> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.sourcinbox.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How to Pre-purchase Inventory on SourcinBox?

To ensure a **sufficient product supply** and **shorten the processing time**, SourcinBox allows you to **pre-purchase products as inventories** and store them in our warehouse for free. Once you have orders for the products in stock, we can ship them out **within 24 hours**. 

||| [Is Inventory Necessary?](/en/article/is-inventory-necessary-on-sourcinbox-1tyl6a5/)

You can follow the steps below to pre-purchase products as your inventory.

# Step 1

Find the product you want and open the **Product Detail**, select the **color**, **size**, and **specification**, enter the product **quantity**, and then click **"Add to Inventory Cart"**.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/step-1_loegyr.png)
![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/add-to-inventory-cart_huhp6a.png)

# Step 2

You can edit the product quantity before checkout, and then click **"Checkout"** to proceed. 

||| Please note that ${color}[#8c22ff](only product fees are charged) when purchasing inventory.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/step-2_o9p0sm.png)

| Tick ${color}[#ff863e](**"I agree"**) for the term that ${color}[#8c22ff](the products you purchase will be stored in our warehouse as your inventory and the products in stock will be prioritized for shipment when fulfilling your store orders.)

||| Check how to [Fulfill Orders](/en/article/how-to-fulfill-your-dropshipping-orders-on-sourcinbox-chinib/) on SourcinBox.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/i-agree_cvnq5d.png)

# Step 3

You can select a payment method and click **"Pay Now"** to finish the purchasement, or you can click **"Create Inventory Order"** and pay for it later in the **Manage Orders - Inventory Orders** section.

||| Please inform your customer manager to process your inventory orders as soon as possible.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/step-3_dzkxtm.png)

After you have purchased the products as inventory, you can check them in the **Manage Inventory - My Inventory section**. 

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/manage-inventory-my-inventory_1oc86my.png)

||| Please note that in most cases the inventory you have paid for ${color}[#ff0000](**can't**) be refunded because we purchase your inventory products from manufacturers but most manufacturers refuse to refund us once the products are sold.

# Step 4

We will **prioritize using your inventory products for your order fulfillment**. When you pay for orders that include the inventory product, **the product cost will be deducted according to your available inventory**.

||| The product inventory you have purchased can both be used for your [dropshipping orders](/en/article/how-to-fulfill-your-dropshipping-orders-on-sourcinbox-chinib/) or [wholesale orders](/en/article/how-to-wholesale-products-buy-samples-on-sourcinbox-1q61nd6/).

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/step-4_1e8zkiq.png)

# Analyze your inventory needs and turn on alerts.

If you are not sure how many products you need to pre-purchase as inventory properly, then SourcinBox can help you analyze and recommend the inventory quantity you may need to purchase based on your sales volume in the past.

Click **"Analyze"** in the **Inventory Analysis** section. You will see an estimated **inventory calculation formula**. 

You can assign **calculation weights** to the **average sales of the past 5 days, the past 10 days, and the past 15 days** and set the Inventory Cycle to estimate how much inventory you need to replenish.

| The ${color}[#8c22ff](Inventory Cycle) refers to the days you expect the inventory to be available for sale.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/inventory-cycle_cpdzu0.png)

You can see the recommended inventory **replenishment** based on your customized formula and add the corresponding quantity of products directly to your **Inventory Cart** for purchase.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/replenishment_1f729ns.png)

If you turn on the **Inventory Warning**, it will show ${color}[#ff0000](**"Running out"**) when the product quantity is less than the inventory quantity you set. And you can replenish the inventory in time.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/d75dce659b3e5800/running-out_1j1hapl.png)

||| ${color}[#8c22ff]("Running out") only means the product is already or is about to be out of stock in our warehouse. The source manufacturer of the product still has the products in stock so it won't affect your order fulfillment on SourcinBox. We will directly purchase the products from the manufacturer to fulfill your orders when your product is running out in our warehouse, but this will take a few more days for order processing compared to when you have inventory on SourcinBox.