- Short answer
- Yes, on POS Pro (11.11+): a cart saved on one device opens on another in the same location; it reserves no stock and by default expires in 24 hours.
- Plan gate
- POS Pro only, and the unit is the location, not the account.
- Permission
- Staff need Manage saved carts; denied, they can't view the recent cart list at all.
- Across locations
- Cross-location sharing isn't supported, nor is real-time collaborative editing of the same cart.
- Holds no stock
- Recent carts reserve nothing; only draft orders do, and even there Reserve inventory is a separate step.
- Without POS Pro
- Shopify's plan table marks Save/retrieve cart as POS Pro only; nothing we read in September 2026 shows it without Pro.
What do you need to hand a cart to another register?
Carts save automatically as staff build them, and another team member can pick up and close one on a different device at the same location — unless it was already checked out, deleted or saved as a draft order on another device, or the POS device is offline. Shopify documents this on its recent carts page and announced it for POS Pro in version 11.11 on July 27, 2026.
Cart sharing is documented only for locations currently on the POS Pro subscription — the unit is the location, not the account. The POS role also needs Manage saved carts; denied, staff can't view the recent cart list at all.
Shopify's plan-comparison table marks Save/retrieve cart as POS Pro only, not part of the features in all paid plans; no page we read on September 22, 2026 — that table, the permissions and recent-carts pages, the changelog — shows it without Pro.
Does a shared cart hold stock or work across locations?
Recent carts don't reserve inventory — only draft orders do. Any cart converts to a draft order in one swipe, but reserving is a separate step there: Reserve inventory moves those units into the Committed state, while unreserved quantities stay Available. Reserving needs inventory tracking and has its own expiry date.
- Cross-location sharing isn't supported.
- Real-time collaborative editing isn't supported: if two staff have the same cart open, one person's changes create a separate copy instead of merging.
How do you change how long a recent cart lasts?
A recent cart deletes after 24 hours by default, and on a successful checkout. To change the window, go to Point of Sale > Settings, click Recent carts under Register and pick from Delete after.
Staff need Manage recent carts expiration: Allowed lets them change it, Denied blocks it. Pages we read on September 25, 2026 list no durations and don't say whether a new window reaches carts already saved.
Is this the same feature as the online cart in POS?
No. A shared cart is one your staff built at the counter; the online cart items POS can pull in from a customer's abandoned checkout are a separate feature with its own permission. A draft order is a third thing: Manage saved carts controls cart sharing only, not draft orders.
This page was written by AI. Separate AI agents that did not write it check its figures and claims against official sources and test its links and interactive tools. A human editor sets the site's editorial direction, topics and rules and checks that pages are complete and display correctly, but does not check their facts or edit their text. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
Editorial Policy