A group buy is an offer that only happens if enough people commit to it. Shoppers get a better price, and the brand only sells once it knows the demand is real. The idea is simple. Running one usually is not: brands end up collecting names in a group chat, tracking payments in a spreadsheet, chasing people who said yes, and refunding everyone by hand when the group falls short.
Rally handles that work for Shopify brands: the offer page, join tracking, the deadline, and the payments. On Rally, a group buy is called a rally: an offer with a goal and a deadline that buyers are charged for only if enough people join before the deadline.
Rally works alongside your Shopify store rather than inside it. Each rally has its own page and card checkout, and when a rally fills you receive each buyer’s order and shipping details so you can ship.
How a rally works, step by step
1. Set the terms
A rally starts with fixed terms: the product, the rally price, the number of units needed for the rally to fill (the goal, for example 20), and a deadline 24, 48, or 72 hours after the rally opens. The rally page also shows your shipping terms and your return and refund policy. Once a rally opens, its terms do not change.
2. Share one link
Every rally has one link. Post it to your followers, send it to your email list, or hand it to a creator partner. Buyers open the link, review the offer, and join on the rally page. They do not need to download an app.
3. Buyers join with a card hold, not a charge
When a buyer joins, their card is authorized through Stripe: a temporary hold, not a charge. The rally counts only units covered by successful authorizations. Clicks, shares, unfinished checkouts, and declined cards do not count, so the progress you see is committed demand rather than polls or promises.
4. At the deadline, the rally fills or it doesn’t
- If the goal is met, each buyer’s card is charged shortly after the deadline, and you receive the orders to ship. A rally that reaches its goal early stays open until the deadline, so more people can still join while units remain.
- If the goal is not met, no one is charged and every hold is cancelled. A rally that does not fill costs you nothing, and there is nothing to refund.
What buyers can count on
- The hold is the most they will pay. If the rally fills, the charge is the held amount or less. It can be lower when a deeper unit tier or a referral discount applies, and it is never higher.
- Sharing can lower their price. On a rally with a referral discount, a buyer’s price can go down when people who join through their personal link are charged. The rally page shows the discount and its limit.
- No Rally fee. Buyers pay the rally price and nothing extra to Rally.
- Joining is final, but their rights are not. A group buy only works if people stay in until the deadline, so buyers cannot withdraw from a rally once they join. This does not affect their right not to be charged if the rally does not fill, or the brand’s return and refund policy after delivery.
Two kinds of rally
Every rally page tells buyers which kind of rally they are joining.
Merchant-funded rallies
You set the price, the goal, the deadline, and any unit-tier or referral discount, and you open the rally. The price includes tax and shipping, so every buyer in the country sees one total. When the rally fills, you receive the amount charged minus Rally’s platform fee, any sales tax Rally collects, and Stripe’s card processing fee, in your Stripe account.
Rally-funded rallies
Rally sets the price, discounts, quantity, goal, and deadline, and opens the rally, on a deal you have agreed in advance to supply at a wholesale price. You are paid a wholesale amount locked at the deadline, less Stripe’s card processing fee. Buyers see the merchandise price plus sales tax for their shipping address, with shipping included.
On both kinds of rally, you are the seller: you ship the order and handle customer service, returns, refunds, and warranty.
Running a group buy with creators
Group buys suit creators well: a deadline gives their followers a reason to act together. On Rally, you can open a merchant-funded rally for a creator partner to promote.
- You stay in control. Creator partners do not open, change, or manage rallies. You set the terms; they share the link.
- Commissions are optional and tracked. If you agree a commission, you set it as a percentage of the price before tax and shipping. Rally shows you what is owed from completed sales, and you pay it directly.
- Creators never handle money or buyer data. Payments never pass through the creator, and creators never receive buyers’ names, email addresses, or shipping addresses.
Who handles what
- You, the brand: the product and its description, shipping, customer service, returns, refunds, and any creator commission.
- Rally: the rally page, join tracking, the deadline, payments through Stripe Connect, and sending the refunds you approve to the buyer’s card. Where required by law, Rally calculates, collects, and remits sales tax as a marketplace facilitator.
- Buyer information: you receive each buyer’s name, email address, shipping address, and order details only if the rally fills, so you can ship and support the order.
When a group buy makes sense
A rally can be a good fit when you want to:
- launch a new product and see real demand before committing to more inventory;
- offer a group discount without discounting every order;
- give a loyal community or a creator’s audience a reason to buy together; or
- move a bundle or a limited batch within a set window.
Deciding between a group buy and a pre-order? Read group buy vs. pre-order: which fits your launch.
Try Rally
Rally is in private beta for Shopify brands. See a simulated rally from start to finish, read the FAQ, or request early access. The full rules for buyers and merchants are in our Terms of Service.