What is Post-Purchase SMS Flows?
Post-Purchase SMS Flows are automated text message sequences triggered after a customer completes a purchase — including order confirmation, shipping updates, cross-sells, and replenishment prompts.
What is Post-Purchase SMS Flows?
Post-Purchase SMS Flows are automated text message sequences that trigger after a customer completes an order. These flows extend the customer relationship beyond the initial transaction by delivering timely, relevant messages throughout the post-purchase journey.
Common post-purchase flows include order confirmation, shipping and delivery updates, review or feedback requests, cross-sell and order bump offers, replenishment reminders, and referral prompts. Each message is timed based on the purchase event and customer behavior.
Post-purchase is where customer retention is won or lost. The period immediately after a purchase is when customers are most engaged with your brand — they just bought something and are anticipating its arrival. Smart post-purchase flows capitalize on this engagement window.
How does Post-Purchase SMS Flows work?
Post-purchase flows are built as automated sequences triggered by a purchase event. When an order is placed (whether through the website or via text-to-buy), the flow begins. Each subsequent message in the flow is timed relative to the purchase — shipping confirmation when the order ships, delivery notification on arrival, review request 3 days after delivery, cross-sell 7 days later, reorder prompt when the product is predicted to run low.
In an SMS commerce context, post-purchase flows are especially powerful because the follow-up messages can also be transactional. A cross-sell text can be a text-to-buy offer — the customer replies to add the complementary product. A reorder prompt can be completed with a reply. The entire post-purchase lifecycle stays inside the text channel.
Why does Post-Purchase SMS Flows matter for DTC brands?
Acquiring a new customer costs 5–7x more than retaining an existing one. Post-purchase flows are your primary tool for turning first-time buyers into repeat customers. The texts you send after a purchase directly influence whether that customer buys again.
For DTC consumable brands, the post-purchase flow that matters most is replenishment. An AI-timed reorder text that arrives when the customer is running low converts dramatically better than a generic email reminder. Brands on AudienceTap see customers who buy through text spend 3x more than average customers.
Post-purchase flows also drive word-of-mouth. A well-timed referral prompt — sent after the customer has received and enjoyed the product — can turn buyers into advocates.
Key points
Fully automated
Flows trigger automatically based on purchase events and timing rules. Set them up once and they run for every order.
Timed to the journey
Each message is timed relative to the purchase — shipping, delivery, review request, cross-sell, reorder — each at the right moment.
Transactional follow-ups
In SMS commerce, post-purchase texts can include text-to-buy offers — cross-sells and reorders that customers complete by replying.
See Post-Purchase SMS Flows in action with AudienceTap
AudienceTap is the text-to-buy platform that powers post-purchase sms flows for DTC brands.
Related terms
AI-Timed Replenishment
AI-Timed Replenishment uses machine learning to predict when each customer will run low on a product and sends a personalized reorder prompt at the right moment.
SMS Order Bumps
SMS Order Bumps are post-purchase upsell offers delivered inside a text conversation immediately after a customer completes a text-based purchase.
SMS Replenishment Marketing
SMS Replenishment Marketing is an SMS strategy focused on driving repeat purchases of consumable products by sending timely reorder prompts based on predicted product depletion.
Post-Purchase SMS Flows FAQ
At minimum: order confirmation, shipping notification, and delivery confirmation. Beyond that, the highest-value additions are a cross-sell or order bump (3–7 days after delivery) and an AI-timed reorder prompt when the customer is running low.
Order confirmation should go out immediately. Shipping notification when the order ships. For cross-sells, wait until the customer has received and used the product — typically 3–7 days after delivery.
With text-to-buy, yes. Post-purchase cross-sell and reorder texts can be transactional — the customer replies to buy. This keeps the entire customer lifecycle inside the text channel.
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