Shipping delay email templates by cause, sent before they ask
Fill-in shipping delay email templates for every cause and stage: the proactive heads-up before the customer asks, carrier, weather and customs delays, the backorder notice the US rule requires, partial shipments, lost parcels, the 'where is my order' reply and the goodwill gesture. Each gives a new date, a plan B and the next update. Word file and Excel delayed order log, plus localized versions for EU, Ukrainian, Russian, Chinese and Arabic-speaking stores.
Made by Anatolii Ulitovskyi 
Fact-checked by RH Fardin Updated 1. Shipping delay email template: the heads-up before they ask
Send firstUse this shipping delay email template the day you learn that an order will miss the date you gave, and always before that date.
Send when, whichever comes first
- The carrier posts a delay or a new estimate, or there has been no tracking scan for 2 business days.
- It is the promised delivery day and the parcel is not out for delivery by 10:00.
- You cannot ship by the promised ship date: send the backorder notice in tab 4, the one the US rule requires1.
SubjectOrder order number will arrive later than promised: new estimate date
EmailHi first name,
Your order order number will not arrive by promised date as we promised. I am sorry about that.
What I know: the parcel left us on ship date, and carrier shows it at last location since last scan date. The carrier's new estimate is new date.
If it has not arrived by stop-waiting date, I will send a replacement by express or refund you in full, whichever you prefer. You do not need to do anything now.
Tracking: tracking link
Next update from me: day by time, or sooner if the tracking changes.
your name, company
Promise the update, not the parcelGive the carrier's date as the carrier's. Your own dates are the next update and the stop-waiting date. No estimate from the carrier yet? Say so, and give the update date anyway.
2. Carrier delay email: stuck in transit, with a plan B date
Use when
- The order shipped on time, but the tracking has stopped at a hub or depot, or shows 'delayed' with no reason.
- You sent the heads-up and the carrier's new date has passed.
SubjectOrder order number: still with carrier, and my plan by stop-waiting date
EmailHi first name,
An update on order order number. Carrier still shows the parcel at location, last scanned on date. I have opened a trace with them today, reference carrier reference.
My plan: if the parcel has not moved by stop-waiting date, I send a replacement by express on date, or refund you in full, whichever you prefer. Reply 'replace' or 'refund' and I will set it up.
Next update: day by time, even if nothing has changed.
your name, company
Chat versionOrder order number is still at location, last scan date. I opened a trace with carrier today. If it has not moved by stop-waiting date, I replace it by express or refund you, your choice. Next update here day by time.
Update on the day you said, even with no news'No change, still on it, next update Thursday' keeps the case out of the complaint queue. Every 2 business days until delivered.
3. Weather, strike or customs delay email: the real dates
Use when
- A storm, a strike, a port closure or a customs hold stops the parcel, and the carrier says so.
- For customs: the customer may need to pay duties or send a document before the parcel moves.
SubjectOrder order number is held up by cause: what we know and your options
Email, weather or strikeHi first name,
Order order number is held up by cause, for example the storm in the Northeast and will not arrive by promised date. Carrier has paused deliveries in area and expects to restart on date; their estimate is then new date.
If you need it earlier, reply and I will check whether a second parcel by another route could reach you by date. If it has not arrived by stop-waiting date, I will replace or refund it, your choice.
Next update: day by time.
your name, company
Customs hold, action needed from the customerHi first name, order order number is held at customs in country. Customs asks for the duties / a copy of your ID before it is released; here is the carrier's link: link. If you would rather not pay the duties, reply and I will have the parcel returned and refund the goods less return shipping, as in our policy. your name, company
4. Backorder delay notice: a new ship date, or a full refund
US FTC ruleYou cannot ship by the date you promised, or within 30 days if you promised nothing. In the US, the FTC rule for mail, internet and telephone orders says you must offer the customer, unprompted and no later than that deadline, a definite new ship date or a statement that you cannot give one, plus the choice to cancel for a full refund within 7 working days1. Email counts as the notice4. In the EU and the UK, 30 days is also the default56.
