Order Confirmation Email Template: 6 Examples to Copy

An order confirmation email tells the customer that you have received and accepted their order, repeats exactly what they bought and what it costs, and explains what happens next. Done well, it prevents the most common follow-up questions (did it go through, when will it arrive, how do I change it) and gives both sides a record if something goes wrong. Below are six order confirmation email templates you can copy, the details every version should include, and the legal points for UK and US sellers.

What every order confirmation email should include

• Order number and order date, plus the customer's PO number for B2B orders
• Items: description, quantity, unit price and line total
• Charges: subtotal, discounts, delivery, taxes and the grand total
• Payment: amount taken and method (for example card ending 4421), or payment terms such as Net 30
• Delivery: address, method, and estimated delivery date or date range
• Changes and cancellations: how to change the order and by when
• Consumer rights where they apply, such as cancellation or returns information
• Contact details: a real email address or phone number, not only no-reply

For B2B orders, the email usually attaches or summarizes your sales order, which carries the full line detail.

Subject line examples

• Order #10482 confirmed, arriving Nov 18 to 20
• Thanks, Priya. Your order #10482 is confirmed
• PO 77215 acknowledged, our ref SO-2026-0418
• Booking confirmed: deep clean on Sat 22 Nov, 9:00 am
• Custom order #C-219 confirmed, deposit received

Our list of invoice email subject lines follows the same principle: put the reference number where people will search for it.

Template 1: online shop order (consumer)

Subject: Order #[Order number] confirmed

Hi [First name],

Thanks for your order. We have received it and are getting it ready.

Order #[Order number], placed [date]
[Qty] x [Item name, size/color] - [price]
[Qty] x [Item name] - [price]
Subtotal: [amount]
Delivery ([method]): [amount]
Tax: [amount]
Total paid: [amount] by [card ending XXXX / PayPal / other]

Delivering to: [Name, address]
Estimated delivery: [date range]. We will email a tracking link when it ships.

Need to change something? Reply to this email before [cut-off time] and we will do our best. You can cancel within [X] days of receiving your order; see our returns and cancellation policy: [link].

Thanks,
[Store name] | [support email] | [phone]

Template 2: B2B purchase order acknowledgement

Subject: PO [Customer PO] acknowledged, our ref [SO number]

Dear [Name],

Thank you for purchase order [PO number] dated [date]. We confirm acceptance as follows:

• Our sales order: [SO number] (attached)
• Items and prices: as per your PO / as per our quotation [Q number]
• Order value: [amount] excluding tax
• Delivery: [date] to [ship-to address], via [method]
• Payment terms: [Net 30 from invoice date]

[Optional: Line 3 (SKU SF-181500) is on backorder and will ship separately on [date]. Please let us know by [date] if you would prefer to cancel that line.]

Please quote both references on any correspondence. Our invoice will follow on dispatch.

Kind regards,
[Name], [Title]
[Company] | [phone]

If anything in the acknowledgement differs from the PO, such as price, quantity or date, say so plainly. A changed acceptance may be treated as a counter-offer, so ask the buyer to confirm in writing.

Template 3: service booking confirmation

Subject: Booking confirmed: [service] on [day, date], [time]

Hi [First name],

You are booked in. Here are the details:

Service: [description]
Date and time: [day, date], arriving between [time window]
Address: [service address]
Price: [amount] ([fixed price / estimated, based on X hours at Y per hour])
Payment: [deposit of X received; balance due on completion by card or transfer]

Before we arrive: [access, parking, pets, anything to prepare].

To reschedule, reply or call [phone] at least [24/48] hours before your appointment. [Late cancellation fee, if any.]

See you then,
[Name], [Business]

Template 4: custom or made-to-order item with deposit

Subject: Custom order #[number] confirmed, deposit received

Hi [First name],

Thank you for your deposit of [amount]. Your order is confirmed and has been added to our production schedule.

