Cart abandonment: How to reduce lost sales

Cart abandonment is one of the biggest challenges online retailers face. You’ve attracted potential customers, engaged them to explore, and pers귭 them to add products to their cart. 

But just before they complete a purchase, they disappear. What drives this behavior, and more importantly, what measures can help prevent it? 

What is cart abandonment? 

According to cart abandonment statistics, the average cart abandonment rate is 70.22%. That means 7 out of 10 customers leave an eCommerce store without buying. 

Why do online shoppers abandon carts?

Understanding the why helps you fix the problem. The top reasons customers abandon their carts include: 

1. Unexpected extra costs – Shipping, taxes, fees, and surcharges often appear too late in the journey. 
2. Being forced to create an account to check out – Many shoppers do not want to create an account before they can buy. 
3. Long or confusing checkout flows – Each extra step gives the shopper another chance to leave. 
4. Limited payment methods – If the preferred payment option is missing, the purchase may stop immediately. 
5. Mobile friction – Small screens make slow forms, long fields, and poor layouts much more painful. 
6. Weak trust signals – If the page does not feel secure, shoppers hesitate at the final step. 
   Slow load times on the checkout page – A delayed checkout page reduces confidence and increases drop-off. 
7. Concerns over entering personal information – Many shoppers hesitate to share sensitive personal or payment information online. If they are unsure how their data will be used or protected, they are more likely to abandon their purchase before completing checkout. 

Even minor friction at checkout can cause a potential customer to back out. Cart abandonment is also not the same as browsing without intent. The shopper has already added a product to the cart, which means the page has earned a stronger signal than a simple visit. That is why cart abandonment recovery can be so effective: the shopper is already close to conversion.

Cart abandonment vs checkout abandonment 

Cart abandonment and checkout abandonment are related, but they are not identical. 

• Cart abandonment means the shopper leaves after adding items to the cart but before completing the order. 
• Checkout abandonment means the shopper begins checkout and then leaves before payment is finished. 
    

Checkout abandonment is usually deeper in the funnel and often signals a more specific friction point, such as payment failure, account creation, or form complexity. Cart abandonment is broader and can happen earlier, especially when the cart is used as a save-for-later step. 

How to calculate your shopping cart abandonment rate 

If you only track completed purchases, you miss the full story. A strong cart recovery program should track: 

• Cart abandonment rate 
• Recovery rate 
• Open rate 
• Click-through rate 
• Conversion rate from recovery messages 
• Revenue recovered per message or journey 
• Time to recovery 

To calculate your cart abandonment rate, use this simple formula: 

Compare your rate with industry benchmarks and track it regularly. It serves as a baseline for identifying issues within your checkout process and enhancing overall eCommerce performance.

Example: 1,000 carts were created, 300 purchases were completed, 700 carts were abandoned, cart abandonment rate = 70% 

You can also compare performance by channel. For example:

• Email may recover more carts overall because it can carry more detail. 
• SMS may recover faster because it is immediate. 
• WhatsApp may perform best when the buyer wants support or product clarification. 

The right channel is the one that matches the shopper’s level of hesitation. 

What to test 

Test one variable at a time so you can see what actually changed performance. Useful tests include: 

• First send time 
• Message length 
• Subject line 
• CTA wording 
• Discount versus no discount 
• Product image versus text-only 
• SMS only versus email plus SMS 
• WhatsApp follow-up versus SMS follow-up 

If a test improves clicks but not conversions, the message is attracting attention without resolving the real objection. That is still useful data. 

12 ways to reduce cart abandonment 

Now that you know why shoppers leave their carts, here’s how to win them back. The best way to reduce cart abandonment is to remove friction before the shopper reaches the final step. Recovery campaigns matter, but prevention is usually cheaper and faster than win-back messaging.

1. Simplify your checkout flow 

A smooth checkout flow is critical. Reduce the number of steps needed to complete a purchase. Add a progress indicator so shoppers know how close they are to the finish line. Keep all necessary actions on a single checkout page if possible. 

Include a clear breakdown of costs, including taxes and shipping. Let users easily remove items or change quantities without leaving the page. 

If your checkout has multiple pages, make sure each one has a clear purpose. If a field is optional, do not make it feel mandatory. If a step is not necessary for fulfillment, remove it.

Pro tip: Ensure your site loads quickly, as page speed can significantly influence conversion rates. 

2. Don’t force customers to create an account 

One of the top reasons for cart abandonment is requiring customers to create an account. Enable guest checkout functionality and request only the essential information required to complete the transaction. You can invite users to create an account after the purchase is complete. 

