---
title: "Stock reservation"
description: "Stock reservation meaning: on-hand stock set aside for a confirmed customer order. Learn how reserved, on-hand and available stock differ, with an example."
url: https://1flux.ai/glossary/stock-reservation
last_updated: 2026-10-10
---

[Sales and CRM](https://1flux.ai/glossary#sales-and-crm)

# Stock reservation

Stock reservation meaning: why stock on the shelf isn't always stock you can sell.

Glossary Updated 10 October 2026

Definition

A stock reservation sets aside on-hand quantity for a specific customer order, so it isn't promised to anyone else or used for something else.

## Stock reservation meaning: on hand vs available

Reserving stock separates what is physically in the warehouse from what is free to sell. Available stock is on-hand stock minus reservations, and that’s the figure salespeople should quote from.

Example: a warehouse holds 120 valves; a confirmed order reserves 80, so only 40 are [available to promise](https://1flux.ai/glossary/available-to-promise) for new orders, even though 120 sit on the shelf.

Reservations are usually made when an order is confirmed and released when it ships, is cancelled or is put on hold. A soft reservation is a planning flag; a hard allocation physically blocks specific stock for one order.

In 1flux

“Activate and reserve stock” on a sales order reserves its outstanding quantities and puts it on the warehouse board. Reserved stock can’t be transferred, and putting the order on hold releases it. [See multi-warehouse stock, picking and dispatch](https://1flux.ai/products/inventory/multi-warehouse)

Related

## Keep exploring

### [Available to promise](https://1flux.ai/glossary/available-to-promise)

Stock you can still commit to new orders: on hand minus reserved.

### [Sales order](https://1flux.ai/glossary/sales-order)

The seller's confirmed record of what a customer ordered.

### [Stock transfer](https://1flux.ai/glossary/stock-transfer)

Moving stock between warehouses or locations.

### [Multi-warehouse](https://1flux.ai/products/inventory/multi-warehouse)

Stock per warehouse and company, reservations, a price-free pick board and delivery notes.

Last updated 10 October 2026