Abandoned checkout recovery
Talk to the shopper who almost bought
A shopper who typed their email or phone number into checkout was one step from paying. ACR notices when that checkout goes quiet, reaches out on the channel you choose, and stops as soon as the order comes in.
The channels this campaign can use
- Voice call
- SMS
- WhatsAppnot yet on
How a question about shipping becomes an order
Example: checkout link sent0:00 / 0:30
How the checkout is picked up
30 min
of no activity on a checkout, by default, before it counts as abandoned
3
ways a shopper is matched: your store's id, then email, then phone
1
campaign per checkout: the first one, in your order, that accepts the shopper
Defaults and rules, not results.
- Still no order
- Inside the shopper's hours
- Consent on file
- Not on the suppression list
- Country allowed
- STOP and HELP first
- Hand-off not requested
- Cooldown passed
- Dispatch limit not reached
- State calling rules
Why checkouts stall
Some checkouts stall on a question
Shipping cost, delivery time, the right size, whether a code still works. A reminder email repeats the cart; it can't answer any of those.
A short call or a text that can be answered gets to the question. The agent knows what is in the cart and what your store's policies are, and it can send the checkout link back while the shopper is still deciding.
Let's compare
A phone call vs. a reminder email vs. an exit pop-up
Three common ways to follow up a checkout, by what each one can do.
| Question | ACR call and text | Reminder email | Exit pop-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reaches the shopper after they leave | Yes, by phone, text or email | Yes, by email | No, only while they are on the page |
| Answers a question about the order | Yes, from your instructions and FAQs | No | No |
| Knows what is in the cart | Yes | Yes, usually | Sometimes |
| Offers a discount | Only the codes you allow, only when relevant | If you build it in | Often, to everyone who sees it |
| Respects the shopper's local hours | Yes, with state rules on top | Sends whenever it is scheduled | Not applicable |
| Stops when the order arrives | Yes, every waiting step is cancelled | Depends on the flow | Not applicable |
Reaches the shopper after they leave
ACR call and text
Yes, by phone, text or email
Reminder email
Yes, by email
Exit pop-up
No, only while they are on the page
Answers a question about the order
ACR call and text
Yes, from your instructions and FAQs
Reminder email
No
Exit pop-up
No
Knows what is in the cart
ACR call and text
Yes
Reminder email
Yes, usually
Exit pop-up
Sometimes
Offers a discount
ACR call and text
Only the codes you allow, only when relevant
Reminder email
If you build it in
Exit pop-up
Often, to everyone who sees it
Respects the shopper's local hours
ACR call and text
Yes, with state rules on top
Reminder email
Sends whenever it is scheduled
Exit pop-up
Not applicable
Stops when the order arrives
ACR call and text
Yes, every waiting step is cancelled
Reminder email
Depends on the flow
Exit pop-up
Not applicable
How it works
From a quiet checkout to a confirmed order in five steps
Each step is logged on the run, so you can see what happened and why.
Step 1: The checkout comes in
Your Shopify store sends each checkout and order to ACR as it happens.Step 2: It goes quiet
After the abandonment window with no activity, the checkout counts as abandoned.Step 3: A campaign takes it
Your campaigns are checked in order. The first one that accepts the shopper starts a run.Step 4: The agent reaches out
Calls, texts and emails follow the sequence, each checked again just before it goes.Step 5: The order ends it
The order cancels any step still waiting and is matched to the campaign that earned it.
From the people who built it
We built ACR first for the stores Growth Dept already runs. By the time a shopper reaches their checkout, those stores have usually paid for the ads that brought them there, so a lost checkout is the costliest place to lose them.
Before you ask
Things stores ask before saying yes
Something not covered here?
Ask us on a call, or read the full list of questions.
- 01
When does a checkout count as abandoned?
After 30 minutes with no activity on it, by default. The window is set on a campaign’s trigger; when several live campaigns share a lead source, a checkout uses the shortest of their windows. - 02
What is the difference between an abandoned cart and an abandoned checkout?
A cart is what a shopper added. A checkout is when they started paying, and that is usually when they typed an email or phone number. ACR works from checkouts because that is when there is someone to reach and a sign that they meant to buy. More on the difference. - 03
Does the agent say it is an AI?
Whenever a shopper asks whether it is a person, it says it is an AI, and that part cannot be switched off. Whether it also says so when it introduces itself is a campaign setting, off by default. - 04
What happens if the shopper doesn't answer the call?
The sequence moves on. In the recommended sequence a text follows five minutes later and an email an hour after that, with another round over the next days, if the shopper has consented to each channel. - 05
Will this replace my Klaviyo or other email and text flows?
No. Keep the flows that work. Add ACR for the shoppers those flows didn’t convert, and set the timing so a shopper doesn’t hear from both at once. How to line them up. - 06
When does outreach stop?
When an order arrives for that shopper, when they opt out, when they ask for a person and the conversation is handed to your team, or when the sequence runs out. - 07
When will ACR call or text?
The recommended schedule is 8 am to 9 pm in the shopper’s local time. Stricter state and country rules, public holidays and per-state daily call limits apply on top. You can set your own days and hours instead, and the legal limits still apply. - 08
How is a recovered order counted?
An order that uses a campaign’s discount code counts for that campaign, whether or not ACR reached that shopper, so give each campaign its own codes. Without a code, it counts for the campaign that last engaged the shopper within the attribution window, 14 days by default. Each order counts once. - 09
How do I connect a Shopify store?
Install the Growth Dept ACR app from the link we send you. It creates your store in ACR and starts sending checkouts and orders. Brands that already work with Growth Dept connect through their existing setup instead.
Every abandoned checkout deserves a question
Bring a week of abandoned checkouts to a call. We will look at them with you and tell you whether a conversation would help.
Want to see the pricing first? See how pricing works