Installing CODFlip on Shopify: Setup Guide
Every other post on this blog assumes CODFlip is already running. This one is for the few minutes before that: installing it, working through the setup wizard, and knowing what to check once it goes live.
In this guide
- Before You Install
- Step 1: Install From the Shopify App Store
- Step 2: Choose a Discount Mode
- Step 3: Set the Send Delay
- Step 4: WhatsApp Connection
- Step 5: Quiet Hours
- Step 6: Activate
- If You're on Pro: A Few More Settings
- What to Check in Your First 48 Hours
- Common Setup Mistakes
- Where to Learn More
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
TL;DR
CODFlip installs from the Shopify App Store like any other app, then walks you through a short setup wizard: pick a discount mode, set a send delay, connect WhatsApp (or skip this entirely using CODFlip's shared, Meta-approved number), configure Quiet Hours, and activate. Nothing sends to a customer until you explicitly activate at the end of the wizard. Most stores are fully live the same day, and the first thing worth checking afterward is the Dashboard's Nudges Sent count within 24 hours, followed by the Analytics message log for any failed sends over the next 48.
Before You Install
CODFlip plugs into your existing Shopify checkout and order flow. There is no separate app for customers, no change to how you fulfill orders, and no migration of your existing COD settings. If you are still deciding whether CODFlip is the right fit, the full feature list is in COD to Prepaid Shopify App: CODFlip Features (2026) and pricing in CODFlip Pricing: COD App Plans & WhatsApp Costs (2026). This post assumes you have already decided and just want the walkthrough.
Step 1: Install From the Shopify App Store
Install CODFlip from the Shopify App Store like any other app, grant the standard permissions it requests (order and checkout access, since that is what it needs to see COD orders and, on Pro, apply the Payment Picker), and you land directly in the setup wizard. Installing the app by itself does not activate anything or send a single message; that only happens once you finish the wizard and explicitly turn it on.
Step 2: Choose a Discount Mode
The wizard first asks how you want to size the prepaid incentive. Free and Pro both include Flat Discount: one fixed percentage or ₹ amount applied to every qualifying order. Pro unlocks the Smart Incentive Engine, which calculates a fresh discount per order based on its estimated RTO cost, value, and the customer's purchase history.
If you're not sure which to pick: Start with Flat Discount even on Pro. It is simpler to reason about while you are still watching how CODFlip behaves on your store, and switching to the Smart Incentive Engine later is a single toggle, not a reconfiguration. We compared the two in detail in Personalized vs Flat Discount: COD to Prepaid (2026).
Step 3: Set the Send Delay
Next, set how long CODFlip waits after an order is placed before sending the main nudge. The default is 4 hours, enough time for the order confirmation itself to land first, without waiting so long that the customer has stopped thinking about the purchase. This is adjustable later without redoing the wizard.
Step 4: WhatsApp Connection
This is the step most merchants expect to be complicated, and it is the one that requires the least action. By default, CODFlip sends every nudge from its own shared, Meta-approved WhatsApp Business number, so there is nothing to register, verify, or wait on approval for. You can genuinely skip this step and move straight to activation.
Connecting your own WhatsApp Business number for branded messaging is available as a Pro+ option, for stores that specifically want nudges to appear to come from their own number rather than a shared one. It is optional at setup and can be added later.
Step 5: Quiet Hours
CODFlip ships with a default Quiet Hours window (11:00 PM to 8:30 AM IST) that holds any message that would otherwise land overnight and releases it the moment the window ends, rather than pinging a customer at 2 AM. The wizard lets you confirm or adjust this window before activation. Full detail on how this and the Expiry Reminder work together is in Best Time to Send WhatsApp COD Offers (2026).
Step 6: Activate
The last step is a single explicit toggle. Nothing sends to a real customer until you activate, which means you can walk back through every earlier step and change your mind as many times as you want before anything goes live.
For example. A merchant works through the wizard, picks Flat Discount, leaves the send delay at 4 hours, skips the WhatsApp connection step entirely, confirms the default Quiet Hours window, and activates. The whole process, start to finish, takes a few minutes, and the next COD order placed on the store is the first one CODFlip actually scores.
If You're on Pro: A Few More Settings
Pro unlocks several checkout-level features that are not part of the core wizard and are configured separately once the base setup is done:
- COD Fee: set an amount, and it applies automatically as a real Shopify shipping rate on every COD selection going forward.
- Partial COD: set an advance percentage from 5 to 90% of order value.
- OTP Verification: choose the scope, COD only, COD and Partial COD, or every payment method.
- Pre-Checkout Discount: set the expiry window for the one-time code shown before a customer selects Cash on Delivery.
None of these are required to start; a store can run on just the core wizard settings and add these individually as needed.
What to Check in Your First 48 Hours
| Timeframe | What to Check |
|---|---|
| First 24 hours | Dashboard: Nudges Sent and Pending Nudges are both moving, confirming messages are actually going out |
| 24 to 48 hours | Analytics message log: check for any sends marked failed, not just sent or pending |
| First week | Conversion Rate and Revenue Recovered on the Dashboard, to get a first real read on performance |
| Ongoing | Savings Dashboard (Pro), to confirm net savings, not just conversion count, are positive |
Full detail on reading each of these views is in CODFlip Dashboard: Reading RTO Savings (2026).
Common Setup Mistakes
- Forgetting to activate: the wizard can be fully completed and still send nothing if the final activation toggle was never switched on.
- Setting the send delay too short: sending the main nudge before an order confirmation has even landed can feel premature to a customer.
- Turning on the Smart Incentive Engine before you have a baseline: switching to Pro's variable discount on day one, with no Flat Discount period to compare against, makes it harder to tell whether a change in conversion came from the new mode or something else.
- Ignoring the Analytics failed-send log: a low conversion rate in week one is sometimes a delivery problem, not a discount or timing problem, and the message log is the only place that distinction shows up.
Where to Learn More
For a full breakdown of every feature referenced in this setup flow, see COD to Prepaid Shopify App: CODFlip Features (2026), and for the exact mechanics of what happens once a nudge is triggered, see How CODFlip Builds & Sends a WhatsApp Nudge (2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to set up CODFlip?
The in-app setup wizard takes a few minutes: pick a discount mode, set a send delay, connect WhatsApp (or skip this using CODFlip's shared number), and activate. Most stores are fully live the same day they install.
Do I need my own WhatsApp Business number to get started?
No. CODFlip sends nudges from its own shared, Meta-approved WhatsApp Business number by default, so there is nothing to set up on the WhatsApp side. Connecting your own number for branded messaging is a Pro+ option, not a requirement to activate.
Will CODFlip start messaging customers immediately after I install it?
Only once you finish the setup wizard and explicitly activate it. Installing the app alone does not send anything; activation is a separate, deliberate step at the end of the wizard.
What should I check first after activating CODFlip?
The Dashboard's Nudges Sent and Pending Nudges counts within the first day, to confirm messages are actually going out, followed by the Analytics message log to check for any failed sends over the following 48 hours.
Sources
- This post describes CODFlip's own setup process. For the underlying feature mechanics referenced throughout, see the linked posts above.
Ready to install CODFlip?
See the product page for pricing and setup, or read the full feature breakdown first.