The Abandoned Cart module of the "iSend SMS for WooCommerce" plugin records every cart that starts in your store, marks it as abandoned if it is not completed within a time you set, and sends the customer SMS reminders with a link that refills their cart and takes them to checkout. The phone number is stored only with the customer's explicit consent, sends respect quiet hours, and every message has an opt-out link.
How it collects consent for the phone number
The cart is recorded for every visitor, but the phone number is stored only when the customer, at checkout, verifies their number with an OTP code and ticks the consent checkbox. The platform then keeps the number, the source, the date and time, the exact consent text and the IP. If the customer unticks the checkbox, consent is withdrawn and the cart will not receive SMS. A phone number can also be attached to the cart from a submission of the platform's popup.
Without consent nothing is sent. This means the module also needs the OTP Verification module active at checkout, so that a verified number exists.
The settings
On the iSend SMS, Abandoned Cart page:
| Setting | Range | Default | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Considered abandoned after | 15 to 1440 minutes | 30 minutes | How long the plugin waits without completion before marking the cart |
| Maximum number of reminders | 1 to 5 | 2 | How many SMS the customer will receive for the same cart |
| Reminder interval | 1 to 168 hours | 24 hours | Time between two reminders |
| Quiet hours | Toggle | On | Blocks sends during the hours defined by Greek law |
| Sending window | Hours | 09:00 to 21:00 | Your own window, also accepts hours that cross midnight |
| Cleanup | 7 to 365 days | 30 days | Deletion of old carts |
The quiet hours the plugin applies are 15:00 to 17:30 and 23:00 to 07:00 in the summer period, April to September, and 15:30 to 17:30 and 22:00 to 07:30 in winter. A reminder that would fall inside them goes out right after.
A configuration that works for most e-shops: abandonment at 60 minutes, 2 reminders, 24-hour interval, window 10:00 to 21:00.
The texts and the recovery link
You set separate text for the first and the second reminder. The following ones, if any, use the text of the first. Variables: {first_name}, {products} for the first three products, {item_count}, {cart_total} in Greek number format, {recovery_url} or {recovery_link} for the short link, {discount_code}, {shop_name}.
First reminder:
{first_name}, you left {products} in your cart ({cart_total}€). Complete your order: {recovery_link}
Second reminder, with coupon:
Your cart is waiting for you. {item_count} products, {cart_total}€. With code {discount_code} you get 10% off: {recovery_link}
When the customer clicks the link, their current cart is emptied, the products they had left are put back in, the coupon is applied if you have set automatic application, and they land on the checkout page. Products that sold out in the meantime are skipped. The cart is marked "Clicked", and if an order is completed, "Recovered".
Every cart SMS contains an opt-out link. If your text does not have the {unsubscribe_url} variable, it is added automatically at the end. Anyone who clicks it goes onto the plugin's permanent blocklist and never receives a cart reminder again.
The cart list
On the Carts page you see the carts with three statistics, active, recovered and clicked, and for each cart the customer, the phone number, the consent source and date, the products, the total, how many SMS have been sent and the status. From there you send a manual reminder to an active cart or delete records.
A/B tests
In the iSend platform you create variants of the cart message, with different text, delay, interval and weight percentage. The plugin syncs them with the Sync Now button and assigns each new cart to one variant at random. The Cart A/B Test page shows per variant how many were sent, how many clicks and how many recoveries. When a variant is declared the winner in the platform, with at least a 20% better recovery rate after enough sends, only that one is used from then on.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some carts have no phone number?
Because the customer did not reach checkout, did not verify their number with OTP or did not tick the consent checkbox. The plugin records the cart for statistical purposes, but without consent it does not send SMS. The earlier in the checkout you ask for the number, the more carts can be recovered.
How much does recovery cost?
Each reminder is one SMS, one credit per part. With two reminders per cart and 100 abandoned carts per month, the cost is up to 200 credits. The Carts page shows how many were recovered, so you can compare with the revenue that came back.
Can the coupon be used by everyone by mistake?
The coupon is applied only through the recovery link of the specific cart. Create it in WooCommerce with restrictions, e.g. one use per customer and an expiration date, so it does not spread. Good practice is a first reminder without a coupon and a second with a coupon, so customers do not learn to abandon the cart for a discount.