When fraud attack rates fall, the instinct is to celebrate. One might think fewer attacks means better defenses and better outcomes. But a close look at recent fraud trend data tells a more complicated story, and fraud teams that read the headline number without reading the fine print may find themselves caught off guard.

Payment fraud attack rates declined 14% year over year, and manual review volume dropped 17%; yet over the same period, overall chargeback rates climbed 56%. The two trends are connected, and showcase that fewer attacks doesn’t mean fraud risk is declining overall.

Precision has replaced volume

For the last few years, merchants have faced a steady increase in fraud attempts volume as AI and automation made it easier for bad actors to attack at scale. As a result, companies fortified their defenses, and that calibration seems to be helping, since payment fraud and manual review rates have decreased.

However, what the data now shows is that fraudsters are deliberately targeting what they believe to be high-volume accounts with stored credentials and accumulated balances that offer higher payoff per attempt. 21% of consumers report experiencing account takeover in the past year, often alongside payment fraud.

The metrics that teams traditionally used to evaluate fraud program health were built to measure volume. When the threat changes shape but the measurement framework doesn’t, teams can end up optimizing for the wrong outcome.

The “good user gone bad” pattern illustrates this well. Attackers build account credibility over time, establishing normal behavior and generating positive transaction history before executing a high-value fraudulent action, such as adding stolen payment credentials to a trusted account, weeks or months later. A fraud model evaluated solely on immediate transaction outcomes will miss this entirely. The account looks fine until it doesn’t.

Efficiency gains aren’t the same as risk reduction

The 17% decline in manual review volume reflects real operational progress: stronger automation, more precise decision logic, less friction for legitimate users. But when review volume falls while chargebacks rise simultaneously, that combination can indicate decision thresholds are well-tuned for speed but not fully calibrated for more sophisticated attack patterns.

Reducing manual review should free analysts for complex, high-value investigation. When efficiency metrics and chargeback loss metrics simultaneously increase, merchants should audit where automation is working effectively and where human judgment can reduce some of these more complex fraud attempts.

Industry context changes everything

Fraud exposure doesn’t distribute evenly across business models, and comparing rates to a broad industry average can lead teams to the wrong conclusions. A 3.7% payment fraud attack rate in food and delivery reflects the speed-first, high-volume nature of that environment. A 0.4% attack rate in online gambling sounds low, until you account for the fact that high-value transactions concentrate dispute risk in ways that raw attack volume doesn’t capture.

Internet and software companies face elevated chargeback exposure for a specific reason: subscription models and stored credentials are convenient for fraudulent and legitimate users alike. The same features that reduce checkout friction also lower the barrier for account compromise. This is why peer benchmarking matters more than absolute numbers. A rate that looks alarming in isolation may be typical for a specific segment, while a rate that looks clean may signal under-detection.

The trust dimension

Fraud’s impact on consumer behavior rarely makes it into internal loss calculations, but it belongs there. When 52% of consumers say they would stop using a platform after experiencing fraud, and 73% say they’ve abandoned a purchase due to payment security concerns, fraud goes from a finance problem to a growth problem.

Losing a customer to fraud isn’t only a one-time transaction loss. It’s the cumulative value of everything that a customer would have spent, plus the reputational cost when trust erodes publicly. Customers rarely distinguish between attacker behavior and platform responsibility. If an account gets compromised, the brand absorbs the perception hit.

Measuring the right things

The practical reality is that a single metric, however directionally encouraging, doesn’t tell the full story. The more useful questions are:

• Is chargeback exposure tracking with attack rate trends?
• Are manual review resources concentrated where complexity warrants them?
• Is account-level risk being measured longitudinally rather than only at the transaction moment?

Fraud concentrates where incentives are highest and where defenses haven’t kept pace. The teams best positioned to stay ahead are the ones asking whether the numbers they’re watching are the right ones.

Retailers are under constant pressure to protect margins while still investing in growth. From rising costs and economic uncertainty to shifting consumer preferences, there’s very little room for wasted spend.

