Why checkouts get abandoned
Most started checkouts never become orders. The Baymard Institute, which has collected checkout studies for years, puts the average documented cart abandonment rate at around 70%. Some of those shoppers were never going to buy; many were comparing prices, got surprised by shipping costs, were interrupted, or meant to come back later and forgot.
That last group is why reminders work. Someone who typed their email into your checkout has already chosen products and shown real intent. A timely, helpful message with a link back to the exact checkout removes the effort of starting again.
How abandoned cart recovery works in Trisend
- A shopper starts a checkoutShopify tells Trisend about the checkout. For a guest, the email or phone arrives with the first checkout update, as soon as they type it.
- Trisend finds or creates the contactMatched by email, then phone. If the shopper ticked the SMS marketing box at checkout, that consent is recorded for their number.
- About an hour later, Trisend checks for an orderIf the shopper has bought, nothing happens. If not, your abandoned cart flow starts with the checkout link and cart total.
- Each step re-checks before sendingAn order since the flow started ends it. Each message also needs consent for its channel, and texts wait for the shopper's daytime.
A shopper enters the abandoned cart flow at most once a day, so several abandoned checkouts don't add up to a pile of reminders.
What you can put in the flow
Trisend starts you with a ready-made abandoned cart flow — a first email, a one-day wait and a second email — that you can switch on as it is or edit in the visual flow builder.
Email, SMS or WhatsApp?
| Channel | Needs | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Email marketing consent | The main reminder: product images, a clear button, a second follow-up. On every plan, Free included. | |
| SMS | SMS consent (e.g. the checkout box); Starter plan+ | A short nudge a few hours later. Quiet hours (21:00–08:00 in the shopper's timezone) always apply. |
| WhatsApp consent and an approved template; Growth plan+ | Markets where customers prefer WhatsApp to SMS. |
When to send: timing that respects the shopper
There is no single right schedule, but most stores start with something like this and adjust from their own results:
- First reminder: within a few hours. Trisend's first check is about an hour after the checkout starts. A plain “your cart is saved” message with the checkout link is enough.
- Second reminder: around a day later. Answer common doubts — shipping, returns, sizing — or show reviews and related products.
- Optional third: two to three days in, with an incentive. If you offer a discount, offer it last, so shoppers who would have bought anyway don't learn to wait for a code.
- Texts in daytime only. Trisend holds SMS until the shopper's morning — you can widen the quiet window, never remove it.
Want a rough idea of what reminders could recover for your store? Try the abandoned cart recovery calculator — it's an estimate, not a promise.
Writing reminders that work
- Lead with the cart, not the discount. Show what they left and link straight to the saved checkout.
- Keep the subject line simple. “You left something in your cart” is clear and honest — check yours with the subject line checker.
- Make texts short. One sentence, the store name and the link. Check length and cost with the SMS character counter.
- Use a unique code if you discount. A single-use code can't be shared on coupon sites.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after a checkout is the first reminder sent?
Trisend checks about an hour after the checkout starts. If the shopper hasn't ordered by then, the abandoned cart flow begins and its first step goes out. You choose the waits between later steps.
Do reminders stop when the customer buys?
Yes. Before every step, Trisend checks for an order placed after the shopper entered the flow. As soon as there is one, the flow ends — no “you forgot something” email after they've paid.
Do guest checkouts get abandoned cart emails?
Yes, once the guest has typed an email address or phone number at checkout — Shopify sends it with the checkout update, and Trisend creates or updates the contact. As with every marketing message, the reminder only goes to people who agreed to receive marketing on that channel.
Can I send abandoned cart texts as well as emails?
Yes, on the Starter plan and up. Add an SMS step to the flow. It only goes to shoppers with SMS consent (for example the “Text me with news and offers” box at checkout), and it waits for daytime in the shopper's own timezone.
Can each shopper get their own discount code?
Yes. A “Create discount” step makes a single-use Shopify code for that shopper — a percentage, a fixed amount or free shipping, valid for 1 to 90 days — and later steps insert it with {{discount_code}}.
Keep reading
Turn on abandoned cart recovery
The ready-made flow is on the Free plan. Add SMS on Starter and WhatsApp on Growth.