Messaging for ecommerce and retail
Confirm orders, keep buyers updated until delivery, recover carts and answer product questions on the channels your customers already use, from one platform.
A cash-on-delivery confirmation on WhatsApp. Synthetic brand and sample data.
Short answer
Updated
OmniChannels.ai helps online stores and retailers send order confirmations, shipping updates, cash-on-delivery confirmations, cart reminders and promotions over WhatsApp, RCS rich cards and SMS, with fallback between them. WhatsApp catalogs and interactive messages let customers browse and order in the chat, while Instagram and Messenger DMs land in the shared Omni Inbox. Chatbots handle order status and returns, and agents take the rest.
What stores send with OmniChannels.ai
Order confirmations
Send an order summary on WhatsApp, RCS or SMS the moment checkout completes, triggered from your store through the API or webhooks.
Cash-on-delivery confirmation
Ask COD buyers to confirm with one button before you ship, and route cancellations or address changes to an agent.
Shipping and delivery updates
Notify customers when an order ships, is out for delivery and arrives, with a tracking link and SMS fallback.
Abandoned-cart reminders
Remind opted-in shoppers about items left in the cart with a WhatsApp template or RCS card that links back to checkout.
Promotions with rich cards
Run sale and launch campaigns with RCS carousels, WhatsApp media templates or SMS, with bulk, personalised or scheduled sending.
WhatsApp catalogs and ordering
Share your catalog in the chat, and use interactive lists, buttons and WhatsApp Flows to take orders and collect details.
Instagram and Messenger DMs
Answer product questions from Instagram and Facebook in the same inbox as WhatsApp, with one thread per customer.
Returns and order-status bots
Let a chatbot or AI agent look up an order, start a return or exchange, and hand over to a person for exceptions.
Arabic and English messages
Send templates and replies in Arabic and English, with Unicode SMS for Arabic text.
Which channel for which message
Pick the channel by message type, then add fallback. WhatsApp templates and marketing messages need opt-in and Meta approval.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Order confirmation | WhatsApp utility template with the order summary, falling back to SMS so every buyer receives it. |
| Cash-on-delivery confirmation | WhatsApp with confirm and cancel buttons, or RCS suggested replies, with SMS and a reply keyword as fallback. Fewer unconfirmed parcels go out. |
| Shipping and delivery updates | WhatsApp or RCS with a tracking button, falling back to SMS with a short link. |
| Abandoned-cart reminder | WhatsApp marketing template or RCS rich card for opted-in shoppers; email for customers without messaging consent. |
| Promotions and launches | RCS carousels and WhatsApp media templates for visual offers, SMS for reach on any phone. Respect opt-outs and local quiet hours. |
| Pre-sale questions and returns | Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp in the Omni Inbox, with a chatbot for order status and returns. |
How a store goes live
- 1
Map the order journey
List each message from checkout to delivery and returns, and decide which ones are transactional and which are marketing.
- 2
Connect channels
Connect your WhatsApp Business account, Instagram and Facebook Page, register SMS sender IDs and verify your RCS brand.
- 3
Approve templates and build the catalog
Submit order, shipping and COD templates in Arabic and English, and set up your WhatsApp catalog.
- 4
Integrate your store
Trigger messages from your store or order system through the REST API, and receive delivery status through webhooks.
- 5
Add bots and campaigns
Launch an order-status and returns bot, then plan cart reminders and promotions for opted-in customers.
Is OmniChannels.ai right for your store?
A good fit when
- You sell online in the GCC, MENA or globally and customers ask questions on WhatsApp and Instagram.
- A share of your orders are cash on delivery and need confirming before dispatch.
- You want order updates and promotions on WhatsApp, RCS and SMS from one platform.
- Several agents answer the same WhatsApp number and social accounts.
Good to know before you start
- Marketing messages, including cart reminders, need opt-in, and customers must be able to opt out.
- WhatsApp templates need Meta approval, and the 24-hour service window limits free-form replies.
- RCS reaches only supported Android devices and networks, so keep SMS as fallback.
- Connecting your store uses the REST API and webhooks, so plan some development time for the integration.
Ecommerce messaging questions
Can customers order inside WhatsApp?
Yes. You can share a WhatsApp catalog and use interactive lists, buttons and WhatsApp Flows to collect the order details. Payment and fulfilment stay in your store system, connected through the API.
How does COD confirmation work?
When a cash-on-delivery order is placed, your system triggers a WhatsApp template with confirm and cancel buttons. Confirmed orders go to dispatch; cancellations and address changes go to an agent. SMS with a reply keyword covers customers without WhatsApp.
Are abandoned-cart messages allowed on WhatsApp?
Yes, as marketing templates sent to customers who opted in to marketing messages. Keep them relevant, limit how often you send them, and include a way to opt out.
Should we use RCS or WhatsApp for promotions?
Use both where they fit. RCS shows branded rich cards and carousels in the Android messaging app, with automatic SMS fallback. WhatsApp suits audiences who chat with you there. Our comparison guide covers the trade-offs.
Can Instagram DMs and WhatsApp share one inbox?
Yes. Instagram DMs, Messenger and WhatsApp land in the Omni Inbox with one thread per customer, so agents see past orders and questions in one place.
Can a bot handle returns?
Yes. A chatbot or AI agent can look up an order through your API, check the return policy, collect the reason and start the return, then hand exceptions to a person with the history kept.
Guides on this topic
- MarketingWhatsApp for Ecommerce: Order Updates, Carts and COD Confirmation8 min read
- MarketingConversational Commerce: How to Sell Through Chat, End to End8 min read
- SMS & OTPWhatsApp vs SMS vs RCS: Which Channel for OTP and Marketing?8 min read
Explore more of the platform
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