11 Order Confirmation Emails That Drive Engagement and Revenue (+ Practical Strategies)
Click—your customer hits the checkout button.
Sounds like music to your ears, right?
But that click should be followed by a ding in their inbox—an acknowledgment that their order has been received and is being processed for shipment.
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This acknowledgment comes in the form of order confirmation emails, which work like a cashier’s reassuring smile.
They tell your customer that their purchase went well, and their money is in good hands.
And when crafted effectively, these emails offer even more: boosting engagement, fostering loyalty, and even leaving customers with a little smile.
Give your shoppers the adrenaline rush they deserve after they click “buy,” and reap the benefits of a well-designed order confirmation email in the process.
Dive into the inspiring examples and actionable strategies below to improve your post-purchase communication.
What is an Order Confirmation Email?
Order confirmation emails are transaction updates that serve as the first touchpoint after a customer completes a purchase.
They simply confirm a sale, while also:
- Conveying legitimacy to your customers, assuring them they’ve purchased from a trustworthy business.
- Verifying that order details and shipping information are accurate.
- Addressing questions or concerns, especially for new customers who are unfamiliar with your brand.
A well-crafted order confirmation email paves the way for a positive post-purchase experience. In fact, post-purchase flows, including order confirmation emails, boast an impressive 61.68% open rate—the highest among all email flows.
They present a unique opportunity to earn trust and leave a lasting impression—just like the examples below.
11 Order Confirmation Email Examples to Inspire Yours
Let’s talk about different ecommerce brands sending out order confirmation emails that do more than confirm a purchase.
I’ll discuss what makes them effective and leave you with actionable takeaways you can implement as soon as you’re done reading this blog post.
1. Athletic Brewing
Athletic Brewing, a non-alcoholic beer company, is brewing up excellence when it comes to sending order confirmation emails.
This example kicks off with a simple yet prominent thank-you message displayed prominently in the email header, followed by a clear breakdown of the purchased items.
At the bottom, you can find several CTAs for shopping, finding a store, and learning about the company’s story that encourages further engagement.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- App invite. Inviting the customer to join the community provides another point of connection to stay engaged with the brand after their purchase.
- Put this into practice: Promote ongoing engagement with your brand after the purchase. It can be something as simple as requesting a follow on social media.
- Discount display. Instead of tacking the discount on at the end, the brand breaks it down, so customers can see the savings per product, with the total clearly emphasized at the end.
- Put this into practice: Show customers how much they’ve saved to reinforce the value of their purchase.
2. MeUndies
MeUndies, an undergarment brand, sends order confirmation emails oozing with personality. It’s short and sweet, with just three core sections: the order summary return policy, and customer support.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- On-brand email copy. The language used is just as fun and quirky as MeUndies’ brand personality. It goes to show that confirmation emails don’t have to be stiff and boring.
- Put this into practice: Inject your brand identity into your confirmation emails. It’s all about consistency.
- Thoughtful return policy callout. The brand doesn’t just mention their generous return period in passing—as most order confirmation emails do. They put it in the spotlight and framed it as a promise.
- Put this into practice: Include any beneficial or unique service offering, such as an extended return period and fast shipping, in your order confirmation email. Don’t treat these valuable perks as an afterthought—use them to differentiate your brand from your competitors.
- Human-centered communication. Calling MeUndies’ support team the “Cheek Squad” suggests there are real (and possibly fun-loving) folks behind the brand willing to help out and strike up some good conversations along the way.
- Put this into practice: Give your support team on-brand names to make the interaction feel personal and exclusive. For brands with a playful personality, creative names work really well. For those with a more refined or formal tone, you can achieve a similar impact using named representatives (see example #5).
3. Dick’s Sporting Goods
The iconic brand Dick’s Sporting Goods delivers order confirmation emails that pack tons of relevant information without overwhelming the customer.
They work because the details are presented clearly and succinctly. The email features: an order summary, order details, return instructions, product recommendations, and contact support options.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Short but clear return instructions. Customers who want to make in-store returns now know they must show in-store staff this order confirmation email. They’ll make sure to hold onto it, instead of deleting or archiving it.
- Put this into practice: Offer practical and relevant instructions in your order confirmation emails, such as how to track orders easily, or redeem loyalty rewards.
- Product recommendations. Dick’s Sporting Goods effectively uses this email to encourage additional purchases and keep their brand top of mind for future needs.
- The takeaway: Suggest product recommendations tailored to the customer’s purchase.
4. Ulta
This order confirmation email example from American cosmetic chain company Ulta balances rich information with a clean, organized design.
