Cart abandonment is costing eCommerce businesses $4 trillion annually in 2025. Nearly 7 out of 10 online shoppers leave items in their carts without buying, with 48% citing unexpected costs as the main reason. But there’s good news: businesses can recover up to 35% of lost sales by addressing key issues like checkout design, payment options, and mobile optimization.

Here are 5 actionable strategies to reduce cart abandonment today:

• Use AI for Personalization: Tailor product recommendations, offer smart discounts, and deploy AI chatbots for instant support.

• Optimize Mobile Checkout: Simplify forms, speed up load times, and offer mobile-friendly payment options like Apple Pay.

• Expand Payment Options: Include digital wallets, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), and local payment methods to cater to diverse customers.

• Fix Checkout Problems: Shorten forms, display total costs upfront, and make the process clear with progress indicators.

• Recover Abandoned Carts: Use dynamic retargeting ads, cart recovery emails, and SMS reminders to win back customers.

Key Stats:

• 70.19%: Average cart abandonment rate in 2025.

• 48%: Shoppers abandon carts due to extra costs.

• $260 billion: Potential revenue recoverable with better checkout design in the US and EU.

By focusing on these strategies, you can boost conversions, improve customer experience, and reclaim lost sales.

Cart Abandonment Facts for 2025

2025 Abandonment Metrics

In 2025, eCommerce cart abandonment rates have hit 70.19%, a slight but steady rise from 68.07% in 2014. This means around 7 out of 10 shoppers leave their carts without completing their purchases.

The financial loss is massive - abandoned carts account for about $4 trillion in unpurchased merchandise every year. In the US and EU markets, the Baymard Institute estimates that $260 billion could be recovered simply by improving checkout designs. For large eCommerce sites, optimizing the checkout process could boost their conversion rates by an average of 35.26%.

Understanding these numbers is the first step toward tackling the problem.

Why Shoppers Leave Their Carts

To reduce cart abandonment, businesses need to address the main reasons shoppers abandon their purchases. Here’s a breakdown of the top barriers in 2025:

The leading issues include unexpected fees, requiring users to create accounts, and concerns about payment security.

"That's your customer acquisition dollars down the drain." – Harry Abram, Head of Operations @ Nostra AI

Another factor to consider is device preference. While mobile shopping is growing, desktops remain the go-to for high-value purchases. Mobile users, however, tend to abandon carts more frequently, emphasizing the need for smoother checkout experiences across all devices.

Addressing these pain points can pave the way for strategies that reduce cart abandonment rates effectively.

Top 10 Strategies to Reduce Cart Abandonment in 2025

1. Use AI to Personalize Shopping

AI tools can transform the shopping experience by analyzing customer behavior and delivering tailored interactions, helping to lower cart abandonment rates.

Smart Product Suggestions

AI-powered recommendation engines study customer browsing habits, past purchases, and current activity to suggest products that match their interests. This approach boosts sales and keeps customers engaged.

For example, Amazon's recommendation system generates billions in revenue by showcasing products customers are likely to buy based on their shopping habits. Similarly, ASOS uses AI to recommend complementary items during a customer’s shopping journey, enhancing the overall experience.

Here’s how personalized recommendations improve key metrics:

24/7 AI Chat Help

AI chatbots provide instant assistance during crucial moments, like checkout. By 2025, 61% of new buyers are expected to prefer quick AI responses over waiting for human support. These bots handle common questions about shipping, discounts, returns, payment options, and product details - keeping the process smooth and frustration-free.

Smart Exit Offers

AI can predict when a customer is about to leave their cart and trigger personalized offers to retain them. For instance, Yves Rocher saw an 11x higher purchase rate with AI-driven recommendations compared to generic suggestions. Similarly, Rapha Racing used targeted AI campaigns to achieve a 31% increase in purchases.

Key tactics include:

• Real-time behavior tracking

• Customized discount offers

• Urgency messaging to encourage action

• Multi-channel delivery (email, SMS, on-site)

SMS campaigns, in particular, stand out with 39.07% open rates and 23.33% click-through rates, surpassing traditional email performance.