SubjectItem in order order number is delayed to new ship date: wait, or cancel for a full refund
Email, new ship date within 30 daysHi first name,
I am sorry: item in order order number is on backorder and will not ship by promised ship date. Our supplier has confirmed a new ship date of new ship date; I will email you the tracking the day it leaves.
You have two options:
1. Wait for the new date. You do not need to reply: if we do not hear from you before we ship, we take that as your agreement.
2. Cancel for a full refund of amount: reply 'cancel' or click cancel link. We refund within 7 working days to the card you paid with.
If we cannot ship by new ship date, I will write again before that day with a new choice.
your name, company
New date more than 30 days away, or unknownHi first name, item in order order number is on backorder because reason, and I cannot give you a firm ship date yet. You can cancel at any time before it ships for a full refund of amount: reply 'cancel' or click cancel link. If you do not reply and we have not shipped by promised date plus 30 days, we will cancel and refund you in full within 7 working days. To wait beyond that date, reply 'wait'. your name, company
Second notice, the new date slippedHi first name, I promised to ship item by new ship date, and we will miss it; the supplier now says newer date. This time silence does not keep the order open: unless you reply 'wait' by date, I will cancel and refund amount in full within 7 working days. your name, company
Rules for the notice, US
- New date up to 30 days late: no reply means they agree to wait. Later or unknown: the order cancels itself at the original date plus 30 days unless they agree to wait, and they can cancel at any time until it ships1.
- Second notice: silence no longer counts as consent. Refund in full within 7 working days; store credit does not count.
5. Partial shipment email: what shipped, what is coming, no fee
Use when
- Most of the order is ready and one item is late by 3 or more business days: ship what you have, at your cost.
- Ask first if the customer pays duties per parcel, or if the items only make sense together.
SubjectPart of order order number ships today; item follows on date
EmailHi first name,
To avoid holding your whole order for one item, we have split order order number into two parcels.
Shipped today: items. Tracking: tracking link. Estimated delivery: date.
Still to come: item, which ships on date with its own tracking email.
There is no extra shipping charge for the second parcel. If you would rather not wait for item, reply 'cancel it' and I will refund amount for that item within 7 working days.
your name, company
6. Lost in transit or marked delivered: when to stop waiting
The stop-waiting rule
- Day 0The carrier's estimate passes with no delivery: send the heads-up or an update with a stop-waiting date.
- TraceNo scan for 5 business days after the estimate: open a trace with the carrier and name the date you stop waiting.
- Stop-waiting dateTrace or no trace, you reship by express or refund, the customer's choice. The carrier's claim is your business.
- Marked delivered, not receivedCheck the usual spots and neighbors, trace the same day. Not found within 2 business days: reship or refund.
SubjectOrder order number: I am sending a replacement today
Email, lost in transitHi first name,
Order order number has not moved since last scan date, and the trace with carrier has not found it by the date I gave you. I am not going to make you wait any longer.
A replacement ships today by express. Tracking: tracking link, delivery expected date. If you would rather have a refund of amount, reply 'refund' before time and I will stop the replacement.
If the first parcel turns up later, reply and I will send a prepaid return label.
your name, company
Marked delivered, not receivedHi first name, carrier shows order order number delivered on date at time to the front door / to a parcel locker. Could you check the porch, the mailbox, a safe place and ask a neighbor? I have opened a trace with the carrier today. If it has not turned up by date, 2 business days, I will send a replacement or refund you, your choice. your name, company
7. 'Where is my order' email reply and chat answer
They wrote first, so the heads-up is late. Answer with the facts you can see, plan B with a date and your next update. Then log the case as asked first.
SubjectRe: order order number: where it is and what happens next
EmailHi first name,
Thank you for writing, and sorry you had to. Order order number left us on ship date, and carrier shows it at location, last scanned on date. Their current estimate is new date.
If it has not arrived by stop-waiting date, I will send a replacement by express or refund you, whichever you prefer. Next update from me: day by time.
