How to Send OTP on Shopify (2026)

Shopify is heavily used by Indian D2C brands. OTP at checkout is the single most effective COD-fraud reduction. This tutorial wires StartMessaging via App Proxy.

Overview

1. Shopify app with an App Proxy URL.
2. Backend (Node / any) hosts /sm/send + /sm/verify.
3. Storefront / checkout-extension calls App Proxy.
4. On verify, set a customer metafield sm.phone_verified = true.

App Proxy Pattern

App Proxy lets your store frontend call your backend without CORS gymnastics. Configure proxy prefix apps/sm and proxy URL pointing at your backend.

Send Route

// backend/index.ts (Node)
import express from 'express';
import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto';

const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

app.post('/sm/send', async (req, res) => {
  const { phoneNumber } = req.body;
  const r = await fetch('https://api.startmessaging.com/otp/send', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'X-API-Key': process.env.SM_API_KEY!, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({ phoneNumber, idempotencyKey: randomUUID() }),
  });
  const data = (await r.json()).data;
  res.cookie('sm_otp_req', data.requestId, { httpOnly: true, secure: true, sameSite: 'lax', maxAge: 900_000 });
  res.json({ expiresAt: data.expiresAt });
});

Verify Route

app.post('/sm/verify', async (req, res) => {
  const { otpCode } = req.body;
  const requestId = req.cookies?.sm_otp_req;
  if (!requestId) return res.status(400).json({ error: 'no otp' });
  const r = await fetch('https://api.startmessaging.com/otp/verify', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'X-API-Key': process.env.SM_API_KEY!, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({ requestId, otpCode }),
  });
  if (!r.ok) return res.status(401).json({ error: 'invalid' });
  // set Shopify customer metafield via Admin API
  return res.json({ verified: true });
});

Customer Metafield

After verification, set the customer’s metafield sm.phone_verified = true via Shopify Admin API. Checkout-extension can then read this and enable / disable COD accordingly.

COD Verification Pattern

1. Buyer enters phone at checkout.
2. Checkout-extension prompts OTP if metafield false.
3. Buyer enters OTP; verify call sets metafield.
4. COD radio button enables.

FAQ

See our e-commerce OTP guide for the broader Indian COD-fraud playbook.