It provides delivery updates, contact details, and product information, all neatly presented in a layout aligned with Ulta’s branding.
standout elements
- Product categories. Ulta includes clickable product categories on the email header. These discreet yet accessible buttons allow customers to quickly navigate back to Ulta’s website if they want to have another look (or make another purchase!).
- Put this into practice: Place product categories in subtle, non-intrusive sections like your order confirmation email’s header or footer. Customers can find what they need without cluttering the design with flashy and cluttered product placements.
- Transparent messaging. The main body of the email conveys critical information—delivery timeframe, the possibility of multiple deliveries, a reminder that rewards points will soon reflect in the customer’s account—in a digestible way. Even the fine print steers clear of jargon and cluttered formatting.
- Put this into practice: Be specific and direct when sharing critical information to keep customers in the loop.
5. Burberry
Luxury brands’ email communications always follow a minimalist and sleek design—this order confirmation email example from Burberry is no different.
It displays straightforward content like a thank-you message, detailed order information, cancellation policy, and customs procedure.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Customs notification. Burberry includes a note at the end, advising the shopper that customs might reach out to them for authorization. It’s a helpful reminder that eliminates this potential friction and delivery delay.
- Put this into practice: Provide detailed information about any external factors that could impact the delivery process. If the customer needs to do something on their end to move the process along, let them know ahead of time.
6. Snake River Farms
American Wagyu provider Snake River Farms’ order confirmation example has one of the cleanest layouts.
It’s minimalist like a typical receipt but displays plenty of relevant information such as order details, receipt summary, current loyalty rewards balance, and customer care options.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Delivery date. Since Snake River Farms handles frozen goods, the delivery date is immediately available. Most brands leave this detail for the shipping information email, and some only provide estimates (like 2–3 days or Dec 20–27).
- Put this into practice: Be transparent with shipping for consumable products. Provide an exact delivery date like SRF or include a tracking link as early as the order confirmation email.
- Customer care options. Snake River Farms displays their customer comms channels at the end of the email: email, phone, text, or chat. Doing so gives customers a quick way to connect with the support team, which is especially important when ordering time-sensitive items like consumables.
- The takeaway: Match your communication channels to your customer’s needs. You can manage expectations by including support availability, such as phone operation hours.
7. Huel
Plant-based nutrition brand Huel’s order confirmation example is one of the longest order confirmation emails on the list—but for a good reason.
They’ve thought through all the possible concerns a first-time user might have.
The email includes a brand-consistent hero image, a thank-you note, an order breakdown, an FAQs section, multiple contact methods, and customer service hours.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Holiday rush notification. Highlighting the text, “Please note, during the busy festive period there may be a delay to your order,” demonstrates thoughtful transparency. Customers will appreciate brands that set realistic expectations and honest communication.
- Put this into practice: Include proactive notifications in your emails like expected delivery delays during peak seasons, shipping cutoffs, and special return or exchange policies during the holidays.
- New customer resource. Huel’s powdered meals come with a booklet that walks customers through preparation tips. This thoughtful addition ensures new users start on the right foot. Check it out here.
- Put this into practice: Educate your users on how to use your product effectively. For example: clothing brands suggesting styling options or tech brands providing quick-start guides or usage videos.
- FAQs section. Huel preemptively addresses any questions about product amendments, cancellations, and returns in a clear and concise manner, leaving no room for confusion.
- Put this into practice: When writing FAQs, use simple language to explain the different post-order processes for your audience.
8. ProFlowers
Flower delivery service ProFlowers sends this order confirmation example to their clients.
Since they sell made-to-order products (and perishable ones at that!), transparency is at its core. From setting a delivery date to explaining your order’s journey, they make sure their customers are well-informed.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Clear process overview. ProFlowers, shares a step-by-step overview of what’s to come. They inform customers about receiving two progress indicator emails: one for shipping confirmation and another confirming the giftee has received the surprise.
- Put this into practice: Include a timeline or process overview all the way to delivery—especially if you sell bespoke goods.
- Calendar feature. ProFlowers encourages customers to click a button to add the delivery event to their calendar, which syncs with the reminder service in their account.
- Put this into practice: Offer something thoughtful to help customers stay organized and connected post-purchase. For instance, an online bespoke furniture retailer could share personalized care instructions for a specific item, like a sofa, as a downloadable guide.
9. Harry’s
Grooming kit company Harry’s is the first subscription box service on our list—there’ll be a few more, so stay tuned.
