11 inspiring order confirmation email examples (and best practices)

An order confirmation email is a crucial transactional email that confirms a customer’s order has been placed successfully. This email typically shares critical details like an order summary and sometimes, an invoice or receipt.

Order confirmation emails are incredibly crucial for your store’s smooth operations. They keep your customers in the know and stop them from overwhelming your customer support team with queries related to their purchases. 

A well-executed confirmation email strategy can also support your brand-building efforts and potentially boost sales through cross-selling and upselling. But at the same time, there are some GDPR and CCPA regulations you need to keep in mind when writing your order confirmation email.

This article will share 11 inspiring order confirmation emails along with the best practices and regulations you must follow to get the most out of these campaigns. 

What is an order confirmation email?

An order confirmation email is an email sent to a customer immediately after they’ve placed an order. The email confirms that your store has received and is processing the order. 

An order confirmation email is one of the various email campaigns called transactional emails. These emails are triggered by customers’ actions in your store. For example, the order confirmation email is sent once the customer has completed their purchase and your store has processed their payment.

The confirmation email serves as proof of purchase. It is the equivalent of the receipt you’d typically receive after buying something at a brick-and-mortar store. The email allows your online customers to view the items they’ve purchased, the amount charged, and the expected delivery date. 

Here’s a nice example of an order confirmation email. 

Order confirmation emails are extremely important because they: 

1. Reassure customers

Unlike a brick-and-mortar store, where customers buy something and walk out with it, online purchases have a critical gap between the customer placing an order and receiving their items. Customers may experience uncertainty during this period, which is why reliable communication is so vital. 

Order confirmation emails are deployed immediately after the customer has placed their order. These emails instill trust and get rid of anxiety by giving online shoppers a summary of their order and a timeframe for when their order will be fulfilled. It boosts customer satisfaction and can help you get more positive product reviews.

2. Drive engagement

Customers expect order confirmation emails. They want to see that your store captured the correct items. They want to know how much they were charged, a digital receipt, and when they can expect the items to arrive at their doorstep. 

As such, these emails see high engagement rates. This is why smart marketers use these emails to reinforce their brand story. 

As you’ll see in the purchase confirmation email examples below, some brands take advantage of the high engagement rates to collect customer feedback, ask customers to follow their socials, and even promote other products.

3. Ensure compliance

According to GDPR and CCPA regulations, brands are not required to obtain explicit consent from customers to send them order confirmation emails. That’s because these email confirmations are considered crucial for a company to fulfill its contractual obligations to the customer.  

Customers also expect receipts or invoices from your store for tax purposes. They’ll need to submit these documents when filing their returns. In many cases, invoices are included in the order confirmation emails. 

There is some nuance to consider, however. We’ll talk more about when consent might be necessary when sending transactional emails below.

4. Reduce customer support load

If a customer doesn’t get clear details about their order within a few minutes of placing it, they’ll start reaching out to your support team. This is an unnecessary workload for your customer service team. 

Confirmation emails, along with the follow-ups that confirm shipping and delivery details, prevent that from happening. 

5. Present upselling and cross-selling opportunities

You can also use order-confirmation emails to upsell or cross-sell other items in your store. 

This is one of the best ways to increase the average order value. For example, you can ask customers to add a complementary item to their order within a specified period to have it shipped together with the confirmed order. Incentives like special discounts can be used to boost conversations.

You should know that once you start promoting items in your order confirmation email, it becomes a marketing email under GDPR regulations. As such, you’re expected to follow email marketing regulations, like obtaining the customer’s explicit consent. 

Given the grave importance of confirmation messages, these campaigns must be automated to ensure they’re delivered efficiently. For that, you will need reliable email marketing automation tools that support transactional emails. These tools must guarantee high deliverability to ensure that the emails reach the recipients’ inboxes (not the spam folder) without any delays. 

Elements of an order confirmation email 

Here is what to include in an order confirmation email:

1. Order number

The order number is auto-generated by your system once the order has been placed. This unique identifier is crucial for things like customer inquiries in case there is an issue with the order.

Ideally, the order tracking number should be included in the email subject line and once again in the header of the email body. 

2. Order summary

This is where the finer details of the order are included. The summary provides a breakdown of the items purchased, including their names, quantities, images, and prices of each item.

The summary can also include the order date as well as the size and color of the items, where applicable, e.g., if it’s an apparel store. 

3. Billing breakdown

The billing or cost breakdown provides all the costs associated with the order. You’ll have the total for all the items bought, shipping costs, and taxes, if they’re not included in the unit prices.

