How to Recover Abandoned Carts in PrestaShop (Step by Step)

Around 7 in 10 carts are abandoned before checkout. In PrestaShop you can see every one of them, follow up manually, or automate reminders. This guide covers all three.

1. Find the abandoned carts

Sell → Orders → Shopping Carts

Filter the grid to show carts without an order (filter labels vary by version). Sort by date. A cart abandoned in the last 24 hours is still recoverable; a cart from three weeks ago usually is not.

Click a cart to see exactly what was in it, the customer's email, and whether they reached a carrier or payment step.

2. Manual recovery (works today, no module)

For carts of high value (a flag to decide: any cart above your average order value), open the cart detail page and email the customer directly: name the products they left, and link them back to the store to pick up where they stopped. (Some versions offer a Send e-mail action on the cart page — if you see it, use it.)

What works in the message:

• One paragraph, no template feel. "You left a few things in your cart — here they are."
• A clear next step: "Pick up where you left off."
• One question the customer might have answered: shipping cost? size? stock?

Do not send more than 2 manual emails per cart. After the second, stop.

3. Automate reminders

PrestaShop core has no reminder system — you add one via a marketplace module (search: abandoned cart). A good module sends automatically when a cart stays inactive, and tracks whether the email was opened and whether it produced an order.

The sequence that works for most stores:

Email	When	Content
1	1 hour after abandonment	Reminder only. Subject line: the cart's contents, not "Special offer"
2	24 hours	Reminder + one objection answered (free shipping, returns, size guide)
3	72 hours	Discount, only if you offer one. 5–10% beats 20% — it signals care, not desperation

Send no more than 3 emails. More, and the next order gets marked as spam by the customer's own brain.

4. What makes the email work

The single biggest factor: a link that goes straight back to the cart, with everything already in it. Customers do not re-find products; the link must restore the cart in one click.

Second: subject line written like a human. "You left something behind" beats "Limited-time offer inside!" every time, because it does not look like the last four marketing emails.

Third: timing. One hour is the sweet spot — the customer is still in the same context (maybe they got distracted), the products are fresh in mind. After 48 hours, the cart is a memory.

5. Reduce abandonment at the source

Reminders recover some carts. Removing reasons for abandonment recovers more:

1. Guest checkout. Force-account creation is the #1 reported reason for abandonment.
2. Show shipping costs early. Surprise cost at the last step is the #2 reason.
3. Fewer steps. Enable one-page checkout if your theme supports it.
4. Payment methods your customers actually use — local cards, Apple Pay, PayPal.
5. Fast checkout page. A 4-second checkout loses more carts than any discount recovers — see how to speed up your store.

6. Measure it

Two numbers to track weekly:

• Abandonment rate — carts without order ÷ total carts with products.
• Recovery rate — orders from reminders ÷ carts that got a reminder.

PrestaShop shows carts and orders; a good reminder module shows opens, clicks, and orders per reminder. Compare week over week, not day by day.

FAQ

Does PrestaShop send abandoned cart emails automatically? Not by default. You need a reminder module (marketplace search: abandoned cart) to automate, or the manual Send e-mail action on each cart.

How long should I wait before sending the first reminder? About one hour. The customer's intent is still fresh; later than 24 hours and most carts are gone for good.

Should I offer a discount in the first email? No. It trains customers to abandon on purpose to get a coupon. Save discounts for email 3, and only if you can afford the margin.

Do abandoned cart emails hurt my deliverability? No — they are transactional, sent to a customer who initiated the cart. Just use a real SMTP route (see our email guide) so they reach the inbox.