This simple order confirmation email starts with a warm pat on the back, congratulating the subscriber for beginning their subscription plan.
sTANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Excellent product plug. Since the shopper purchased their starter grooming set, Harry’s takes the opportunity to showcase a single complementary product: their razor stand. Its above-the-fold placement makes it hard to miss.
- Put this into practice: Avoid bombarding customers with product offers. Focus on suggesting items that complement their recent purchase, or that they might find interesting.
- Next shipment information. Harry’s clearly outlines when the customer will receive the next shipment for transparency, while also reassuring them that there’ll be a heads-up reminder closer to the shipment date.
- Put this into practice: Use friendly reminders like Harry’s does to help customers stay on top of their subscription commitments.
10. Bump Boxes
I’m showing you two order confirmation examples from pregnancy subscription box Bump Boxes.
The first one doesn’t follow the usual pattern.
Since Bump Boxes sells mystery boxes, it doesn’t feature the typical order summary. Instead, it focuses on the fulfillment stages and a freebie.
The brand, however, sends another email that is more consistent with the norm (see the image on the right).
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Polished email design. Despite being text-heavy, Bump Boxes added visuals and white space to keep the order confirmation email engaging and readable.
- Put this into practice: Use clear sections, white space, and the right amount of visuals when designing your emails.
- Two types of order confirmation emails. Both emails have a unique purpose. One provides a warm-up to the subscription, while the other presents the order summary and details.
- Put this into practice: Create an order confirmation email sequence to split information into digestible chunks.
11. Ritual
The last subscription service brand on the list, multivitamins brand Ritual does a great job designing an order confirmation email that’s simple and action-oriented.
It provides relevant information like the order summary and delivery timeline, along with several ways for customers to stay engaged.
STANDOUT ELEMENTS
- Engaging subject line and dynamic preview text. Ritual avoids the typical “Order Confirmation #00001”, opting for a conversational subject line: We’re getting your Ritual ready. The preview text adds immediate value by indicating the delivery date.
- Put this into practice: Keep your subject lines engaging with conversational or branded language, and make the preview text work as a natural extension
- Multiple engagement opportunities. You get an option to add another product before a specified date to enjoy 5% savings; a button for adjusting the delivery date for the next batch of multivitamins, giving customers flexibility; and a link to their referral program, encouraging customers to spread the word and earn rewards.
- Put this into practice: Design CTAs to serve as subtle cues to transform customers into loyal patrons. Ensure every action encouraged in the email aligns with driving loyalty, increasing average order value, or improving the customer experience.
These order confirmation examples offer inspiration, while the practical takeaways provide clear steps to follow. Let’s take it further with a guide to help you craft your own.
How to Write an Order Confirmation Email That Works
Like the examples above, your order confirmations don’t need to be dry transactional emails.
With the right marketing tips and tools, you can transform them into a relationship-building opportunity. Below is a step-by-step guide so you can create your own stellar order confirmation emails.
But first, let me introduce you to Phitneas Athletics, a fictional active lifestyle brand.
Ellie, their newest customer, orders a Power Grip Resistance Band and a Performance Tee from their website. We’ll use her order confirmation email to outline the best practices for crafting yours.
Let’s start.
Step 1: Start with a compelling subject line
The more compelling your subject lines, the higher your open rate.
A good one shouldn’t sound robotic or overly salesy—else, you’ll earn a one-way ticket to the spam folder.
A direct, matter-of-fact subject line works well for brands with a more formal brand identity or industry-specific context, like pharmacies confirming prescription orders or medical equipment suppliers.
Example: “Your purchase is confirmed – Order #12345”
Lifestyle, fashion, and specialty retail ecommerce stores, on the other hand, can take a more creative approach to foster emotional connections.
Phitneas Athletics, for instance, can go for something more energetic.
Here’s an example sent to a new shopper, Ellie:
| Subject line: Your gear is ready to sweat it out, Elie!💪 |
The goal is to confirm the order while celebrating progress and motivating customers to achieve their fitness goals.
Step 2: Add personalized touches
Using the recipient’s name in your subject lines can increase open rates to 8.92% compared to 8.64% without personalization. Once you’ve hooked customers in, carry this personal connection within the email body.
Here’s how Phitneas Athletics frames their order confirmation message:
| Email body:“Hey Ellie, You’re all set to crush it! 🔥 Thank you for choosing our Power Grip Resistance Band and Performance Tee for your next big session. It’s time to turn up the intensity!” |
This order confirmation order reassures the customers that the correct products have been placed.
It’s concise, to the point, and fuels their anticipation for their next workout.
People love feeling like they matter. So, go beyond just using their name—mention the items they ordered or even acknowledge their great choice (e.g., “Great choice with the red jacket!”).