In addition, any discounts or offers applied may be included in this summary. So you may include a line item showing the amount deducted thanks to the discount.   

4. Payment information

This section shows the customer how the order was paid for. It can share redacted details of the credit card used to pay for the order, for example.

It’s also going to point out exactly how much was charged to that card, or any other online payment method the customer may have used.

5. Shipping details

The customer will see the shipping method they picked in this section, e.g., standard or priority shipping. The shipping address they entered while placing their order will also be displayed here.

Lastly, details on the estimated delivery date are included here. Typically, the customer will receive follow-up emails with additional delivery details. For example, they’ll get an order delivery confirmation when their orders are out for delivery and once they’ve been delivered. 

6. Business contact information

Finally, the email shares your business details, including your address and customer support information. An engaging order confirmation email will ask customers to get in touch in case they require further assistance with their order.

It can also include helpful resources, such as an order tracking link and a link to an FAQ section, where customers can learn more about your return policy and warranty. 

A link to the order confirmation page can also be included within these emails. Buyers can go to this page and request changes if there’s an issue with something like the customer’s address, for example.

Let’s look at how these elements come together to form engaging confirmation emails. 

11 order confirmation email examples

Here are some of our favorite order confirmation emails.

1. River Island – A simple order confirmation email

River Island’s order confirmation email is a good example of a simple, focused email that gets the job done. The email begins with a short copy confirming to the customer that they’ve received the order. It also shares the billing address and an estimated delivery date, which will likely be confirmed through follow-up shipping and delivery emails. 

What’s most interesting is the links to helpful resources at the bottom of the email. The brand shares resources that provide additional details regarding the order, delivery, returns, and overall FAQs. This is a clever way to address potential customer queries and reduce the number of customers who need to contact the support team. 

2. Haoma – A confirmation email that connects to the brand’s mission

This is an excellent example of a company that is vocal about its brand values, even in order confirmation emails. The confirmation email links back to the brand’s vision, which is to provide natural, plant-based products that support the environment.

It tells customers that they’ve just planted one tree by buying Haoma’s products. After sharing the standard order confirmation details, it provides additional information about their mission. 

They reference a study that shows humans can offset rising global temperatures by planting a billion trees by 2050. They inform customers about what they’re doing to be part of that movement, i.e., they plant a tree for every Haoma product bought. 

You can do something similar with your order confirmation emails. Instead of just sharing the order details, include additional information about your store’s big mission, i.e., how has the customer’s purchase made them part of something bigger and impactful? 

3. Cometeer – An order confirmation email promoting a referral program

Cometeer takes advantage of an order confirmation’s high engagement rates to promote its customer referral program. After sharing the order details at the top, the brand includes a section showing users how they can earn an extra $25 and get their friends $25 off through the referral link. 

Experiment with this type of promotion in your order confirmation email. You can run an A/B test to see whether your customers will respond better to a referral program or upsell/cross-sell, for example. This is a great way to unlock more value from an otherwise standard transactional email. 

4. Etsy – A purchase confirmation email from a marketplace

The order confirmation email example from Etsy is much bigger than normal because of how Etsy works. Etsy is a marketplace, so they have their own details that need to be included in the email. Then the store owner also needs to include their details related to returns and the order.

Still, the email has a few interesting things we can learn from. 

First, the email opens with a very vibrant and exciting tone. Remember, order confirmation emails don’t have to be too buttoned up and boring. 

After the order details, Etsy includes a vital line reminding customers that they offset carbon emissions from every delivery. 

Below that, we have shop information, which starts with a personal message from the store owner. Towards the bottom, we see the store cross-selling other products. They also offer free shipping as an incentive for customers to return to the store and place more orders. 

5. Crate & Barrel – A confirmation email with cross-sells

Crate & Barrel is another brand that sends a simple order confirmation email, but doesn’t waste time using it to promote their other products and brands. 

At the bottom of the email, you can see images and links to some of their best sellers. They’ve also included links to their other brands, Land of Nod and CB2. 

If we were to change something about this email, we would include the prices of the promoted products. It may also be a good idea to include a special offer for these products. The customer has already spent some amount with the brand. We can encourage them to go back and pick a few more items that have been discounted just for them. 

6. Travel Lodge – A hotel confirmation email

This is an example of an order confirmation email from a hotel. The email confirms that the customer’s reservation has been placed successfully. It also shares additional information that the visitor needs to know about their stay at the hotel. 

