Why Shopify doesn't do it on its own
When a customer pays by bank deposit, cash on delivery, money order or your own manual method, the order shows as pending until you confirm the money arrived. There's no notification written to tell the customer "your bank transfer has landed". Shopify staff have said this isn't a built-in feature.
You might think Shopify Flow could fill the gap. But Shopify's marketing automations only send to customers who agreed to email marketing. Many of your bank transfer customers never ticked that box, so they'd get nothing.
The free way
- Check your bank and find the payment for the order.
- In your Shopify admin, go to Orders and click the order number.
- In the Payment pending section, click Collect payment, then Mark as paid.
- On the same order, find the Contact section and click the customer's email address. This opens the Contact customer box.
- Write a short note, for example: "Hi Sam, we've received your bank transfer for order #1042. Thanks! We'll let you know when it ships."
- Tick the option to send yourself a copy if you want one, then send.
- Optional: leave a comment on the order timeline ("Payment received email sent, 6 Oct") so your team knows it's done. Comments are only seen by staff.
Tip: keep your message in a notes file and paste it each time.
Where the free way falls short
- It's one order at a time. On a busy day, the "did you get my payment?" emails pile up faster than you can answer them.
- It's easy to forget. You mark the order as paid, get pulled away, and the customer never hears back.
- You type the name, order number and amount by hand, so mistakes slip in.
- Nothing chases unpaid orders. Shopify's own payment reminders only cover orders with payment terms, not a normal bank transfer order from your checkout.
The easier way: RNS Bank Transfer Helper
RNS Bank Transfer Helper sends a short "payment received" email from your shop's name when you mark a manual payment order as paid. Nothing to set up in Flow.
- Install the app and check the wording in Email templates. Send yourself a test. Test mode is on at first, so no customer gets an email until you turn it off.
- In Settings › Payment methods, choose which manual methods trigger the email: Bank Deposit, Cash on Delivery, Money Order, or your own manual method.
- When the money arrives, click Mark as paid on the order as usual. The customer gets the email, and replies go to your own inbox.
Every manual payment shows in Latest payments with its email status, so you can see what was sent and resend it if needed. Orders paid at checkout (card, PayPal, Shop Pay) and point-of-sale orders never get the email.
Free: up to 20 manual payments a month. Pro: $15 a month with a 14-day free trial, for unlimited manual payments plus reminders for unpaid orders.
What it can't do: it doesn't change Shopify's own emails. It sends its own email from your shop's name.
Questions
Can Shopify Flow send an email when a manual payment is approved?
Flow can react when an order is paid, but Shopify's marketing emails only go to customers who agreed to email marketing. Customers who didn't sign up won't get it. That's why most shops end up emailing by hand or using an app.
Can I send payment reminders for unpaid bank transfer orders?
Shopify's built-in payment reminders are for orders with payment terms. For a normal bank deposit order, you'd remind the customer yourself. In RNS Bank Transfer Helper, reminders for unpaid manual orders are part of Pro: a first nudge after 2 days and a last one 5 days later, and you can change the timing.
Can the email include my bank details?
Shopify doesn't let apps read the payment instructions you typed in Shopify. Type your bank details into the reminder text in the app's Email templates instead.
Sources
- Manual payment methods (checked 6 Oct 2026)
- Managing orders with deferred payments (checked 6 Oct 2026)
- Managing order details (checked 6 Oct 2026)