3. Offer free shipping or be transparent about costs 

Unexpected additional charges often lead customers to abandon their purchases. Be upfront about shipping and taxes before the customer reaches the payment screen. Better yet, offer free shipping for orders over a certain amount. That is one of the most effective ways to lower abandonment rates.

4. Provide multiple payment methods 

Online shoppers use various payment methods. Accept major credit cards, and ensure entering credit card information is secure and user-friendly. Also support digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay, PayPal, and even Buy Now, Pay Later options. If you limit payment options, you limit your customer base. 

5. Optimize for mobile 

Shoppers frequently exit the checkout process when mobile functionality is lacking. Make sure your eCommerce site and checkout page work smoothly on mobile devices. Keep input fields short, use autofill where possible, and ensure buttons are easy to tap. 

6. Add trust signals at the point of purchase 

Trust matters most when the shopper is closest to paying. You can build trust with: 

• Security badges 
• Clear return policies 
• Accurate delivery expectations 
• Product reviews 
• Easy customer support access 
• Transparent payment and refund messaging 

Trust signals do not need to be flashy. They need to be visible, consistent, and believable. 

7. Use abandoned cart emails 

Recovery messages work best when they are timely, specific, and easy to act on. The shopper should know what they left behind, why they should return, and exactly where to click next.  

Best practices for cart abandonment emails: 

• Include product images 
• Personalize with the customer’s name 
• Add a clear CTA (e.g., “Complete your purchase”) 
• Offer a discount or incentive 
• Include reviews for social proof 

8. Use SMS and messaging apps for recovery 

Beyond email, use SMS and messaging channels like RCS, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger to send cart abandonment reminders. These messages can contain direct links back to the customer’s cart and even support in-chat shopping. 

9. Add social proof to the checkout page 

Encourage quicker decisions by adding live indicators such as “selling fast,“ “popular item,“ or “10 people are viewing this now.“ Real-time activity can motivate hesitant buyers to act quickly. 

10. Create a favorites or wish list feature 

Customers may not always be ready to purchase immediately. Providing them with the option to save products to a favorites list can help. This allows you to re-engage them later with targeted messages or retargeting ads featuring the products from their list. 

11. Offer a discount or loyalty reward 

When a reminder doesn’t work, consider providing an incentive. Try a small discount (5–10%) or double loyalty points to nudge customers toward completing the purchase. Additionally, consider offering free returns or promotional gifts with purchases. 

12. Use retargeting ads 

Use retargeting ads on social media to re-engage users who abandoned their carts. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to show dynamic ads featuring the exact items left in their carts. 

Pro tip: Improve customer support by implementing a “Click to chat” feature for direct interaction through WhatsApp or Messenger. Check out our guide on how to build a web chatbot all on your own and try it out yourself for free. 

Best practices for abandoned cart messaging 

Here’s how to make your cart abandonment messages more effective: 

Use compelling subject lines (for emails)

• “Forget something?” 
• “Still thinking about those shoes?” 
• “Last chance: 10% off your cart!” 

Personalize messages 

Use the shopper’s name, show items from their cart, and mention important dates (like birthdays or upcoming holidays). 

Include a strong call-to-action 

Use buttons like: 

• “Return to cart” 
• “Complete purchase now” 
• “View saved items” 

Add product images 

Visual reminders make it easier for customers to remember why they wanted the item in the first place.

Create urgency

Create a sense of urgency by adding deadlines like: “Hurry! The items in your cart will only be reserved for 1 more hour!” 

Tools for automating cart recovery 

Recovering abandoned carts at scale requires more than just sending a reminder email. Most eCommerce brands need a mix of tools to make it work, typically including: 

• A Customer Data Platform (CDP) or CRM to collect and manage customer data 
• A messaging tool for email, RCS, SMS, WhatsApp and other messaging channels 
• Automation or journey orchestration to trigger the right message at the right time 
• Analytics to measure recovery and revenue lift 
• eCommerce integration so cart data updates in real time 

How Infobip orchestrates cart recovery 

Within AgentOS, Infobip connects the full cart recovery journey across 15+ channels, data, AI, and support. Teams can trigger timely reminders from live cart events, personalize messages with customer context, and keep every touchpoint consistent across SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, email, voice, or chat. The result is one orchestrated journey behind the scenes and a smoother recovery experience for the shopper. 

Remember: every abandoned cart is a chance to learn and win the customer back. 

Cart abandonment FAQs