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How to reduce shopping cart abandonment
Published April 14, 2026
Driving traffic to your website is only the beginning. Turning that attention into a completed purchase is a different challenge entirely.
Too often, customers add items to their online cart but drop off before completing checkout, leaving the sale unfinished at the final step. Shopping cart abandonment is one of the most common challenges in e-commerce, and it can limit revenue even when demand is strong.
In this article, we’ll break down what causes cart abandonment and how to reduce it so more customers complete their purchase.
Common reasons for cart abandonment
Research from the Baymard Institute shows that over 70% of online carts are abandoned, meaning most customers who start a checkout don’t complete it.
According to their findings, the most common reasons for cart abandonment are:
- Customers still browsing or not ready to buy
- Unexpected costs like shipping or fees
- Delivery being too slow
- Lack of trust in payment security
- Being asked to create an account
- A checkout process that feels too long or complicated
For businesses, cart abandonment can translate into lost revenue, lower return on marketing spend, and fewer repeat customers. But the good news is that most abandonment doesn’t come from lost interest. It comes from friction in the checkout process—and that’s something you can fix.
How to improve checkout conversion
Ready to reduce cart abandonment? Here are 8 ways to turn more intent into completed orders:
Be clear about pricing early
Unexpected costs are one of the biggest reasons customers leave. If shipping, taxes, or fees only appear at checkout, customers may decide the order is no longer worth it. Showing estimated costs earlier, making delivery fees clear, and highlighting free shipping thresholds can help reduce surprises.
Offer more delivery options
Delivery expectations can make or break a purchase decision. Some customers prioritize speed, while others are more focused on value. Either way, they expect flexibility in how they receive their orders. That’s why offering options like standard, same-day, and express delivery can make a real difference in whether someone completes their purchase. Express delivery has become a key expectation, with Uber research showing that 75% of consumers expect it to be available as an option.
Make payment simple
Checkout should feel easy. If customers need to stop and find their credit cards or re-enter details, they’re more likely to drop off. Adding digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal, along with saved payment methods for returning customers, helps streamline the process—and research from Stripe suggests it can also increase conversion rates and revenue.
Simplify checkout
Every extra step increases the chance of abandonment. Reducing form fields, enabling guest checkout, and using autofill for addresses can make the process fast and simple. A clear progress indicator also helps customers understand how close they are to finishing.
Improve the mobile experience
Many purchases now happen on mobile devices, so the experience needs to work smoothly on a smaller screen. Larger buttons, easy-to-read text, clean layouts, and fewer distractions help make it faster and easier to complete checkout.
See where people drop off
Analytics can show where customers leave the checkout process. If dropoff happens when shipping costs appear, pricing may need adjustment. If it happens at payment, trust or payment options may be the issue. If it’s higher on mobile, the mobile experience may need improvement.
Make returns easy to understand
Uncertainty can stop a purchase. Clear return policies help customers feel more confident completing an order. Make it easy to find and understand return windows, refund options, and exchange policies.
Re-engage shoppers who leave
Not every abandoned cart is gone for good. Reminder emails, retargeting ads, or small incentives can bring customers back and help recover sales.
Boosting conversions with Uber
Cart abandonment often comes down to one thing: the experience doesn’t match customer expectations at the moment of purchase.
Uber helps businesses close that gap by simplifying checkout and delivery.
- Uber Eats helps you reach customers where they already shop, with a fast, familiar checkout experience and saved payment and delivery details
- Uber Direct lets you offer fast delivery from your own website or app while Uber handles fulfillment behind the scenes
- Webshop gives you an easy way to offer delivery checkout on your own site, with flexible delivery options and access to customer insights
Ready to turn more browsers into buyers? Get started with Uber.
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