Tracking: tracking link
your name, company
Chat reply by a personChecking order order number now. It left us on ship date; carrier shows it at location, estimate new date. Not with you by stop-waiting date: I replace or refund it. Update here by day.
Knowledge Base answer for the AI agentWhere is my order? This chat cannot see live carrier tracking, so it will not guess at a date. Your tracking link is in the shipping email. If the carrier's estimate has passed, write to support email with your order number: a person checks the tracking and replies within 1 business hour, Monday to Friday. If the parcel has not arrived 5 business days after the carrier's estimate, we send a replacement by express or refund you, your choice.
8. Goodwill gesture after a late delivery: when and how much
8.1They paid for a speed you did not deliver
RuleRefund the shipping fee the day you know, without being asked. It is the price of a service they did not get, not a gift.
How muchThe full fee, to the card they paid with.
LineI have refunded the $18 you paid for 2-day delivery, since we did not deliver it. It will show on your card within 5 to 10 business days.
8.2A second delay, or a missed date that mattered
RuleYour own new date slipped, or the delay cost them something you can name (a trip, an event, a gift). A fixed amount, never a percentage off a future order.
How muchUp to 10% of the order, capped at $25. The owner approves more.
LineI know this was for their date. I have added $15 store credit to your account: no code, and it does not expire. I am sorry we missed the date.
8.3Weather, customs, or a parcel that arrived within your plan
RuleNo gesture. An honest heads-up, a kept update and a delivered parcel are the fix. A discount here trains customers to expect money for every slow week.
InsteadA short thank-you after delivery: the thank-you email templates.
LineThank you for your patience while the carrier caught up. If anything about the order is not right, reply here and I will sort it out myself.
Log every gestureWrite the amount and the reason in the delayed order log. If one cause eats most of the gesture money, fix that cause instead of paying for it every month.
For small sales and support teams
Tell them first, then keep the next update.
CRMsoftware.pro does not track parcels. What it does: the AI agent answers 'where is my order' on your website 24/7 from the Knowledge Base article you write, hands the late case to a person in Live Support, and your team keeps the promised update as a task with a Deadline.
- AI chat 24/7 from your Knowledge Base, with handover to a person
- Conversation Tags, Notes and tasks with a Deadline for every delayed order
- Free for 3 users. Handover on Launch, $19 a month billed yearly; Saved Replies on Growth, $49
Free plan: 3 users, no credit card.
Filled example
A 2-day parcel that took a week, handled before the customer asked
Sablewood Outdoor Gear, a fictional online shop for camping and hiking gear, uses these shipping delay email templates. Support lead Hana Sorensen handles order SW-31877 for Jerome Patterson: a tent and a sleeping pad, $418 plus $18 for 2-day delivery, shipped on Monday 5 October 2026 and promised for Wednesday 7 October.
Delayed order log: SW-31877
| Order | SW-31877, tent and sleeping pad, $418 |
| Carrier, service | The carrier, 2-day delivery, $18 |
| Promised | Wed 7 Oct |
| Cause | Carrier delay, held at a hub |
| Heads-up sent | Wed 7 Oct, 09:20, before he asked |
| New date | Fri 9 Oct, then Mon 12 Oct |
| Stop-waiting date | Mon 12 Oct |
| Gesture | $18 shipping fee refunded |
| Outcome | Delivered Mon 12 Oct, 5 days late |
Every message, 7 to 12 October
| When | Message | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 7 Oct, 09:20 | Heads-up, before he asked | |
| Wed 7 Oct, 10:30 | His date noted, $18 refunded | |
| Fri 9 Oct, 16:40 | Moving again, Mon 12 Oct | |
| Sat 10 Oct, 11:30 | AI agent, handed to Hana | Chat |
| Mon 12 Oct, 17:30 | Delivered, closed |
In CRMsoftware.pro on 12 October
| Live Support | Chat from Sat 10 Oct: Awaiting agent, claimed Mon 09:05, resolved Mon 18:10 |
| Conversation tag | shipping-delay |
| Notes on the contact | SW-31877: held at hub 6 to 9 Oct; $18 shipping refunded; delivered 12 Oct |
| Tasks | SW-31877 tracking check, Deadline Mon 12 Oct 09:00, done |
| Saved reply used | /delay (Growth) |
Why it works
Why shipping delay emails need a trigger, a date and plan B
Delays are common enough that every shop needs a routine. In Ofcom's 2024 research on UK parcel recipients, 67% had a delivery issue in the past six months, and delivery delays were the most common issue, named by 27%7. A delay the customer hears about from you first is a kept promise about the next update. A delay they discover on a tracking page is a complaint.
