In the competitive landscape of e-commerce, recovering lost sales and maintaining strong customer relationships are critical for Shopify store owners. One app that aims to address these needs through the power of WhatsApp is WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat, available on the Shopify App Store at https://apps.shopify.com/whatsapp-abandoned-cart. With WhatsApp’s massive global user base—over 2 billion active users—and its high engagement rates, this app promises to help merchants boost conversions and enhance customer support. In this detailed review, we’ll explore the app’s features, usability, pricing, benefits, and potential drawbacks, while also introducing Kanal: WhatsApp Marketing (available at https://apps.shopify.com/kanal-whatsapp-marketing) as another noteworthy option for Shopify merchants looking to leverage WhatsApp for their stores.
Overview of WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat
WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat, developed by Carthike, is designed to help Shopify merchants recover abandoned carts and engage customers through automated WhatsApp messages. The app has earned a perfect 5.0 out of 5-star rating based on 396 reviews as of March 2025, reflecting its popularity among users. It offers a free plan with unlimited WhatsApp chats and focuses on automating key customer interactions like cart recovery, order notifications, and customer support. The app also integrates with tools like Loox for review collection, making it a versatile solution for e-commerce businesses aiming to improve sales and customer trust through WhatsApp’s direct communication channel.
Key Features of WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat
1. Automated Abandoned Cart Recovery
The app’s flagship feature is its ability to send automated WhatsApp messages to customers who abandon their carts. Given WhatsApp’s near-100% open rate, this method significantly increases the chances of recovering lost sales compared to traditional email reminders. Merchants can customize these messages to include personalized details, such as the customer’s name or cart items, and even offer discounts to incentivize completion of the purchase. The automation runs seamlessly in the background, saving merchants time while boosting conversions.
2. Customizable WhatsApp Chat Widget
WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat provides a customizable WhatsApp chat button that can be added to a Shopify store. This widget allows customers to reach out with questions or concerns directly via WhatsApp, fostering instant communication. Merchants can tailor the button’s design to match their store’s branding, adjusting its position, size, and colors. The app supports multiple agents, enabling efficient handling of customer inquiries, and even offers out-of-hours support through automated responses.
3. Order and Shipping Notifications
The app automates order confirmations, shipping updates, and cash-on-delivery (COD) verification messages via WhatsApp. These timely notifications help build trust with customers by keeping them informed at every stage of their purchase journey. For example, a customer might receive a message confirming their order, followed by a tracking link once the item ships. This transparency reduces the number of support inquiries and enhances the overall customer experience.
4. Integration with Loox for Reviews
A unique feature of WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat is its integration with Loox, a popular review app for Shopify. Merchants can use WhatsApp to request product reviews from customers after a purchase, streamlining the process of collecting feedback. This integration helps businesses build social proof, which is crucial for driving future sales.
Usability and Setup
WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat is praised for its ease of use, with a one-click setup process that gets the app running in minutes. The interface is user-friendly, allowing merchants to configure automations, customize the chat widget, and manage notifications without any technical expertise. The app supports multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, and Turkish, making it accessible to a global audience. Users have highlighted the seamless integration with Shopify, noting that the app works well across different themes and devices.
Customer support is another strong point, with the Carthike team receiving consistent praise for their responsiveness. Merchants have reported quick resolutions to installation issues and helpful guidance on maximizing the app’s features. For example, one user noted, “Great app and great team. They responded very quickly to help me install the application on my website.”
Pricing
WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat offers a free plan that includes unlimited WhatsApp chats, a share button, and 100 manual cart recovery messages, making it an attractive option for small businesses or those new to WhatsApp marketing. For advanced features like automated cart recovery messages, WhatsApp CRM, and priority support, the app offers paid plans:
- Free Plan: Includes unlimited WhatsApp chats, 100 manual cart recovery messages, and basic reporting.
- Pro Plan: Adds unlimited manual cart recovery messages, automated recovery messages, order CRM, email alerts, and COD confirmation, though specific pricing isn’t listed on the Shopify App Store page (additional charges may apply based on usage).
- Enterprise Plan: Includes all Pro features plus advanced integrations and priority support.
All charges are billed in USD, with recurring and usage-based fees applied every 30 days. While the free plan is a great starting point, merchants should be mindful of potential costs for automated messages, especially if they have a large customer base.
Benefits of Using WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat
- Higher Conversion Rates: The app’s abandoned cart recovery feature leverages WhatsApp’s high engagement to bring customers back to their carts, often resulting in a significant boost in sales.
- Improved Customer Trust: Automated order and shipping notifications keep customers informed, reducing uncertainty and enhancing their shopping experience.
- Efficient Support: The customizable chat widget and multi-agent support enable merchants to handle inquiries quickly, improving customer satisfaction.
- Seamless Review Collection: Integration with Loox makes it easy to gather product reviews, helping to build social proof and drive future sales.
Potential Drawbacks
While WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat has many strengths, there are a few limitations to consider. The app’s effectiveness is heavily tied to WhatsApp’s popularity in a merchant’s target market. It performs best in regions where WhatsApp is widely used, such as the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Asia, but may be less impactful in areas like North America, where other messaging platforms dominate. Additionally, while the free plan is generous, the cost of automated messages in paid plans can add up for high-volume users, and pricing for these plans isn’t fully transparent on the Shopify App Store listing. Lastly, some users have noted that the app lacks advanced chatbot customization, which could limit its ability to handle complex customer queries.
Comparison Context with Kanal
For Shopify merchants exploring WhatsApp marketing tools, it’s worth considering other apps in the space, such as Kanal: WhatsApp Marketing (available at https://apps.shopify.com/kanal-whatsapp-marketing). Kanal offers a similar focus on WhatsApp-driven engagement, with features like automated campaigns, customer segmentation, and order updates. While WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat excels in its user-friendly setup and review collection capabilities, Kanal provides a broader set of marketing tools, including advanced segmentation and bulk messaging options, which might appeal to merchants looking for a more comprehensive WhatsApp marketing solution. Comparing both apps can help you determine which aligns best with your store’s needs.
Final Verdict
WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat is a highly effective tool for Shopify merchants looking to recover abandoned carts and engage customers through WhatsApp. Its perfect 5.0 rating and positive user feedback highlight its reliability and impact, particularly for stores targeting WhatsApp-heavy regions. The app’s automation features, seamless setup, and integration with Loox make it a valuable addition to any e-commerce toolkit, especially for small to medium-sized businesses.
However, merchants should weigh its regional effectiveness and potential messaging costs against their specific needs. For those seeking a more robust WhatsApp marketing platform, exploring alternatives like Kanal: WhatsApp Marketing might provide additional features to enhance their strategy. Overall, WhatsApp Abandoned Cart & Chat is a strong choice for leveraging WhatsApp’s engagement power, and its free plan offers a low-risk way to test its capabilities. If you’re ready to boost your sales and customer interactions, this app is definitely worth a try.
