When does BBTS charge for preorders?
By Britton Jewell · Last updated
Short answer: when the item arrives at Big Bad Toy Store's warehouse and is ready to ship. Most BBTS preorders cost nothing up front, unless the listing asks for a non-refundable down payment. Once the item arrives, payment has to go through within 4 days or the item is cancelled. If the price drops while you wait, BBTS gives you the lower price. If you use Pile of Loot, the item is charged when it arrives, and shipping is charged later, when the pile ships.
Who wrote this: Britton Jewell, a collectibles reseller who runs BuyHoldCollect. Everything below comes from Big Bad Toy Store's own help pages, 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 | Usually nothing. Expensive or custom items may need a non-refundable down payment, charged now. BBTS may also put a small verification authorization on a new card. |
| While you wait | No charge. You can change the card, address or shipping method, or cancel, from My Account. |
| Shortly before arrival | An arrival notice by email, when BBTS gets enough warning from the maker. Check your card then. |
| It arrives at the BBTS warehouse | The charge for the item. Payment has to go through within 4 days or the item is cancelled. |
Source: BBTS's preorders page says "no payment is generally necessary until the item arrives at our warehouse and is ready to ship," and its payments page says "after four days any unpaid items will automatically be canceled." The payments page also explains the small authorization: it's "not a charge," though your bank may hold those funds until it expires.
Example: you preorder a $45 figure in March with an expected arrival in October. Nothing is charged in March. In October you may get an arrival notice, then the charge when the figure is in the warehouse. If your card was replaced over the summer and the charge is declined, you have 4 days to fix it in My Account before the order is cancelled.
The 4-day payment window
BBTS charges the card you picked when you ordered, which could be months old by then. If it's declined, BBTS asks you to resubmit your card details, and "payments must be completed within 4 days. We are unable to hold inventory beyond that time" (Pile of Loot FAQ). The cancellation policy says the same thing: unpaid items are cancelled automatically after 4 days. If you get an arrival notice, that's the time to check the card on the order.
A few payment limits from the same page: BBTS doesn't offer layaway or payment plans, you can't pay for a preorder in advance, and you can't split one item across two cards. Any BBTS store credit you have is applied automatically to your next preorder that arrives.
Will you pay the price you saw when you ordered?
Usually that price or less. BBTS says that if the price is reduced while your item is still on preorder, "your price will be adjusted so you receive the lowest price" (preorders page). Some items are listed with an estimated price that's adjusted once the maker sets final pricing; the listing says so.
The price can also go up, rarely. BBTS names two cases: a pricing error in a vendor's solicitation, and new import tariffs. If that happens, BBTS says it notifies affected customers, and you're free to cancel. For how tariffs reach toy prices, see how tariffs affect toy prices. Compare Hasbro Pulse, which locks the price you ordered at (when Hasbro Pulse charges for preorders).
Non-refundable down payments
"Some expensive or custom items" need a non-refundable down payment when you order. BBTS says it buys the item on your behalf and wants to be sure you want it. If you cancel, you don't get the down payment back, and cancelling a down-payment preorder has to go through customer service. BBTS also says that if it decides a customer is abusing preorders by ordering things they never buy, it may require a down payment or full payment on every preorder that customer places (preorders page).
Pile of Loot: paid now, shipped later
Pile of Loot holds your items so they ship together for a $6 flat rate (street addresses in the contiguous U.S.). It changes when money leaves your account:
- The product price is charged when the preorder arrives and goes into the pile, with the same 4-day payment window.
- Shipping and tax are charged when you ship the pile.
- Each item can stay up to 90 days. At 90 days it ships automatically to your preferred address, by the cheapest method, with shipping and tax charged to your preferred card (store credit first).
- Cancel within 7 days of an item entering the pile and the refund goes to your card. After 7 days, the refund is BBTS store credit, which in most cases expires after a year.
Source: Pile of Loot guide and the payments page. If you budget by charge date, count each preorder in the month it arrives, then add shipping for the month you plan to ship the pile.
Cancelling a BBTS preorder
Most preorders can be cancelled "at any time before payment has been processed," which happens when the item is in the warehouse and available to ship. Sign in to My Account and choose Pre-orders. Preorders with a down payment go through customer service (cancellation policy). After that, you may still be able to cancel a shipment that hasn't been processed: a Cancel Shipment option shows on the shipment in My Account if it's still eligible.
Arrival dates, delays and cut orders
Every BBTS preorder lists an expected arrival date, and BBTS updates it when the maker does. It's an estimate. BBTS says "no compensation can be given for pre-orders that arrive late," and it doesn't recommend preordering anything you need as a gift by a set date. Preorders are filled first-come, first-served. If BBTS can't fill yours, it cancels it and notifies you (preorders page). For why that happens, see why was my preorder cancelled?
If you ordered a BBTS package grade on a preorder and the store doesn't receive enough at that grade, it moves you to the next best grade and charges that price. For what package grades cover when a box arrives damaged, see my toy arrived with a damaged box.
Missed it? The BBTS waitlist
Some sold-out items have a Join Waitlist button. It's free and nothing is charged when you join, but you need at least one paid BBTS order first, and you can join once per item. If stock turns up, BBTS moves people off the list in the order they joined and emails you. For a sold-out preorder, any down payment is charged then, and the product price is charged when it arrives. Waitlist items always go into your Pile of Loot. Joining doesn't guarantee you'll get one (BBTS waitlist page).
BigBadLaunchPad projects
BigBadLaunchPad is BBTS's platform for collector-backed projects. Most project preorders are charged like any other BBTS preorder, when the item arrives. "Collectors Decide" projects have to reach 100% of their goal during the launch window; if they don't, every preorder is cancelled and nothing is charged, including any down payment. Some projects have Founder Pricing, a launch-window price that may go up afterward (BigBadLaunchPad help). BBTS also commissions its own exclusives; for what that label means, see what "exclusive" means.
Quick answers
Does BBTS charge for preorders right away?
No, unless the item needs a non-refundable down payment. Big Bad Toy Store charges for a preorder when the item arrives at its warehouse and is ready to ship. Until then you can change the card on the order or cancel it from My Account.
What happens if my BBTS preorder payment fails?
BBTS gives you 4 days from when the item is available to ship. If payment hasn't gone through by then, the item is cancelled automatically. Update your card in My Account as soon as you see a declined payment.
Does BBTS lower the price if a preorder goes on sale?
Yes. BBTS says that if the price is reduced while your item is still on preorder, your price is adjusted so you get the lowest price. In rare cases, such as new import tariffs, the price can go up; BBTS says it notifies affected customers, and you can cancel.
Can I cancel a BBTS preorder?
Yes, most preorders can be cancelled from My Account any time before the item arrives and payment is processed. Preorders with a non-refundable down payment have to be cancelled through customer service, and the down payment isn't refunded.
When does BBTS charge for items in Pile of Loot?
The product price is charged when a preorder arrives and goes into your Pile of Loot. Shipping and tax are charged later, when you ship the pile, or automatically when an item reaches the 90-day limit.
Does BBTS offer layaway or payment plans?
No. BBTS says it doesn't offer a payment plan or layaway, and it doesn't let you pay for a preorder in advance. You also can't split one item across two cards.
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 Hasbro Pulse charge for preorders? · When does Target charge for preorders? · Why was my preorder cancelled?
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Store policies change. This page is general information, not financial advice, and BuyHoldCollect isn't affiliated with Big Bad Toy Store. Quotes are from BBTS's help pages as of October 20, 2026.