How To Improve the Checkout Experience in 11 Steps (2026)

The checkout experience begins after customers choose a product and add it to their cart. It covers the final steps they take to review their order and submit payment.

In a 2026 Industry Dive survey of 1,018 consumers, 75% said checkout options influence where they shop or dine. Customers evaluate those options when deciding where to buy, even after they’ve chosen a product.

This guide explains 11 ways to improve the checkout experience and help customers complete their orders. The techniques range from guest checkout and one-click payments to Shopify checkout customization.

What is the checkout experience?

Checkout experience is the experience a customer has during the final stage of their ecommerce purchase experience. This happens on the checkout page of an ecommerce website, where the goal is to collect a customer’s key information and process their payment. 

A high-quality checkout experience is defined by the following components:

• Speed and ease: Pages load quickly, forms are short, and mobile controls are easy to use.
• Guest checkout: Customers can buy without creating an account.
• Payment choice: Customers can use relevant cards, digital wallets, or local payment methods.
• Order clarity: Costs and delivery options appear before payment, with instructions when an error occurs.

They define how much time and effort customers spend placing an order.

Why the checkout experience matters

Your ecommerce store’s checkout experience matters because a poor experience can raise the risk of customers leaving after adding products to their carts. A 2026 cart abandonment report by Baymard calculates an ecommerce cart abandonment rate of 70.22%. Their research estimates that better checkout design can increase conversion by 35.26% for the average large ecommerce site.

Checkout friction maps to operating metrics:

• Long forms or required accounts impact checkout time and abandonment rate.
• Payment errors or declines impact authorization and order completion rates.
• Missing payment options impact conversion by payment method or market.
• Unexpected costs impact drop-off at the shipping or payment step.

A recent case study of Alice + Olivia shows how accelerated checkout options can improve the checkout experience. After the brand added Shop Pay to their checkout, Shop Pay became their most-used payment method and accounted for 35% of 2026 orders.

Shop Pay orders had a $487 average order value (AOV), and the Alice + Olivia team reported no visible burden on customer support. 

How to create a good checkout experience

A good checkout experience helps shoppers understand what information to enter and what happens next. The following 11 techniques address common problems that delay or interrupt a purchase:

• Use one-click checkout
• Add a guest checkout option
• Show progress and reduce form friction
• Add trust, security, and privacy cues
• Offer multiple payment methods
• Highlight your returns policy
• Cross-sell and upsell related products
• Show shipping costs and delivery dates clearly
• Highlight total savings and total costs
• Clarify future commitments for subscriptions
• Confirm the order and next steps

1. Use one-click checkout

Checkout forms collect contact, delivery, and payment information. Reentering these details adds time and effort, especially on a phone. Baymard’s 2026 cart abandonment data found that 17% of US online shoppers had abandoned an order because checkout was too long or complicated.

One-click checkout (also known as accelerated checkout) uses saved customer and payment information to shorten the process. Returning shoppers can review prefilled details and confirm payment. The flow may still ask for authentication, so “one-click” refers to the shortened process.

Saved details reduce the amount of typing required on mobile, where addresses and card numbers must be entered on a small screen. On Shopify, accelerated checkout options such as Shop Pay and supported wallets can appear at the start of checkout. Some buttons can take shoppers from a product page directly to checkout.

A Princess Polly case study measured the impact of Shop Pay authenticated checkout during a four-week test. The feature recognized returning Shop users and prefilled their details. Princess Polly reported a 7.6% store-wide reduction in median checkout time and a 4.1% conversion increase among buyers with an existing Shop Pay session.

“[Shop Pay] reduced errors from un-logged users and cut checkout times significantly,” says Claire Miller, ecommerce manager at Princess Polly.

Shop Pay is included with Shopify Payments. Stores can compare checkout time and completion rates across accelerated and standard checkout sessions to measure performance.

2. Add a guest checkout option

Customer accounts let shoppers track orders and save information for future purchases. Requiring an account before payment adds an extra step for shoppers who want to buy quickly. Baymard’s 2026 data found that 18% of US online shoppers had abandoned an order because the site required account creation.

Guest checkout lets shoppers place an order without registering. Display it clearly alongside sign-in and account creation options. Account prompts can appear after order confirmation, once the purchase is complete.

3. Show progress and reduce form friction

Sometimes the advantages of collecting more customer data outweigh the need for guest or one-page checkout. 

If you’re selling to wholesale customers through your B2B storefront, for example, you’ll likely need to collect more information, such as the business’s name, payment terms, purchase order number, preferred delivery date, and shipping details. 

On a multi-step checkout, a progress indicator shows the current stage and how much remains.

Reduce the form itself before adding more steps. Baymard’s research found that an ideal checkout can contain as few as 12 to 14 form elements. The average US checkout displays 23.48 elements.

Make each step easier to complete:

• Required and optional fields: Ask only for information required to process the order. Label optional fields clearly.
• Address entry and validation: Use address autofill, then let customers review and modify the result. Place specific error messages beside invalid fields.
• Sensitive fields: Explain why information such as a phone number is requested and how the business will use it.

