Limit Periods
Choose the Right Time Period
When you create a customer limit, you choose a time period that determines how long the limit applies before it resets. OrderRules supports five period types.
Daily
The limit resets every day at midnight in your store's timezone.
Example: Max 1 order per customer per day
Monday 9 AM: Customer places order -- OK
Monday 3 PM: Customer tries again -- Blocked
Tuesday 8 AM: Limit reset, customer can order again
Best for: Businesses that fulfill daily (meal delivery, bakeries) and want to ensure fair distribution each day.
Weekly
The limit resets every Monday at midnight.
Example: Max 3 orders per customer per week
Monday: Order 1 -- OK
Wednesday: Order 2 -- OK
Friday: Order 3 -- OK
Saturday: Order 4 -- Blocked
Next Monday: Resets to 0
Best for: Weekly production schedules, subscription boxes, or services with weekly capacity.
Monthly
The limit resets on the 1st of each month at midnight.
Example: Max 5 orders per customer per month
Week 1: 2 orders -- OK (2/5)
Week 2: 2 orders -- OK (4/5)
Week 3: 1 order -- OK (5/5)
Week 3: Another order -- Blocked
1st of next month: Resets to 0
Best for: Monthly subscription caps, high-value items where you want to spread demand across the month.
Lifetime
The limit never resets. Once a customer hits the limit, they cannot purchase more, ever.
Example: Max 1 unit of Limited Sneakers per customer (lifetime)
Order 1: Customer buys 1 pair -- OK
Order 2 (any future date): Customer tries again -- Blocked forever
Best for: Limited releases, collectibles, exclusive items, or anything where you want a permanent cap per person.
Rolling 30 Days
Instead of resetting on a fixed calendar date, a rolling period counts backwards 30 days from the moment of checkout. The customer's allowance frees up gradually as their older orders age out of the window.
Example: Max 40 lb per customer, rolling 30 days
Mar 3: Customer buys 40 lb -- OK (40/40 used)
Mar 20: Customer tries to buy 10 lb -- Blocked (Mar 3 still counts)
Apr 3: The Mar 3 order ages out -- the full 40 lb is available again
Best for: Fair-share allocation, shipping and packaging budgets, and weight-based limits -- anywhere a hard calendar reset would let a customer buy twice within two days at the month boundary.
Choosing the Right Period
| Period | Resets | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Every midnight | Daily production, same-day delivery |
| Weekly | Every Monday | Weekly schedules, subscription services |
| Monthly | Every 1st | Monthly quotas, high-demand items |
| Rolling 30 days | Continuously | Fair-share allocation, weight and shipping budgets |
| Lifetime | Never | Limited editions, one-time purchases |
How Resets Work
All time-based resets happen automatically at midnight in your configured timezone. There is no manual step required.
- Daily: Midnight every night
- Weekly: Midnight Sunday to Monday
- Monthly: Midnight on the 1st
- Rolling 30 days: No fixed reset -- each order ages out 30 days after it was placed
Lifetime limits have no reset -- the count accumulates indefinitely.
Tips
- Start with a weekly or monthly period if you are unsure -- these are the most common
- Use lifetime limits sparingly and only for truly limited products
- You can change the period later without losing existing count data