Average Shipping & Delivery Notification Email Benchmarks
Shipping and delivery notification emails are critical transactional communications that inform customers about the status of their orders. These emails achieve exceptionally high engagement because they satisfy an immediate customer need — knowing when and how their purchase will arrive. They represent a key touchpoint in the post-purchase experience and significantly influence overall customer satisfaction and brand perception.
| Metric | Average | Above Average | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate | 45-65% | 68%+ | 75%+ |
| Click-Through Rate | 20-40% | 42%+ | 55%+ |
| Click-to-Open Rate | 40-60% | 62%+ | 72%+ |
| Conversion Rate (Secondary Action) | 3-8% | 10%+ | 15%+ |
| Bounce Rate | 0.5-1.2% | Below 0.3% | Below 0.15% |
| Unsubscribe Rate | 0.03% | Below 0.015% | Below 0.008% |
| Spam Complaint Rate | 0.008% | Below 0.004% | Below 0.002% |
Key Findings
- Shipping notification emails achieve open rates of 45-65%, with the first notification in a delivery sequence receiving the highest engagement.
- Tracking link CTR averages 15-25%, making it the most-clicked element in shipping notifications.
- Delivery window updates (with specific time slots) achieve CTR of 25-40%, as customers actively manage their delivery preferences.
- Emails with delivery preference management options (reschedule, redirect, leave with neighbour) reduce failed delivery attempts by 20-30%.
- Branded tracking experiences increase post-delivery customer satisfaction scores by 15-20 points compared to generic carrier tracking pages.
Open Rate Benchmarks
Shipping notification emails achieve open rates of 45-65%. The first "dispatched" notification typically achieves 55-65%, with subsequent "out for delivery" and "delivered" notifications seeing 45-55%. International shipping notifications average slightly lower at 40-50% due to longer transit times reducing urgency. Same-day and next-day delivery notifications achieve the highest open rates at 60-70%, driven by immediate relevance.
Click-Through Rate Benchmarks
CTR for shipping notifications averages 20-40%. Tracking link clicks account for 15-25% of total CTR. Delivery preference management links achieve 5-10%. Carrier information and delivery instructions links achieve 3-5%. Cross-sell and brand links in the footer achieve 1-3%. The most effective CTAs include "Track Your Package", "Reschedule Delivery", "View Delivery Window", and "Delivery Instructions".
Best Practices
- Send at key milestones: Send notifications at dispatch, out-for-delivery, and delivery completion. Each milestone email achieves high open rates and serves a distinct customer need.
- Provide real-time tracking links: Every shipping email must include a direct tracking link. Real-time tracking access reduces customer service enquiries about order status by 40-50%.
- Offer delivery management options: Include rescheduling, redirection, and safe place options directly in the email. This reduces failed delivery rates by 20-30% and improves customer satisfaction.
- Use branded tracking pages: Custom tracking pages with your brand identity improve post-purchase brand perception and create cross-sell opportunities on the tracking page itself.
- Include delivery photography: Emails showing a photo of the delivered package at the customer's door reduce theft-related claims by 15-25% and provide peace of mind.
- Optimise for mobile tracking: Over 75% of shipping notification emails are opened on mobile devices. Ensure tracking pages are mobile-responsive and support one-tap actions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The average open rate for shipping notification emails is 45-65%. Dispatch notifications achieve 55-65%, delivery confirmations achieve 45-55%, and same-day delivery updates achieve 60-70%.
A good CTR for shipping notifications is 20-40%. Tracking links achieve 15-25% CTR, delivery rescheduling achieves 5-10%, and delivery preference management achieves 3-5%.
The industry standard is three emails per order: shipped/dispatched, out for delivery, and delivered. Some retailers add a fourth for "delivery window confirmed" when scheduling specific time slots.
The tracking link is the most important element. It should be the most prominent CTA in the email. The second most important element is the estimated delivery date or delivery window.
By providing accurate, real-time tracking information, offering delivery flexibility (rescheduling, redirection), sending notifications at genuine status changes, and maintaining consistent branding throughout the delivery experience.