The rules on both sides of the Atlantic agree on the shape of the email. In the US, a seller that cannot ship on time must offer, unprompted and before the deadline, a definite new ship date or a statement that it cannot give one, plus the option to cancel for a full refund within 7 working days1. In the EU and the UK, 30 days is the default delivery limit when no date was agreed, and a customer who ends the contract is refunded without undue delay56.
So every template here has the same four parts: what you know, the carrier's or supplier's date given as theirs, a next update with a day and a time, and a dated plan B. The log shows how often you got there first.
67%
of UK parcel recipients had a delivery issue in the past six months (Ofcom, 2024)
30 days
the default delivery or shipping limit in the US, the EU and the UK when no date was agreed
7 working days
US deadline for the refund after a delayed order is cancelled
Which email when
Which shipping delay email for which cause, and when to send it
The cause and the stage pick the tab. Plan B is always dated, and the customer chooses between a replacement and a refund.
| Situation | Send | When | Plan B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will miss the promised date, shipped or not | Proactive heads-up (tab 1) | The day you know, before the promised date | Stop-waiting date: replace or refund |
| Cannot ship by the promised ship date | Backorder notice (tab 4) | At once, never later than the ship date or day 30 | Cancel for a full refund within 7 working days |
| Stuck at a hub, the carrier's new date passed | Carrier delay update (tab 2) | When the new date passes, then every 2 business days | Trace, then replace or refund |
| Storm, strike or customs hold | Weather or customs email (tab 3) | The day the carrier announces it | A second parcel by another route, or a refund |
| One item late, the rest ready | Partial shipment email (tab 5) | When one item is 3 or more business days late | Cancel the late item for a refund |
| No scan for 5 business days, or marked delivered but not received | Lost or not received (tab 6) | On the stop-waiting date; the same day if marked delivered | Replace by express or refund, their choice |
| The customer wrote first | Where is my order reply (tab 7) | Within 1 business hour | Same as above, logged as asked first |
Sold out for good: cancel and refund at once1. Wrong item in the box: the wrong item shipped response templates. Cancel before shipping: the order cancellation response templates. The refund email itself: the refund email templates.
The rules
Shipping delay rules in the US, the EU and the UK
Three official sources, one rule in common: 30 days is the default when no date was agreed, and a customer who cancels gets their money back fast.
United States: FTC Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule
You need a reasonable basis for any ship date you state; with no date, you must ship within 30 days (50 if the customer applied for your own credit). If you cannot, offer, unprompted and no later than the promised date, a definite new ship date or a statement that you cannot give one, plus the option to cancel for a full refund. Silence counts as consent only for a new date up to 30 days late, never after a second notice. Refunds go out within 7 working days1. Email counts as notice4.
European Union: Directive 2011/83/EU
Unless you agreed a delivery time, you must deliver within 30 days. If you do not, the customer sets an additional reasonable period; if that passes, they may end the contract and you refund everything they paid as soon as possible. No extra period is needed if you refuse to deliver5, or if the customer said before buying that the date was essential; a lost parcel means an identical item or a refund2.
United Kingdom: Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 28 and 29
With no agreed time, you must deliver without undue delay and within 30 days. If you miss it, the customer may set an appropriate period, or end the contract at once if you refused to deliver or the agreed time was essential. All payments are reimbursed without undue delay6. The goods remain at your risk until the customer, or someone they named, has them3.
This page is not legal advice. These rules cover consumers; business customers, digital goods and some sectors have other rules, and the rule where your customer lives applies. Read the official pages under Sources.