Payment processing may not be flashy, but it’s a lever worth pulling. Payment processing fees can add up, particularly if you handle a high volume of credit card transactions.

One way to lower payment processing fees is to explore non-traditional pricing models, such as membership-based pricing. Ideal for high-volume retailers, growing omnichannel businesses and brands with thin margins, it offers a more predictable way to manage costs.

Let’s look into it.

What is membership-based pricing for payment processing?

Membership-based pricing replaces percentage markups with a flat monthly fee. Instead of paying a processor a cut of every sale, retailers pay the true interchange and network costs, plus a predictable membership fee.

Here’s how it compares to other pricing modes.

Pricing model	How it works	Impact on retailers
Tiered pricing	Transactions are grouped into broad rate tiers like qualified, mid-qualified, and non-qualified. The processor sets the rates.	Hard to predict costs and easy to overpay. Retailers often don’t know which transactions fall into which tier, leading to higher effective rates.
Flat-rate pricing	A single percentage and per-transaction fee applies to all payments, regardless of card type or risk.	Simple to understand but expensive at scale. Retailers pay the same rate for low-cost and high-cost cards, which eats into margins as volume grows.
Interchange-plus pricing	Retailers pay the actual interchange fees plus a processor markup on each transaction.	More transparent than tiered pricing, but costs still rise as sales increase. The processor earns more as the retailer grows.
Membership-based pricing	Retailers pay a fixed membership fee and cover interchange and network fees without added per-transaction markups.	High-volume retailers can significantly reduce processing costs and gain more predictable monthly expenses.

How membership-style payment processing can save retailers money

Lower effective costs as volume grows

With traditional payment pricing, fees scale directly with revenue. More sales mean more fees, even if nothing about your operation changes. Membership-style pricing, which is offered at Stax, works differently. Retailers pay a flat monthly or annual fee and then process payments at wholesale interchange rates. As transaction volume increases, the effective cost per transaction goes down. For high-volume retailers, that shift alone can unlock meaningful savings.

Fewer hidden markups baked into every transaction

Many pricing models quietly include processor markups in every swipe, tap or online checkout. These markups are often hard to spot and even harder to calculate. When you partner with a provider that uses the membership pricing model, you pay true interchange without an extra percentage added on top. The result is clearer billing and fewer surprises when reviewing statements.

Predictable monthly expenses

Payment fees are one of the most unpredictable line items for retailers. A busy sales month can be great for revenue but painful when fees spike. Membership-style pricing introduces consistency. While interchange still varies slightly by card type, the pricing structure itself stays stable. This makes it easier to forecast costs and budget accurately.

Savings that reward growth instead of penalizing it

Traditional pricing models unintentionally punish success. As sales climb, fees climb right along with them. A membership-based payment pricing model flips that dynamic. The more volume a retailer processes, the more value they get from the flat fee. This makes the model especially attractive for retailers focused on scaling, expanding locations or growing ecommerce and omnichannel sales.

Better alignment with modern retail operations

Retail today is rarely single-channel. Between in-store, online, mobile and subscription-style purchases, payment volume adds up fast. As such, you should opt for a payment solution that can handle that complexity without multiplying costs across channels. Retailers can process more transactions without worrying that each new sales stream will erode margins through higher processing fees.

Clearer insight into where money is going

When pricing is simpler, reporting becomes more useful. Membership-style pricing makes it easier to separate interchange costs from processor fees, helping retailers understand exactly what they’re paying and why. That visibility supports better financial decisions, whether you’re negotiating contracts, comparing providers or evaluating new sales channels.

Types of merchants that benefit most from membership-style payment processing (and who it’s less ideal for)

Membership-style payment processing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Merchants who see the biggest upside include:

• High-volume retailers that process a lot of credit card transactions regularly
• Omnichannel and multi-location businesses that need to keep costs predictable and consistent across sales channels
• Retailers with thin margins

On the flip side, the following types of merchants may not benefit as much from membership-based payment processing:

• Low-volume or early-stage retailers that process a small number of transactions per month
• Businesses with inconsistent processing volume
• Cash-heavy operations

Final words

Membership-style payment processing won’t solve every retail challenge, but it can make a real dent in one of the most persistent costs. For retailers processing steady volume, the model offers a fairer way to pay for payments—one that rewards growth instead of taxing it. The key is understanding your transaction profile and choosing a pricing structure that actually works in your favor.

