That feeling when you’ve attracted people to your product, they made it to checkout, and then…
You get ghosted at the final step.
Welcome to the frustrating world of checkout abandonment, where seemingly interested, ready-to-buy customers then disappear, somewhere between entering their email and confirming their payment.
For what it’s worth, you are not alone if you are suffering high abandonment rates. Roughly 7 out of 10 checkouts are abandoned.
As creators of high-converting checkout pages, we understand the subtle (and not-so-subtle) reasons why people walk away at the last minute. More importantly, we know how to minimize the chances of this happening to you.
In this Checkout Page guide, we’ll show you why people abandon the checkout process and how to reduce abandonment rates with clear, actionable improvements.
What is checkout abandonment?
Checkout abandonment happens when a customer starts the checkout process but leaves before completing their purchase. It’s different from cart abandonment, which occurs earlier, when someone adds items to their cart but doesn’t begin the checkout process.
Checkout abandonment means they were just a few clicks away from converting, but something stopped them from completing the purchase. Since these users have already shown a strong intent to buy, reducing checkout abandonment is one of the most powerful ways to improve conversions and recover lost revenue.
What leads to checkout abandonment?
Shoppers abandon their checkout process for many reasons, including unexpected costs, forced account creation, limited payment options, security concerns, or a clunky interface. Even seemingly minor friction at this stage can cause them to run.
Statistically speaking, most people don’t complete the checkout process. Regardless of how great your product or marketing campaign is, if your checkout page causes confusion or frustration, you will lose sales.
As this research by Baymard shows:
- 35% of shoppers abandon checkout because they’re forced to create an account.
- 27% leave due to a long or confusing checkout process.
- 18% exit because they don’t trust the site with their payment info.
When it comes to the reasons shoppers abandon checkout, some of the worst offenders are:
- Unexpected costs
Shipping fees, taxes, and handling charges that appear late in the process often trigger drop-off. A last-minute increase in anticipated costs impacts trust and raises frustration levels. - Forced account creation
If customers are required to register for an account before making a purchase, many will walk (or run) away instead. If you want your customers to set up an account, you can entice them to do so after purchase by offering incentives such as discounts or points. - Slow or unclear delivery
Vague or delayed delivery info makes people hesitate, especially if they’re on a deadline and need to know precisely when they’ll receive their order. - Security concerns
If the checkout doesn’t feel trustworthy, then shoppers won’t risk handing over their payment details. Displaying recognizable security badges (such as SSL certificates), using HTTPS, and showing trusted payment logos (e.g., Stripe, Apple Pay) can help reassure customers that their information is secure. - Too many steps or form fields
Long, repetitive checkouts with unnecessary form fields or no clear progress indicator tend to frustrate and lose people fast. - Limited payment options
If someone can’t use their preferred method (such as Apple Pay or PayPal), they may abandon the order. - Lack of editing options
If your checkout makes it challenging to change quantities or update details during checkout, frustration can take over. - Distractions
Let’s face it, life is full of them. Messages pop up, forgotten ‘do-do’ list items suddenly spring to mind. If your checkout isn’t streamlined, there’s a good chance something else will grab your buyers' attention.
The good news? All of these causes are easily solvable, and we’ll show you how to address them.
How to reduce checkout abandonment
Checkout abandonment usually comes down to one of three things: friction, doubt, or distractions. Here are 12 simple, practical ways to smooth the process and keep more customers moving forward to completion:
1. Simplify the process
Fewer clicks and fewer fields = fewer chances to bail. Our golden rule is this: only ask for what is necessary. If the checkout process feels like filling out a mortgage application, it’s too much.
2. Make it feel safe
Display clear security indicators, such as SSL, padlock icons, and trusted payment logos. If people doubt the legitimacy of your checkout, they’re far less likely to complete their purchase.
3. Offer guest checkout
Not everyone wants to create an account, and by forcing buyers to do this, you can be sure you’ll send their frustration levels soaring. For one-time buyers or those in a hurry, pushing it is a dealbreaker, so hold off and create an incentive for them to register with you after their purchase is complete.
4. Be upfront about total costs
Shipping, tax, fees, whatever you do, don’t wait until the last moment to reveal them. Hidden costs are one of the biggest reasons people leave. Cultivate trust by showing numbers transparently from the start of the process.