Once the form contains only essential fields, the progress indicator gives customers a clear view of the remaining steps.

4. Add trust, security, and privacy cues

Checkout asks customers to share contact, delivery, and payment information. Baymard’s 2026 data found that 19% of US online shoppers had abandoned an order because they didn’t trust the site with their credit card information.

Use cues at the point where each concern arises:

• Payment security: Name the payment provider and state how payment details are protected. Use only language supported by the store’s actual setup.
• Privacy: Explain why information such as a phone number is required and how the business will use it. Link to the full privacy policy.
• Purchase terms: Display the total cost, delivery timing, and return window before payment. Link each statement to the relevant policy.
• Verifiable proof: Use current reviews, guarantees, or certifications. Skip customer counts and security badges that shoppers can’t verify.

Shopify is certified Level 1 PCI DSS compliant, and this compliance extends to every store using the platform. Stores can link to this source when explaining payment security. Product quality and privacy claims require separate evidence.

Place security language beside the payment fields. Put data-use explanations beside sensitive fields, and display delivery and return details near the order summary.

5. Offer multiple payment methods

Payment choice helps customers complete checkout with a method they already know and trust. 

Digital wallets accounted for 56% of global ecommerce transaction value in 2025, according to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2026. Cards, bank payments, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options are common, but their use varies by market.

Digital wallets work differently across markets:

• In the US, UK, and Australia, wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are usually funded by cards. 
• In India and Brazil, they can connect directly to account-to-account payment systems. 
• In China and Indonesia, they can hold stored value or operate within larger apps.

Local payment methods can carry even more weight. In the Netherlands, 70% of ecommerce transactions use iDEAL (transitioning to Wero in 2026). A checkout aimed at Dutch customers could lose sales if it offers global card brands but omits the bank payment method they use most.

Build the payment mix around each target market. Shopify stores can enable cards and Shop Pay, then add supported accelerated or local methods based on where the business operates and its customers live. 

Compare checkout completion and payment authorization rates by country and method to identify missing options or recurring payment failures.

6. Highlight your returns policy

Shoppers consider return terms before they place an order. Rithum’s 2025 survey of more than 6,000 consumers found that 41% review a retailer’s return policy before making a purchase.

Add a brief summary near the order total or purchase button. State whether the item is returnable and how long the return window lasts, and mention any return shipping or restocking fees.

Link the summary to the full returns policy for detailed terms and instructions. Shoppers can confirm the main conditions from the checkout page and continue their purchase.

7. Cross-sell and upsell related products

At enterprise order volumes, checkout upsells can add revenue across thousands of purchases. Test each offer against a control group. Track average order value and acceptance rate, then confirm that your checkout completion rate does not fall.

Show one or two items with clear prices and an Add button. Shoppers can accept the offer or continue to the payment step. Avoid large product grids and links back to the catalog, which add another decision when the shopper is ready to buy.

Ellana Cosmetics used Shopify to add timely upsells and gifts with purchase to their checkout. With Shopify, upsells increased average order value by 17% and other checkout customizations reduced checkout failure by 40%.

Shopify Plus merchants can use Checkout Blocks or compatible apps to add offers to checkout. Apps such as Selleasy and OrderBump also let brands add related offers to the cart, checkout, and post-purchase pages.

8. Show shipping costs and delivery dates clearly

Customers use shipping costs and delivery dates to decide whether to place an order. In DHL’s 2025 survey of 24,000 online shoppers, 81% said they would leave a website if their preferred delivery option was unavailable.

Show the full cost and arrival date beside each option before payment. Replace labels such as “standard shipping” or “three to five business days” with a date such as “Arrives August 3–5.” Calculate that date based on order-processing time and carrier transit time.

Give shoppers any available alternatives, including express shipping, local delivery, and in-store pickup. Display the pickup location and expected ready time. Remove an option when inventory or staffing cannot meet the stated date.

Shopify can display automated or manually configured delivery dates in checkout, Shop Pay, order confirmations, and order details. Stores can also show location-specific pickup times. If they use Flexport, they can link the third-party logistics service (3PL) through Shopify’s Fulfillment Network app.

9. Highlight total savings and total costs

The amount due can exceed the product subtotal once shipping, taxes, and fees are added. Show every charge before the shopper submits payment.

Shopify Checkout automatically calculates and displays the charges that apply to an order. The summary updates when shoppers apply a discount, select a shipping method, or enter their address.

When a promotion advertises savings, use a Shopify discount or compatible app that displays the discount in the order summary. Confirm that bundle discounts match the advertised offer before launch.

For subscription products, Shopify Subscriptions displays the order frequency, discount amount, and shipping cost per delivery in checkout. Stores configure the subscription plan and cancellation policy, which shoppers accept before completing the purchase.

10. Clarify future commitments for subscriptions

Subscription businesses continue to attract new customers. A 2025 Zuora survey conducted by The Harris Poll found that 68% of US adults signed up for a new subscription service during 2024. 

However, most customers want fair cancellation terms. Chargebee’s 2025 survey found that 82% of consumers require easy cancellation before they will consider subscribing.

