The average cart abandonment rate in e-commerce checkout is 70.19 percent according to Baymard Institute's meta-analysis of 49 studies (Baymard Institute, "Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics," 2024). That means seven out of ten customers who add a product to their cart never complete the purchase. Much of this abandonment is caused by poor checkout UX — and that means it can be fixed with design. This guide gives you concrete, research-backed optimizations.
Cart abandonment: Statistics and root causes
Baymard Institute's research reveals the five most important reasons for cart abandonment: extra costs like shipping and taxes (48 percent), requirement to create an account (26 percent), too long or complicated checkout process (22 percent), lack of trust in providing payment information (18 percent), and delivery time too long (16 percent). Several of these are pure UX problems that can be solved without changing the business model.
It is important to distinguish between natural abandonment and UX-related abandonment. Some abandonment is inevitable — users comparing prices, saving products for later, or just browsing. Baymard estimates that up to 58.6 percent of abandonment is due to "just browsing/not ready to buy." The addressable share — abandonment caused by design and process — is around 35 percent of all who start checkout.
For a holistic approach to conversion optimization, see our CRO guide. Checkout is just the last step — the entire purchase journey from landing page to order affects conversion.
Guest checkout vs. account creation
Account creation requirements are the second largest cause of abandonment. The solution is simple: offer guest checkout as default. After completing the order, you can offer account creation with one click — "Want to save your details for faster checkout next time? Choose a password." — but never require it before payment is complete.
ASOS reported a 50 percent increase in conversion rate when they removed mandatory account creation (Econsultancy, "ASOS Checkout Optimization Case Study"). The argument for mandatory accounts — better customer data and repeat purchases — does not hold against the massive conversion cost. You can collect all necessary data through the ordering process without requiring a password.
For stores that genuinely need accounts (subscriptions, B2B), offer social logins (Google, Apple) and quick login via one-time code to email. Remove all unnecessary fields from registration — name, email, and password are all you need. Everything else can be collected later.
Progress indicators and checkout flow
The debate between multi-step and single-page checkout has no definitive winner — it depends on complexity. For simple purchases (1-2 products, standard shipping), a single-page checkout with all fields visible can work well. For complex purchases (multiple products, shipping options, discount codes, gift cards), a multi-step checkout with a clear progress indicator delivers better results.
Baymard recommends a multi-step checkout with four steps for most e-commerce stores: 1) Shipping address, 2) Shipping method, 3) Payment information, 4) Order confirmation. Each step should have a numbered progress indicator showing where the user is in the process and how many steps remain.
Regardless of model, it is critical that the user never loses sight of what is in the cart. Show a summary of products, prices, and totals visible throughout the entire checkout process. Hidden costs that appear in the final step are the absolute biggest conversion killer.
Form field optimization: Autofill, address lookup, and input masks
Checkout forms should have as few fields as possible. Baymard found that the average checkout has 14.88 form fields, but only 7-8 are actually necessary. Remove all optional fields from the default view and place them behind an "Add" link. Merge first and last name into one field. Use postal code for automatic city/state population.
Implement HTML autocomplete attributes correctly: autocomplete="shipping given-name", autocomplete="shipping street-address", autocomplete="cc-number" etc. This lets the browser fill in fields automatically, dramatically reducing time and errors. Google reports that correct autocomplete can reduce form completion time by up to 30 percent.
Input masks on phone numbers and card numbers make filling easier. Inline validation — showing errors as the user types, not after submission — reduces frustration and errors. For more on form design, see our UX design guide.
Payment methods: Variety and local preferences
Offering multiple payment methods is critical for reducing abandonment. For Norway, Vipps is the dominant payment method for online shopping — over 4.4 million Norwegians use Vipps, and Vipps Express Checkout is expected by consumers. Not offering Vipps in a Norwegian online store is actively excluding buyers.
Beyond local preferences, offer Klarna (installment and invoice payments — reduces purchase barriers), regular cards (Visa, Mastercard), Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Each payment option you add marginally increases conversion rate. Internationally, PayPal remains important for cross-border commerce.