The email includes a booking confirmation number and shares a link where they can edit their reservation if necessary (and the deadline for doing so). 

Note that the email includes a drop-down section at the bottom. This is a clever way to help customers find answers to FAQs within the email, so they don’t need to visit the website. 

You can try something similar with your eCommerce order confirmation emails, especially if you want to reduce the number of outgoing links from the email to your website.  

7. Postmates – A basic order confirmation email with a receipt

The purchase confirmation email from Postmates comes with an attached receipt that customers can download as a PDF. Additionally, the brand includes a CTA at the top inviting customers to rate the product. 

That said, the approach of collecting customer feedback within the order confirmation email may not work for brands where customers need time to use the product. For example, if a customer bought an electronic from your store, it makes sense to give them a few days to experience the product before they can share an objective product review.

The exception, of course, is if you’re only interested in feedback regarding the buying experience. So if you want to know how easy it was to find products in your store, add them to the cart, complete the payment, and even get them delivered, you can collect that feedback in the order and delivery confirmation emails.   

8. Green Chef – A confirmation email for stores with subscription products

This is an inspiring order confirmation email for ecommerce stores with a subscription business model. When a customer signs up for the first time, they want to understand how the model works and what they should expect moving forward.

The registration confirmation email from Green Chef captures that perfectly. 

It shows when the first order will be delivered, when the customer will be charged, and how they can make changes to their order before the cutoff time. More importantly, it explains how the customer can expect their recurring orders. 

At the bottom, customers are invited to refer their friends and get a $25 store credit. 

Use this subscription confirmation email structure as a guide if your eCommerce store has a subscription product. 

9. Dick’s – A simple confirmation email with cross-sells

This email from Dick’s is the first of a series of confirmation emails. It shares an order summary and shipping information, with follow-up emails expected to share updates on the delivery status.

The brand also includes a “You might also like” section to cross-promote other products. Customer support contact details are also included for customers with questions related to the order. 

10. Placemkr – An order confirmation email with social proof

The Placemkr booking confirmation email example provides a step-by-step guide on what users can expect in the days leading up to their stay. It also includes a CTA that directs customers to a Google map for directions.

What we found most interesting with this email is the customer review included at the bottom. 

This review helps with removing any buyer’s remorse the customer might feel. It’s especially important considering that the customers have only paid a small percentage of the reservation amount, not the full amount. That means they can back out at any time before. The review reaffirms the customer that they’re making the right decision reserving this property.

Take a page out of Placemkr’s playbook and include social proof in your order confirmation emails. It can go a long way towards boosting customer confidence. You can include a quote from a customer testimonial or star rating snapshot to remind new buyers that other satisfied customers love that product.

11. Huckberry – A heavily branded order confirmation email

Order confirmation emails don’t have to be plain with zero branding. As the Huckberry confirmation email above demonstrates, you can incorporate your branding style into your confirmation emails. 

Also, unlike most eCommerce stores that only promote other products customers can buy, Huckberry includes links to helpful blog posts and guides.

The Huckberry order confirmation email template is a good option for any brand that wants to leverage its transactional emails to boost brand recognition. Adding links to educational resources is also a nice touch if you sell products that require specialized know-how to use.

How to write an order confirmation email

Follow these best practices to build successful order confirmation email campaigns.

1. Write clear subject lines

Your subject line should lead with the order number, so customers can immediately know what the email is about. 

Once that is done, follow other subject line best practices. For example, make sure the subject line is between 30 and 50 characters. You can also use some emojis and engaging words to get your customers excited about their new purchases. 

Some good examples include “Confirmation Alert: Your Order [order number] Is on Its Way! 🥳” and “Hooray! Your Order [order number] Is Confirmed! 🎉”

2. Send your order confirmation email immediately

Most of the benefits of confirmation emails we shared above only apply if you send these emails immediately after a purchase is made. Think about it. Your customers will be restless and reach out to your support team if they don’t receive a confirmation for their orders within minutes. This hurts the customer experience and can reduce repeat business. 

That’s why confirmation messages must be automated using a reliable solution to ensure they reach your customers’ inboxes as soon as the order is placed. We’ll show you how to create an order confirmation automation workflow below. 

3. Send follow-up emails with shipping and delivery details

Order fulfillment has several moving parts. Confirming that an order has been placed is only one part of that process. You must send follow-up emails to inform customers about the shipping and delivery.

You can send the first follow-up email once the order has been processed and it’s leaving your warehouse. 

The second email can be deployed once the delivery team marks the order as delivered. Here’s an example of a shipping confirmation email. 

