Checkout and payment · Mobile shopping
Customers reach checkout but do not order: what to check first
Cart abandonment in an online store: the most common reasons customers do not complete an order, and how to find the step where the purchase stops.
Alphabite · Ecommerce design and development team ·
Updated:
Unexpected delivery costs, an awkward form or a declined payment can stop a purchase. Find the step where visitors leave, then repeat the purchase on a phone. Your store’s data should decide what to check first.
Why do customers abandon their cart?
Some abandoned carts are normal: people compare prices or save products for later. Check whether customers who want to buy encounter any of the following obstacles.
The list is not a frequency ranking for your store. Which reasons apply to you is shown by your drop-off data and a test on a real phone.
| Reason | What to check |
|---|---|
| A surprise shipping cost at the last step | The shipping price or rule (for example “free over a set amount”) is visible on the product and in the basket. |
| No cash on delivery, or an unclear fee for it | If you offer payment on delivery, it is visible early, together with any fee. |
| No delivery to a courier office or locker | Choosing an Econt or Speedy office or a BOX NOW locker works with search by town and address on a phone. |
| Forced registration | Customers can order as a guest and create an account after the order. |
| A long or confusing form | Only the fields you need, clearly marked required fields and the right phone and email keyboards. |
| An error wipes the entered data | After an error, the other answers are kept and the problem is explained next to the field. |
| A declined payment with no way forward | A clear message, a preserved basket and the option to retry or use another payment method. |
| Unclear delivery times and returns | Delivery time and return terms are visible near the order button. |
Cash on delivery, office or locker: what is different in Bulgaria?
Many shoppers in Bulgaria expect to pay on delivery and to collect the parcel from a courier office or a locker, not necessarily at their address. If you offer these options, they should be as easy as paying by card: choose a town, search for an office or locker, and see clearly which courier will deliver the order.
Show the delivery price for each option — to an address, an office or a locker — before the last step. If cash on delivery carries an extra fee, say so next to the option itself, not only in the final total.
The courier needs a phone number. Explain why you ask for it and accept both common formats — with +359 and with a leading zero. Overly strict validation of the phone number or postcode is a common reason a form stops a customer.
Where exactly does the purchase stop?
Compare product views, add-to-cart events, checkout starts and confirmed orders for the same period and traffic source. Separate mobile visits and new visitors. A different audience from advertising can change the ratios without any change to the store.
Count purchases against confirmed orders. Pressing “Pay” is an attempt; reloading a thank-you page is not a new sale. Declined consent and blocked tracking mean analytics will not record every visitor.
What should you check at each step?
Start with a device and product that appear in the affected traffic. Where possible, repeat the same delivery address and payment method.
| Where the purchase stops | What to check |
|---|---|
| Product → basket | Variant selection, availability, button response and delivery information. |
| Basket → checkout | An unexpected total, delivery conditions and a clear next step. |
| Address → payment | Mobile keyboard, address validation and delivery to the selected location. |
| Payment → order | Provider response, return after confirmation and whether a real order exists. |
How do you stop a form error from wiping the order?
Enter an invalid phone number, skip a required field and return after a declined payment. The page should explain the problem next to the relevant field, keep the other answers and allow another attempt.
Test with the phone keyboard open. Chat, cookie notices and sticky buttons should not cover the error or payment. Session recordings can reveal the obstacle, but do not send field values, payment data or personal data to analytics.
How do you know whether a change helps?
Change one thing at a time. Record the date of the change and which events it affects. Compare the same sources and devices with enough visits to see a meaningful pattern. Two orders in a small sample do not prove improved conversion.
If checkout works but people still hesitate, review product information, delivery timing and return terms. More animation will not answer a question about size or delivery date.
Frequently asked questions
Why do customers add products to the cart but not order?
Possible causes include unexpected delivery costs, a missing payment method, forced registration or a form error. Some visitors are simply comparing prices. Check where purchases stop rather than treating every abandoned cart as a technical problem.
Should an online store in Bulgaria offer cash on delivery?
It is not mandatory, but many shoppers in Bulgaria expect it. If you offer it, show it before the last step together with any fee; if you do not, state clearly which payment methods you accept.
Does forced registration reduce orders?
It can, because it adds a password and another step before the customer has bought anything. Guest checkout with the option to create an account after the purchase removes that obstacle.
How do I find the step where customers give up?
Compare product views, add-to-cart events, checkout starts and confirmed orders in analytics for one period, separately for mobile and desktop. Then reproduce the step with the biggest drop on a real phone.
How long should I wait to judge a checkout change?
It depends on traffic. You need enough visits from similar sources and devices before and after the change; a few orders in a small sample do not prove an improvement.