# Review request timing by fulfillment type

When to ask for a review after domestic, international, pickup, local delivery or digital orders. One checklist table.

By Rohin Aggarwal · 2026-10-31

The email landed while the parcel was still on a truck. She deleted it. Three days later she opened the box and liked the jumper. Nobody asked again.

**Quick answer**

- Ask after the buyer has used the product. Skip asks that fire at label print.
- Domestic parcels: count from delivered, then add a short use window.
- International: wait longer. Customs lag breaks “days after order”.
- Pickup and local delivery: start from handoff. Checkout time is too early.
- Digital goods: ask sooner. There is no unbox day.

Timing is a fulfillment problem before it is a copy problem. The same subject line fails if the box has not arrived.

We make Idukki. Our Shopify request emails can count from transit, out for delivery, delivered or order created. Pick the event that matches the ship type.

_Figure: A parcel timeline from label print to first use. Illustration only._

## The unbox window by category

The unbox window is the stretch between arrival and a formed opinion. It varies by product more than by brand voice.

| Category | After delivery, wait | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apparel and footwear | 3 to 7 days | Needs a wear before fit is clear |
| Beauty and skincare | 5 to 14 days | Needs a few uses |
| Home and furniture | 7 to 14 days | Assembly and a week in the room |
| Electronics | 3 to 7 days | Setup, then light use |
| Food and perishables | 1 to 3 days | Opinion forms on first use |
| Gifts | Hold or ask the buyer | The recipient may open later |

_Planning ranges. Adjust from your own delivery data. Not measured response rates._

> **Use delivered, then add the use window:** Do not start the clock at order created for physical goods. Delivery date plus the category window is the safer default.

## Domestic parcel rules

For same-country parcels, trigger on delivered when your carrier feeds that status. Then add the category wait above.

- If delivered is missing, use out for delivery plus one day as a fallback.
- Skip cancelled and returned orders before the ask goes out.
- Keep one ask per order across email and SMS.

Fast domestic shipping still needs the use window. A next-day parcel can arrive before the buyer has worn it.

## International lag

Cross-border orders break fixed “7 days after purchase” rules. Customs and last-mile partners add quiet days.

- Prefer delivered status over a fixed delay from order created.
- If delivered is rare, set a longer fixed delay and accept some early asks.
- Do not stack a reminder until you know the first email was late rather than early.

> **Segment international separately:** One global delay under-asks domestic buyers and over-asks overseas ones. Split the flow by shipping country or zone.

## Pickup / local delivery

Click-and-collect and local van runs have a clear handoff. Use that moment. Checkout is too early.

**From handoff to ask**
1. **Handoff** — Buyer picks up, or the driver marks delivered.
2. **Wait** — Apply the category use window.
3. **Ask** — Send one review request on the channel you cap.
_Same product category window. Different start event._

Same-day local delivery can feel like digital speed. The product still needs use time before a fair ask.

## Digital goods

Downloads, courses and gift cards have no parcel. Order created is a fair start.

- Software or courses: wait until the buyer has logged in once, if you can see that.
- Gift cards: ask the purchaser lightly, or wait for redemption if you track it.
- Subscriptions: ask after the first successful period. Skip the signup day.

## One checklist table

| Fulfillment | Start event | Extra delay | Channel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Domestic parcel | Delivered | Category use window | Email first |
| International parcel | Delivered (preferred) | Longer fixed delay if status is weak | Email first |
| Store pickup | Picked up | Category use window | Email or SMS |
| Local delivery | Driver delivered | Category use window | Email first |
| Digital goods | Order created | 1 to 3 days, or first use | Email |
| Subscription refill | Successful renewal | Short use window | Email |

_Fulfillment × delay × channel. Starting points to edit from your own delivery data._

Put the table in your ESP or reviews app as named flows. Review the early and late outliers each month.

**Relative wait after the start event**
- Digital: 1–3 days
- Domestic apparel: 3–7 days
- International + lag: Delivered + window
- Furniture / home: 7–14 days
_Illustrative bars for planning. Not measured reply rates. Digital is shortest; furniture is longest._

**Your next step:** Export last month’s delivered dates and review-request send times. Mark every ask that beat delivery. Fix those flows first.

### Questions store owners ask

**Q: Is “7 days after order” good enough?**

A: For physical goods, usually not. Prefer delivered plus a use window.

**Q: What if my carrier rarely sends delivered?**

A: Use out for delivery plus one day, or a longer fixed delay, and fix tracking next.

**Q: Should SMS go out on the same day as email?**

A: No. Cap to one channel per order unless the buyer opted into SMS asks.

**Q: How do gifts change timing?**

A: The recipient may open later. Hold the ask or write it for the purchaser only.

### Sources
- [Idukki help: send post-purchase review and photo requests](/help/send-post-purchase-review-and-photo-requests) — Can count from In Transit, Out For Delivery, Delivered or Order created.
- [Idukki: reviews](/reviews)
- [Idukki: how to ask customers for reviews](/blog/how-to-ask-customers-for-reviews) — Ask patterns without inventing timing claims.

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Canonical: https://idukki.io/blog/review-request-timing-by-fulfillment-type
Tags: reviews, review-requests, fulfillment, shipping, post-purchase, email