Top Reasons for Cart Abandonment in 2024

Shopping cart abandonment represents one of the largest sources of lost sales opportunities for ecommerce businesses. If you’re looking to improve your company’s reach and bottom line, knowing what’s causing visitors to your online store to ditch their shopping carts helps with understanding their behavior and pinpointing the exact friction points in the purchasing process.

While cart abandonment rates can vary by industry, having a general overview of why customers abandon their carts can help businesses implement effective solutions to reduce these occurrences. In this post, we’ll analyze the top 10 reasons for cart abandonment.

Cart abandonment statistics: highlights

Higher than expected additional costs are the biggest reason consumers abandon their online shopping carts. 48% of them reportedly do so.
The luxury and jewelry industry currently has the highest cart abandonment rate, with 81.39%.
Analysts estimate that up to $260 billion in revenue lost to cart abandonment can be recovered.

Shopping cart abandonment reasons: table

Shopping cart abandonment reason	Percentage of online shoppers that list the following as a reason they abandon cart
1. Extra costs too high	48%
2. The site wanted me to create an account	26%
3. I didn’t trust the site with my credit card information	25%
4. Delivery was too slow	23%
5. Too long/complicated checkout process	22%
6. I couldn’t see/calculate total order cost upfront	21%
7. Returns policy wasn’t satisfactory	18%
8. Website had errors/crashed	17%
9. There weren’t enough payment methods	13%
10. The credit card was declined	9%

1. Extra costs too high (48%)

A recent analysis reveals that high additional costs such as shipping fees and taxes are the top reason for cart abandonment.

To address this, clearly communicate all costs right from the beginning and, if feasible, offer free or discounted shipping. Consider incorporating all-inclusive pricing to avoid surprising your customers at checkout.

2. The site wanted me to create an account (26%)

The report also shows that many shoppers abandon their carts when forced to create an account before completing their purchase, a requirement that can be seen as a hassle and a deterrent.

To encourage shoppers to follow through with their purchase, implement a guest checkout option. Account creation can be encouraged after checkout via the payment confirmation landing page or email.

3. I didn’t trust the site with my credit card information (25%)

Not trusting the online store with sensitive credit card information also ranks among the top reasons for cart abandonment. The data reveals that this causes as many as one-quarter (25%) of buyers to ditch their carts.

Ensure shoppers feel safe with their card details by displaying trust badges from recognized security providers and ensure your site has an SSL certificate. Using professional and clean web design and including customer reviews and testimonials can also help to raise your store’s credibility.

4. Delivery was too slow (23%)

According to the report, slow delivery times can deter customers from completing their purchases (and potentially make them look to your competitors for a solution), especially if they need the item urgently.

Tackle this by offering multiple shipping options, including expedited shipping for shoppers who are willing to incur an additional fee. Be clear and realistic about delivery times and, where possible, provide tracking links. Partnering with reliable courier services can also improve delivery speeds.

5. Too long/complicated checkout process (22%)

A lengthy or complicated checkout process rounds out the five biggest cart abandonment reasons. Each step in the checkout process is an opportunity for the customer to reconsider their purchase. This means that if checking out is difficult to navigate, customers may simply give up and abandon their carts.

Rectify this by simplifying and optimizing the checkout process. Reducing the number of steps required and using a progress indicator to show customers how close they are to completing their purchase can encourage them to proceed to the next step. You can also consider implementing autofill options for forms to minimize the amount of information they need to manually key in.

6. I couldn’t see/calculate total order cost up-front (21%)

The data on top reasons for cart abandonment suggests that customers prefer to know the total cost of their order, including all pertinent fees, before reaching the checkout page. Not having a transparent overview of total costs results in more than one in five (21%) of shoppers abandoning their purchases.

To manage this, provide a running total of the order cost, including shipping and taxes, as items are added to the cart.

7. Returns policy wasn’t satisfactory (18%)

A lack of a clear or favorable returns policy can also deter customers from finalizing their purchases, as they’re unwilling to take on the risk(s) involved if the product doesn’t meet their expectations. Cart abandonment statistics show that it is why 18% of shoppers don’t follow through with their purchases

Ensuring your returns policy is clear, fair, easy to understand, and as customer-friendly as possible helps to mitigate this factor. Offer easy returns and refunds, and highlight any hassle-free return guarantees prominently on your website.

8. Website had errors/crashed (17%)

Technical issues such as website errors or crashes also form one of the top reasons for shopping cart abandonment. These interruptions can spoil buyers’ shopping experience and lead them to discard their intended purchase.

To counteract this, test and optimize your website on a regular basis to make sure it’s running smoothly across all devices and browsers. Implement reliable web hosting solutions to handle high traffic volumes and prevent crashes.

9. There weren’t enough payment methods (13%)

Not providing sufficient ways to pay for their purchases can prove to be a costly decision for businesses—as many as 13% of online shoppers list it as a reason they have failed to carry through with their shopping.

It’s important to keep track of the most popular online payment methods among consumers and offer a variety of possibilities. These should include, at the very least, preferred payment options like digital wallets, credit cards, and debit cards.

10. The credit card was declined (9%)

Credit cards getting declined rounds out the 10 biggest reasons for cart abandonment in 2024. Such issues can abruptly end the checkout process, leading to cart abandonment by as many as 9% of online shoppers. This is especially so if the item they’re purchasing is offered by a competitor.

To tackle this issue, ensure your payment gateway is reliable and can handle various card types and payment methods. Make sure to also provide clear instructions on what to do if a credit card is declined, such as trying another card or contacting customer service for assistance.