These AI-driven strategies not only personalize the shopping experience but also address common reasons for cart abandonment, ensuring customers stay engaged through checkout. Up next, we’ll explore how improving mobile checkout can further reduce abandonment.

2. Make Mobile Checkout Better

By 2025, 46% of shoppers are expected to complete purchases on smartphones, while 21% abandon their carts due to lengthy checkouts.

Streamline Mobile Design

White Stuff simplified its checkout process into a single page, achieving impressive results:

To improve your mobile checkout design:

• Use vertically stacked form fields with labels placed above inputs.

• Ensure buttons are at least 44 pixels wide and span the full screen width.

• Stick to 16px font sizes to avoid triggering auto-zoom.

• Break the process into clear steps with progress indicators.

Made.com offers a great example with its smart address finder. It auto-completes details from a single input or postcode, making the process faster and easier.

After refining the design, consider expanding payment options to make checkout even smoother.

Offer Mobile Payment Options

A lack of mobile wallet options causes 40% of shoppers to abandon their carts. Target addresses this by using location detection to provide store pickup options and accurate tax estimates during checkout.

Here are some essential mobile payment options:

• Apple Pay: Accepted by 85% of U.S. retailers.

• Google Wallet: Available on Android 5.0+ devices.

• PayPal: Widely trusted by millions of users.

Vineyard Vines showcases effective payment integration by offering multiple mobile-friendly payment options and prominently displaying PayPal on the payment page.

Once payment options are in place, focus on making security checks fast and seamless.

Simplify Security Checks

Security concerns lead 25% of users to abandon their checkout. Reducing friction in this step can significantly improve completion rates.

Key security features to include:

• Biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or face ID.

• Address validation and visible security indicators.

• Trusted payment badges to reassure users.

JCrew.com sets a strong example by providing immediate cart updates and allowing users to access their cart directly without extra steps.

"Whether a customer abandons the checkout process within a mobile app or website largely depends on the usability of the checkout design." - Janice Pui-Yun Tong, LinkedIn

Finally, ensure your mobile pages load within 3 seconds to keep users engaged.

3. Add More Payment Options

Expanding payment options is another way to reduce cart abandonment. About 13% of shoppers abandon their carts due to limited payment choices, and 54% leave when only traditional card payments are offered.

Offer a Variety of Payment Methods

Providing multiple payment options can significantly impact conversions. For instance, PayPal boasts a conversion rate of 88.7%. Consider offering a mix of payment methods like credit/debit cards, digital wallets, PayPal, bank transfers, and even cryptocurrency. Giving customers more choices makes it easier for them to complete their purchases.

Include Payment Plans

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options can boost sales. Stores that offer BNPL see an average order value of $333.80 compared to $286.81 for those that don’t. Additionally, BNPL increases conversion rates by 27%, order values by 21%, and shopping frequency by 36%. For example, Casper partners with Affirm to provide flexible payment terms ranging from 3 to 24 months, while Charlotte Tilbury uses Klarna to offer three interest-free installments, making luxury products more accessible. Adding BNPL options can help capture a broader audience.

Adapt to Local Payment Preferences

As 66% of businesses plan to expand internationally, it’s crucial to cater to local payment habits. In China, Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate with 54% of transactions. Germany leans toward bank-based payments, while digital wallets and credit cards are popular in the US and UK. In regions like Mexico and Indonesia, cash vouchers are widely used. Research local payment trends, prominently display region-specific options, and partner with trusted local payment providers for a secure and seamless experience.

"I still think credit cards will be the dominant form of payment 15 years from now, although I expect a decrease in physical card use versus cards linked to mobile devices."

Incorporating diverse and localized payment solutions helps create a smoother checkout process that encourages more conversions.

4. Fix Common Checkout Problems

E-commerce stores lose a staggering $18 billion every year due to checkout friction. Let’s break down practical ways to tackle common checkout issues that drive customers away.

Shorter Checkout Forms

Lengthy forms are a major turn-off, causing 22% of US shoppers to abandon their carts. The average checkout process includes 23 elements. Here's how to make it easier:

• Offer guest checkout: Avoid forcing account creation, which deters 26% of shoppers.

• Use smart autofill: Pull data from previous purchases or browser info to save customers time.

