Lapsed buyers

Six SMS Win-Back Templates for Customers Who Stopped Buying

A past buyer already trusts you with their card and their address. What they lack is a reason to come back this month. These six texts give one each, from a filtered link to a gift in the box, and all of them fit in 160 characters.

Pick a reason

Read the six Rewrite one

New season, already in their size SMS win-back text on an iPhone

New season, already in their size SMS win-back text on an Android phone

Their size on iPhone and on AndroidFind it →

Reasons to return

SMS win-back examples, in the order you would send them

Personal first, money second, a polite question last. Every text has a full wording and a shorter one, and the two phone icons beside the preview flip it between platforms.

Template 01 · Their size

New season, already in their size

MarketingFashionAround twice their normal gap between orders

You know the size they bought last time, so use it. A link that opens on new pieces filtered to that size skips the first step of browsing.

Full SMS

MAREN: The autumn knits have landed, and we've filtered them to your size {{size}} so you can see what fits straight away: maren.co/yours Reply STOP to opt out

152 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text →

A code with a spending floor SMS win-back text on an iPhone

Template 02 · Comeback code

A code with a spending floor

MarketingHomeIf the first text brought nobody back

A floor of $250 keeps the code from eating into small orders. Fourteen days is long enough to plan a room, short enough to stay on the list.

Full SMS

ALDER & CO: It's been a while. Here's $30 off any order over {{floor}} with code {{code}}, good for the next 14 days: alder.co/new Reply STOP to opt out

145 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text →

A gift in the next parcel SMS win-back text on an iPhone

Template 03 · Free gift

A gift in the next parcel

MarketingBeautyThree to four months after the last order

A gift adds value without lowering the price of anything. Minis also let a lapsed buyer try products they never ordered before.

Full SMS

LUMA: Your next order comes with four travel minis, our treat. No code, they're added to the box automatically: luma.co/shop Reply STOP to opt out

146 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text →

What is different since they left SMS win-back text on an iPhone

Template 04 · What changed

What is different since they left

MarketingSupplementsFor buyers who left before a service change

Some customers drift because of a slow parcel or awkward packaging. If you have fixed that, say so in plain terms; it answers a complaint they never made.

Full SMS

NORTHWELL: Since your last order we've moved to next-day dispatch and recyclable pouches. Come and see the new range: nwl.co/new Reply STOP to opt out

150 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text →

Three days before the code expires SMS win-back text on an iPhone

Template 05 · Code reminder

Three days before the code expires

MarketingFashionThree days before the comeback code runs out

Most comeback codes go unused simply because people forget them. A short reminder with the end date and the code itself is the cheapest follow-up you can send.

Full SMS

MAREN: Quick reminder that {{code}} takes 20% off and stops working on {{day}}. Why not try it on the new coats: maren.co/coats Reply STOP to opt out

147 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text →

Ask before you stop texting SMS win-back text on an iPhone

Template 06 · Reply KEEP

Ask before you stop texting

MarketingBeautyAfter the full sequence gets no response

Texting someone who has moved on costs you money and goodwill. One honest question lets the interested ones stay and removes the rest without a complaint.

Full SMS

LUMA: We haven't seen you in a while, so we'll pause our texts next week. Want to keep hearing from us? Reply KEEP and nothing changes. Reply STOP to opt out

157 characters with sample values · GSM-7 · 1 segment

Edit this text →

Win-back editor

Swap in your offer and watch the character count

Pick a text, drop in your own code, threshold and URL; the preview on the right redraws immediately. The meter fills toward 160 and warns you when a curly apostrophe would push it into Unicode.

Win-back text Text body

0 / 160 characters1 segment

Brand name leads
Link or reply word
STOP is there
One segment only

9:41

Text Message
Today 10:02

Text message

Tuesday 7 October9:41

Messages · now62418now

The size-filtered win-back text as a notification on an iPhone lock screen

The same win-back text as a notification on an Android lock screen

Before it is opened

Why the opening words decide a win-back

A lapsed customer has stopped expecting to hear from you. The preview line is your one chance to look relevant before the thumb swipes it away.

Something only they get

Their size, their last product or their city. A detail that fits nobody else proves this is not a blast.

News before the code

Lead with what is new. A code in the first line trains people to wait for one.

One clear action

A single link or a single reply word. Two choices in a lock-screen preview usually means neither.

Guardrails

Five rules for texting past customers

Check consent is still validA purchase a year ago is not permission to text today. Only numbers with current SMS marketing consent belong in the sequence.
Wait for their own gapSomeone who orders twice a year is not lapsed after two months. Measure each customer against their usual rhythm.
Cap the sequence at threeThree texts across a month is plenty. A fourth rarely wins anyone back and often costs an opt-out.
Stop on the next orderThe moment they buy, remove them, so nobody gets a comeback code the day after coming back.
Respect texting hoursUS rules allow marketing texts only from 8am until 9pm, by the recipient's clock.

Bring lapsed buyers back with Zefir

Zefir drafts each win-back step with your team, sends it by text or WhatsApp, and shows which message every returning order came from.

Request access See how it works

12 to 15%typical lift in order revenue

1,000+ecommerce brands rely on Zefir

Questions

Texting lapsed customers: what to know

What is a win-back text?

It is an SMS to someone who bought before but has not ordered for well over their usual interval, giving them a reason to return. Zefir drafts the sequence and texts each step for you.

How long before a buyer is considered lapsed?

Once their silence runs to roughly twice their own gap between orders, which differs by product and by person. Zefir sends each win-back text on that customer's own timing.

Should the first win-back text include a discount?

Usually not; something new, a gift or a personal detail often does the job, and a code can follow if it does not. Zefir credits every comeback order to its trigger text, revealing if the code earned its cost.

How many win-back texts should a sequence have?

Two or three over a few weeks, ending with a clear question or a pause. Zefir ends the sequence as soon as a new order comes in.

Can I text customers who bought a long time ago?

Yes, provided the SMS marketing consent they gave still stands and no opt-out has been recorded. Zefir checks that consent before every send and holds texts outside quiet hours.