How common are abandoned carts?
Very common. Baymard Institute keeps a running list of 50 cart abandonment studies and calculates the average documented abandonment rate at 70.22%. In plain terms, for every 10 shoppers who add something to their cart, roughly 7 leave without buying.
You will never get that number to zero. Plenty of people use the cart as a wishlist or are comparing prices. The goal is to remove the reasons you control, so the shoppers who were ready to buy actually finish.
Why do shoppers abandon their carts?
Baymard surveyed US online shoppers about why they abandoned an order in the past three months. When you set aside the "just browsing" group, the top reasons were:
- Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees): 40%
- Delivery was too slow: 20%
- Didn't trust the site with card details: 19%
- The site wanted me to create an account: 18%
- Too long or complicated checkout: 17%
Notice that almost none of these are about the product. They are about price surprises, trust and friction, which are all things a small store can fix.
Fix 1: Show the total cost before checkout
Surprise costs are the biggest reason people leave. Show shipping costs (or "free shipping over $X") on product pages and in the cart, and give a tax estimate as early as you can. If you are still deciding how to charge for shipping, read our guide on setting up shipping for a small online store, and for tax basics see sales tax for new online sellers.
Fix 2: Let people check out as a guest
Forcing an account before payment pushes a meaningful share of buyers away. Offer guest checkout by default, then invite customers to create an account after the order is placed, when it feels like a perk rather than a hurdle.
Fix 3: Shorten the checkout form
Baymard's checkout testing found that an ideal checkout can be as short as 12 to 14 form elements, yet many sites show far more. Remove optional fields, combine first and last name if you can, use address autocomplete, and don't ask for a phone number unless your carrier needs it.
Fix 4: Make the store look trustworthy
Nearly 1 in 5 shoppers in Baymard's survey left because they didn't trust the site with their card. Easy wins:
- Use HTTPS and a real domain (see how to choose a domain name).
- Show familiar payment options. Our guide on accepting payments covers cards and wallets like Apple Pay.
- Link a clear return and refund policy and real contact details.
- Show honest reviews from real buyers (here's how to collect them).
Fix 5: Be upfront about delivery times
If shipping takes 5 to 7 business days, say so on the product page and in the cart. A clear estimate beats a vague promise. If you can offer a faster paid option, show it alongside the standard one.
Fix 6: Offer express wallets
Wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal let returning shoppers skip typing card and address details, which shortens checkout on mobile in particular. Most payment processors let you switch these on without extra code.
Fix 7: Send a polite cart reminder email
If a shopper entered their email and left, a short reminder a few hours later can bring them back. Keep it simple: a photo of the item, a link straight back to their cart, and an answer to a common question (shipping time, returns). Don't invent fake urgency like "only 1 left" unless it's true.
Recovery emails are commercial messages, so in the US they must follow the FTC's CAN-SPAM rules: an honest subject line, your physical mailing address and an easy way to opt out. Our email marketing basics post walks through setup.
A quick abandoned-cart checklist
- Shipping cost or threshold visible before checkout
- Guest checkout on by default
- Checkout form trimmed to essentials
- HTTPS, contact details and return policy linked
- At least one express wallet enabled
- Delivery estimate on product and cart pages
- One reminder email, sent within 24 hours, CAN-SPAM compliant
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Questions, answered.
What is a normal cart abandonment rate?
Baymard Institute's average across 50 studies is about 70%, so most stores see roughly 7 in 10 carts abandoned. A big share of those shoppers were just browsing, so focus on fixing the reasons you control.
What is the number one reason people abandon carts?
In Baymard Institute's survey of US shoppers, excluding people who were just browsing, the top reason was extra costs such as shipping, tax and fees being too high, cited by 40%.
Should I require customers to create an account?
No. Forced account creation was cited by 18% of shoppers in Baymard's survey as a reason they abandoned. Offer guest checkout and invite an account after purchase.
Are abandoned cart emails legal?
Yes, in the US they are allowed, but they count as commercial email under the FTC's CAN-SPAM Act, so they need an honest subject line, your physical address and a working unsubscribe option.
When should I send an abandoned cart email?
There is no single official rule. A common approach is one short reminder within a few hours to a day, with a direct link back to the cart and no fake urgency.