5. Provide standard payment options
The more familiar and convenient an option is, the more likely it is that someone will use it. Include credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, and “Buy Now, Pay Later” if your audience expects it.
6. Keep it mobile-friendly
Test your checkout thoroughly on real devices, not just resized browser windows. Buttons should be tap-friendly, and forms should be easy to complete without zooming in.
7. Add clear progress indicators
For more extended, multi-step checkouts, let users know where they are in the process, eg, “Step 2 of 3”—so it doesn’t feel like an endless journey. People like knowing there’s a finish line up ahead.
8. Allow easy edits
Buyers should be able to adjust their item quantities or shipping details without having to start the process again from scratch. Inline editing saves time and people's sanity.
9. Follow up (gently)
It can be helpful to send a reminder to people who abandon their checkout, especially when the cause is distraction. Keep it short, clear, and include a small incentive. However, don’t overdo it. There is a fine line between being helpful and being pushy.
11. Keep page load speeds fast
A checkout page that takes forever to load will quietly lose customers. Optimize images, scripts, and third-party plugins. Every second counts.
12. Match your branding throughout
A seamless checkout process is key to conversion. If the checkout suddenly appears to be a completely different website (thanks to a third-party provider), people become suspicious or are put off by the disconnection.
Maintain consistency in fonts, colors, and tone, and ideally use a checkout solution that can be embedded into your website or landing page. Familiarity builds trust.
How Checkout Page helps minimize abandonment and boost conversions
Checkout Page is built to minimize all of that confusion, friction, and trust issues that can lead your potential customers to abandon their purchase process.
We provide you with tools right out of the box to create no-code, friction-free, high-converting checkout pages that can be embedded on your website or used as standalone pages.
Here's how our platform helps you create checkouts that convert:
✅ Embed checkouts directly on your site
Keep customers on your domain and reduce drop-off caused by redirects to unfamiliar third-party pages.
✅ Fully branded experience
Add your logo, colors, and favicon. No Checkout Page branding means a cohesive experience that feels like your brand from start to finish.
✅ Fast, mobile-optimized pages
All pages are responsive and designed to load quickly (0.5 seconds on average), reducing bounce rates on mobile and slow connections.
✅ Guest checkout support
Our checkout pages are set to guest checkout by default, as we know that’s what will keep your buyers on track to complete their payment.
✅ Multiple payment options
Offer Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards, PayPal, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), cash on delivery, and more, meeting your customers' needs and expectations wherever they are in the world.
✅ Pre-filled fields and smart defaults
Speed up the process by autofilling customer data via query parameters or saved sessions. Use our conditional logic functionality to ensure customers are only asked for extra information where it’s relevant.
✅ Order bumps and one-click upsells
Increase average order value with optional add-ons that don’t interrupt the checkout flow, such as one-click upsells and thoughtfully placed order bumps.
✅ International support
We support all major currencies, localized formatting, and automatic translation into eight languages, enabling you to provide relevant content to people in various locations.
✅ Real-time analytics and conversion tracking
Track views, conversions, and sources with built-in dashboards and support for Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, and custom tracking pixels.
✅ Offer flexible pricing and models
Sell subscriptions, payment plans, pay-what-you-want offers, donations, and traditional one-time purchases, all in one platform. By reducing barriers to purchase, you boost your conversions. Simple!
Conclusion: Small changes can have a serious impact
Checkout abandonment is one of the biggest threats to your revenue. However, as we’ve seen, it’s rarely caused by a single major issue. Rather, it’s usually a series of small, avoidable frictions: unclear fees, unnecessary steps, limited payment options, slow load times, or a checkout experience that just feels a bit “off”.
The good news is that these are all solvable problems, as we’ve shown above.
We’ve covered the most common reasons customers abandon checkout and shared practical, proven ways to fix them. From simplifying form fields to offering guest checkout and ensuring your checkout page aligns with your brand, implementing these improvements can significantly enhance conversion rates.
If you’re ready to stop losing sales at the final step, Checkout Page provides the tools to build a seamless, trustworthy, and completely on-brand checkout experience- no code, no tech team needed!
Ready to up your checkout game?
👉 Start our 7-day free trial – no credit card needed.
Test it out, embed it on your site, and see how a better checkout page changes everything.