Some brands take this a step further by sending a third email a few days after the delivery, asking for customer feedback. The time delay gives customers sufficient time to experience the product, allowing them to share insightful feedback. 

4. Follow GDPR guidelines

Keep GDPR in mind when creating your order confirmation emails. Remember that these regulations permit brands to send confirmation emails to customers without their consent. However, this only applies when the confirmation email focuses exclusively on the action performed by the customer, i.e., it has to be a purely transactional email. 

Therefore, if you want to use order confirmation emails for other purposes, like upselling and cross-selling products, you must adhere to standard email marketing regulations. This is especially critical if your brand operates in regions that follow GDPR.

5. Maintain brand consistency

Transactional emails are supposed to focus on the specific action performed by the customer. For order confirmation emails, the copy should focus on the order details. 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t infuse your unique brand voice or tone in the copy. Neither does it stop you from showcasing your branding style.

Let your brand voice and tone shine as you craft this copy. If you have a fun, witty voice, maintain it even in your confirmation emails. You’re also free to add a few details about what your brand stands for. We saw this with the Etsy and Haoma examples above.

Of course, you should do this while making sure that the email remains focused on the primary goal, i.e., educating the customer about their order.

Besides the copy itself, let your branding style shine throughout the email by incorporating your brand colors in the header and CTA buttons. This is a great way to reinforce your brand and boost brand recognition. 

6. Include relevant CTAs

An engaging transactional email invites customers to connect with your brand on a deeper level. 

For starters, you need to provide several links related to the order. Add links alongside each item in case users want to go back to your site to view the products. 

Second, add a link to your contact page. This is vital for customers who may have questions related to the order or encounter shipping issues. 

Besides these helpful links, include CTAs that invite customers to take other actions, such as providing feedback, referring your brand to their networks, joining your customer loyalty program, or following your brand on social media. 

This is where A/B testing can be helpful. Experiment with different CTAs to determine which one works best for your unique target audience. 

7. Invest in a reliable transactional email service provider

Lastly, the best way to ensure the success of your order confirmation emails is to invest in a trusted transactional email service provider. Remember that order confirmation emails are one of the different types of transactional emails your business must send to customers. 

Other similar emails you must send are shipping and delivery confirmations, password reset emails, and welcome emails. 

The more customers you get, the more reliable the service provider needs to be to ensure optimal deliverability. Look for a transactional email software that guarantees a 99% deliverability rate. 

The solution should also be able to scale with your needs. For example, if you expect to handle mass transactional emails shortly, you’ll need a provider that supports dedicated IP addresses. 

At GetResponse, we provide transactional emails as a separate add-on that you can include in your existing GetResponse email or Max plan. Pricing is based on your monthly email sends.

Our solution uses API or SMTP triggers to send automated transactional emails. You simply need to connect your eCommerce platform with GetResponse, set the necessary triggers, and configure your messages. Our platform will automatically start sending transactional emails.  

GetResponse integrates with popular eCommerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.

Our reliable infrastructure has ensured a 99% email deliverability for our customers over the last 20 years. We also provide powerful analytics to help you track opens, clicks, and bounce rates. 

Plus, if you sign up for GetResponse Max, you will get a dedicated customer experience manager, deliverability consulting, single sign-on (SSO), a dedicated IP address, and email campaign consulting.

Book a demo today to see how GetResponse can help you deliver order confirmation emails and boost sales with automated cart abandonment campaigns.   

How to automate order confirmation emails on GetResponse

You will need a paid GetResponse plan with the transactional emails add-on to automate order confirmation emails. 

Once you log in, click the “Tools” menu at the top, and then “Automation.” 

Next, click “Create workflow.” That will bring you to this page. 

You’ll find different automation templates here, including a GDPR-compliant order confirmation template. 

Click “Use template” to enter our visual automation builder, where you can customize the workflow. 

As shown above, you can create a split in the automation workflow to target two customer segments. One segment is for customers who have consented to receive marketing messages, and the other for customers who haven’t. 

One workflow sends a confirmation email with upsells and cross-sells to customers who have given their consent. The other segment will receive a purely transactional confirmation email. This ensures that your post-purchase emails remain GDPR compliant at all times. 

In closing

Your customers will have a frustrating experience if they have to contact customer support every time they need updates on their orders. Your business will also waste money and time addressing these customers. It’s an unnecessary headache and expense you don’t need to put yourself through. 

Find a reliable transactional email service provider to automate these communications. And remember to follow the best practices we’ve highlighted above.