Checkout Abandonment Rate

Checkout Abandonment Rate measures the percentage of shoppers who start checkout but don’t complete a purchase.


Formula:
Checkout Abandonment Rate = [(Checkout starts − Purchases) ÷ Checkout starts] × 100
Equivalently: 1 − (Purchases ÷ Checkout starts). In GA4, use begin_checkout as the denominator and purchase as the numerator; GA4’s Checkout journey report also shows drop-off at each step (e.g., add_shipping_info → add_payment_info → purchase). 

Cart vs. Checkout Abandonment (quick distinction)

  • Cart abandonment: shopper adds to cart but never starts checkout.

  • Checkout abandonment: shopper starts checkout but doesn’t finish. Platforms like Shopify also define when a checkout counts as “abandoned” operationally (e.g., remains incomplete for ~10 minutes after email is entered). 

Why It Matters

  • Direct revenue impact: Even small drops in abandonment can lift sales. Industry research shows cart/checkout problems are widespread (global cart abandonment ~70%). 

  • Signals friction: High rates often point to extra costs, forced account creation, slow delivery, trust issues, or complex forms. 

  • Proven upside: Improving checkout UX can drive double-digit conversion lifts. 

Examples

  • You had 1,200 checkout starts (begin_checkout) and 840 purchases in a month → Abandonment = [(1,200 − 840) ÷ 1,200] × 100 = 30%.

  • By device: Mobile checkout abandonment is often higher than desktop; fix mobile friction first. 

Best Practices to Reduce Checkout Abandonment

  1. Show total cost early (price, shipping, taxes) to avoid surprises. Extra costs are the #1 reason people drop. 

  2. Offer Guest Checkout (don’t force account creation). 

  3. Speed + stability: Optimize performance and minimize errors; slow pages kill intent.

  4. Simplify forms: Fewer fields, clear labels, address auto-complete, and real-time validation.

  5. Multiple payment methods: Cards + wallets (e.g., PayPal/Apple Pay) to match user preference. 

  6. Trust & clarity: Prominent security cues, easy returns, and concise privacy copy. 

  7. Progress indicator: Show steps and what’s next to reduce uncertainty.

  8. Mobile-first UX: Large tap targets, tidy layout, visible CTA.

  9. Recovery flows: Send timely abandoned checkout emails/SMS; most platforms (e.g., Shopify) support this out-of-the-box.

  10. Measure the funnel in GA4: Track begin_checkout → add_shipping_info → add_payment_info → purchase; fix the step with highest drop-off. 

Related Terms

  • Cart Abandonment Rate

  • Conversion Rate

  • Checkout Completion Rate

  • Payment Success Rate

  • Remarketing / Recovery Emails

FAQs

Q1. How do I calculate Checkout Abandonment in GA4?
Use begin_checkout for starts and purchase for orders. Rate = 1 − (purchases ÷ checkout starts). The Checkout journey report visualizes step-by-step drop-off. 

Q2. What’s a “good” checkout abandonment rate?
It varies by industry and device. Since cart abandonment averages ~70%, checkout abandonment should be lower than that. Focus on trending down over time and against your own baseline. 

Q3. Top reasons people abandon during checkout?
Extra costs (shipping/taxes/fees), forced account creation, slow delivery, low trust, complicated/long forms, and not seeing total cost early. 

Q4. How is “abandoned checkout” defined in Shopify?
A checkout is considered abandoned if it stays incomplete for ~10 minutes after a shopper provides an email (Shopify then enables automated recovery). 

Q5. Should I optimize mobile first?
Usually yes, mobile commonly has the highest abandonment; fixing mobile friction often brings the biggest gains. 

‹ Consideration Stage

Call-to-Action (CTA) ›