Recovery is a timing problem before it is a discount problem.
Why the channel changes the maths
Cart recovery email works on open rate, and promotional email open rates on mobile-first audiences are poor. WhatsApp lands where people already read, which is why recovery rates are typically far higher.
The honest caveat: WhatsApp charges per message and email does not. Judge the channel on recovered revenue against conversation cost, not on open rate.
The three-message sequence
- About one hour after abandonment: a short message with the item and a link back to the exact cart. No discount.
- Next day: address the likely reason. Shipping cost, sizing doubt, payment failure. Still no discount.
- Day three: an incentive, ideally as a limited-time-offer template so the deadline is visible in the message.
- Exit the sequence the moment the order is placed.
When to discount, and when not to
Discounting on the first message is the most common mistake. It converts people who were going to buy anyway at a lower margin, and over time it teaches repeat customers that abandoning the cart is how you get a code.
Save the incentive for the last message, and consider free shipping rather than a percentage. Shipping cost is the most commonly cited reason for abandonment and waiving it often costs less than a discount.
The India-specific piece
For Indian stores, cart recovery is only half the opportunity. The other half is what happens to the orders that do get placed: cash-on-delivery refusals cost both freight legs and the packaging.
A COD confirmation message before dispatch, and a small incentive to convert COD to prepaid, usually returns more than the recovery sequence itself.
Mistakes that cost quality rating
- Sending recovery messages to people who never opted in
- Running the sequence to completion after the customer already bought
- Sending all three messages within a single day
- Using marketing templates for what should be utility order updates
- No opt-out path in the message