The Loaners feature in Appliance.io allows you to temporarily lend products to customers while they wait for repairs, replacements, or special orders. This guide walks you through the full lifecycle of a loaner product — from setting it up in Inventory to assigning it to an order and processing its return — ensuring everything stays organized, trackable, and stress-free.
📍 Accessing Loaner Models in Inventory
To get started, you’ll need to confirm that loaner models are properly set up in your Inventory.
Navigate to the Inventory page from the main menu.
Use the Condition filter and select Loaner.
This view displays all products currently marked and available as loaner items.
⚙️ Activating the Loaner Condition
If you don’t see Loaner as an available condition, you can easily create it.
Open Settings from the sidebar.
Select Product Catalog.
Click into Conditions.
Select + Add New Condition.
In the pop-up window:
Enter a Name (e.g., Loaner).
Add a brief Description (optional but recommended).
Click Save to activate the new condition.
🧩 Assigning a Product as a Loaner Model
Once the Loaner condition exists, you can apply it to any eligible product.
Return to the Inventory page.
Locate the item you want to designate as a loaner.
Click the eye icon in the Available column.
Select the pencil icon next to the model’s condition.
Choose Loaner from the dropdown and click Save.
A success notification will confirm the update.
🔍 Verifying Your Loaner Model
To confirm everything is set correctly:
Use the Search Model Number bar at the top of Inventory.
Enter the model number.
The product should now appear under the Loaner condition, confirming it’s ready for use.
🛒 Creating a Loaner Order
With your inventory prepared, you can now create a loaner order.
Start by creating a Quote.
Click + Line Item.
Enter the Model Number of the loaner item.
If the Loaner condition is properly configured, it will appear automatically.
If the Item Doesn’t Appear
This usually means the Serial Number or Price hasn’t been set.
To fix this:
Go back to Inventory.
Search for the item and click the eye icon in the Available column.
Add the missing Serial Number and/or Price.
Once updated, the item will appear correctly in the Quote.
You generally don’t need to adjust the Condition or Price in the Quote — but if needed, both can be manually edited.
Don’t forget to select the Fulfillment Type before proceeding to Payment.
📦 Assigning Stock to the Loaner Order
If the loaner already has a Serial Number, it will be automatically assigned.
Click Check Stock to confirm the item is ready for delivery.
If no Serial Number is assigned:
Click View Items in Stock.
Select Reserve.
The loaner is now assigned and ready to ship or deliver.
🔄 Returning a Loaner Product
When the customer is ready to return the loaner, follow these steps:
Open the customer’s Order Page.
Click Select Action → Start Return.
Review the return details:
Model
Quantity
Price
Fulfillment Type
You can choose whether to charge or waive a restocking fee.
Add a brief Reason for Return.
⚠️ Important: Payment Method
Set the Payment Method to Customer Credit.
This allows you to:
Apply the credit toward a future purchase, or
Revoke the credit if the unit is returned damaged after inspection.
Click Refund Payment to complete the return.
📦 Post-Return Inventory Management
Once returned:
The item will appear in the Returned Inventory page.
From there, you can inspect, update its condition, and move it back into Available Stock when ready.
🎉 You’re All Set!
You now know how to:
Set up loaner conditions
Assign products as loaners
Create and fulfill loaner orders
Process returns with customer credit
Using Loaners in Appliance.io helps you deliver excellent customer service while maintaining full inventory control. Thanks for reading — and we’ll see you in the next guide!