Get In Loser We’re Going to Abandon Our Online Shopping Carts

If you run an online business, there is one universal experience that bonds you with every other retailer on the internet. Someone loads up their cart … they’re excited … they are committed … they are emotionally attached to the idea of owning whatever is in that cart … and then … they disappear. No purchase. No goodbye. Just *poof* ghost and an abandoned cart.

Cart abandonment is not a personal attack (well, typically,) even though it often feels like one. It is a behavior problem, a trust problem, and sometimes just a timing problem. In fact, cart abandonment is so common that most online retailers should be more shocked when someone actually completes a purchase.

Let’s discuss why people abandon their carts, what is really happening in their heads (typically,) and what brands can do to gently convince shoppers to stay, click, and buy.

Surprise Costs Ruin Everything

The number one reason people abandon shopping carts is painfully simple. The price changes at checkout.

A product might feel like a reasonable splurge at $38. It feels very different at $38 plus $12 shipping, tax, and a mystery handling fee that no one explained. By the time the total shows up, the customer feels tricked. Even if the costs are legitimate, the emotional damage is already done.

People want transparency, they want to know what they are signing up for before they emotionally commit. When unexpected costs appear at the very last step, it creates a sense of “betrayal” that outweighs how badly they wanted the product.

What brands can do:
Be upfront, show estimated shipping early, offer free shipping thresholds that feel attainable. If your shipping is expensive for a real reason, explain it. Honesty does more heavy lifting than a surprise discount ever will.

Forced Account Creation Is a Dealbreaker

No one wants to create an account when they are just trying to buy one thing at midnight in their pajamas. Forced account creation feels like homework. It feels like a long term commitment when the shopper is only trying to solve a short term need.

People worry about spam, emails they did not ask for, and yet another password they will forget. Even loyal customers hesitate when they are forced to log in or sign up before paying.

What brands can do:
Offer guest checkout … ALWAYS. You can still ask them to create an account after the purchase when they are feeling happy and accomplished. That is a much better moment to build a relationship.

Shipping Takes Too Long

We live in a world (unfortunately) shaped by two day shipping expectations. Even when people intellectually understand that small businesses and independent brands cannot compete with massive retailers, emotionally they still hesitate when shipping feels “slow.” (AKA; longer than 2.5 days.)

If someone needs something for an event, a gift, or a specific moment, unclear delivery timelines make them nervous. Nervous shoppers do not check out.

What brands can do:
Be clear about timelines, overestimate rather than underdeliver. If something takes longer to ship, say so clearly on the product page (and ideally why that is, if you can.) People are far more forgiving when expectations are set early.

The Website Feels Sketchy

Trust is fragile online. A website does not have to actually be unsafe for people to feel unsafe. If something looks off, outdated, or confusing, shoppers start imagining worst case scenarios.

Missing contact information, broken links, strange formatting, or inconsistent branding all raise red flags, along with the quintessential AI style of writing complete with emojis as bullet points, you know exactly what I’m talking about. (Bonus points if it includes that damn rocket emoji.) If someone hesitates even slightly about whether their payment information is safe, they are gone.

What brands can do:
Make trust obvious, clear policies, visible customer support, clean design, and recognizable payment options all help. Social proof matters too. Reviews, testimonials, and user generated content (UGC) help people feel less alone in their decision.

Payment Options Are Limited

People have strong preferences about how they pay. Some want credit cards … some want PayPal … some want buy now pay later options. If their preferred method is not available, they may abandon the cart even if they can technically pay another way.

This is especially true for larger, higher-end purchases. Flexibility matters.

What brands can do:
Offer multiple payment options when possible. At minimum, cover the basics. The easier it is to pay, the fewer mental hurdles exist between wanting and buying.

The Checkout Process Is Exhausting

Long checkout forms are the enemy. No one wants to enter their life story to buy a candle or a sweatshirt. Every extra field is an opportunity for distraction or frustration.

If the checkout process feels slow, clunky, or confusing, shoppers start questioning whether the purchase is worth the effort.

What brands can do:
Streamline everything, only ask for what you truly need. Autofill options and progress indicators help people feel like they are moving forward instead of stuck in a digital maze.

People Are Just Browsing

Sometimes there is no deeper reason. People use shopping carts as wish lists, mood boards, and placeholders. Adding something to a cart does not always mean intent to purchase. It can simply mean interest. I gotta admit, I’m guilty of it, I do it all the time. I build my dream cart, look at the price, go “hm,” then dip. Sorry brands.

This behavior is especially common on mobile where people save things to revisit later on a different device.

What brands can do:
Use cart reminder emails thoughtfully, ot aggressive guilt trips, but friendly nudges. I recently considered making a purchase from a popular children’s furniture brand on behalf of my kids, and, I shit you not, the brand emailed me 6 times within 4 hours after I took a look at my desired items. WTF? A simple reminder paired with helpful information or a small incentive can turn browsing into buying.

The Product Needs More Information

If someone reaches checkout and suddenly realizes they still have questions, that uncertainty can stop everything. Unclear sizing, vague descriptions, or missing photos create doubt at the worst possible moment.

People rarely check out when they feel unsure.

What brands can do:
Overcommunicate product details. Include multiple photos, videos, measurements, FAQs, and real customer feedback. Confidence sells more than hype. (Bonus points if you post additional photos to social media, including that sweet UGC!)

Distractions Happen

Online shopping does not exist in a vacuum. Notifications pop up … kids need something … work emails arrive … someone remembers they forgot to do laundry. The cart gets abandoned not because of a problem, but because life intervened.

Once someone leaves, they might not come back unless reminded.

What brands can do:
Make it easy to return. Save carts automatically, send gentle reminders, reduce friction so returning feels effortless instead of starting over.

The Price Feels Wrong In the Moment

Even when the price is fair, timing matters. Someone might love the product but realize they should not spend the money right now. This has nothing to do with the brand and everything to do with personal finances.

Especially in tough economic times (AKA; the present,) shoppers hesitate more.

What brands can do:
Offer flexible options like payment plans or limited time discounts for cart abandoners. Emphasize value, longevity, and usefulness rather than urgency alone.

How Brands Can Actually Reduce Cart Abandonment

You cannot eliminate cart abandonment entirely. That is unrealistic. But you can reduce it by focusing on clarity, trust, and ease.

Be transparent with pricing.
Respect people’s time.
Make checkout simple.
Offer reassurance at every step.
Talk to customers like humans, not metrics, not with a rigid template.

The goal is not to pressure people into buying. The goal is to remove unnecessary obstacles so that when someone wants to say yes, nothing gets in the way.

People abandoning shopping carts is not a sign that your product is bad. It is a sign that something in the experience gave them pause. Sometimes that pause is rational, sometimes it is emotional, often it is both.

If brands stop treating cart abandonment like a failure and start treating it like feedback, they can learn a lot … about trust, about timing, about what shoppers actually need to feel confident clicking that final button.

People do want to buy. They just want it to feel easy, fair, and, most of all, worth it.