Common Checkout Pitfalls and How to Fix Them

You’ve done the hard work: brought traffic to your store, convinced visitors to add products to their cart… and then they drop off at checkout.

Cart abandonment rates in e-commerce are still around 70% globally (Baymard Institute, 2025). The good news? Most of the reasons are fixable.

Here are the most common checkout mistakes — and how to fix them.

Pitfall 1: Unexpected Costs

Shoppers hate surprises. Extra shipping fees, taxes, or handling costs that only appear at the end cause instant drop-offs.

Fix: Show all costs upfront. Use a shipping calculator or “free shipping above X” to avoid frustration.
Source: Statista, Top reasons for cart abandonment 2025.

Pitfall 2: Forced Account Creation

Requiring customers to register before they can buy adds unnecessary friction.

Fix: Offer guest checkout with an optional “create account after purchase” flow.
Source: Montonio, 9 Mistakes Ecommerce Businesses Commonly Make (taxually.com).

Pitfall 3: Complicated Forms

Long forms with too many fields kill momentum.

Fix: Only ask for what’s essential (name, shipping, payment). Use autofill, address lookups, and payment integrations like PayPal/Apple Pay/Google Pay.
Source: Baymard Institute, E-commerce Checkout Usability Research.

Pitfall 4: Limited Payment Options

Not everyone wants to pay with a card.

Fix: Add popular payment methods in your region (e.g. Klarna, PayPal, Apple Pay, Buy Now Pay Later).
Source: Omnisend, 10 Common Ecommerce Mistakes (2025) (omnisend.com).

Pitfall 5: Poor Mobile Checkout

Over 70% of e-commerce traffic comes from mobile, yet many checkouts are still desktop-first.

Fix: Test checkout flows on mobile regularly. Buttons should be thumb-friendly, and forms should fit small screens.
Source: InboxArmy, 8 Common Ecommerce Mistakes (inboxarmy.com).

✅ Takeaway

Checkout is where sales are won or lost.
By fixing hidden costs, removing friction, and offering flexible payments, you can dramatically lower cart abandonment — and boost revenue.