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How Automated WhatsApp Order Updates Work (Received & Fulfilled)

By Rivio Support Team
3 min read

How Automated WhatsApp Order Updates Work (Received & Fulfilled)

For Cash on Delivery orders, the critical window between order placement and doorstep delivery often spans two to five days. When buyers forget they ordered, are not home when the courier arrives, or lack cash on delivery day, packages are refused and returned at your expense.

Sending automated WhatsApp Order Updates bridges this gap. By notifying buyers the moment their order is confirmed and when it is out for delivery, customers stay informed, prepare the necessary cash in advance, and anticipate their shipment.

In this guide, you will learn how transactional WhatsApp order notifications function in Rivio COD & Partial Payments and how to configure them.

Before You Begin

Before enabling WhatsApp updates, ensure that:

  • Rivio COD & Partial Payments is installed on your store.
  • You have approved message usage charges in your Shopify admin under Pricing.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. From your Shopify admin, open Apps → Rivio COD & Partial Payments.
  2. In the navigation sidebar, click Customer messages (or navigate to /app/messages).
  3. Scroll to the section titled After the order.
📸 SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER: SC-COD-025

Customer messages dashboard showing WhatsApp event checkboxes for Order received and Order fulfilled

Customer messages dashboard showing WhatsApp event checkboxes for Order received and Order fulfilled

Step 1: Select Your Automated WhatsApp Events

  1. Review the available post-purchase event triggers:
  • When an order is received: Dispatches an immediate confirmation message: *“Your order #1001 at [Store Name] has been received.”*
  • When an order is fulfilled: Dispatches a notification as soon as you mark the order as fulfilled in Shopify: *“Your order #1001 at [Store Name] has been fulfilled.”*
  1. Check the boxes next to your desired WhatsApp notification events.

Step 2: Configure Order Recipient Targeting

  1. Review the setting labeled Send to any order that has a phone number:
  • Checked (ON): Dispatches updates to any Shopify order with a valid phone number, regardless of whether they verified via email or WhatsApp.
  • Unchecked (OFF - Default): Only sends WhatsApp order updates to customers who specifically completed WhatsApp verification or opted into mobile updates.
  1. Click Save in the top-right corner.

Configuration Settings & Options

Event Trigger Timing Template Content Charge Model
Order Received Instant upon checkout completion Order number and store name confirmation Billed per delivered message based on destination country.
Order Fulfilled Triggered when fulfilled in Shopify Admin Order fulfillment confirmation Billed per delivered message based on destination country.
Send to Any Phone Optional checkbox Expands reach to all phone numbers on orders Expands coverage across standard checkouts.

Example Scenario

Eliminating Doorstep Cash Surprises in Saudi Arabia

A luxury fragrance brand in Riyadh noticed that 25% of Cash on Delivery packages were rejected simply because customers did not have physical cash on hand when the courier arrived unannounced. By enabling both When an order is received and When an order is fulfilled WhatsApp updates, customers received real-time alerts allowing them to keep exact cash ready. Successful first-attempt delivery rates jumped from 72% to 91%.

Important Notes & Limitations

All WhatsApp notification templates are pre-approved by Meta for transactional utility communications to ensure 100% compliance with WhatsApp Business policies.

Messages that fail to deliver (such as landline numbers or disconnected phones) are never charged to your bill. You are only billed when a message is successfully delivered to the customer's device.

Troubleshooting

A customer did not receive their fulfillment WhatsApp notification

  • Possible Cause: The customer's phone number was entered without an international country dial code, or the order was fulfilled without entering a shipping carrier.
  • How to Fix:
  1. Confirm that the phone number in the Shopify customer profile begins with a plus sign and country code (e.g. +966).
  2. Check Apps → Rivio COD → Pricing to verify that your message usage charge ceiling has not been reached.

Related Guides

Need Help?

Have questions about WhatsApp message templates or Meta compliance? Our team is here to help!