The Abandonment Epidemic: 81% of Shoppers Turn Their Backs on Brands

The symptoms are unmistakable: plummeting retention rates, spiking customer churn, and brand loyalty flatlining across the US. The recent survey What’s Killing Conversions for Enterprise Retailers? by SCAYLE on shopping behavior confirms the diagnosis: a staggering 81% of US shoppers have abandoned a brand in the past year.

In today’s retail battleground, the margin for error is microscopic. One sluggish page load, one confusing checkout flow, one delivery delay quickly turns into another lost customer.

The vital question: how do you vaccinate your business against this spreading contagion? The answer lies in understanding why customers are jumping ship – and how a healthy, integrated commerce approach works as preventative medicine.

The customer experience breakdown

The era of unconditional brand loyalty is clinically dead. Today’s shoppers will walk after just one poor experience – no second opinions needed. SCAYLE’s research reveals broken shopping journeys as a primary cause of brand abandonment.

According to the survey, one in three shoppers cut ties with brands over frustrating online or in-store experiences, slow deliveries, or missing discounts.

Consumers expect diagnostic precision across every touchpoint – seamless, consistent, and painless. When even one interaction fails, it creates an immunity to your re-engagement efforts that’s tough to overcome.

Commerce teams looking to diagnose their own system weak points do well to start with a full tech stack checkup – before symptoms start showing up in churn data.

The best eCommerce platforms treat this condition by connecting all touchpoints through a unified, modular architecture. The result? A commerce experience that flows naturally whether customers browse on mobile, purchase on desktop, or track orders through your app.

Pricing transparency: the heart of customer trust

“We lost them on price” is an incomplete diagnosis. With competitive analysis just a tap away, customers aren’t just comparing costs – they’re evaluating the entire health of your value proposition. And that evaluation happens under even closer scrutiny in a market rocked by tariff changes and economic uncertainty. Shoppers aren’t just asking if the product is affordable – they’re asking whether it justifies its price at a time when every dollar feels more precarious.

Price outweighs brand for 36% of shoppers – a signal that perceived value now matters more than familiarity. In moments of doubt, it’s not loyalty that decides – it’s clarity. Hidden fees, limited payment options, and convoluted return policies quickly trigger brand abandonment.

But even transparent pricing can’t compensate for disappointing products. Across all age groups, product quality ranks as a leading reason for abandonment – shoppers won’t pay unless the offering lives up to its promise: opaque pricing structures and inconsistent quality cause a severe allergic reaction in today’s buyers.

This isn’t about being the cheapest option – it’s about building pricing transparency and clearly emphasizing value, making shoppers less sensitive to price alone.

A flexible pricing setup helps maintain a consistent value proposition across channels – building the kind of clarity that keeps price-sensitive shoppers from straying.

The silent killer: tech stack fragmentation syndrome

Here’s a common infection pathway: A customer adds items to your mobile app shopping cart only to find them “unavailable” when they switch to desktop. Or their loyalty points mysteriously reset between digital and physical shopping experiences.

The underlying disease? Systems that can’t or won’t talk to each other. When core platforms like your ERP, CRM, PIM, and eCommerce engine operate in isolation, friction builds and customers walk away.

With 60% of shoppers mixing online and in-store interactions, even small disconnects between channels can break the journey. When experiences feel inconsistent, customers don’t wait for explanations – they disengage. While your teams apply band-aid solutions and manual workarounds, your customers simply leave.

A connected architecture that synchronizes systems in real time is essential for delivering seamless experiences across channels. When core platforms – from checkout to inventory to loyalty – share a single source of data, the result is less friction, faster responsiveness, and stronger customer relationships.