Excel log
What is in the Excel delayed order log
Three sheets: Delayed order log with 12 sample orders from Sablewood Outdoor Gear, Summary, and Lists for the dropdowns. Auto columns fill in by themselves.
| Column | What it does |
|---|---|
| Order, customer, carrier, cause | One row per delayed order. Eight causes, from carrier delay to our warehouse, editable on the Lists sheet. |
| Promised date, new date | The date you promised, and the carrier's or supplier's latest estimate. |
| Email sent on, told before they asked | When your first delay email went out, and Yes or No: before the customer wrote to you? |
| Next update, stop-waiting date | The day you promised the next update, and the day you replace, refund or cancel. |
| Gesture, gesture amount, outcome, closed on | Shipping fee refunded, store credit, partial refund or other, with the amount; Open, Delivered, Replaced, Refunded or Cancelled, and the date. |
| Days late Auto | Closed date minus promised date, for delivered and replaced orders. |
| Status Auto | Send the heads-up, Open, Update due, Stop-waiting date passed, or Closed. |
In the sample, 9 of 12 delayed orders were told before they asked (75%); the three who asked first were a lost parcel, a parcel marked delivered and a carrier delay nobody checked. Delivered and replaced orders arrived 5.4 days late on average; 3 gestures cost $45. The Summary sheet splits this by cause and by carrier. Works in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.
How to use
How to use these shipping delay email templates
- 1
Write your stop-waiting rule
How many business days after the carrier's estimate you reship or refund, and who approves a gesture.
- 2
Check tracking every morning
Every open order past its ship date, before customers write. Anything late or stuck gets the heads-up that morning.
- 3
Send the email that fits the cause
Tabs 1 to 7. The carrier's date as theirs, your next update with a day and a time, plan B with a date.
- 4
Keep the update date
Even with no news. Then replace, refund or cancel on the stop-waiting date.
- 5
Log and review
One row per delayed order. Each week: share told before they asked, days late and gesture money by cause.
Set it up in CRMsoftware.pro
- Write a 'Where is my order' article in My Bots > your bot > Basics tab > Knowledge Base: the tracking link, that the chat cannot see carrier tracking, your stop-waiting rule and who replies by when. Save Bot, test with Try Bot.
- Chats the AI agent hands over show in Live Support as Awaiting agent: click Claim, reply, and click Resolve when the parcel is confirmed.
- On Growth, save the emails and chat lines: Settings > Saved Replies > New reply, Shortcut (for example /delay or /lost), Title, Reply body, Share with team. Type the shortcut in the chat reply box.
- Tag every delay chat: Settings > Conversation Tags > New tag, for example shipping-delay. Write the order number, cause, dates and gesture in Notes on the contact.
- Make each promised update a task: Tasks > New Task, Task title 'SW-31877 tracking check', Assignee, the promised time as the Deadline. Check Due today and Overdue in My Tasks each morning.
CRMsoftware.pro has no order tracking, carrier integration or automatic delay emails: you check the tracking in your store or carrier account and send the emails from your own mailbox. AI chat from your Knowledge Base is free for 3 users. Human handover and the unified inbox: Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users. Saved Replies: Growth, $49.
Do and don't
Shipping delay emails: do's and don'ts
Do
- Write before the promised date, not after the customer asks.
- Give a new date or the date of your next update.
- Offer a choice: wait, swap or cancel with a refund.
- Log the cause so you can fix the pattern.
Don't
- "Due to unforeseen circumstances"
- Blaming the carrier and stopping there
- A discount instead of a date
- Silence until the customer chases
2 more situations
Extra shipping delay messages
Text message heads-up (one 160-character part)
[brand]: order [order number] is running late. New delivery estimate [date]. Details by email; reply CANCEL for a full refund.
Keep it under 160 GSM-7 characters with real values; longer texts split into 153-character parts.
Delivery attempt failed, parcel held
Hi [name], the carrier could not deliver order [order number] on [date] and is holding it at [pickup point] until [hold date]. Collect it with your ID, or reply and we will arrange a new delivery at no cost.
