How to Reduce Cart Abandonment: 10 Proven Tactics

Nearly 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before purchase, according to the Baymard Institute. That’s a staggering amount of lost revenue from people who were almost ready to buy. Here are ten proven tactics to win those sales back.

1. Eliminate surprise costs

Unexpected shipping, taxes, and fees are the single biggest cause of abandonment. Show all costs early — ideally on the cart page — or offer free shipping above a threshold. Our payment and shipping setup guide explains how.

2. Offer guest checkout

Forcing account creation drives shoppers away. Let them buy as a guest and invite them to create an account afterward.

3. Simplify the checkout

Fewer steps and fewer fields mean fewer drop-offs. Streamline ruthlessly — see our checkout best practices for the full playbook.

4. Add trust signals

Display security badges, accepted payment logos, reviews, and a clear return policy at checkout. Reassurance at the moment of payment reduces hesitation, a principle backed by Nielsen Norman Group research.

5. Offer multiple payment options

Some shoppers want PayPal, others want Apple Pay or buy-now-pay-later. Supporting popular methods via Stripe and PayPal removes a common reason to bail.

6. Send cart-recovery emails

Automated reminder emails recover a meaningful share of abandoned carts. A short sequence — a gentle nudge, then perhaps an incentive — works well. Most platforms and tools like Klaviyo automate this.

7. Use exit-intent offers

A well-timed pop-up offering free shipping or a small discount as a visitor moves to leave can rescue the sale — use sparingly so it doesn’t annoy.

8. Be transparent about delivery times

Uncertainty about when an order will arrive causes hesitation. Show clear, realistic delivery estimates before checkout.

9. Optimise for mobile

Most abandonment happens on mobile, where friction is highest. A flawless mobile checkout is essential — see mobile optimization for online stores.

10. Retarget with ads

For shoppers who don’t respond to email, retargeting ads on platforms like Meta and Google remind them of what they left behind. Combine with the tactics above for the best results.

Measure and iterate

Use analytics to find exactly where shoppers drop off in your funnel. Session-recording tools like Hotjar show you the friction in action so you can fix the real problems, not guesses.

The takeaway

Cart abandonment is normal — but much of it is recoverable. Remove surprise costs, simplify checkout, build trust, and follow up. Even a few percentage points of recovery adds up to serious revenue. Our e-commerce development service optimises stores to keep more shoppers all the way to checkout.