You can also use their shopping history or preferences to recommend related products. This shows you’re paying attention and helps deepen their connection to your brand.
Step 3: Share order details upfront
Humans have limited cognitive bandwidth—they can only process and retain a finite amount of information at once.
So, don’t overload your order confirmation emails with text-heavy emails or dense content blocks.
Always include the basics: order number, item details, estimated delivery date, and support contact info.
These are the details that save customers from confusion—and your team from unnecessary support tickets.
If you’re adding cross-sell suggestions, keep it light. A “You might also like…” section with just a couple of related products does the trick without feeling pushy.
Phitneas Athletics keeps theirs neat with enough whitespace to improve readability. The athletic brand’s strategy is to sort the customer’s order details by relevance:
Above the fold
Customers can review all their immediate post-purchase concerns without scrolling.
In case of discrepancies, they can cancel or contact customer support before the order moves further down the shipping pipeline.
| Order Date: December 31, 2024 Order Number: Order #AB123456 Order Status: Processing Order Summary: 1 x Power Grip Resistance Band 1 x Performance Tee Total: $54.99 |
Below the fold
This section contains the customer’s supplementary order details. Since they’re not as urgent, they’re logically placed in a less prominent part of the email.
| Delivery Address: 123 Fit Street, Wellness City, CA 90210 Contact Information: ellie@example.com / (555) 123-4567 Shipping Method: Standard Shipping (3-5 business days) Payment Method: Visa **** 1234 Estimated Delivery Date: January 5–7, 2025 |
Sorting order information above and below the fold feels intuitive for customers.
Another option is to use digestible, mobile-friendly summary boxes or interactive drop-downs to reduce information overload.
If full interactivity is too complex, include straightforward hyperlinks to expand details. Examples:
- “Track Your Package”: links to tracking info
- “Return Policy Details”: links to a FAQ or web page
Regardless of your email structure, use clear headings or dividers to separate different sections for easy readability.
Step 4: Incorporate upselling or cross-selling opportunities
Post-purchase emails have a high 61.68% open rate but a low 0.54% conversion rate.
Customers are already in your brand’s orbit after completing a purchase. But since order confirmation emails are update-focused, they don’t create an immediate reason for further shopping.
The high open rates reflect the pre-established trust from the initial purchase, but trust alone doesn’t guarantee more sales.
To increase post-purchase conversion, Phitneas Athletics plugs tailored related products into Ellie’s order confirmation email:
| Keep the Momentum Going, Ellie! Discover top-selling items that perfectly complement your new gear: Phitneas Performance Socks Keep your feet comfortable and supported as you power through your sessions Phitneas Compression Sleeves Improve your recovery and performance Phitneas Athletic Towel Wipe away sweat and stay focused during your toughest workouts |
Your order confirmation email is a prime opportunity to inspire continued engagement and boost sales through thoughtful product recommendations.
The key is to not overdo it. Keep the focus on communicate purchase information/
The biggest rule is to keep the transactional information at the top of the email. Do not bury it below promotional content.
Aim for an 80/20 ratio in content, where 80% is purchase-related and 20% is promotional.”
Step 5: Offer more value with customer-centric content
In addition to tailored suggestions, customer-centric content helps optimize order confirmations.
Segmenting your audience based on their customer journey can help you tailor content accordingly:
- First-time buyers: getting-started guides, easy setup or activation tips
- Repeat customers: early access to new products, VIP rewards
- Product-based triggers: maintenance or care instructions
Since Ellie is a new customer, the automated email she received from Phitneas Athletics looks like this:
| Power Tip: Resistance Band Care 🏋♀️ Keep your Power Grip Resistance Band in tip-top shape with these maintenance hacks. [Watch the Video Now] |
This element could be a brief paragraph, a short video breaking it down step-by-step, or a clean, eye-catching infographic.
Experiment with different content formats to see what clicks with your audience.
Step 6: Add customer support information
Post-purchase moments can feel a bit nerve-wracking, especially for first-time shoppers. Clear communication and quick access to support can help avoid churning these customers away.
If you invest in a good post-purchase experience and good customer support, you invest in those customers’ second purchase, third purchase, fourth, and so on.
Below are the elements in the footer of Phitneas Athletics’ order confirmation email:
| 📞 Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers! Phone Number: (800) 555-ATHL (2845) Email: support@phitneasathletics.com Live Chat: Monday to Friday, 9 AM–5 PM EST 🚚 Where’s Your Gear Right Now? Stay in the loop with our real-time tracking tool: Track My Order |
Step 7: Include a strong call to action
Confirmation emails verify and summarize transactions.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t frame them as touchpoints to create engagement opportunities. Certain points in the email correspond to customer emotional triggers or attention spans.
