The documented average cart abandonment rate is 70.22% — seven in ten people who add a product to a basket do not complete the purchase. The leading cause is not the price of the product; it is extra costs appearing too late.
The good news: improving checkout is one of the few jobs with measurable return. Research shows a typical large e-commerce site can gain roughly 35% in conversion rate from better checkout design alone.
Want to see where you are losing them?
Request a free checkout analysis and we will show you which step your customers leave at.
What rate is normal?
70% sounds catastrophic, but it is the average. The question is not whether you have abandonment — it is whether you have more than is justified.
| Rate | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 60% | Very good, the checkout works |
| 60% – 75% | Normal range |
| 75% – 85% | There is a specific problem |
| Over 85% | Something is broken, usually technical or cost |
Note that some abandonment cannot be fixed. Many users treat the basket as a wishlist or a price comparison tool. Design will not win those people.
Why they actually abandon
These are the figures among people who were not simply browsing.
| Reason | Share |
|---|---|
| Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees) | 40% |
| Delivery was too slow | 20% |
| Did not trust the site with card details | 19% |
| Forced account creation | 18% |
| Checkout too long or complicated | 17% |
| Website errors or crashes | 17% |
Look at the first two together: six in ten leave for reasons about delivery, not about the product.
How to measure it properly
The formula is simple:
Abandonment rate = 1 − (completed orders ÷ baskets created)
In Google Analytics, build a four-step funnel: product view → add to basket → begin checkout → purchase. That way you see not just the overall rate but which step loses people.
The interpretation rule:
- Losing between basket and checkout? A shipping or price problem.
- Losing inside checkout? A forms, trust or payments problem.
- Losing at payment? A technical error, or a missing payment method.
The fixes, in priority order
1. Show the total cost early
This is the single largest cause. Put a shipping calculator on the product page, or state your free-delivery threshold clearly.
If you charge for cash on delivery, declare it in the same place — not at the final step.
2. Allow guest checkout
18% leave because you demand an account. Ask for registration after the order, in one click.
3. Cut steps and fields
Target: three steps, fifteen fields at most. Address autocomplete, no “confirm email” field, no optional fields that look mandatory.
4. Put trust signals where it hurts
19% do not trust the payment page. At that exact point, show: SSL, payment method logos, your returns policy in one line, a phone number.
5. Fix the errors
17% leave because something broke. Test checkout on three devices and two browsers, with every payment method.
6. Give a realistic delivery time
20% leave over speed. If you deliver in 3–5 days, say so — vagueness is worse than delay.
Payment methods matter a great deal at this stage; what you should offer is in our guide to e-shop payment methods.
Want us to check them one by one?
Send us your shop’s address and you will get a report of the friction points in your checkout.
The recovery email sequence
Abandoned basket emails work, but only with the right timing and the right content.
| # | When | Content | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 hour later | Reminder, product photo, link back | People who were interrupted |
| 2 | 24 hours later | Objection handling: returns, guarantee, payment options | People who hesitated |
| 3 | 72 hours later | An incentive, e.g. free shipping | People who need a nudge |
Three rules that make the difference:
- Do not discount in the first email. You teach your customers to abandon on purpose.
- One button, one action. “Complete your order”, not five links.
- Stop after the third. A fourth email brings unsubscribes, not sales.
Remember that to send these you need the customer’s email — so ask for it first at checkout, before the address.
What it is worth in money
Take a realistic example for a Greek e-shop:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Baskets per month | 500 |
| Abandonment rate | 78% |
| Completed orders | 110 |
| Average basket | €45 |
| If it drops to 70% | 150 orders |
| Additional monthly revenue | ≈ €1,800 |
Eight percentage points of improvement is nearly €22,000 of annual revenue, without a euro of advertising.
This is why checkout deserves priority over new campaigns: you are already paying to bring these people in.
The Greek specifics
Two things change the picture with a Greek audience.
- Cash on delivery reduces abandonment on a first purchase, because it removes the risk. But it costs money and produces refused deliveries.
- Shipping to islands and remote areas must be declared from the product page. It is the number one checkout “surprise”.
Your returns policy must also be visible and understandable at checkout. The legal framework is in our guide to legal requirements for an e-shop.
Frequently asked questions
What does improving checkout cost?
Typically €400–€1,500 on WooCommerce, depending on how many steps change. It usually pays back within one or two months.
What share of baskets can I realistically recover by email?
It varies by sector and list. The more important point is not the recovery rate but that these emails cost almost nothing to set up.
Do I need a tool, or is my platform enough?
Most platforms include a basic function. Start there before paying for a subscription.
Does site speed matter?
Yes, directly. Every extra second in checkout increases abandonment.
Should the basket be a popup or a page?
A popup keeps the user in the browsing flow; a page gives room for shipping and trust signals. Try both and measure.
Three moves this week
Declare shipping on the product page. Turn on guest checkout. Set up the first reminder email one hour after abandonment.
All three are half a day’s work and they address the two largest causes.
If you are building an e-shop from scratch, see e-shop costs, and for traffic, e-shop SEO.
Next step
Book a free 30-minute call with the team at The Dev Alley. We will look at your funnel and tell you which change pays off first.