The Cart Recovery Timing Window Most Stores Get Wrong

Most cart recovery flows are copied from email best practices — a first nudge at 24 hours. On WhatsApp, that window is far too slow. Purchase intent on a messaging channel decays much faster than it does on email.

Data across Convoyn merchants points to a sweet spot: a first nudge between 20 and 45 minutes after abandonment, timed to catch someone who has genuinely moved on to something else rather than someone still mid-checkout on another tab.

The message itself matters less than most brands assume — a simple "still thinking it over?" with the cart contents outperforms heavier discount-led copy in most categories. Save the discount for a second message, sent only if the first goes unanswered after 24 hours.

Cap it at two messages. A third nudge measurably increases opt-outs without a meaningful lift in recovered revenue.