Top-Line Checkout Abandonment Statistics
These headline figures distinguish checkout abandonment from broader cart abandonment:
- Cart abandonment rate: 70.22% average documented rate, calculated from 50 studies (Baymard Institute, 2025)
- Conversion gain from better checkout design: the average large-sized ecommerce site can gain a 35.26% increase in conversion rate (Baymard Institute, 2025)
- Lost orders recoverable through better checkout design: $260 billion across the US and EU (Baymard Institute, 2025)
Why Shoppers Abandon Checkout
| Reason | % of Abandoners Citing | Recoverable? |
|---|---|---|
| Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees) | 40% | Yes — free shipping bar |
| Required account creation | 18% | Yes — guest checkout |
| Checkout too long/complex | 17% | Yes — reduce fields |
| Didn't trust site with card info | 19% | Yes — trust signals |
| Couldn't see total cost upfront | 12% | Yes — price transparency |
| Website errors or crashes | 17% | Yes — performance |
| Delivery too slow | 20% | Partially |
| Unsatisfactory return policy | 13% | Yes — display policy |
| Not enough payment methods | 9% | Yes — add methods |
| Credit card declined | 10% | Partially |
(Source: Baymard Institute, 2025)
Form Field Friction Statistics
Checkout form complexity is one of the most controllable abandonment factors:
- Average checkout form fields: 14.88 in the average US checkout flow, shown by default (Baymard Institute, 2025)
- Ideal field count: an ideal checkout flow can be as short as 7-8 form fields (Baymard Institute, 2025)
Payment Method Impact on Checkout Completion
Payment method availability directly affects checkout completion rates:
- Shop Pay: Shopify reports as much as 50% better conversion compared to guest checkout, based on a 2023 external study (Shopify, 2023)
Guest Checkout Statistics
Account creation requirements remain a major friction point:
- Abandonment from forced account creation: 18% of shoppers who abandoned during checkout cite the site wanting them to create an account (Baymard Institute, 2025)
Revenue Impact of Checkout Abandonment
The financial impact of checkout abandonment is staggering:
- Recoverable lost orders: $260 billion across the US and EU (combined ecommerce sales of $738 billion) recoverable solely through a better checkout flow and design (Baymard Institute, 2025)
- UX optimization potential: the average large-sized ecommerce site can gain a 35.26% increase in conversion rate through better checkout design (Baymard Institute, 2025)
Key Takeaways
- Extra costs such as shipping, tax and fees are the #1 reason shoppers abandon checkout, cited by 40%. A visible free shipping bar throughout the shopping journey removes this surprise.
- The average US checkout shows 14.88 form fields; an ideal flow needs only 7-8. Cut every field you do not need.
- Shopify reports Shop Pay converts as much as 50% better than guest checkout. Offer accelerated checkout methods.
- The average large-sized ecommerce site can gain a 35.26% conversion rate increase through better checkout design, per Baymard Institute.
Recommended Tools Backed by the Data
- EA Free Shipping Bar & Upsell: Extra costs such as shipping are the #1 cause of checkout abandonment (40%) (Baymard Institute, 2025). A visible free shipping progress bar sets expectations before checkout.
- EA Email Popup & Spin Wheel: Building a larger email list means more checkout abandoners are reachable via recovery flows.
- EA Sticky Cart Drawer & Upsell: Streamlining the add-to-cart-to-checkout journey reduces drop-off. A persistent ATC bar keeps the purchase action visible, building momentum toward checkout completion.
- EA Countdown Timer Bar: Urgency reduces checkout abandonment by creating time pressure. Countdown timers on discount codes increase the perceived cost of abandoning checkout.
Recover Your Lost Checkout Revenue
Start with the #1 cause: extra costs such as shipping. Free shipping bars eliminate surprise costs before checkout.
Browse All EA Apps (Free) →💡 Ready to put this into practice? Shopify's free 3-day trial — then $1/month for 3 months, plus 1% of sales back in credits — is long enough to set it up and see the numbers. Start your free trial → (affiliate link)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the checkout abandonment rate vs cart abandonment rate?
These are different metrics. Cart abandonment rate measures shoppers who add items to cart but do not complete the purchase; Baymard Institute's average documented rate is 70.22%. Checkout abandonment rate measures shoppers who begin the checkout process but do not complete purchase. Checkout abandonment is a subset of cart abandonment and represents higher-intent shoppers.
What are the top reasons for checkout abandonment?
According to Baymard Institute, the top reasons are: extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees) (40%), delivery too slow (20%), didn't trust the site with credit card information (19%), the site wanted an account to be created (18%), too long or complicated checkout (17%), website errors or crashes (17%), unsatisfactory returns policy (13%), and couldn't see or calculate total order cost up-front (12%).
How many form fields should a checkout have?
The average US checkout flow shows 14.88 form fields by default, while Baymard Institute finds an ideal checkout flow can be as short as 7-8 form fields.
Does offering guest checkout reduce abandonment?
Yes. 18% of shoppers who abandoned during checkout cite the site wanting them to create an account (Baymard Institute). The best practice is to offer guest checkout as default while providing optional account creation after purchase.
What is the revenue impact of checkout abandonment?
Baymard Institute estimates that $260 billion worth of lost orders across the US and EU are recoverable solely through a better checkout flow and design, and that the average large-sized ecommerce site can gain a 35.26% increase in conversion rate through better checkout design.