/document-defaults`. Scroll to **Inventory fulfillment** and **Shared shipping methods**.

## Before you start

- These settings only matter if you track stock in Nova. If you sell services only, leave them as they are.
- Your role needs the billing document templates permission to open the page.

## Steps

1. Under **Inventory fulfillment**, set **Allow quote inventory reservations** to **On** if a quote may hold stock before it becomes an invoice.
2. In **Quote reservation expiry**, type how many minutes a quote's hold lasts. Leave it at `0` for no automatic expiry. Like the next switch, it is greyed out until quote reservations are allowed.
3. Set **Reserve inventory on quote acceptance** to **On** if an accepted quote should reserve its tracked items automatically. This switch is greyed out until quote reservations are allowed.
4. Set **Reserve inventory on draft invoice** to **On** if a draft invoice should hold stock and update the hold as its lines change.
5. Set **Allow backorders** to **On** if a document may be sent or paid with more of an item than you have, leaving the shortage open as a backorder.
6. With backorders on, set **Require explicit backorder approval** to **On** if the person sending the document has to choose how to handle the shortage before it goes out.
7. Set **Require stock or capacity before an invoice is sent or paid** to **On** if an invoice with a short item, or with a service that uses scheduled capacity and is not booked yet, has to be put right first. Nova then refuses to send the invoice or collect on it, saying "Some items are short on stock or capacity. Resolve them before this invoice is sent or paid."
8. Under **Shared shipping methods**, type your **Ship via options** separated by commas, for example `Courier, Pickup, Freight`. Leave it blank if you never ship goods.
9. Press **Save defaults**. The button reads **Saved** for a moment.

## What you see

- Each switch shows **On** or **Off**. A greyed-out switch depends on another one above it.
- The **Ship via options** you type become the choices on quotes and invoices that ship physical goods.
- A red message under **Quote reservation expiry** or **Ship via options** means Nova could not read the value. Use a whole number of minutes, or plain labels separated by commas.

## If something looks different

- **Reserve inventory on quote acceptance** is greyed out: turn on **Allow quote inventory reservations** first.
- **Require explicit backorder approval** is greyed out: turn on **Allow backorders** first.
- **Save defaults** is greyed out: a field still has an error.
- The page says you do not have access: your role cannot open billing document settings. Ask your admin.

[[route:/settings/org/billing/document-defaults|Open Document Defaults]]