Hey it’s Idris from Retentiononly.
Most ecom founders treat abandoned cart and abandoned checkout as the same thing. They're not — and that confusion is costing you revenue.
Today I'm breaking down the exact framework we use to build high-converting recovery flows: the settings, the emails and the SMS layer.
If you prefer video, watch the full breakdown here: https://youtu.be/LapwNJ7Bhyw
Cart vs. Checkout — Why It Matters
Abandoned Cart = someone adds to cart but never starts checkout.
Abandoned Checkout = someone starts checkout but doesn't complete the purchase.
The checkout audience has higher buying intent. Treat them differently:
Cart emails link back to the cart. Checkout emails link to the checkout.
Abandoned checkout can also capture new visitors who entered their email at checkout, expanding your recoverable audience, while the abandoned cart flow only captures current subscribers and customers.
The 3-Email Framework
Both flows use the same timing: 20 min → 1 day → 1 day.
Email 1 — Reminder + Social Proof. Remind them what they left behind. Add 2–3 authentic reviews that mention the results your customers actually care about. CTA above the fold.
Here is a great example from Dr. Squatch
Email 2 — Urgency + Risk Reversal.
Shift the angle. Lead with benefits, then hit risk reversal hard: "You get the result, or you get your money back." CTA above the fold.
Here is a great example
Email 3 — 10% Discount + Social Proof. Your closer. Emails 1 and 2 already converted the high-intent buyers at full price. The 10% captures fence-sitters who'd otherwise be lost. That's net-new revenue.
Here is a great email from Obvi
If you want access to more Abandoned Cart & Checkout Flow Emails, then click here to open our Miro Board »»»
In every email: CTA above the fold. Social proof with real reviews. Risk reversal mentioned prominently, not buried in fine print. Address the top objections directly.
Add a Separate SMS Layer
Keep SMS flows separate from email flows so you can track and optimize each channel independently.
Send each SMS 4 hours after the corresponding email. Email is free — let it do the heavy lifting first.
SMS 1: Reminder + risk reversal (money-back guarantee)
SMS 2: Urgency + social proof ("Join 550K+ happy customers")
SMS 3: 10% off with an auto-apply link (people can't copy individual words from SMS, make it one click)
Three rules: no emojis, no images (converts to MMS at 3x the cost), and never just state the discount code, always auto-apply it via the link.
Flow Settings (Don't Skip This)
Re-entry: 7 days
Filter out anyone who placed an order since starting the flow
Filter out emails that bounced 3+ times in the last 180 days (protects your deliverability)
That's the framework. No complicated logic, no aggressive discounting upfront, just the right message at the right time + marketing psychology.
If your store has traffic, this is one of the fastest wins you can implement this week.
Full video breakdown: https://youtu.be/LapwNJ7Bhyw
Talk soon.
Cheers,
Idris
P.S.
If you run an ecommerce brand doing at least $100k/mo USD and you want have to have a free audit to uncover problems and hidden opportunities to generate more revenue and profits with email marketing, book a call here ».