FAQ
Shipping delay email questions
How do you write a shipping delay email to a customer?
Four parts, in this order: what you know (ship date, last tracking scan, the carrier's or supplier's new date, given as theirs), plan B if it still does not arrive (a replacement by express or a refund, by a date you name), your next update with a day and a time, and the tracking link. Apologize once, in the first line.
When should you send a shipping delay notification?
The day you learn about it, and always before the promised date. Triggers: the carrier posts a delay or a new estimate, no scan for 2 business days, or it is the delivery day and the parcel is not out for delivery by mid-morning. For an order you cannot ship on time, the US rule requires the notice no later than the promised ship date, or day 30 if you promised nothing1.
What does the law require when an order is delayed?
In the US, the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule: offer a definite new ship date or say you cannot give one, and let the customer cancel for a full refund within 7 working days; silence counts as consent only for a new date up to 30 days late1. In the EU and the UK, delivery is due within 30 days unless agreed otherwise; after an additional reasonable period the customer may cancel and is refunded without undue delay56. Not legal advice.
How do you respond to a 'where is my order' email?
Within 1 business hour, with facts: when it shipped, the carrier's last scan and current estimate, your stop-waiting date with plan B, and your next update time. Never send them to the carrier, and never write 'allow a few more days'. Log the case as asked first.
When is a parcel lost rather than late?
Use a rule, not a feeling: no tracking scan for 5 business days after the carrier's estimate, with a trace opened and nothing found. On that date you reship by express or refund, the customer's choice, and claim from the carrier yourself. Marked delivered but not received: check, trace, then act after 2 business days. In the EU and the UK the lost parcel is your responsibility, not the customer's23.
Should I offer a discount for a late delivery?
Refund any shipping fee for a speed you did not deliver, the same day, without being asked. Add a fixed, capped gesture only when your own new date slipped or the delay cost them something you can name. For weather, customs or a parcel that arrived within your plan, no gesture: a kept update and a short thank-you are the fix.
Can the CRMsoftware.pro AI agent tell customers where their order is?
Not from tracking: the app has no order tracking or carrier integration. The AI agent answers from the Knowledge Base article you write (the tracking link, your stop-waiting rule, who replies by when) and hands the case to a person in Live Support. Your team sends the emails from its own mailbox, keeps the promised update as a task with a Deadline, tags the chat shipping-delay and logs the case in Notes on the contact. AI chat is free for 3 users; handover is on Launch, $19 a month billed yearly; Saved Replies on Growth, $498.
Should I text or email a shipping delay notice?
Email for the full notice with the new date and options, and a short text only if the customer agreed to texts. Keep a text under 160 GSM-7 characters with real values, or it is split and billed in parts.
What is the difference between a shipping delay and a backorder notice?
A shipping delay means the parcel left you and is late in transit. A backorder means you have not shipped because the item is not in stock; in the US that triggers the FTC rule's delay option notice with the choice to cancel for a refund.
Related templates
Free tools
Sources
- US rule text, 16 CFR Part 435, read 18 October 2026: eCFR, Part 435, Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise
- EU answers on lost and damaged parcels, official EU page, read 18 October 2026: Your Europe, FAQs, Shipping and delivery
- UK passing of risk, read 18 October 2026: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29, Passing of risk
- Plain-language guide to the US rule (September 2011, page updated 2025), read 18 October 2026: Federal Trade Commission, Business Guide to the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule
- EU delivery rules under Directive 2011/83/EU, official EU page, read 18 October 2026: Your Europe, Shipping and delivery
- UK delivery deadline and refund, read 18 October 2026: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 28, Delivery of goods
- UK parcel delivery issues, published 28 October 2024: Ofcom, Best and worst parcel firms for customer service satisfaction revealed
- Plans and prices: CRMsoftware.pro pricing
Tell them first, keep the update, log the cause.
Start free with 3 users, AI chat from your Knowledge Base, contacts, Notes and basic tasks. Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users, adds human handover, the unified inbox and WhatsApp. Growth, $49 for 20 users, adds Saved Replies.