In one sentence
Cart abandonment rate is the share of shoppers who add products to their cart but leave without buying, and it points to the surprise costs, checkout friction and doubts that cost your store sales.
How to calculate cart abandonment rate
Divide completed orders by carts created, subtract that from one, and multiply by 100. If 1,000 shoppers add to cart and 300 check out, your cart abandonment rate is 70%.
Use the same time period and the same definition of a cart every time, so month-to-month changes mean something.
Cart abandonment vs. checkout abandonment: what's the difference
Why shoppers abandon their carts
- Shipping, taxes or fees appear late and push the total higher than expected.
- Checkout asks them to create an account.
- Checkout is slow, long or breaks on mobile.
- Their preferred payment method isn't offered.
- Returns, delivery times or sizing aren't clear.
- They were never ready to buy and used the cart as a wishlist.
How to reduce cart abandonment on your store
- Show shipping costs and delivery times on the product page, before the cart.
- Offer guest checkout and express payment options.
- Put return policy, reviews and security details next to the checkout button.
- Set up abandoned cart Email and SMS flows to bring shoppers back.
- Watch each checkout step to find where people drop off, then fix that step first.
Cart abandonment rate FAQs
What's a good cart abandonment rate?
A high rate is normal in ecommerce, because many shoppers use the cart to save or compare. Don't chase zero. Track your own trend and the drop-off at each step.
Where do I see abandoned carts in Shopify?
Shopify lists abandoned checkouts under Orders, and its conversion reports show how many sessions added to cart, reached checkout and completed an order.
Do abandoned cart emails work?
They're one of the most common automated flows because they bring back some shoppers who were close to buying. Test timing and message, and use a discount only if full-price reminders don't work.
About the author
Jenn Starr, Co-founder, Selix
Jenn has spent 20+ years helping SaaS startups build their marketing and implementation playbooks. She has bootstrapped three marketing agencies and is a 500 Startups alum. At Selix, she leads the work of getting ecommerce brands named in AI answers.
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