Shopify Checkout Optimisation: Reduce Abandonment and Increase Sales
Cart abandonment averages 70% across e-commerce — meaning seven out of ten shoppers who add items to their cart leave without completing their purchase. Your checkout flow is where most of that revenue is lost, and even small improvements here have an outsized impact on your bottom line.
Enable One-Page Checkout
Shopify's one-page checkout — now the default for all stores — condenses the information, shipping, and payment steps into a single view. If your store is still using the older multi-step checkout, switch in Settings > Checkout. This alone can reduce abandonment by 5-10%.
Offer Express Checkout Options
Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal Express let returning or mobile customers skip form filling entirely. Shop Pay has been shown to convert up to 50% better than standard checkouts because it pre-fills everything. Enable all available express options — the more payment methods you support, the fewer friction points exist.
Simplify Form Fields
Every field you add to your checkout increases the chance of abandonment. Review your current fields and remove anything that's not strictly necessary:
- Do you really need a company name field for B2C?
- Can you auto-detect the city from the postcode?
- Is a phone number essential, or just nice to have?
- Are you asking for information you never actually use?
Guest Checkout Is Non-Negotiable
Forcing account creation before purchase is one of the top reasons shoppers abandon. Always allow guest checkout. You can encourage account creation on the confirmation page when the customer is in a positive post-purchase mindset.
Trust Signals in the Checkout
Customers need reassurance when entering payment details. Ensure your checkout displays:
- SSL padlock and security messaging
- Accepted payment method logos
- Money-back guarantee or returns policy summary
- Customer service contact information
Shipping Transparency
Unexpected shipping costs at checkout are the number one cause of cart abandonment globally. Address this by showing shipping costs as early as possible — ideally on the product page or in the cart before checkout. If you offer free shipping above a threshold, display a progress bar showing how close the customer is.
Post-Purchase Upsells
The thank-you page is your highest-converting real estate because the customer has just demonstrated buying intent. Use apps like ReConvert to offer complementary products, subscription upgrades, or bundle discounts. Average order value increases of 5-15% are realistic. See our best Shopify apps guide for specific recommendations.
For broader conversion improvements beyond checkout, read our landing page optimisation guide.
FAQ
Can I customise the Shopify checkout without Plus?
Standard Shopify allows basic checkout customisation — logo, colours, fonts, and enabling/disabling express payments. For structural changes like adding custom fields, reordering sections, or adding upsell widgets within the checkout, you need Shopify Plus with Checkout Extensibility.
How do I measure checkout abandonment rate?
In Shopify admin, go to Analytics > Reports > "Sessions by landing page" isn't quite right — instead, check the "Abandoned checkouts" report under Orders. For funnel visualisation, set up a GA4 purchase funnel that tracks begin_checkout, add_shipping_info, add_payment_info, and purchase events.
Should I offer buy-now-pay-later options?
For stores with average order values above £50, BNPL options like Klarna or Clearpay typically increase conversion by 10-20%. They're especially effective for fashion and lifestyle brands where customers are more price-sensitive. Shopify Payments integrates Shop Pay Installments natively.
Want a checkout audit for your Shopify store? Get in touch or book a call with our Shopify experts.