• Simplify with single-page checkout: Remove unnecessary fields and keep the process straightforward.

Simpler forms naturally lead to better transparency around pricing.

Clear Total Costs

Nearly half of shoppers (48%) abandon their carts due to unexpected fees. Transparency is key:

• Show all costs upfront: Include product prices, shipping, taxes, and any extra fees.

• Keep a running total visible: Let customers see updated totals as they shop.

• Update costs dynamically: Reflect changes instantly when shipping options or quantities are adjusted.

• Provide multiple shipping options: Clearly display delivery timeframes for each option.

"Majority of shoppers cite additional shipping costs and taxes added during checkout as their main reason to abandon shopping carts." - SellersCommerce

Once pricing is clear, the next step is to guide users through the checkout process smoothly.

Checkout Status Bar

Two-thirds of consumers expect to finish checkout in four minutes or less. A well-designed status bar can help keep things on track:

• Position it prominently: Place it at the top of the page, just below the header.

• Make steps clickable: Allow users to navigate easily between sections.

• Use visual indicators: Add checkmarks or similar cues to show completed steps.

• Match step titles: Align step names with the headers on each checkout page.

"When consumers are about to embark on a checkout experience, they want to understand how much effort is in front of them. This comes back to consumers wanting to be in control of their journey."

Here’s what the essential checkout steps should include:

• Cart Review: Let customers confirm items, adjust quantities, and save changes.

• Shipping: Provide fields for address entry, shipping method selection, and detail verification.

• Payment: Offer multiple payment methods and highlight security features.

• Confirmation: Summarize the order and include an estimated delivery date.

With these steps optimized, you’ll be ready to focus on recovery strategies for lost sales.

5. Better Cart Recovery Methods

Recovering abandoned carts can reclaim up to 27.62% of lost sales. These methods build on earlier strategies to further reduce cart abandonment and improve conversions.

Multi-Device Marketing

Ensure your recovery efforts are consistent across devices. Remarkety's Cross-Device Cart Recovery highlights how coordinated messaging can maintain continuity.

Keep your messaging aligned across platforms and use frequency caps to avoid overwhelming customers. Pair this with dynamic retargeting ads to better engage users.

Cart Item Ads

Dynamic retargeting ads are powerful tools. They double click-through rates and reduce cost-per-action by 34%. For example, Nordstrom saw a 25% boost in cart recovery conversions in Q3 2022 by incorporating dynamic product recommendations and real-time inventory updates into its campaigns. While these ads grab attention, follow-up messages help maintain momentum.

Follow-up Messages

Cart abandonment emails have a 2.7% conversion rate as of 2023. To'ak Chocolate’s email series is a great example of success. Their emails, which include shipping details, insurance options, and product pairings, achieve a 44% conversion rate and generate revenue-per-email 2,195% higher than standard promotional campaigns.

"Cart abandonment has become one of these essential messages for ecommerce brands everywhere. First, it recaptures a significant portion of sales. But secondly, consumers increasingly expect to receive them." – Greg Zakowicz, Omnisend senior ecommerce expert

For effective follow-up, use this structure:

• 2–4 hours after abandonment: Send a cart reminder.

• 24–48 hours later: Follow up with a scarcity message.

• At 72 hours: Offer an urgency-driven incentive.

If the customer has opted in, include SMS messages for an added layer of communication. Also, make sure to highlight customer support options to make the purchase process as smooth as possible.

Conclusion

Cart abandonment is a costly issue, with businesses losing an estimated $18 billion annually. To tackle this, focus on strategies like AI-driven personalization, mobile-friendly design, and offering multiple payment options - these changes can reduce abandonment by up to 35.26%.

Take ASOS as an example: their revamped guest checkout process increased completed purchases by 50%. Alongside these strategies, keep an eye on key metrics such as Cart Abandonment Rate broken down by device type and marketing channel. Regularly reviewing this data will help you pinpoint areas for improvement.

Operational efficiency is just as important as strategy. Aim for transparent pricing, fast load times (under three seconds), and automated follow-ups to boost results. For instance, Fire Department Coffee reduced their Time To First Byte from 655 ms to 98 ms, which significantly improved conversions and cut down abandonment rates.

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