What are transactional emails?
Transactional emails are automated messages sent to customers in response to specific order-related events. Transactional emails keep customers informed about their order status and provide important information throughout the purchase process.
In Retino Tracking, transactional emails are a special category of automations that respond to order events instead of shipment events.
Transactional email types
Retino Tracking supports three main categories of transactional emails:
1. Order creation emails
Sent immediately after a new order is received in the system. Typically include:
Order receipt confirmation
Summary of ordered items
Further process information
2. Payment status change emails
Respond to changes in the order's payment status:
Pending payment - Notification about a pending payment
Paid - Confirmation of payment receipt
Partially paid - Information about a partial payment
Refunded - Confirmation of payment refund
Cancelled - Information about payment cancellation
3. Order fulfillment status change emails
Provide information about the physical order processing:
New - Order received
Picking - Order preparation in progress
Packed - Order ready for shipment
Dispatched - Order handed to the carrier
Ready for pickup - For in-person pickups
On Hold - Processing temporarily paused
Default transactional email set
When Retino Tracking is activated, a pre-configured set of transactional emails is automatically created:
"Order preparation" section:
Order confirmation - Sent when the order was created
"Fulfillment" section:
Your order has been shipped - Sent when the order fulfillment status changes to shipped
These default templates are ready to use, but are inactive by default. To activate them, you need to enable them in the automation settings.
How to activate transactional emails?
To activate transactional emails, follow these steps:
In the list of automations, find the pre-configured transactional emails (marked with a yellow label "Order preparation" or "Fulfillment")
Click on the automation you want to activate
Check the trigger settings and adjust as needed
Adjust the email content to your requirements
Activate the automation by toggling the switch on the right
To create a new transactional email, use the "New trigger" button and select one of the order triggers. Detailed instructions are available in the How does automation work? article.
Transactional email benefits
For customers
Instant reassurance - Confirmation that the order was received and is being processed
Order overview - All important information in one place
Communication history - Emails serve as proof of the order
Transparency - The customer knows the current order phase
For e-shops
Reduced inquiries - Customers have the information automatically, no need to ask
Professionalism - Immediate confirmation increases credibility
Legal requirements - Fulfillment of the obligation to inform about order receipt
Cross-selling - Opportunity to add recommendations for other products
Unified communication - All customers receive the same information
Difference between transactional emails and shipment emails
Although both types are displayed in the Settings > Automations section, they are different types of communication:
Transactional emails respond to order events - order creation, payment changes, fulfillment status changes. They are sent based on data from your e-shop, often before a tracking number exists. Example: "Thank you for your order #12345".
Shipment emails respond to delivery events - shipment status changes, days at the branch, inactive shipment. They are sent based on data from carriers (PPL, Czech Post, DPD, etc.) and always include a tracking number. Example: "Your shipment DR1234567890 is ready for pickup".
In practice, these emails complement each other and create a complete communication chain - from order confirmation (transactional) to shipment notification (transactional) to delivery information (shipment emails).
Best practices
Tips for effective transactional emails
Activate at least order confirmation - It's a basic customer expectation
Use clear subjects - E.g., "Order #[[order.code]] - confirmation"
Test before activation - Send a test email to your own address
Don't forget language versions - Set up correct texts for all languages
Combine both email types - For complete customer awareness
Statistics and measurement
You can track the performance of transactional emails in the Automated email statistics section. Pay particular attention to:
Delivery rate - should be higher than 95%
Open rate - transactional emails usually have a high open rate (50-70%)
Click-through rate - especially for emails with links to shipment tracking
Disabling duplicate emails
When activating transactional emails in Retino Tracking, we strongly recommend disabling automated emails in your e-shop solution to prevent customers from receiving duplicate messages. Transactional emails from Retino Tracking provide a unified design, better personalization, and detailed statistics that standard e-shop solutions don't offer.
Important: Don't forget to disable automated emails in your e-shop! Instructions for Shoptet platforms are available here:
Conclusion
Transactional emails are a fundamental building block of professional e-commerce communication. Retino Tracking provides pre-built templates that you only need to activate and customize to your needs. Combined with shipment emails, you create a complete communication chain from order to delivery.