Abandoned cart email templates that bring shoppers back
By the Chatbait team ·
Short answer: most shoppers leave a cart because of surprise costs, slow delivery, or a checkout that asks too much of them. A short 3 email sequence, sent over a few days, brings some of them back. Fix the surprise costs and forced sign up first, then send the emails below.
Facts last checked on October 18, 2026, against the sources linked below.
Why shoppers abandon their cart
Across 50 studies, the average cart abandonment rate is 70.22%, according to the Baymard Institute. That number includes people who were never going to buy. Among US shoppers who left a cart, 42% say they were just browsing or not ready to buy.
For the rest, Baymard's own research into why people abandon lists these top reasons:
| Reason | Share of shoppers |
|---|---|
| Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees) | 40% |
| Delivery too slow | 20% |
| Didn't trust the site with card details | 19% |
| Site required account creation | 18% |
| Checkout too long or complicated | 17% |
| Website errors or crashes | 17% |
| Returns policy unsatisfactory | 13% |
| Couldn't see total cost upfront | 12% |
Source: Baymard Institute, cart abandonment rate statistics.
The pattern is clear. Most reasons are about cost and friction, not the product. An email reminds a shopper their cart is waiting. It does not fix a checkout that scared them off in the first place.
Fix the site before you fix the email
Baymard's numbers point to three things worth checking before you write a single email.
- Surprise costs at checkout. This is the single biggest reason shoppers leave, at 40%. Show shipping cost, tax, and any fees as early as you can, ideally on the product page or cart, not only at the final step.
- Forced account creation. 18% of shoppers leave because the site makes them create an account to buy. Offer guest checkout.
- Slow delivery. 20% of shoppers leave over delivery speed. If you can't ship fast, say the expected delivery window clearly before checkout, so it's not a surprise.
These three changes, all from Baymard's research, do more for your sales than any single email.
The 3 email sequence
Send these over a few days. Space them out so you're a reminder, not a nuisance. These timings are common practice for cart recovery emails, not a fixed rule, so adjust them to fit your store.
Email 1: send about 1 hour after the cart is left
Subject line idea: "Did you forget something?"
Email 2: send about 24 hours after the cart is left
Subject line idea: "Your cart is waiting, here's the full cost"
Fill in the shipping line with the actual cost, or write "Free" if shipping doesn't cost anything.
Email 3: send about 3 days after the cart is left
Subject line idea: "Last chance for [Product name]"
Keep the first email short and low pressure. Use the second email to answer the cost and delivery questions that, per Baymard, cause most abandonment. Save any discount offer for the third email, and only if your margins allow it. For general cost math before you discount, see how to calculate profit margin.
How to turn on abandoned checkout emails in Shopify
Shopify can send these automatically, without you writing any code. From Shopify Help Center, abandoned checkouts:
- In your Shopify admin, go to Apps then Messaging.
- Select Automations.
- Find "Abandoned checkout emails by Shopify" and open its menu.
- Choose Edit settings.
- Under Abandoned checkout emails, turn on "Send abandoned checkout emails automatically".
- Set who the email goes to under Send to, and the delay under Send after.
- Click Save.
You can also customize the email template from the same screen with Customize email.
Shopify counts a checkout as abandoned once it "remains incomplete for more than ten minutes after the customer has provided their email information," per the same Shopify Help Center page. The same page also notes that recovery emails won't send if Shopify Payments blocks the checkout as high risk.
If you want to follow up on a single cart by hand, go to Orders, then Abandoned checkouts, open the one you want, and click the customer's email address. Your email client opens with the recovery link already filled in.
Frequently asked questions
How many abandoned cart emails should I send?
Three is a common starting point: a quick reminder, a follow up with full cost details, and a last call. Watch your own open and click rates and adjust from there.
What's the biggest reason shoppers abandon their cart?
Extra costs at checkout, like shipping, tax, and fees, according to Baymard Institute's research, which found it accounts for 40% of abandonment among shoppers who gave a reason.
Does Shopify send abandoned cart emails automatically?
Yes, once you turn it on under Apps, Messaging, Automations in your Shopify admin. See the Shopify Help Center page on abandoned checkouts for the exact steps.
Should I offer a discount in my abandoned cart emails?
Not necessarily in every email. Many stores save a discount for the last email in the sequence, and only if the math still works for their margins.
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