Abandoned cart SMS template guide with 8 compliant examples

Texting is the most personal channel you have, and the most regulated. Before any template matters, get the basics right.

• Consent comes before the first text. In the US, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires prior express written consent for marketing texts. A checkbox at checkout that is not pre-ticked, with clear wording about what the shopper will receive, is the common way to collect it.
• A phone number is not consent. Typing a number to get delivery updates does not mean the shopper agreed to marketing texts.
• Keep a record. For each contact, store the consent source (which form or page), the exact wording shown and the timestamp. If a complaint ever comes in, that record is your proof.
• Other countries have their own rules. Canada (CASL), the EU and the UK (GDPR and local e-privacy rules) all require consent for marketing messages.

CartAbandon stores the consent source and timestamp for every contact and channel, and it never sends an SMS to someone without recorded SMS consent. Shoppers without it get email or an onsite offer instead.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules that apply to your store and your customers.

Each abandoned cart text should do three things, no matter how short it is:

1. Say who you are. Start with your brand name, like "{store_name}:". People do not save store numbers, so without a name the text looks like spam.
2. Give one clear action. One link to the saved cart. No menus, no second offer.
3. Show how to stop. End with opt-out wording such as "Reply STOP to opt out." Honor STOP right away and confirm it with one final message.

Placeholders used below:

• {store_name} is your brand name
• {first_name} is the shopper's first name
• {product_name} is the main item in the cart, kept short
• {cart_link} is a short link that rebuilds the cart
• {discount_code} is a unique, single-use code, only where an offer is used

Many US state rules and the TCPA restrict marketing texts before 8 am and after 9 pm in the recipient's local time. Some states are stricter, with narrower windows or limits on Sundays and holidays, so check the rules for your states.

Practical habits that keep you inside the lines:

• Use the shopper's time zone, not yours. A store in New York texting a shopper in California at 8:30 am Eastern reaches them at 5:30 am.
• Hold, do not drop. If a cart is abandoned at 11 pm, queue the text for the next morning instead of skipping it.
• Cap frequency. One to two texts per abandoned cart is plenty. Many stores also cap texts per contact per week across all flows.

CartAbandon holds messages during quiet hours in each shopper's time zone and applies frequency caps across all flows, so a shopper never gets a cart text and a back in stock text in the same hour.

A single SMS segment holds up to 160 characters when the text uses the standard GSM character set (plain letters, numbers and common punctuation). Go over, and the message is split into segments that are joined on the phone, but each segment counts toward your send limits and costs.

One emoji or special character switches the whole message to a different encoding, and the limit drops to 70 characters per segment. A 100 character text with one emoji becomes two segments.

Tips that keep texts short:

• Use a short link, not a long cart address
• Use the product's short name, not the full title with size and color
• Skip emoji in abandoned cart texts
• Cut greetings. "{first_name}, your cart is saved" works fine

Each template below is written to fit in one segment with typical names and a short link. Count characters after you fill the placeholders.

Template 1, first reminder for a high-intent cart

{store_name}: Hi {first_name}, your {product_name} is still in your cart. Finish your order here {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 2, gentle reminder for a returning customer

{store_name}: Welcome back, {first_name}. We saved your cart so you can pick up where you left off {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 3, checkout help

{store_name}: Trouble at checkout? Reply to this text and we will help you finish your order. Your cart {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 4, free shipping offer

{store_name}: Shipping is on us for your cart. Use {discount_code} by tomorrow {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 5, first order discount for a price-sensitive shopper

{store_name}: 10% off your first order with {discount_code}, valid 48h, one use {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 6, low stock note (only when true)

{store_name}: {product_name} in your cart is almost sold out. Grab it here {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 7, second reminder the next day

{store_name}: Still deciding on {product_name}? Free returns for 30 days. Your cart {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Template 8, final note

{store_name}: Last reminder, we will clear your saved cart soon. It is here if you want it {cart_link} Reply STOP to opt out.

Two notes on the templates:

• Template 7 mentions free returns. Change it to whatever your real policy is, and never claim a benefit you do not offer.
• Templates 4 and 5 include an offer. Use them only when the shopper's signals point to price or shipping as the reason they left, and cap the discount by your margin. Returning customers and high-value carts usually come back without one.

SMS works because it is fast and personal. Timing decides whether it feels helpful or pushy.

A few rules of thumb:

• Do not text and email at the same moment. Pick the channel that fits the shopper and use the other as a follow-up.
• Stop the moment they buy. Check for a completed order right before each send.
• Let quiet hours win. If the ideal delay lands at 10 pm, the text waits for morning.

The abandoned cart SMS page explains how CartAbandon picks SMS over email for each cart, based on consent, cart value, customer type and time zone.

In many countries, shoppers read WhatsApp more than SMS. The same principles apply: opt-in consent, brand name, one clear action and a way to opt out. WhatsApp also has its own message template and opt-in rules, so marketing messages must use approved templates.

If a large share of your buyers are outside the US, a WhatsApp abandoned cart flow can reach them where they already chat. CartAbandon includes SMS and WhatsApp sends inside each plan's limits, with no separate per-message bill. Text is one channel of a wider abandoned cart recovery setup that also covers email, web push and onsite offers.

• Texting without consent. The single biggest risk. It is also easy to avoid.
• Missing brand name. Unknown sender plus a link looks like phishing.
• No opt-out wording. Even if the law in your area does not require it in every text, shoppers expect it.
• Texting at night. A 2 am text gets a STOP reply and maybe a complaint.
• Too many texts. One or two per cart. Use email for anything more.
• Asking for card details. Never ask for card numbers by text. Link to your secure checkout instead.