The three messages

Hour 1 — Cart reminder

Subject: their cart contents. Body: image of the items, a single resume-checkout button, brief reassurance about shipping or returns. No discount. The discount comes later or not at all — most stores leave money on the table by leading with one.

Hour 24 — Reason to come back

Subject: a single concrete reason — low inventory, return-customer testimonial, or a reminder that a popular size is selling out. No discount yet. About 60 percent of recoveries come from email 1 and 2 alone.

Hour 48 — Last touch

Plain-text. From a person, not a brand. “Hey — saw you were checking out and the cart’s still saved for another 24 hours. Anything I can answer? — [Name], [Role]”. A discount goes here only if the brand uses one anywhere — it shouldn’t be a surprise to the customer that you have a discount.