When does Barnes & Noble charge for preorders?
By Britton Jewell · Last updated
Short answer: when it ships. Barnes & Noble authorizes your card for the full amount when you preorder, authorizes it again when stock arrives near the release date, and charges you when the item ships. Two authorizations for one preorder are normal. Two things to know before you order: you can only cancel for a short time afterward, and B&N's old preorder price guarantee appears to be gone, so it won't lower your price if the item goes on sale later.
Who wrote this: Britton Jewell, a collectibles reseller who runs BuyHoldCollect. Everything below comes from Barnes & Noble's own help pages and product listings, which we link at each point (checked ). Your order confirmation is the final word for your order. More about us.
What happens to your card, step by step
| When | What you'll see |
|---|---|
| The day you preorder | An authorization for the full amount. It's a hold, not a charge. |
| Before release | Depending on the release date, that hold may drop off before the item ships. How long it stays depends on your card issuer. |
| When stock arrives, near release | A second authorization for the full amount, which starts processing your order. |
| When it ships | The actual charge. Each package is charged separately when it ships. |
Source: B&N's About Pre-Orders page, which says that if you see two authorizations, "you weren't billed twice; one is the temporary hold and one is the actual charge." B&N's card authorization page adds that an order with several release dates is charged and authorized again as each item ships, and that if you pay a preorder with a B&N gift card, the hold on the gift card stays until the item ships.
Example: you preorder a Funko Pop on September 1 for a November 15 release. You'll see a hold on September 1 that may disappear before November, a new authorization when B&N gets the stock around November 15, and the charge when it ships. If the second authorization fails, B&N says it will contact you, and an order with no updated payment within 7 days is cancelled. Keep the card on your account current.
Will you pay the price you saw when you ordered?
Don't count on a lower one. Barnes & Noble used to advertise a preorder price guarantee, but its old guarantee page now redirects to a list of upcoming books with no guarantee terms, and we found no current help page that offers one. B&N's price matching page says it doesn't match competitors, and "if you've already placed an order, we are unable to adjust the price of your order." So if the price drops after you order, B&N won't lower yours.
Some stores do adjust: Best Buy gives you the lower of the two prices, and Hasbro Pulse locks the price you ordered at. Target charges the price on the day it ships (see when Target charges for preorders). For every store's rule, see when preorders get charged, store by store.
Membership discounts and free shipping
B&N's paid Premium Membership is $39.99 a year and gives 10% off on bn.com and in stores, plus free shipping on orders of $15 or more of eligible items (B&N's membership overview). Without it, free standard shipping starts at $60 (free shipping requirements). B&N's membership pages don't say anything specific about preorders, so check that the discount shows in your order total before you place it. Some large items aren't eligible for free shipping at all; the listing says so.
One catch if you cancel: B&N says free shipping doesn't apply when cancellations or returns bring the qualifying items in an order below the $60 minimum, and it may charge shipping in that case. Cancelling one preorder out of a bigger order can cost you the free shipping on the rest.
Cancelling a Barnes & Noble preorder
B&N gives you "a brief window" after ordering to cancel. Go to Order History; if a Cancel Items button shows, check the items, give a reason for each and choose Cancel Checked Items. If the button isn't there, the window has closed and the return policy applies instead. A cancelled item "cannot be reinstated," so you'd need a new order (B&N's cancel help). Cancelling before shipment releases the hold, though it can take a few business days to leave your statement.
That short window is the biggest difference from stores like Target and Best Buy, which let you cancel until the item starts shipping. Decide before you order, not the week before release.
If the release date changes
B&N says the supplier sets the release date "and has the authority to change" it; once B&N is told, the new date shows on bn.com (About Pre-Orders). Delays are sent by email or show in your tracking history (B&N's late order help). Unlike Target, B&N's help pages don't say you have to confirm a new date to keep the preorder. For the other ways preorders get cut, see why was my preorder cancelled?
Shipping and store pickup
Physical preorders "usually leave our warehouse on or around the release date," but B&N can't guarantee delivery on release day (B&N's preorder shipping page). Store pickup isn't an option until the item is out: "If an item is available for pre-order, it will not be available for store pickup until the release date" (B&N's pickup availability page).
B&N exclusives
Barnes & Noble puts "(B&N Exclusive)" in the product name of items made for it, mostly Funko Pops and LEGO sets. Two examples: the Goosebumps Haunted Mask Black Light Funko Pop (B&N Exclusive), limited to 2 per customer, and LEGO Icons Shopping Street 11371 (B&N Exclusive), limited to 5 and not eligible for free shipping. Both were out of stock online when we checked, so check the per-customer limit and stock on the listing before you plan around one. For what store exclusives mean in general, and whether they stay exclusive, see what "exclusive" means.
Quick answers
Does Barnes & Noble charge for preorders right away?
No. Barnes & Noble authorizes your card for the full amount when you order, which is a hold, not a charge. That hold may drop off before release. You're charged when the item ships.
Why do I see two Barnes & Noble charges for one preorder?
When stock arrives near the release date, Barnes & Noble authorizes the full amount again to start processing your order. B&N says that if you see two authorizations, you weren't billed twice: one is the temporary hold and one is the actual charge.
Does Barnes & Noble have a preorder price guarantee?
Not anymore, as far as we can find. The old preorder price guarantee page now redirects to a list of upcoming books, and B&N's price matching page says it can't adjust the price of an order once it's placed. If the price drops after you order, B&N won't lower yours.
Can I cancel a Barnes & Noble preorder?
Only for a brief window after you order. If a Cancel Items button shows in your Order History, you can still cancel. After that, the return policy applies instead. A cancelled item can't be reinstated, so you'd have to place a new order.
Can I pick up a Barnes & Noble preorder in store?
Not before release. Barnes & Noble says an item available for preorder isn't available for store pickup until its release date.
Does Barnes & Noble ship preorders on release day?
Usually around then, but not guaranteed. B&N says physical preorders usually leave its warehouse on or around the release date, and it can't guarantee delivery on the release date.
New to terms like preorder, MSRP or exclusive? See our collector and reseller glossary.
Related: When do preorders get charged? Store-by-store · When does Target charge for preorders? · Why was my preorder cancelled? · What does "exclusive" mean on a figure?
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Store policies change. This page is general information, not financial advice, and BuyHoldCollect isn't affiliated with Barnes & Noble. Quotes are from Barnes & Noble's help pages and listings as of October 18, 2026.