Show payment methods early in the process, not just in the payment step. Icons for available payment methods in the cart and on product pages give the user confidence that their preferred method is available. For e-commerce SEO and conversion, see our e-commerce SEO guide.
Trust signals at checkout
Lack of trust is the fourth largest cause of abandonment. Trust signals in the checkout process directly counteract this. Show security icons (padlock, SSL badge) near payment fields. Show payment method logos. Include trust seals from recognized organizations.
Place return policy and guarantees visibly in checkout — "30-day return policy" and "Free shipping over X" should be repeated, not just mentioned on information pages. Customer reviews or "X number of satisfied customers" provide social proof. For high-price products, a short, relevant customer testimonial in checkout can provide the final push.
Contact information visible in checkout — phone number, chat widget, or email — signals that there is a real business behind the store. All these signals combined reduce the cognitive purchase barrier. See our landing page guide for more on trust signals and conversion.
Shipping and delivery communication
Unexpected shipping costs are the absolute largest cause of abandonment — 48 percent cite this (Baymard). The solution is radical transparency: show shipping cost or threshold for free shipping already on the product page. A progress bar — "You need X more for free shipping" — is an effective mechanism that also increases average order size.
Delivery time is almost as important as price. Show estimated delivery time with a date, not just "3-5 business days." "Order before 2 PM, delivered Thursday April 15" is far more convincing. Give the user the option to choose between home delivery and pickup points.
Allow the user to change shipping method in checkout without losing filled information. The shipping choice should come after address entry so you can show correct options and prices. Hidden shipping surcharges that appear in the final step are the surest way to lose a customer.
Order summary and mobile checkout
The order summary is the user's final checkpoint before purchase. It should show: product image, product name, variant (size, color), quantity, unit price, line price, discount code (visible with value), shipping cost, tax specification, and total. All elements should be editable — the user should be able to change quantity or remove a product without going back.
Mobile conversion rate in e-commerce is typically 1.5-2 percent compared to 3-4 percent on desktop (Monetate, "Ecommerce Quarterly"). The gap is largely due to poor mobile checkout UX. Use correct input types — type="tel" for phone, type="email" for email, inputmode="numeric" for card numbers. Buttons should be at least 48px tall with sufficient spacing. Place the primary button (next step, pay) fixed at the bottom of the screen.
Express checkout options (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Vipps) are especially important on mobile — one button, biometric authentication, done. They eliminate the entire form-filling process. See our glossary for definitions of CRO, conversion rate, and UX.
Post-purchase: Confirmation page and follow-up
The checkout experience does not end at payment. The confirmation page is the first impression of the post-purchase experience and sets the tone for the customer relationship. It should include: order number, order summary, estimated delivery date, tracking link (when available), and next steps.
Confirmation email should be sent immediately — delay creates uncertainty. Include the same information as the confirmation page plus contact information for customer service. A follow-up email with tracking link when the package is shipped increases customer satisfaction and reduces "Where is my package?" inquiries.
The confirmation page is also a conversion opportunity: "Create account for easier next purchase," newsletter signup, or related product recommendations. But be careful — these are supplements, not the main focus. The customer should first and foremost feel confident the order is correct.
Checkout A/B testing: What to test first
Do not test everything at once. Prioritize checkout tests by estimated impact and implementation complexity. The three tests with typically the largest impact are: 1) Guest checkout vs. mandatory account (if you do not already offer guest checkout), 2) Show shipping cost earlier in the process, 3) Simplify the number of form fields.
Next priority is trust signals (test placement and type of security badges), payment method order, and CTA button text. These tests require less technical implementation but can deliver measurable impact.
Use statistical significance — minimum 95 percent confidence level — and let tests run until you have at least 200-400 conversions per variant for reliable results. Tools like Optimizely, VWO, or AB Tasty provide the framework. At LeapJet, we recommend always starting with the single test that has the lowest implementation cost and highest expected impact. For professional help with checkout optimization, see our web design services page.
- Priority 1: Guest checkout, shipping transparency, fewer fields
- Priority 2: Trust signals, payment order, CTA text
- Priority 3: Multi-step vs. single-page, progress indicator, order summary
- Requirement: 95% significance level, 200+ conversions per variant
- Document and share all test results for cumulative learning
