COD to prepaid

Offers a customer who just confirmed a cash on delivery order the chance to pay online instead, inside WhatsApp. If they have not paid after a while, a reminder follows.

A prepaid order is one that cannot be refused at the door for lack of cash. Every COD order that becomes prepaid is one less parcel that might come back.

The two messages

flowchart LR
    C["Customer taps Confirm Order"] --> R["COD Payment Request"]
    R -->|"Pays in WhatsApp"| P["Order tagged AiSensy_WAPayment_Paid in Shopify"]
    R -->|"Does not pay"| M["COD Payment Reminder<br/>after 6 h, 12 h or 1 day"]
    M -->|"Pays"| P
    M -->|"Does not pay"| D["Delivered as COD"]

Before you start

• COD order confirmation must be on. The payment request is sent when a customer confirms, so without it nothing triggers. See COD order confirmation.
• WhatsApp payments must be connected. The customer pays inside WhatsApp, so payments have to be set up first. See WhatsApp payments.
• You need an order details template. Only the order details template type can be used for these messages. See Order details.

Set it up

1. Go to Ecomm+ → Confirmation Flow.
2. Click the pencil icon on COD Payment Request.

3. Pick an order details template, or submit a new one with the order details template type, and map its variables.

4. Turn it on.
5. Click the pencil icon on COD Payment Reminder, pick its template, and choose when it sends: after 6 hours, 12 hours or 1 day. You can pick only one.

6. Turn it on. It needs the payment request on.

The templates

COD Payment Request

Hi {{1}},

Thank you for confirming your order {{2}}. We are getting it ready for delivery.

If you would rather pay now, you can pay online right here in WhatsApp, and you will not need cash at the door.

Either way, your order is on its way. Thank you for shopping with us.

COD Payment Reminder

The reminder uses the same two variables.

Word it as an option, not a demand: "If it's easier, you can still pay online. No action needed if you prefer cash on delivery."

How it is measured

When a customer pays in WhatsApp, their order in Shopify is tagged AiSensy_WAPayment_Paid. Filter your orders by that tag to see how many COD orders turned prepaid.

Compare that with the number of COD orders confirmed in the same period. The share that paid is the number to watch.

When to use it

Turn it on as soon as WhatsApp payments are connected and COD confirmation is running.

Offer, never pressure. Customers choose cash on delivery for a reason: they do not trust paying first, or they do not have a card. A message that sounds like paying online is required breaks the trust the confirmation just built. Say clearly that COD still stands.

Send it right after the confirmation. The customer is in the chat, has just tapped a button, and is thinking about this order. That is the moment they are most likely to pay.

One reminder is enough. If they did not pay after the request and one reminder, they want to pay on delivery. Let them.

Consider a small reason to switch. Some stores offer faster dispatch, or a small discount, for paying now. If you do, say it in the first line, because it is the only thing in the message the customer did not already know. Keep it about this order: an offer on future purchases turns the message into marketing.