Phitneas Athletics experiments with different messages, placements, and styles to see which CTAs generate the most customer action.
CTA's can look like
- Join the Phitneas Community
- Find Your Next Favorite Gear
- Subscribe Now for Exclusive Training Perks
- Refer & Reap the Rewards
- Claim 10% Off Your Next Purchase
- Access Your Member Loyalty Rewards Now
Without a strong CTA, confirmation emails become static, one-time views with no opportunity for customer action.
Step 8: Automate for efficiency
Automated emails outperform campaign emails by four times in terms of conversion rates.
Why? Timing and relevance.
Automated order confirmations hit the inbox within minutes of the transaction. A slight delay can leave customers worrying their order didn’t go through.
London-based doughnut brand Doughnut Time used Klaviyo to sync their online and in-store data and personalize customer journeys. With automation, their order confirmation emails reached a 94% open rate and a 45% click rate.
Let’s say Phitneas Athletics uses Omnisend’s email marketing automation tools to pull real-time data from Shopify.
This integration allows them to automate order syncing and cross-sell opportunities in a snap. Omnisend features customizable, professional order confirmation email templates.
Phitneas’ marketing team no longer has to stress over designing emails from scratch or cross-checking order details for every transaction—everything runs on autopilot.
Automate your order confirmation process with the right email marketing software. These top 10 email marketing platforms will boost your email designs, simplify integrations, and more.
Personally, I’m a big fan of Klaviyo and Mailchimp.
Klaviyo stands out with its advanced segmentation and personalization, allowing us to create tailored confirmations with dynamic content like product images, related recommendations, and real-time shipping updates, all while keeping our brand voice consistent.
Its seamless integration with ecommerce platforms also makes syncing customer data effortless.
Mailchimp, on the other hand, is perfect for its simplicity and robust templates, making it easy to quickly design professional-looking emails that keep the post-purchase experience smooth and reassuring.
Ultimately, the best marketing software depends on your business size and needs.”
Step 9: Test and optimize regularly
For any ecommerce marketing strategy, what worked last month may not click with customers today.
Emails are the same. Test, optimize, and perfect your order confirmation emails for peak performance.
Phitneas Athletics can likewise use Omnisend to run A/B tests to identify patterns and address underperforming metrics.
Say they discovered that the subject line “Your gear is ready to sweat it out, [First name]!💪” performs better than one without an emoji.
In the future, they can double down on this winning formula to grab attention and skyrocket open rates.
Phitneas Athletics’ Final Order Confirmation Email
Let's put the recommended sections together to see how Phitneas Athletic structures the basic order info, user guide, and smart cross-sells in their order confirmation.
This order confirmation email establishes a personalized connection with the customer and maintains an upbeat, fitness-focused language all the way through.
But Phitneas Athletics doesn’t stop there. The brand also consistently tests different formats and messaging to see which ones resonate with their audience well.
Final Thoughts
In ecommerce, every successful purchase deserves a thoughtful order confirmation email. The examples and strategies outlined above will help you create your own.
So what are you waiting for?
Use your confirmation email as a chance to deepen engagement and keep your brand at the top of your customers' minds.
What’s next? Reading more awesome content from The Ecomm Manager, of course!
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Order Confirmation Email FAQs
From legal requirements to best practices, here’s everything you need to know about sending order confirmation emails.
What is the difference between an order confirmation email and a shipping confirmation email?
Order confirmation emails confirm the order with a quick summary right after a customer places an order to ensure the system reflects correct orders.
Shipping confirmation emails, on the other hand, get triggered when the order is on the way.
Both email types may indicate the shipping method, shipping address, and expected delivery date. But tracking information only usually becomes available in shipping confirmation.
Should I send order confirmation emails via SMS instead of email?
Sending both is the best approach.
Email campaigns offer detailed order summaries, return policies, and tracking links, while SMS is handy for quick, real-time updates.
Are there legal requirements for order confirmation emails?
Order confirmations are transactional emails, so they’re exempt from CAN-SPAM provisions. These emails don’t require an opt-out mechanism unless they contain marketing content.
However, order confirmation emails must still meet basic requirements like having accurate sender information and a valid physical address.
Should I include a survey or feedback request in my order confirmation email?
It’s not a must, particularly if already collect feedback through in-app or website tools. But if you opt to do so, timing matters.
Asking for customer feedback post-delivery rather than after they place the order can generate more accurate insights.
