# Remind customers about unpaid orders

> An automation that emails customers who started checkout but never paid, with a link to retry the payment or order again.
>
> Source: https://docs.bcl.my/automation-pending-payment-reminder/

Some customers open your form, start paying, then close the bank page. BCL keeps the order as pending, and about 30 minutes later cancels it and fires **Payment Cancelled**. This automation catches that moment and emails the customer a link to finish the payment, so a distracted buyer does not become a lost sale.

## What you need

Only a payment form that customers pay online. Orders paid by COD or manual transfer are never auto-cancelled, so they never reach this automation.

## Build it

Start from a blank automation (see [Create an automation](/create-automation/)):

1. Go to **Automations**, click **New Automation**, name it "Unpaid Order Reminder" and click **Create**.
2. Click **Add Node** and pick **Payment Cancelled**. Double-click the trigger, set **Payment Source Type** to **Payment Form**, and click **Save Trigger**. To limit it to some forms, pick them in **Specific Form**.

   *(Screenshot: Payment Cancelled Trigger Settings with Payment Source Type set to Payment Form)*

3. Click **Add Node** and pick **Send Email**. Double-click it, fill it in as below and click **Save Email**.

   | Field | Enter |
   | --- | --- |
   | **Action Name** | Unpaid reminder |
   | **Recipient Email** | `{email}` |
   | **Email Subject** | `Your order {order_number} is still waiting` |
   | **Email Content** | The message below |

   ```text
   Hi {name},
   We noticed your order {order_number} for {amount} was not paid, so it has been cancelled.
   Still want it? Open your order and try the payment again: {receipt_url}
   Or start a new order here: {form_url}
   Thank you,
   {business_name}
   ```

   *(Screenshot: Email Action Settings with the unpaid reminder text)*

4. Click **Update Automation**.

The finished workflow:

*(Screenshot: The workflow canvas with Payment Cancelled connected to Unpaid reminder)*

`{receipt_url}` opens the order's receipt page. For a cancelled online payment, that page shows a **Retry Payment** button that sends the customer back to the bank with the same order. `{form_url}` opens the form for a fresh order.

## Test it

The test takes about half an hour because BCL waits before cancelling:

1. In Test Mode, fill in your payment form with your own email, click **Complete Payment**, and close the bank page without paying.
2. About 30 minutes later the order turns **Cancelled** in **Transactions**.
3. Open the automation and click **Overview**. The run appears in **Execution History**; a delivered email shows as **Completed**.

   *(Screenshot: Execution History with the run for the cancelled test order highlighted)*

## Tips

A few ways to get more from this recipe:

- **Want to wait longer?** Add a **Delay** of, say, 2 hours between the trigger and the email. The message then arrives when the customer is more likely to be free.
- **Do not combine this with the Incomplete Payment Follow-up template as it comes.** That template also emails cancelled payments, so customers would get two messages. Remove its cancelled branch, as in [Follow up on failed payments](/automation-failed-payment-follow-up/).
- **Keep the tone light.** The customer may have paid another way or changed their mind; one friendly reminder is enough.

## Common issues

### When exactly does Payment Cancelled fire?

BCL cancels a payment that is still unpaid about 30 minutes after it was started, and that fires Payment Cancelled. COD and manual transfer orders are never cancelled this way.

### Can I send the reminder on WhatsApp instead?

Yes. Use a Send Wabot or Send WasapBot step instead of Send Email, with {phone} as the number. The Abandoned Cart WhatsApp template is a ready-made version that waits an hour first.