What you ordered: [description, size, materials, personalization]
Total price: [amount]   Deposit paid: [amount]   Balance due: [amount] before [dispatch/collection]
Proof for approval: we will send a design proof by [date]. Production starts once you approve it.
Estimated completion: [date range]

Because this item is made to your specification, changes after proof approval may affect the price and timing, and [describe cancellation terms].

Thanks,
[Name]

Template 5: pre-order or delay notice

Subject: Update on order #[number]: new ship date [date]

Hi [First name],

We are sorry: [item] in your order #[number] is delayed. Our supplier has moved the delivery to us, and we now expect to ship on [new date].

You can:

• Keep your order - no action needed; we will ship as soon as it arrives.
• Cancel for a full refund - reply to this email or use [link] and we will refund [amount] to your original payment method within [X] days.

The rest of your order [has shipped / will ship together with this item].

Sorry for the wait,
[Store name]

Template 6: cash on delivery order

Subject: Order #[number] confirmed, pay [amount] on delivery

Hi [First name],

Your order is confirmed. Please keep [amount] ready for the courier [in cash / by card or wallet on delivery]. Our courier will call you on [phone] before arriving.

[Order summary]

Reply to this email if you need to change the address or cancel before [cut-off].

Thanks,
[Store name]

COD orders have higher refusal rates, so a clear confirmation with the exact amount helps. See our guide to cash on delivery invoicing for reconciling COD payments.

Automating confirmations without losing the details

Most online stores send confirmations automatically, and most B2B teams send them by hand. Either way, the risk is the same: a template that leaves out something the customer needs. Review your template against these questions once a quarter:

• Does the email show the full total, including delivery and tax, not just the item prices?
• Is the delivery estimate realistic for current stock and carrier times?
• Does it explain how to change or cancel, with a real cut-off time?
• Does it link to your returns and cancellation policy?
• Does the reply-to address reach a person?
• For B2B, does it quote the customer's PO number and your sales order number?

Attach a PDF or not?

For consumer orders, the email body itself is usually enough, though a PDF receipt or invoice helps customers who need it for expenses. For B2B orders, attach the sales order or order acknowledgement as a PDF. Accounts payable teams file PDFs against purchase orders, and an attachment is easier to forward to the warehouse than an email thread.

Tone

Keep confirmations short and factual. A friendly first line is fine, but the customer opened the email to check the details, so put the order summary near the top and any marketing, such as product recommendations, well below it, or leave it out entirely for B2B.

Legal points for UK and US sellers

United Kingdom

For distance contracts with consumers, such as online sales, regulation 16 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 requires the trader to give confirmation of the contract on a durable medium, which includes email. The confirmation must include the pre-contract information listed in the regulations unless it was already provided on a durable medium. In practice that means your confirmation email, or an attached PDF, should carry your business identity, the main characteristics of the goods, the total price, delivery arrangements and cancellation rights.

United States

The FTC's mail, internet or telephone order merchandise rule requires sellers to have a reasonable basis for any shipping time they state (or ship within 30 days if no time is stated) and to notify customers of delays with the option to cancel. Template 5 is written with that in mind. State consumer laws can add further requirements.

This section is general information, not legal advice.

Common mistakes

• Sending from a no-reply address with no other way to get in touch.
• Leaving out the total or delivery charge, which leads to "I was charged more than I expected".
• Promising a delivery date you cannot meet. Use a range.
• Accepting a B2B PO with silent changes. Point out every difference.
• No order number in the subject line. Customers cannot find the email later.

After the confirmation

Once the order ships or the work is done, send the invoice or receipt; our please find attached invoice examples cover the wording. When the customer pays later, a payment confirmation email closes the loop, and for goods handed over in person, a delivery receipt records who signed for them.

If you need a PDF to attach to the confirmation, such as a sales order, proforma or invoice, you can make one in our free invoice generator in a couple of minutes without creating an account.