Checkout abandonment: fix the last step of the sale

Key takeaways

Checkout abandonment is when shoppers start checking out and leave before paying. Baymard Institute puts the documented average online cart abandonment rate at about 70%. Some of that is browsing, but a large share is caused by fixable problems: surprise costs, forced accounts, long forms, slow delivery and doubts about payment security.

• 70% is the average documented cart abandonment rate, per Baymard Institute.
• 40% of abandoners cite extra costs such as delivery and fees.
• Show delivery cost and date on the product page, not at the end.
• Offer guest checkout and cut the form to the minimum.

What is checkout abandonment?

Checkout abandonment is when a shopper adds items to the basket or begins checkout but leaves without completing the purchase. It is measured as the share of started checkouts, or baskets, that do not become orders. For small e-commerce sites it is often the single most valuable place to improve conversion, because these shoppers have already chosen a product.

• The difference between a good website and a high-converting website
• What a UK e-commerce website needs

Why do shoppers abandon checkout?

Baymard Institute's research on reasons for abandonment, among shoppers who were ready to buy, puts extra costs first by a wide margin.

• Extra costs too high (delivery, tax, fees): about 40%.
• Delivery was too slow: about 20%.
• Did not trust the site with card details: about 19%.
• Checkout was too long or complicated: nearly 1 in 5.
• Had to create an account.

• Website trust signals that make visitors enquire

Which fixes recover the most sales?

Fix surprises and effort first. These changes are usually configuration rather than development on platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce.

• Show delivery costs and dates on product pages and in the basket.
• Offer guest checkout as the default.
• Cut form fields: Baymard found an ideal checkout needs about 12 form elements.
• Offer familiar payment options, such as card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal.
• Show security and returns information near the payment step.
• Keep the basket saved if the shopper leaves.

• Product pages that turn browsers into buyers

What about abandoned basket emails?

Abandoned basket emails can recover some sales, but only if you have a lawful basis to send them. Under UK rules, sending marketing emails to individuals generally needs consent or the soft opt-in for existing customers. Check the ICO's guidance on PECR before setting them up, and fix the checkout itself first, because an email cannot remove a surprise cost.

• GDPR and social media marketing in the UK

When is abandonment not a problem?

Some abandonment is normal browsing: people use baskets to save items, compare prices or check delivery costs. A 70% average includes all of that. Focus on abandonment at the payment and delivery steps, where shoppers have shown clear intent, and on changes over time rather than the absolute number.

What does this look like in practice?

A UK independent coffee roaster revealed delivery costs only at the final step and required an account. We added a delivery cost line on product pages, a free delivery threshold in the basket, and guest checkout. Completed orders rose in the following month, and the share of shoppers reaching payment and leaving fell.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Checkout abandonment checklist

• Show delivery cost and date before checkout.
• Make guest checkout the default.
• Remove every unnecessary form field.
• Offer familiar payment methods.
• Show security and returns information near payment.
• Track each checkout step to find the biggest drop.
• Check PECR rules before sending basket reminder emails.

Next step

Shoppers who reach checkout have already chosen you. Losing them to a surprise cost or a forced account is the most expensive leak in e-commerce. We can help you find and fix it.