Associated Orders being created with an "A"

You may have encountered this behavior at some point in either version 1.0 or 2.0 of the app, which occurs due to the way bundle orders are created and processed in Shopify. It’s important to first understand how bundle contents are expected to be included on the admin side, depending on the app version you're using. Please take a moment to review this guide before proceeding: How are bundle contents added to orders?

Why are associated orders created?

Shopify has certain limitations that prevent some orders from being edited by merchants or other apps. For instance, orders created by third-party apps or certain sales channels cannot be edited. To learn more about why some orders can’t be edited, check out this article: Why are some bundle content line items not included in their original orders?

When this happens, Simple Bundles has a built-in feature that ensures the bundle contents are added to the order by creating an associated order. This new order includes all bundle contents, such as reference custom line items with the bundle name, customer shipping details, and a note linking to the original order.

If you’d like to disable associated orders, you can do so by navigating to App Settings > Advanced Settings > Cart Transform and Order Editing Fallbacks, then Disable creation of a new associated order if the Shopify order can't be edited.

Before making this change, please keep in mind that when this setting is disabled, no associated orders will be created. As a result, our app will also be unable to break down the bundle components within that order.

To better understand how this works, when associated orders are created, and the possible workaround options, we recommend reviewing our guide: Handling orders that cannot be edited by Shopify.

Fulfilling associated orders: what doesn't sync back

The associated order is a separate Shopify order. Shopify doesn't link the two orders for fulfillment, so a few things don't carry over:

• Tracking and fulfillment status stay on the associated order. Fulfilling the "A" order doesn't mark the original order as fulfilled or copy its tracking number. For orders from Shopify Collective, TikTok Shop, or other marketplaces, the channel only reads the original order, so your retail partner or marketplace won't see tracking until you add it there.
• Customers don't get emails from the associated order. Simple Bundles creates it with order and shipping notifications turned off. Shipping updates reach your customer, or your retail partner, only through the original order.
• Your 3PL may import both orders. If your 3PL or WMS pulls every unfulfilled order, make sure it ships only the associated order (it lists the component SKUs) and doesn't also ship the bundle SKU on the original order.

What to do: after the associated order ships, fulfill the original order in Shopify with the same tracking number. If you'd rather work with one order, switch to the Single-SKU inventory sync fallback. The order then keeps the bundle SKU instead of its components, so your 3PL needs that SKU set up as a kit. See Handling orders that cannot be edited by Shopify.

Removing the "Bundle for reference only" line item

If your associated orders include a "Bundle for reference only" line item and this is causing issues with your ERP or fulfillment integration, please reach out to our support team. This can be removed for your store on request, so that associated orders only contain the actual bundle components going forward.

If you're still unsure or need further assistance, don't hesitate to contact our support team. Please include screenshots and order numbers so we can investigate further.