In short: In an online shop, most callers ask the same things: where is my parcel, how do I send something back, is the item in stock? An AI voice agent answers these questions on the phone and looks up order status, tracking number, price and stock directly in Shopify or Shopware 6. It cannot place orders, create return labels or pay money back, that stays with your team. With EchoCall a call minute costs around €0.30.
We rewrote this article in October 2026. The previous version claimed that 58 per cent of German online shoppers prefer to call when there is a problem. We found no source for that. The "up to 35 per cent" fewer support requests through outbound calls and the saving of €15,200 a month were not supported either. Some product details were also wrong: the agent does not enter orders into the shop system, does not create return labels and does not handle exchanges without your team. Ready-made integrations exist for Shopify and Shopware 6, not for WooCommerce or Magento.
This guide uses German market data and German consumer law. If you sell elsewhere, check the local rules.
AI telephony in e-commerce: why the phone still matters in customer service
According to the HDE Online Monitor 2026, online retail in Germany grew by 3.9 per cent last year to €92.3 billion net. The online share of total retail rose slightly to 13.5 per cent. [1] More orders mean more questions about orders.
Eurostat shows which questions. In 2025, 78 per cent of internet users aged 16 to 74 in the EU bought something online. 63 per cent of online shoppers had no problem. The most common issue was slower delivery than expected (20 per cent), followed by wrong or damaged goods (10 per cent). 6 per cent found complaints and redress difficult or did not get a satisfactory response. [2] Each of these problems is a potential call.
Most of them can be answered with a look at the order. That is exactly what takes your team's time: answer the call, ask for the order number, search the shop back end, read out the tracking number. An agent can take over that loop. For website chat, our page AI chat agent for online shops describes features and process. This article is mainly about the phone.
Six typical calls to an online shop and what the agent does with each
| Call | What the caller wants | What the AI voice agent does |
|---|---|---|
| Where is my parcel? | delivery status, tracking number | finds the order in Shopify or Shopware 6, gives status and tracking number |
| Return | How do I send something back? | explains the return process from your knowledge base, emails the link if asked |
| Withdrawal | I want to withdraw from the purchase | records the declaration with the order number and passes it to your team |
| Wrong or damaged goods | replacement, credit note, complaint | creates a ticket in Zendesk or Freshdesk with order number and description |
| Product question | Does it fit, is it in stock, what does it cost? | answers from product data and the knowledge base, gives price and stock from the shop |
| Large order | business customer, volume discount, special request | transfers to sales or takes a callback request |
Where is my parcel? In Shopware 6 the agent sees the order, payment and shipping status with tracking numbers, plus line items and total. In Shopify it looks up the order, shipment tracking and invoice. There are also integrations for order search and shipment tracking for orders via Amazon and eBay.
Callers must identify themselves. On the phone the agent cannot see who is speaking. So have it ask for the order number and a second detail, such as the postcode of the delivery address or the email address, and only give information if they match.
Withdrawal on the phone. In Germany a withdrawal needs no reason and no particular form. A declaration that clearly shows the decision is enough. The period is 14 days. [3] If a caller says "I am withdrawing from my order", the agent must not brush it off. It records name, order number, date and time and passes the declaration to your team. In addition, Section 356a of the German Civil Code (BGB) requires a withdrawal function for contracts concluded online, labelled "Vertrag widerrufen" ("withdraw from contract"), and a confirmation of receipt on a durable medium. [4] The agent does not replace that function.
E-commerce call centre, chatbot or AI agent: what suits your shop?
| E-commerce call centre | Chatbot in the shop | AI voice agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel | phone, often email too | website chat | phone, also by voice in the widget |
| Order status | yes, with access to the shop back end | depending on the connection | yes, via Shopify or Shopware 6 |
| Peaks after promotions | only with more staff | yes | yes, several calls at once |
| Difficult complaints | yes | handover to your team | transfer or ticket |
| Billing | depends on the contract, often per minute or hour | per conversation or month | with EchoCall per call minute |
A call centre puts people on the phone who can deal with an angry customer. An agent brings availability, in the evening too and at the peak after your newsletter. Many shops combine both: the agent takes standard questions, difficult cases go to people. Call Center or AI Voice Agent? The 2026 Cost Comparison works through the costs of both with real prices.
The chat agent in an online shop
If you are looking for a chatbot for your online shop, you do not need a second system with EchoCall. You add the chat widget to any shop with a script snippet, in Shopify for example in the theme. For shops on WordPress, such as WooCommerce, there is a WordPress plugin. The domain whitelist sets which domains the widget runs on.
The chat agent can also use the shop integrations and look up the order status, for example. Your team can take over conversations in the Live Inbox. Since October 2026 customers can also talk in the widget instead of typing. A notice card appears before the microphone starts, and the minutes come from the voice plan. Each agent has its own knowledge base, but you can fill chat and phone agents with the same content.
What AI telephony costs an online shop
With EchoCall you pay for call minutes and chat sessions, with no setup fee. [8] The phone number and telephony costs are not included in the plan prices.
| Plan | Voice | Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 250 minutes for €75 | 100 sessions for €40 |
| Basic | 500 minutes for €150 | 300 sessions for €120 |
| Professional | 1,500 minutes for €450 | 1,000 sessions for €400 |
| Business | from 5,000 minutes for €1,500 | from 5,000 sessions for €1,000 |
Example calculation with assumptions: a shop gets 20 calls a day, 3 minutes on average, on 22 days a month. That makes 1,320 minutes, so the Professional plan for €450 is enough. Add 250 chat sessions a month on the Basic plan for €120. Together that is €570 a month plus phone number and telephony.
