Short delay, wait or cancel
Your order is running late. The new ship date is {{date}}. If you're happy to wait, you don't need to do anything. If you'd rather cancel for a full refund, reply here and I'll process it right away.
Shipping delay messages built around the FTC order rule: 12 templates
Your order is going to be late, and the buyer doesn't know yet. In the US, the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule asks online sellers to tell the buyer about the delay, give a definite new date (or say the date is unknown and why), and offer the choice to cancel for a full refund. These 12 messages do exactly that, in a few lines each: a short delay, a long one, a second delay, a carrier problem, a cancellation and a thank you. This is common practice, not legal advice. Copy any message, or add the whole pack to your keyboard and send from Etsy, Instagram, WhatsApp, SMS or any other app in one tap.
Works in WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, Messenger and every other app.
Words in {{double braces}} are blanks. In the textcuts keyboard you fill them with one tap, and the names you used recently come back.
Telling them first
Delay caused by the carrier
Your parcel is on its way but held up with the carrier, which now estimates delivery by {{date}}. I'm watching the tracking, and if it hasn't arrived by then, tell me and I'll arrange a replacement or a refund.
Delay in making it
I'm behind on making your order and I'd rather tell you before you ask. It will now ship on {{date}}. Reply here if you'd prefer to cancel and get all your money back. If I don't hear from you, I'll ship it then.
Orders piled up
Orders piled up this week, so yours will now ship on {{date}}. If that date doesn't work for you, tell me and I'll cancel it with a full refund. No reply means you're happy to wait.
No firm date yet
Hi {{name}}, my supplier hasn't told me when your materials arrive, so I can't give you a firm date yet. Reply 'wait' to keep your order, and you can still cancel any time before it ships. Without a reply by the original ship date, I'll cancel and refund you in full.
When it gets longer
More than 30 days, needs a yes
{{name}}, your item won't be ready until {{date}}, which is more than 30 days past what I promised. I need your yes before I wait that long. Reply 'keep it' to wait. Without a reply I'll cancel and refund you in full.
Late a second time
Hi {{name}}, I'm sorry, it's late again. The new date is {{date}}. Reply 'wait' to keep your order, or 'cancel' for a full refund. If I don't hear from you, I'll cancel and refund you in full.
Explaining the reason
Fair question, {{name}}. A fault in my last batch means I'm remaking your order to the standard you'd expect. I'm sorry for the wait, and I'll tell you the minute it ships.
After they decide
Cancellation done
Done, {{name}}. Your order is cancelled and the full refund has been issued to your original payment method. How soon it appears depends on your bank. Thank you for your patience.
Thank you for waiting
Thank you for waiting, {{name}}. I've noted your order to ship on the new date, and you can still cancel for a full refund until it leaves. I'll message you the day it goes.
Cancel, gracefully
Of course, {{name}}, and I'm sorry to lose the order. I'm cancelling it now and refunding the full amount. If you ever want it again, I'd be glad to make it for you.
Shipped early
Good news, {{name}}: your order has shipped ahead of the date I gave you. I've added the tracking number to your order, and thank you for being patient.
When to send each message
| When | Message | Note |
|---|---|---|
| As soon as you know it will be late | Short delay, wait or cancel | Before the buyer asks. |
| When the carrier reports a delay after shipping | Delay caused by the carrier | Use only if the carrier is the cause. |
| When making takes longer | Delay in making it | Give a date you can meet. |
| New date more than 30 days later | More than 30 days, needs a yes | Wait for their yes. |
| When the new date slips too | Late a second time | A fresh date and a fresh choice. |
| When a buyer says cancel | Cancellation done | Refund the same day. |
| When it ships | Shipped early | With the tracking number. |
Do not say
"It'll be there soon" or "in a few more days."
Instead: Give a definite new date, or say that you don't know yet and why.
Offering only a discount code and no way to cancel.
Instead: Offer the choice to cancel for a full refund first.
Treating silence as a yes when the delay is long or has no date.
Instead: Ask for their yes, and say you will cancel and refund without it.
Blaming the carrier when the delay is yours.
Instead: Say whose delay it is. Etsy adjusts delivery estimates for real carrier delays, so the buyer may see it there too.
Asking the buyer to cancel or take the refund by PayPal friends and family or a gift card.
Instead: Refund through the platform that took the payment.
Pressuring or guilt tripping a buyer who wants to cancel.
Instead: Cancel and refund politely, as in the cancellation template.
Works in WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, Messenger and every other app.
Frequently asked questions
What must a shipping delay message include?
Under the FTC's order merchandise rule, a delay notice gives a definite new ship date (or says the date is unknown and why), tells the buyer they can cancel for a full prompt refund, and provides a free way to reply. This is common practice, not legal advice, so read the guide for your own case.
Does silence mean the buyer accepts the delay?
Only when the new date is no more than 30 days after the promised one, and the message says so. For a longer delay, or no date, the buyer must agree, or you cancel and refund. The long delay and no firm date templates do this. A second delay always needs a fresh notice and the buyer's own yes.
Can I offer a discount instead of a refund?
No. The buyer must be able to cancel for a full refund. A discount may be added, but it can't replace that choice.
Does this apply on Etsy and Shopify?
The rule generally covers orders for goods placed online with US sellers, so it reaches sellers on both platforms. Whether a platform's own tools meet it is for the platform to say, so send the notice yourself. A delay after the parcel has shipped is a carrier matter, not a ship date change.
Do these templates work on the free plan?
Yes. 10 of the 12 use a single blank, which fills in on the free plan. The 2 that use two blanks (longer than 30 days, second delay) need Pro to fill both from the keyboard. Free holds 8 textcuts and 1 folder. Imports are never blocked.