Most COD returns are decided before the parcel leaves your shop. The customer typed the wrong road number, forgot they ordered, expected a lower total or ordered from another page too. A good confirmation message catches all four while fixing them is still free.
This is the full workflow: when to confirm, what to send, which templates Meta accepts, what to do when nobody answers, and how to automate it without losing the human check. If your main worry is deliberate fake orders rather than careless ones, read how to reduce fake COD orders alongside this.
When should I confirm a COD order?
Confirm right after the order is placed, and before you hand the parcel to the courier. For high-value parcels, also send a short reminder on delivery day.
| Moment | Purpose | Message type |
|---|---|---|
| Within minutes of the order | Check items, total, address | Free-form if the chat is open; template if not |
| When the parcel is handed to the courier | Tell them it is coming, give the date | Utility template |
| Delivery day (high-value orders) | Make sure they are home with cash ready | Utility template |
| After delivery | Thank them, ask for problems | Utility template or normal reply |
The first message does the heavy lifting. Send it fast. A customer who ordered five minutes ago remembers exactly what they wanted; one who ordered yesterday may have bought elsewhere.
Do I need a template, or can I send a normal message?
It depends on the 24-hour window. If the customer sent you a WhatsApp message in the last 24 hours, you can reply with any normal message. If not, you need a Meta-approved template.
In practice:
- Order taken in a WhatsApp chat: the customer just messaged you, so the window is open. A free-form confirmation is fine.
- Order from your Shopify or WooCommerce site: the customer probably never messaged you on WhatsApp. You need a template.
- Order taken on Messenger, confirmed on WhatsApp: no open WhatsApp window. Template.
- Chat order you confirm the next afternoon: the window may have closed. Template.
Templates are only available on the official WhatsApp Business API, not the free WhatsApp Business app.
What should a confirmation message say?
A confirmation should repeat everything the rider will need and everything the customer could disagree with: order number, items with size or colour, total including delivery, payment method and the full address. Then ask one clear question.
A free-form version inside an open chat, in Banglish:
Apu, apnar order #1045 nicher moto: Black kurti (L) x1 = 1,200 taka Delivery (Dhakar baire) = 120 taka Total = 1,320 taka, cash on delivery Address: Holding 45, College Road, Bogura Sob thik thakle "confirm" likhun, kichu change korte hole janan.
Notice what is not there: no "also check our new collection", no discount code. Keep the confirmation about the order only.
How do I write a utility template that gets approved?
Write a short, transactional message about an order the customer already placed, with variables for the changing parts, and choose the utility category. A utility message must not promote anything.
An English template:
Hi {{1}}, thanks for your order {{2}}.
Total: ৳{{3}}, cash on delivery.
Delivery address: {{4}}
Please confirm so we can send your parcel.
[Button: Confirm order] [Button: Change details]
A Bangla template (template language: Bengali):
প্রিয় {{1}}, আপনার অর্ডার {{2}} আমরা পেয়েছি।
মোট: ৳{{3}}, ক্যাশ অন ডেলিভারি।
ঠিকানা: {{4}}
পার্সেল পাঠানোর আগে অর্ডারটি কনফার্ম করুন।
[বাটন: কনফার্ম] [বাটন: পরিবর্তন করতে চাই]
Tips that avoid common rejections and reclassification:
- No promotions. A line like "10% off your next order" can move the template into marketing.
- Variables need context. Do not start or end the message with a bare variable, and give Meta a sample value for each one.
- One template per job. Keep "order received", "parcel dispatched" and "delivery today" as separate templates.
- Match the language. Bangla text under the Bengali language setting, English under English.
Why use buttons instead of "reply YES"?
Quick-reply buttons get faster, cleaner answers. The customer taps once instead of typing, and you get a predictable reply ("Confirm order") instead of "ji", "ok", "hmm thik ase" and a thumbs up to interpret.
Use two buttons, not five: one to confirm, one to change. A "Cancel" button is honest but invites cancellations from people who would have accepted; many shops put cancellation behind "Change details" so a person can talk to the customer first.
What do I do when the customer doesn't reply?
Decide the rule in advance and apply it every time. A common sequence:
- After 2 to 3 hours: if the chat window is still open, send one short reminder: "Apu, order #1045 ta confirm korben? Aaj pathate parle kal-porshu peye jaben."
- Same evening: call the number once.
