The Checkout Problem
Getting customers to your checkout is hard. Losing them there is painful.
Research consistently shows that around 37% of UK shoppers abandon their purchase at checkout. That's not window shoppers who were never going to buy—that's customers who chose products, added them to their basket, and then left.
Every one of those abandoned checkouts represents real revenue walking out the door.
Why Customers Leave
The Baymard Institute, which tracks checkout abandonment extensively, identifies consistent patterns:
1. Unexpected Costs
The leading cause of abandonment is cost surprises at checkout:
- Shipping fees not shown until final step
- Taxes added unexpectedly
- "Handling fees" or similar charges
- Minimum order requirements revealed late
Customers feel deceived. They leave.
2. Complicated Checkout Process
Every additional step loses customers:
- Forced account creation
- Too many form fields
- Unclear progress indicators
- Multiple pages when one would do
- Re-entering information already provided
Each friction point drops your conversion rate.
3. Trust and Security Concerns
Customers need confidence to enter payment details:
- Unfamiliar payment pages
- Missing security indicators
- No clear contact information
- Poor mobile experience suggesting unprofessionalism
4. Forced Interactions
Ironically, some "helpful" features drive customers away:
- Chatbot popups interrupting checkout
- Required surveys or feedback
- Unskippable upsells blocking progress
- Mandatory newsletter signup
Every "helpful" popup or additional step is a potential exit point. The best checkout is the one customers barely notice.
Automation That Helps (Not Hinders)
The right automation removes friction. The wrong automation creates it.
Helpful: Transparent Pricing Automation
Show total costs early and clearly:
Implement:
- Shipping calculators on product pages
- Running total including all fees in basket
- Clear "price includes VAT" messaging
- No hidden charges ever
Automate:
- Real-time shipping cost calculation
- Postcode lookup for accurate delivery pricing
- Currency conversion for international customers
- Automatic threshold calculations for free shipping
Helpful: Streamlined Form Automation
Reduce typing and errors:
Implement:
- Postcode lookup for address auto-complete
- Email validation as users type
- Phone number formatting
- Single-page checkout where possible
Automate:
- Address verification to prevent delivery errors
- Duplicate order detection
- Payment method remembering (with consent)
- Guest checkout with optional account creation after
Helpful: Recovery Automation
Not every abandonment is permanent:
Email Recovery:
- Abandoned basket emails (timed appropriately)
- Clear path back to complete purchase
- No hard sell, just helpful reminder
- Optional incentive for first-time customers
On-Site Recovery:
- Exit-intent offers (carefully used)
- Save basket for later functionality
- Price drop notifications for saved items
Harmful: Chatbot Interruptions
What not to do:
- Popup chat during checkout
- Required "assistance" steps
- Bot messages that interrupt payment entry
- Forced help when customer is proceeding fine
Better Approach:
- Visible but unobtrusive help option
- Human chat readily available
- Help only when customer shows signs of struggle (long delays, repeated errors)
Harmful: Upsell Obstacles
The checkout flow should be about completing the purchase:
What Fails:
- Full-page upsell interruptions
- Required yes/no decisions slowing progress
- Insurance or warranty checkboxes at payment
- "Recommended products" blocking the proceed button
What Works:
- Post-purchase relevant suggestions
- Optional "add to order" that doesn't interrupt flow
- Order confirmation cross-sells
- Follow-up email recommendations
Test the difference between no upsells and aggressive upsells. Often, conversion lift from removing friction exceeds any upsell revenue.
Practical Improvements to Implement
Quick Wins (This Week)
Remove Friction:
- Kill any mandatory account creation
- Show shipping costs on product pages
- Remove unnecessary form fields
- Check mobile checkout experience personally
Add Transparency:
- Display trust badges prominently
- Show clear contact information
- Add estimated delivery dates
- Ensure returns policy is visible
Medium-Term (This Month)
Implement Recovery:
- Set up abandoned basket emails
- Test timing and messaging
- Add save-for-later functionality
- Track recovery rates
Optimise Forms:
- Add postcode lookup
- Implement real-time validation
- Reduce steps where possible
- Test single-page checkout
Ongoing Optimisation
Measure and Iterate:
- Track checkout completion rates by step
- Identify highest-drop points
- A/B test improvements
- Review recovery email performance
Measuring Checkout Success
Don't just track overall conversion. Understand where customers drop:
| Metric | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Basket → Checkout Start | Are customers confident to buy? |
| Checkout Start → Delivery | Are shipping costs acceptable? |
| Delivery → Payment | Is payment process trusted? |
| Payment → Confirmation | Are final steps smooth? |
Identify your worst drop-off point. Fix that first.
Recovery Metrics
For abandoned basket recovery:
| Metric | Healthy Range |
|---|---|
| Email open rate | 40-50% |
| Click-through rate | 10-15% |
| Recovery rate | 5-10% |
If you're below these, refine your approach. If you're above, you're doing well.
When Automation Goes Wrong: Case Study
The Problem: An online retailer implemented "helpful" automation:
- Chatbot appeared on every page
- Exit-intent popup offered 10% discount
- Email capture required before checkout
- Post-checkout survey was mandatory
The Result:
- Customers felt harassed
- Conversion dropped 15%
- Those who did buy gave negative feedback
- Support tickets increased from confused customers
The Fix:
- Removed chatbot from checkout pages
- Made discount available without popup
- Moved email capture to post-purchase
- Made survey optional
The Outcome:
- Conversion recovered and exceeded baseline
- Customer satisfaction improved
- Support load decreased
The technology wasn't bad. The implementation was.
The Principle: Remove, Don't Add
For every proposed checkout "improvement," ask:
- Does this help customers complete their purchase?
- Could it cause anyone to leave?
- What's the cost if it fails?
The best checkout automation is invisible. It removes barriers, catches errors, and smooths the path to payment. It doesn't interrupt, demand, or obstruct.
Customers don't want a "shopping experience" at checkout. They want to pay and be done.
Struggling with checkout abandonment? We help retail businesses implement automation that increases conversions, not friction.
Book a consultation to discuss your specific checkout challenges.
