The Complete Guide to Abandoned Cart Recovery with Cash on Delivery (COD) Orders

The Complete Guide to Abandoned Cart Recovery with Cash on Delivery (COD) Orders

When running an e-commerce store, one of the biggest challenges is customers who abandon their purchases before completing checkout. Fortunately, if you're using a Cash on Delivery (COD) form, you can still recover these potential sales - but the process works a little differently than traditional Shopify abandoned checkouts.

 

In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about how abandoned orders are managed with Releasit COD Form & Upsells app, how to find them, and the best strategies for recovering them effectively.

 

 

What Is an Abandoned Cart?

 

An abandoned cart happens when a customer starts the checkout process but leaves before finalizing their purchase. Common reasons for abandonment include:

  • Hesitation about price or shipping costs

  • Distractions (they close the browser or get interrupted)

  • Complicated checkout process

  • Payment method concerns

Tracking abandoned carts is crucial because customers who abandon their carts are still very interested in your products - and a timely follow-up can turn many into completed sales.

 

 

How Abandoned Orders Work with the Releasit COD Form

 

Draft Orders Instead of Standard Abandoned Checkouts

 

When customers abandon a COD form, Shopify does not allow third-party apps (like Releasit) to create official abandoned checkouts. Instead, the app saves these abandoned orders as Draft Orders in your Shopify Admin.

 

Each draft order created by Releasit includes a specific tag:

 

Tag: abandoned_checkout_releasit_cod_form

 

This special tag makes it easy to identify and manage COD-related abandoned orders.


Requirements for Abandoned Order Creation

 

A draft order is only created if the customer has entered either:

  • A valid email address

  • Or a valid phone number

This ensures you have contact information for potential follow-up.

 

 

Where to Find Abandoned Draft Orders

 

To locate abandoned COD orders in Shopify:

  • Open your Shopify Admin.

  • Go to the Orders section.

  • Click on Draft Orders.

  • Look for orders tagged with abandoned_checkout_releasit_cod_form.

You'll see any customers who started filling out the COD form but didn’t complete their order.


Enabling Abandoned Order Tracking in the App

 

Tracking abandoned orders using the Releasit app is simple:

  • Open the Releasit app.

  • Navigate to Sales Booster > Abandoned Cart.

  • Enable the Abandoned Orders option.

Once enabled, the app will automatically create draft orders when a customer abandons a form, provided they left contact information.

 

 

How to Recover Abandoned COD Orders

 

Now that you know how to find abandoned orders, the next step is recovery — turning lost sales into revenue!

 

1. Call the Customer (Most Effective Method)

 

  • Go to Shopify Admin → Orders → Draft Orders.

  • Locate the abandoned order and retrieve the customer’s phone number.

  • Call them to confirm their interest in completing the order.

  • If they agree, you can convert the draft order into a completed Shopify order manually.

Why it works: A personal phone call builds trust and directly addresses any concerns or doubts.


2. Automated SMS Reminders

 

If phone calls aren't practical, Releasit allows you to send automated SMS reminders:

  • Open the Releasit app → Sales Booster > Abandoned Cart.

  • Enable the SMS Automation feature.

  • Customize your SMS message and set the timing.

Why it works: SMS messages have high open and response rates, giving you another channel to recover sales quickly.

 

 

3. Email Recovery Automation (Using Klaviyo or Omnisend)

 

You can also integrate email marketing platforms to automate abandoned cart recovery emails:

  • Klaviyo Integration: Connect Klaviyo using your API key. Create an automated "Abandoned Order" email flow triggered by Releasit abandoned events.

  • Omnisend Integration: Similarly, Omnisend can be connected to trigger abandoned order recovery workflows.

In both cases, you’ll set up emails that automatically include a recovery link ({{ event.recovery_url }}) that brings the customer back to complete their checkout.

Why it works: Email marketing is excellent for brand reinforcement and nurturing slower decision-makers.

 

 

Best Practices for Abandoned Order Recovery

 

👉 Pro Tip: Using a combination of phone, SMS, and email can significantly increase your recovery rate!


How Long Does It Take for an Abandoned Order to Be Created?

 

When a customer abandons a COD form:

  • The system waits 15 minutes after the customer leaves the checkout.

  • Then, if they entered valid contact information, the system creates a Draft Order automatically.

 

Common ways customers abandon checkout:

  • Closing the browser tab

  • Navigating away to another app or website

  • Locking or turning off their device


Want to Automate Recovery Even Further?

 

Releasit’s integrations make it easy to strengthen your recovery workflows.

  • Klaviyo: Automate abandoned cart emails with full customization.

  • Omnisend: Set up sophisticated email marketing automation with recovery links.

  • SMS Reminders: Enable fast, high-response reminders directly from the app.

  
🔗 Watch a 60-second tutorial on setting up SMS recovery


 

Conclusion

 

Recovering abandoned carts is one of the easiest ways to boost your sales without acquiring new customers. By understanding how Releasit handles abandoned COD orders and implementing a strong follow-up strategy — whether through calls, SMS, or email — you can recover more orders and grow your business with minimal effort.

 

If you need help setting up abandoned cart recovery, don't hesitate to contact Releasit support — we're here to help!