What is Checkout Abandonment Rate?
Checkout abandonment rate is the percentage of checkout sessions that don’t complete a purchase.
Understanding Checkout Abandonment Rate
Checkout abandonment rate is driven by shipping surprises, payment friction, account‑creation walls, and slow pages. Clear ads reduce mismatch by setting price and promo expectations upfront. Transparent shipping thresholds and fees lower drop‑off at the last step. Offering fast payments and guest checkout reduces friction for first‑time buyers. Performance budgets and lightweight pages protect intent on mobile.
Because checkout is a series of steps, issues often cluster in specific forms or devices. Read abandonment by step (address, shipping, payment) and by device to target fixes. Keep discount code entry simple so users don’t leave to hunt. Match ad promises to PDP and cart to avoid “gotcha” fees. Test auto‑apply promos and free shipping thresholds for lift. Re‑engage with reminders only after UX problems are resolved.
Why Checkout Abandonment Rate matters
Checkout abandonment rate matters because small fixes compound into large revenue gains. It provides a clear UX signal about where friction and unclear policies block purchases. Improvements here raise conversion without buying more traffic.
- Revenue: Small improvements drive big gains.
- UX signal: Highlights friction and unclear policies.
How to Calculate Checkout Abandonment Rate
- Formula: Abandonment = 1 − (Purchases ÷ Checkout Starts)
- Track by device and by funnel step (address, shipping, payment).
Meta Information
- Primary Keyword: Checkout Abandonment Rate
- Secondary Keywords: checkout drop-off, checkout conversion
- Target Word Count: 800–1,000 words
- Meta Title: What is Checkout Abandonment Rate? Fix Friction at the Finish | Marpipe
- Meta Description: Checkout abandonment rate measures how many checkout starts don’t convert. Learn fixes and how ads influence it.
- URL: marpipe.com/ad-glossary/checkout-abandonment-rate
# What is Checkout Abandonment Rate?
Checkout abandonment rate is the percentage of checkout sessions that don’t complete a purchase.
Understanding Checkout Abandonment Rate
Checkout abandonment rate is driven by shipping surprises, payment friction, account‑creation walls, and slow pages. Clear ads reduce mismatch by setting price and promo expectations upfront. Transparent shipping thresholds and fees lower drop‑off at the last step. Offering fast payments and guest checkout reduces friction for first‑time buyers. Performance budgets and lightweight pages protect intent on mobile.
Because checkout is a series of steps, issues often cluster in specific forms or devices. Read abandonment by step (address, shipping, payment) and by device to target fixes. Keep discount code entry simple so users don’t leave to hunt. Match ad promises to PDP and cart to avoid “gotcha” fees. Test auto‑apply promos and free shipping thresholds for lift. Re‑engage with reminders only after UX problems are resolved.
How to Calculate Checkout Abandonment Rate
- Formula: Abandonment = 1 − (Purchases ÷ Checkout Starts)
- Track by device and by funnel step (address, shipping, payment).
Why Checkout Abandonment Rate matters
Checkout abandonment rate matters because small fixes compound into large revenue gains. It provides a clear UX signal about where friction and unclear policies block purchases. Improvements here raise conversion without buying more traffic.
- Revenue: Small improvements drive big gains.
- UX signal: Highlights friction and unclear policies.
How Checkout Abandonment Rate works
Checkout abandonment rate works by comparing purchases to checkout starts over a defined period. The metric increases when surprise fees, slow pages, or complex forms push users away. Ad clarity and PDP consistency reduce mismatch before checkout begins. On‑site, guest checkout, modern wallets, and fewer fields speed completion. Segmenting by device and step reveals where fixes matter most. Continuous QA and A/B tests verify that changes truly lower abandonment.
Best practices
- Show shipping costs/thresholds early (ad + PDP).
- Offer fast payments (Shop Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal).
- Allow guest checkout; minimize fields.
- Keep discount entry simple; avoid code hunts.
How to Calculate Checkout Abandonment Rate
- Formula: Abandonment = 1 − (Purchases ÷ Checkout Starts)
- Track by device and by funnel step (address, shipping, payment).
Key Takeaways
- Checkout abandonment rate measures how many people start checkout but don't complete their purchase.
- Calculate it as (checkouts started − orders) ÷ checkouts started × 100.
- Reduce abandonment with guest checkout, clear shipping costs, trust signals, and streamlined forms.
- Monitor by traffic source and device to identify where friction is highest.