Whether it pays off depends on how many calls the agent handles completely. Count for a week how many calls are pure status and return questions. Say it is half: with 220 such calls a month and 6 minutes of work per call including the search in the back end, your team saves 22 hours. Put your own figures into our ROI calculator.
The legal side: service numbers, withdrawal, AI notice, data protection
- No expensive service number. If customers call about an existing contract, the charge must not exceed the basic telephone cost (Section 312a(5) BGB). [5] That rules out a premium-rate number for your order hotline.
- Take withdrawals seriously. A withdrawal on the phone counts. The agent records it and passes it on, and the electronic withdrawal function is still required. [3] [4]
- AI notice. Since 2 August 2026, customers must be told that they are talking to an AI (Article 50 AI Act). [6] The chat widget shows the notice automatically. For the phone agent, you write it into the first message yourself, for example: "Hello, this is the digital customer service of Miller's shop. How can I help?"
- Data processing. The provider processes customer data on your behalf, so you need an agreement under Article 28 GDPR. [7] At EchoCall the servers are at IONOS in Frankfurt and Karlsruhe. You will find the agreement at echocall.de/en/avv, and the technical and organisational measures and sub-processors in the Trust Center.
If you want to call customers proactively about delivery delays, that is usually a service call as long as you do not advertise anything. How to set up such calls as a campaign is covered in AI Batch Calling 2026.
Setup in six steps
- Try it. At echocall.de/en/demo you enter your shop address. In about 20 seconds you have an agent built from your public pages, without signing up.
- Create an account. 30 voice minutes and 30 chat conversations for 14 days, and the credit card is verified with €1.
- Fill the knowledge base. Shipping, delivery times, returns, withdrawal policy, payment methods, size charts. The quickest way is your shop address, which is re-read at a fixed interval.
- Connect the shop. Shopify or Shopware 6, plus Zendesk or Freshdesk for tickets and an email connection for sending links.
- Set the rules. Information only after order number and a second detail, record withdrawals instead of arguing, no promises about credit notes, transfers for complaints and business customers.
- Test. Call with five real orders, one of them with a wrong postcode. Only then forward your hotline.
Where the agent reaches its limits
- Orders and payments. It does not create orders or pay money back. It explains the next steps and creates a ticket.
- Return labels. Your returns portal or your team creates them, not the agent.
- Other shop systems. There is no ready-made integration for WooCommerce, Magento and other systems. You connect them via webhooks, Zapier or Make.
- Angry customers. Someone calling for the third time wants a person. The agent transfers the call.
Frequently asked questions about AI telephony in e-commerce
What can AI on the phone take over in an online shop?
Questions about parcel status and tracking number, returns, delivery times, payment methods, price and stock. For that the agent looks things up in Shopify or Shopware 6. It records withdrawals, creates tickets for complaints and transfers difficult cases to your team.
E-commerce call centre or AI: which is cheaper?
With EchoCall a call minute costs around €0.30, with no setup fee. A call centre charges per minute, hour or call depending on the contract. For standard questions the agent is usually cheaper, for difficult complaints people remain better. The phone number and telephony costs come on top for the agent.
Does it work with Shopify, Shopware or WooCommerce?
Shopify and Shopware 6 are ready-made integrations, as are Amazon and eBay. For WooCommerce there is the WordPress plugin for the chat widget, but no ready-made connection to orders. You connect those via webhooks, Zapier or Make.
Do I need a chatbot for my online shop or phone AI?
It depends on where your customers ask. Many shops start with the channel that creates the most work today. With EchoCall the chat and voice agents run in the same EchoHub, and both can use the shop integrations.
May the agent accept a withdrawal on the phone?
It should record it. A withdrawal needs no form and no reason, a clear declaration is enough. The agent notes name, order number, date and time and passes everything to your team. It does not replace the electronic withdrawal function on your website.
How do I stop the agent from giving order details to strangers?
Set a rule that it only gives information after the order number and a second detail, such as the postcode of the delivery address or the email address. If one does not match, it gives no details and offers a callback or an email to the address on file.
Sources
- Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE), Online Monitor 2026, in German: einzelhandel.de
- Eurostat, E-commerce statistics for individuals, 2025 data, extracted February 2026: ec.europa.eu
- Section 355 German Civil Code (BGB), right of withdrawal in consumer contracts, in German: gesetze-im-internet.de
- Section 356a German Civil Code (BGB), withdrawal function, in German: gesetze-im-internet.de
- Section 312a German Civil Code (BGB), general duties and principles in consumer contracts, in German: gesetze-im-internet.de
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act), Article 50: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Article 28: eur-lex.europa.eu
- EchoCall pricing: echocall.de/en/pricing
All links were checked on 6 October 2026. This post is not legal advice.
Read next
- AI chat agent for online shops: order status and returns in chat and on the phone
- Call Center or AI Voice Agent? The 2026 Cost Comparison
- AI Batch Calling 2026: How to Run AI Outbound Call Campaigns, Which Ones Are Legal and What They Cost
- Missed Calls Cost Revenue: what being unreachable really costs in 2026
