What should a WhatsApp COD confirmation message include?

The order number, total price, delivery address, and a simple yes/no reply option. Adding a delivery date and time window further reduces returns caused by the buyer being unavailable.

Do WhatsApp COD confirmation messages need approval?

Yes. Messages sent outside the 24-hour customer service window must use a pre-approved WhatsApp template. Submit templates through your Business API provider — approval is usually fast.

How many times should I follow up on an unconfirmed COD order?

Once, roughly 12-24 hours after the initial message, with a clear cutoff time. Repeated unanswered follow-ups risk your number's WhatsApp quality rating without meaningfully improving confirmation rates.

WhatsApp COD Confirmation Message Templates (Copy & Use)

The message you send to confirm a cash-on-delivery order matters as much as sending one at all. A vague or pushy template gets ignored or reported; a clear, low-friction one gets a fast yes/no and cuts return-to-origin (RTO). Here are templates you can adapt, plus what makes them work.

Want to size the impact first? Use our free COD RTO cost calculator to see what unconfirmed orders are costing you.

Template 1: Basic order confirmation

"Hi {{name}}, thanks for your order #{{order_id}}! Please confirm: deliver to {{address}} for {{amount}} COD? Reply YES to confirm or NO to cancel."

Keep it under 300 characters, put the order number and price up front, and make the reply binary — yes/no gets a far higher response rate than an open-ended question.

Template 2: Confirmation with delivery window

"Hi {{name}}, your order #{{order_id}} ({{amount}} COD) is ready to ship. We'll deliver on {{delivery_date}} between {{time_window}}. Reply YES to confirm or reschedule."

Adding a concrete delivery window reduces "buyer unavailable" RTO — the second-biggest cause after fake or unsure orders.

Template 3: Follow-up for unconfirmed orders

"Hi {{name}}, we haven't heard back on order #{{order_id}}. We'll hold your order until {{deadline}} — reply YES to confirm or it will be cancelled automatically."

Send this once, 12-24 hours after the first message. Don't send a third follow-up — repeated unanswered messages hurt your WhatsApp quality rating.

What to include in every template

Order number and total — buyers verify before replying.
A clear yes/no or single-tap action, not an open question.
Delivery address so the buyer can catch mistakes before dispatch.
A cutoff time for follow-ups, so unconfirmed orders don't sit in limbo.

Getting templates approved

WhatsApp Business API messages outside the 24-hour customer service window must use pre-approved template messages. Submit these through your provider's dashboard — approval typically takes minutes to a few hours. For the full setup process, see our guide on reducing COD RTO with WhatsApp, and compare tools built for this on our best WhatsApp COD confirmation apps page.