Before the shopper completes checkout, state these details:

• First charge: Show the total due today and any introductory discount.
• Renewal price: Give the amount charged after a trial or promotion ends.
• Billing schedule: State the renewal frequency and next billing date.
• Delivery schedule: Give the shipment frequency and shipping cost per order.
• Minimum commitment: Disclose any required term, order count, or cancellation fee.
• Account controls: Explain where shoppers can skip, pause, change, or cancel. State when each change takes effect.

After migrating to Shopify, UrbanStems added a self-service portal where subscribers can choose bouquets, pause deliveries, and adjust delivery dates. 

Before the change, about 80% of their subscription-related calls involved order management. UrbanStems reports 7% year-over-year subscription growth and an 11% increase in new subscriptions after the migration.

11. Confirm the order and next steps

An order confirmation tells shoppers that their payment went through and explains what happens next. 

Display the confirmation number as soon as checkout ends, then send the confirmation email. If payment is pending, state the status and explain when the shopper will receive an update.

Add links to view the order and sign in to an account. Provide shipment tracking and a way to contact customer service. Shopify’s Thank you page confirms that checkout was successful and displays a confirmation number. 

The order confirmation notification links to a page shoppers can revisit. Adding a tracking number makes delivery updates available through the order status page, notification emails, and Shop app.

Checkout experience examples

These three brands improved checkout through different decisions:

• Peepers customized checkout for a major traffic event.
• Schleich replatformed two regional stores to speed up development.
• Everlane added accelerated checkout to its existing commerce platform.

Peepers customized checkout

Peepers is an eyewear retailer that migrated to Shopify after learning that the brand was going to be featured in O, The Oprah Magazine. 

They needed the ability to make custom changes on the fly and capitalize on a huge spike in traffic, while also converting those new shoppers through a smooth checkout experience. This included a custom free-shipping motivator that convinced people to spend more in order to qualify for free shipping. 

“The ability to customize with Shopify really allows us to push it to the limit and create a custom checkout experience customers can trust and be confident in keeping their personal and payment information safe,” says Peepers’ ecommerce manager John Hart. “It really makes customers feel like the site is going to take care of them.”

These changes made a huge impact on the business. Since customizing their checkout experience and migrating to Shopify, Peepers’ average order value grew by 20% and the site’s conversion rate increased by 30%.

Schleich replatformed

German toy manufacturer Schleich has a 90-year history of selling children’s toys, but their previous ecommerce platform offered limited flexibility and long implementation times that made it difficult to optimize the checkout flow.

Their head of digital commercial enablement, Alexander Wahl, said Schleich moved their US and Canadian storefronts to Shopify “because the speed of development is significantly faster. Shopify is simply an absolute innovation driver in the field of ecommerce.”

Thanks to Shopify’s extensive checkout customization features, Schleich removed friction throughout the checkout experience and improved their cart abandonment rate by 31%. Orders also increased by 25%.

Everlane added accelerated checkout

Everlane is a Shopify brand that tapped into the power of Shop Pay to increase checkout conversion rates. “Before implementing Shop Pay, we faced several issues with our checkout,” said Anna M. Peterson, Everlane’s product lead. “Our self-built checkout process was not only complex but also resource-intensive.”

Everlane had one goal in mind when making the switch to Shop Pay: to make sure customers didn’t question the checkout experience. Anna says, “We didn’t want our customers to continue having to enter their address or credit card information, or spend time making an account. Most people want to avoid signing up and giving you their password. We wanted to make it seamless and easy for them to purchase quickly.”

Everlane now offers multiple payment options and express checkout—two small changes that boosted their conversion rate. Within just 30 days of launching Shop Pay, 15% of the brand’s US transactions were processed through the Shop Pay mobile wallet. And based on Shopify's internal measurement of Everlane's performance, Shop Pay has achieved conversion rates of up to 70%.

Improve checkout experience with Shopify Checkout and Shop Pay

Shopify Checkout manages the path from contact information through payment and order confirmation. Shop Pay speeds up that process by prefilling saved customer details. According to Shopify, Shop Pay converts up to 50% better than guest checkout. Offering it can increase lower-funnel conversion by 5%.

Commerce teams can use the checkout and accounts editor to adjust functionality and appearance. They can preview the experience on desktop and mobile, then prepare draft configurations before publishing. The same editor manages the thank-you page, order status page, and customer account pages. Advanced and Plus stores can create configurations for individual markets.

Shopify provides several options for more specific changes. Payment and delivery customizations can rename, hide, or reorder available methods. Checkout rules can validate the cart or require specific customer information.

Measure each checkout change as a separate release:

• Compare sessions that reached checkout with sessions that completed checkout.
• Track payment authorization and failure rates by payment method.
• Monitor average order value when adding offers or shipping messages.
• Break out results by device, market, and customer type.
• Check page speed, checkout errors, and customer service contacts.

Shopify’s Conversion rate breakdown report tracks cart additions, reached checkouts, and completed checkouts. 

Record a baseline before publishing a customization, then compare the same metrics after launch. Release one major change at a time so the results show which update influenced performance.