Checkout abandonment rate measures the percentage of shoppers who begin the checkout process but do not complete their purchase. Common synonyms include: checkout drop‑off rate, checkout fall‑off, and incomplete checkout rate.
Why Checkout Abandonment Rate Matters
Checkout abandonment is one of the most expensive points of friction in ecommerce. By the time a customer reaches checkout, they’ve already:
- found a product they want
- added it to their cart
- signalled strong purchase intent
Losing them at this stage means losing high‑intent revenue, often due to avoidable friction. Checkout abandonment helps teams understand:
- where customers hesitate
- how pricing, fees, and delivery expectations influence trust
- whether the checkout experience is intuitive and reliable
- how operational realities (stock, delivery windows, payment options) shape behaviour
Because checkout is the final step before revenue, even small improvements can drive meaningful growth.
How Checkout Abandonment Rate Is Calculated
Checkout Abandonment Rate = ((Checkout Starts-Completed Checkouts)/Checkout Starts)x100
Example: If 1,000 customers start checkout and 720 complete it, the checkout abandonment rate is 28%.
Common Use Cases
- CRO (conversion rate optimisation): Identifying friction in the final purchase step.
- Payment strategy: Evaluating the impact of payment options on completion.
- Delivery proposition: Understanding how shipping costs and timelines influence behaviour.
- UX improvements: Simplifying forms, reducing steps, improving error handling.
- Operational alignment: Ensuring stock accuracy and fulfilment promises match reality.
Related Terms
- Cart Abandonment Rate
- Conversion Rate
- Checkout Completion Rate
- Add to Cart Rate
- Average Order Value (AOV)
- Revenue
What Checkout Abandonment Rate Really Tells Us
When we look at checkout abandonment rate through a systems lens, we see that it’s not just a UX metric, it’s a trust metric. Checkout is where customers make their final decision, and that decision is shaped by everything the system has taught them up to that point: the clarity of the product story, the transparency of pricing, the reliability of operations, and the emotional tone of the experience.
Checkout abandonment is full of intent signals. A spike may indicate unexpected fees, slow delivery promises, limited payment options, or simply a moment of hesitation that wasn’t supported with reassurance. When we treat these signals with empathy, we stop blaming the customer and start improving the experience.
This metric also exposes cross‑functional interdependencies. Marketing may drive the traffic, but merchandising shapes expectations, UX shapes clarity, and operations shape trust. If any part of the system is misaligned, abandonment rises, not because customers don’t want to buy, but because something in the experience didn’t feel right.
At its core, checkout abandonment rate tells a story about confidence. When teams use this metric thoughtfully, they design checkouts that feel simple, transparent, and human. They build systems that support the customer’s decision rather than complicate it. And they create growth that’s not just bigger, but more sustainable.