- Next day: if there is still no answer, hold the order. Do not ship.
- After 48 hours: cancel and release the stock.
Most shops find that orders which never confirm are exactly the ones that would have come back. Holding them costs nothing; shipping them costs two delivery trips.
How do I automate COD confirmations?
Automate the send and the sorting, and keep people for the exceptions. A typical automation:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Trigger | An order is placed (store order or chat order) |
| Send | Utility template with order number, total and address, plus buttons |
| Wait for reply | Pause until the customer answers |
| Branch | If the reply is "Confirm order", tag the contact "COD confirmed" |
| Otherwise | Assign the chat to a teammate to handle the change |
| No reply | Your team works the untagged orders: reminder, call, hold |
The team's daily routine becomes simple: pack everything tagged confirmed, handle the assigned chats, call the silent ones.
How does SaleMag handle order confirmation?
SaleMag covers both kinds of order. For orders from a connected Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce store, or from chat, the automation flow builder can start on order placed, send an approved WhatsApp template with the order number, wait for the reply, branch on it, add a tag and assign the chat to an agent. You draft templates in SaleMag and submit them to Meta, and the approval status updates automatically.
For orders taken by SaleMag's AI in chat, confirmation is built into checkout. The customer either submits the WhatsApp order form, which shows the cart, delivery fee and total, or replies with a clear yes to an exact summary in chat. Banglish replies like "thik ache" or "order koren" count; "kintu" or "na" do not. The order then appears as pending with a number like CH-000123, and your team can still call before shipping. SaleMag does not book couriers or take online payments, so dispatch stays with your team.
How much do confirmation messages cost?
Meta charges for template messages by category and by the customer's country, and free-form replies inside the window follow different rules. Meta is moving from conversation-based to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025, which changes how utility messages are counted. Read what per-message pricing changes for Bangladeshi businesses, and check Meta's pricing page before you plan large volumes.
Compared with one refused outside-Dhaka parcel, a confirmation message is almost always the cheaper side of the trade.
Next steps
Write two templates this week, "order received" and "parcel dispatched", in Bangla and English, and submit them. Then set your no-reply rule and stick to it for a month. To automate the send, or let customers confirm on an order form inside WhatsApp, start free or see pricing.
Step by step
- 1
Choose your confirmation points
Decide when you confirm: right after the order, at dispatch and, for expensive parcels, on delivery day.
- 2
Write and submit a utility template
Write a short transactional template with order number, total and address variables plus Confirm and Change buttons, and submit it to Meta.
- 3
Automate the send
Trigger the template from an order placed event, or send it from the inbox when the 24-hour window has closed.
- 4
Handle replies and silence
Tag confirmed orders for packing, route change requests to a person, and call or hold orders with no reply.
Frequently asked questions
How do I confirm a COD order on WhatsApp?
Send the customer a message with the order number, items, total, payment method and delivery address, and ask them to confirm or say what to change. Ship only after a clear yes.
Do I need a template to confirm an order on WhatsApp?
Only outside the 24-hour customer service window. If the customer messaged you in the last 24 hours, a normal message is allowed. For orders from your website, or chats older than a day, use an approved utility template.
Is an order confirmation a utility or a marketing template?
An order confirmation is a utility template when it only gives details of an order the customer placed. Adding a discount, a coupon or product suggestions can make Meta treat it as a marketing template.
What should I do if the customer doesn’t reply to the confirmation?
Wait a few hours, send one reminder if the window is still open, then call. If there is still no answer after a day, hold or cancel the order instead of shipping it.
Can I write the confirmation template in Bangla?
Yes. WhatsApp templates can be submitted in Bengali, and Bangla confirmations often read more clearly for customers outside Dhaka. Submit an English version too if part of your audience prefers English.
Does WhatsApp charge for order confirmation messages?
Meta charges for template messages based on category and the customer’s country, and its pricing model is changing to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025. Check Meta’s current rate card before you plan volumes.
Can SaleMag send the confirmation automatically?
Yes. A SaleMag automation can start on an order placed event and send an approved WhatsApp template with the order number. Orders taken by SaleMag’s AI in chat are confirmed by the customer on the order form or with a clear yes to an exact summary.
About the author
WhatsApp & F-commerce automation, Dhaka
The Dhaka team that builds SaleMag, the AI sales inbox for WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram used by online sellers in Bangladesh.