The short answer
On average about 70% of online carts are abandoned before payment (Baymard Institute, 50 studies). Some of those shoppers come back if you remind them what they left: usually 2 emails do the job, the first a few hours later and the second the next day, stopping the moment they buy. You need the product in view, a button back to the cart, and an answer to whatever stopped them, which is usually shipping and extra costs.
Why people abandon their carts
Before you write, understand why they leave. The Baymard Institute has collected studies on this for years: the average documented abandonment rate is 70.22%. Among shoppers who abandon during checkout, the most common reasons are:
- Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees): 40%.
- Delivery too slow: 20%.
- Didn’t trust the site with card details: 19%.
- Forced to create an account: 18%.
- Checkout too long or complicated: 17%.
In other words: your email shouldn’t just say “you forgot something”. It should answer the reason they stopped.
When to send abandoned cart emails
Timing matters more than wording. Too soon and you look pushy; too late and they’ve bought elsewhere.
- First email, a few hours later. A friendly reminder: here’s what you chose, here’s the button to go back.
- Second email, the next day. Answer the doubts: shipping, returns, delivery times, payment methods.
- Third email, optional, 2 or 3 days later. Only if your margins allow it: a small incentive or free shipping.
What to write: an example
- Subject: Your cart is waiting, James
- First line: “You left the navy wool jacket, size M, in your cart. We’ve kept it aside for you.”
- The product: photo, name and price, so they remember straight away.
- The button: “Complete my order”, back to the cart, already filled.
- The doubt: “Free shipping over €60 and 30-day returns”, only if that’s true for your shop.
- The signature: a name, and an invitation to reply with any question.
Think like an owner about discounts: put one in every time and you teach customers to abandon carts to get it. Use it in the third email, or never.
Shopify, WooCommerce and GDPR: what to know
To send these emails you need two things: to know who left the cart, meaning the email typed at checkout, and to be allowed to contact them.
On GDPR and the ePrivacy rules, regulators don’t all agree: a cart reminder relates to a purchase already started, but it’s also a sales nudge. The safest route is to send it to people who ticked the marketing box at checkout, with an unsubscribe link in every message. The rules are in our GDPR guide.
With Spedito you connect Shopify or WooCommerce in minutes (integrations). Carts come in on their own, a cart left untouched for an hour counts as abandoned, and the “Abandoned cart” automation sends two emails, after 4 hours and after one day. If the customer buys, it stops.
The most common mistakes
- A single email. Someone distracted yesterday is distracted today too: the second email reaches people the first one missed.
- An email without the product. “Forgot something?” doesn’t bring the desire back; the photo does.
- A discount every time. Lower margins and customers who learn the trick.
- Carrying on after the purchase, or after three emails. It becomes nagging, and nagging becomes a spam complaint.
- Ignoring the reason. If 4 in 10 people stop at the shipping cost, the problem is the shipping, not the email.
Frequently asked questions
How many abandoned cart emails should I send?
Two are enough for most shops: the first a few hours later, the second the next day. A third, with a small incentive, only if your margins allow it.
Should I offer a discount?
Not always. Answering doubts about shipping and returns is often enough. A standing discount teaches customers to abandon carts on purpose.
Can I email people who didn’t enter their address at checkout?
No: without an address there’s nobody to contact. That’s why it pays to ask for the email at the first step of checkout.
Doesn’t Shopify already send an abandoned checkout email?
Yes, Shopify has a basic one. With an email marketing platform you write a proper sequence, connect it to the rest of your emails and see the results in one place.