70% of Shopify carts are abandoned. That's not a typo — 7 out of 10 customers who add items to their cart leave without buying. This guide covers 15 checkout optimization strategies that can recover a significant portion of that lost revenue.
Why Customers Abandon Checkout
Source: Baymard Institute, 2025
The Good News
Most of these abandonment reasons are fixable with the right optimizations. The strategies below address each major pain point and can reduce abandonment by 20-35%.
20-35%
Potential abandonment reduction
$260B
Lost to abandonment yearly (US)
63%
Of abandonment is recoverable
Enable Guest Checkout
Critical24% of customers abandon because they're forced to create an account. Always offer guest checkout — you can prompt for account creation after the purchase.
How to enable in Shopify
Settings → Checkout → Customer accounts → Select "Accounts are optional" or "Don't require accounts"
Add Express Payment Options
High ImpactExpress payments reduce checkout to a single tap. Shop Pay users convert at 1.72x the rate of regular checkout.
Shop Pay
1.72x higher conversionShopify's native express checkout
Apple Pay
+10-15% mobile conversionOne-tap checkout for iOS users
Google Pay
+8-12% Android conversionOne-tap checkout for Android users
PayPal
+5-10% overallTrusted payment option for cautious buyers
Add Trust Signals Near Payment
High Impact18% abandon because they don't trust the site with their card info. Trust badges near the payment form reduce this anxiety.
SSL/Security Badge
"Secure checkout" indicator
Payment Logos
Visa, Mastercard, etc.
Money-Back Guarantee
Reduces purchase anxiety
A/B Test This
Test different badge combinations and placements. Some stores see 5-15% lift from trust badges alone.
More Checkout Optimizations (4-8)
Show Shipping Costs Early
48% abandon due to unexpected costs. Show shipping on product pages or in cart, not just at checkout.
Add Progress Indicator
"Step 2 of 3" reduces uncertainty and abandonment. Customers know how close they are to completion.
Minimize Form Fields
Every unnecessary field costs 3-5% conversion. Remove optional fields, use address autocomplete.
Show Delivery Estimates
22% abandon because delivery is too slow. Show estimated delivery dates to set expectations.
Enable Address Autocomplete
Reduces typing by 80% and errors by 20%. Faster checkout = fewer abandonments.
Mobile Checkout Optimization (9-12)
Mobile checkout abandonment is 85% — significantly higher than desktop. These optimizations are critical for mobile.
Large Touch Targets
Buttons and form fields should be at least 44px tall for easy tapping.
Numeric Keyboard for Phone/Card
Use inputmode="numeric" for phone and card number fields.
Sticky CTA Button
Keep the "Complete Order" button visible at all times on mobile.
Optimize for Thumb Zone
Place important elements in the bottom half of the screen where thumbs can reach.
Abandonment Recovery (13-15)
Cart Abandonment Emails
Send a sequence: 1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours after abandonment. Test timing and whether to include discounts.
Exit Intent Popup
Offer a discount or free shipping when users try to leave checkout. Can recover 5-10% of abandoners.
SMS Recovery
SMS has 98% open rates vs 20% for email. Send a cart recovery text 30 minutes after abandonment.
A/B Test Your Checkout Changes
Don't implement all 15 changes at once. A/B test each optimization to measure actual impact on your store.
Use Revenue-Based Testing
ExperimentHQ automatically tracks Shopify revenue per variant, so you know which checkout changes actually increase revenue. Start free →
Start Recovering Lost Revenue
Every percentage point you reduce checkout abandonment translates directly to revenue. A store with 70% abandonment that drops to 60% has effectively increased sales by 33% from the same traffic.
Start with the critical items: guest checkout, express payments, and showing shipping costs early. Then systematically test your way through the rest. Your checkout is likely leaving thousands of dollars on the table.