7 Ways to Create In-Chat Checkout Experiences with Card-on-File Customers

In-chat checkout experiences are engineered to boost customer engagement, delivering value at every customer touchpoint. The potential to amplify your revenue through them lies in the art of automated, personalized conversations. 

You can prompt customers to:

In-chat checkout use cases overview

1. Upgrade an existing product or service

In-chat payment solutions can boost customer satisfaction and loyalty by offering value at a moment when customers are already engaged and thinking about their upcoming experience. 

Imagine your favorite airline, which already knows your preferences and travel patterns, reaching out to you directly through WhatsApp a few days before your flight. The message is personalized and timely: 

This scenario capitalizes on the convenience and immediacy of in-chat transactions, making it effortlessly easy for a customer to accept a personalized offer. With just a few taps, they can confirm the upgrade using either their accumulated miles or a payment method securely stored on file. No need to log into an account, navigate through several pages, or fill out a lengthy form—they can complete their upgrade transaction within the flow of conversation, enhancing not just their flight comfortability but their impression of the airline as a whole as well.

This use case demonstrates a proactive approach to customer service, and it’s not exclusive to airlines. It leverages the data and insights the company has about its customers to offer personalized, relevant upgrades, which is a powerful tool for deepening customer relationships and, of course, growing revenue.

2. Reorder an empty or running-low product

To win back existing customers, reminding them about empty or soon-to-be-empty products is a solid customer retention strategy. 

Picture this: A skincare company, through sophisticated tracking and analysis of your purchase history, accurately predicts when you're about to run out of your favorite moisturizer.

Leveraging the intimate and direct nature of chat communication, the company sends you a friendly text message: 

This message not only reminds the customer that they need to reorder, but offers them an effortless way to do so, all within the comfort of their current chat window. 

This approach reduces the friction typically associated with online shopping, including searching for the product again, adding it to the cart, and entering payment information. By offering a simple, one-click reorder link and the option to use a saved payment method, you can significantly improve the customer checkout experience, encouraging loyalty and driving repeat purchases.

3. Subscribe for automatically recurring purchases

In-chat checkout experiences pave the way for one-time purchases that turn into recurring, subscription-based purchases. Subscriptions offer a win-win scenario for both businesses and customers by providing continuity, convenience, and often, cost-savings.

Imagine receiving a message from your preferred coffee brand through Facebook Messenger: 

This proposition taps into two things: the customer’s desire for ease and cost-savings and their fear of running out of a beloved product. A friendly reminder removes the hassle of remembering to reorder. Plus, you can set up your chatbot to make it easy for each customer to start, pause, modify, or cancel their subscription with just a few clicks.

4. Add on to their purchase

Encourage customers to tack on additional items to their purchase to improve your customer's shopping journey while also boosting your company’s average order value. This method is particularly effective when the add-ons complement the initial purchase. 

Take, for example, the experience of buying a MacBook through Apple’s online chatbot. As you're finalizing the details of your MacBook purchase, the chat interface smartly suggests: 

This timely suggestion introduces customers to products that improve their initial cart selection and simplifies the decision-making process by presenting these add-ons in a non-intrusive, helpful manner.

It’s all about the seamless integration of additional choices into the customer's shopping flow. Instead of navigating away from the checkout process to browse for accessories or protection plans, customers are efficiently presented with a curated selection of complementary products or services that they might not have considered otherwise. Your customers will appreciate the personalized recommendations and feel like they’ve made the most of their purchase.

5. Pay in advance

For appointments and reservations where demand is high, customers have a vested interest in securing their spot—and businesses have a major incentive to reduce no-shows. By allowing customers to pay in advance, businesses can streamline the reservation process.

Consider the scenario of booking a much-needed chiropractor appointment. The chat service sends you a message: 

This prompt not only offers customers the convenience of booking and paying for an appointment in a few simple steps, but it also gives them peace of mind that their spot is secure.

The pay-in-advance model extends beyond healthcare appointments to a variety of sectors, including exclusive dining reservations, fitness classes, and event tickets. Paying upfront directly to hold spots, all through chat conversations, can eliminate the frustration of last-minute unavailability while underscoring the value of the experience or service that’ll be provided.

By requiring payment in advance, companies can also better forecast demand, allocate resources more effectively, and keep operations running smoothly. Additionally, it reinforces the commitment on both sides of the client and provider relationship. 

6. Get a discount for buying with card-on-file

Card-on-file discounts simplify the payment process for the customer while also providing immediate value. By incentivizing customers to use their card-on-file for purchases, companies can reduce checkout times and thereby increase conversion rates.

Imagine receiving a personalized iMessage from your favorite skincare brand: 

This message leverages the convenience of having a payment method stored securely and rewards customers for using it, making the purchase process as frictionless as tapping a button.

By offering discounts for purchases made with a card-on-file, businesses capitalize on the efficiency and security of in-chat transactions while still giving customers a compelling reason to engage repeatedly with their services. Customers enjoy the convenience and savings, while businesses benefit from increased loyalty and a smoother, faster checkout process. 

7. Help customers find what they’re looking for

An abundance of choices often leads to analysis paralysis; meanwhile, in-chat checkout experiences, equipped with intelligent decision trees, can serve as a beacon of guidance for customers. 

Imagine a customer is interested in purchasing a tent but unsure about the specifics required for their upcoming camping trip. Through a WhatsApp conversation, the company can deploy a series of simple, guided questions to narrow down the customer's needs: 

"Are you looking for a tent to use in cold weather conditions, or will you be camping in a warmer climate?" 

Depending on the response, the chat can then present a curated selection of tents designed for either cold weather, with features like reinforced insulation, or warm weather, offering enhanced ventilation and lightweight materials.

This interactive shopping assistant takes customers beyond traditional search capabilities. It acts as a personalized shopping guide, leading individuals through a chat journey that considers their unique preferences and requirements. By asking the right questions at the right time, the chat experience mimics the helpful guidance of an in-store sales associate, making product discovery engaging, efficient, and tailored to the individual.