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WhatsAppCart RecoveryE-commerceShopify

Why WhatsApp Recovers 3x More Abandoned Carts Than Email

WhatsApp messages get higher opens and faster responses than email. Learn a simple WhatsApp workflow to recover abandoned carts and reduce COD failures.

Email used to be the default for cart recovery. Not anymore.

Across India and many emerging markets, WhatsApp is the primary channel people use to communicate with brands. Open rates for WhatsApp messages routinely exceed 90% — email open rates are often below 20%. That simple difference explains why the same recovery message works dramatically better when delivered on WhatsApp.

The short business case

  • WhatsApp open rate ≈ 90% → your recovery message is seen.
  • Faster read → faster action; less time to second-guess or forget.
  • WhatsApp feels direct and conversational, so customers are more likely to click back into checkout.

A simple, high-conversion WhatsApp workflow

  1. Customer abandons checkout (detected via Shopify webhook).
  2. Wait 20–30 minutes (enough to let them browse but short enough to catch intent).
  3. Send a single WhatsApp message: short, clear, with a CTA and a secure verification code (for COD).
  4. If no response in 12 hours, send one gentle follow-up.
  5. If verified, guide them back to checkout with a single-click link.

That's it — no complex flows, no long sequences. Focus on one timely message and make it easy to complete the purchase.

Why verification codes matter for COD

COD orders create two problems: fake orders and failed delivery attempts. A short verification step via WhatsApp separates genuine buyers from low-quality orders. It reduces return-to-origin (RTO) and saves the merchant the cost of shipping and handling fake orders.

Quick template you can use

Hi {name}, we noticed you left something in your cart at {store}. Use this quick link to finish checkout: {link} — or reply YES and we'll secure your order with a verification code.

For COD specifically:

Hi {name}, to confirm your COD order, reply YES and we'll send a 4-digit code to verify your order. It only takes 10 seconds.

Final note

If you're running a Shopify store and still relying on email-only recovery, switching one channel to WhatsApp can increase recovered revenue significantly with minimal effort.

I built Level because I saw merchants losing revenue to low email open rates. WhatsApp recovery isn't just a nice-to-have — it's becoming essential for stores that want to compete.

Want to test it? Start free with Level and run WhatsApp recovery on your store today.