The prescription: unified commerce therapy for long-term survival

Cart recovery emails won’t heal brand fatigue. Loyalty points can’t bandage over broken experiences. And price slashing creates an untenable addiction, not sustainable health.

So the most effective treatment combines both prevention and cure: Building a commerce backbone that’s as agile as today’s market demands – one that’s unified, composable, and designed to evolve with changing conditions.

Ready for a full commerce health check? Learn what else is killing conversions for enterprise retailers – and how to overcome it. SCAYLE surveyed over 1,500 US shoppers about why they abandon brands, and what keeps them coming back for more.

payabl. has released a survey, questioning customers from the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands in regards to the importance of the online purchasing experience.

According to the findings based on the observations of customers across the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, 43% of all shoppers would not return to a retailer if the online checkout process was a poor one. 

During the survey, the participants were asked about their reasons for abandoning their online shopping basket, and nearly half of UK shoppers (44%) invoked a cumbersome checkout process. The percentage for the other countries is significantly lower – Germany with 29% and the Netherlands with 36%.

The results of the research highlight the importance of a fast and convenient process of online shopping for UK customers, but also the areas in which shoppers are prepared to change or compromise their preferences to get the experience they desire.

The importance of security in online payments

The survey underlines that 25% of UK shoppers aim to deliver their payment details to any online retailer store if it makes the checkout experience easier. In Germany (15%) and the Netherlands (16%), customers are not prepared to let any retailer store their payment information. 

While most European customers (71%) consider that fraud protection is non-negotiable, a third (32%) of UK shoppers want the checkout process to be a faster one, even if they will have some online fraud protections removed. A quarter of them declared that they would even agree with removing the fraud protection checks completely to get a faster checkout process. On the other hand, the German (12%) and the Dutch (17%) customers are not prepared to compromise on the security process. 

In 2023, the UK experienced over GBP 1.17 billion in fraud losses, and a significant portion came from ecommerce. Over GBP 360.5 million were stolen by criminals through remote purchases, which acquire card details through data theft methods such as breaches, scam text messages, and phishing emails. 

The situation is a challenge for both merchants and ecommerce platforms in the UK that must balance the demands of shoppers for a fast and accessible checkout experience while ensuring that the payment details are safely secured and implementing robust checks before authorising payments. 

Officials from payabl. note that UK customers demand fast and effective payments for not abandoning purchases. This behaviour is changing the perception of shoppers when it comes to security measures and storing their payment details online. It is important to work with reliable payment providers to prevent fraud without adding unnecessary friction.

More information on the study

The information presented above is part of payabl’s upcoming whitepaper, whose focus is on European checkouts and customer expectations, including payment preferences and security aspects. 

The independent research company Coleman Parkes conducted an online survey on behalf of payabl. The survey involved 1400 customers from the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands who have made an online purchase and an in-store purchase in the past month.

The upcoming whitepaper will look in detail at the online checkout process in Europe, including aspects like online shopping habits, payment preferences, and the role of security in payments.

For more information about payabl., please check out their detailed profile in our dedicated, industry-specific Company Database.

In post-checkout UX, the goal for many ecommerce sites is to retain and engage users after their initial purchase.

For example, some sites include order tracking directly on their site so that users return to check the status of their package (and hopefully find something else that they want while there).

This kind of repeated visit can ultimately produce a lifelong user, and so post-checkout UX opportunities like this should not be ignored.

In this article, we’ll dive into Baymard’s research findings to identify two opportunity areas for easy wins in post-checkout UX: account creation and user-created product photos.

These areas provide easy wins because they simply make it easier for users who want to continue engaging with the site post-checkout.

Yet our ecommerce UX benchmark shows that 69% of sites don’t do 1 or more of the following 4 best practices, missing out on opportunities to further engage with users.

This article describes 4 ways to improve the post-checkout UX:

1. The most effective time to encourage users to create accounts
2. The best way to present the value of account creation to users
3. The reasons why users should be encouraged to upload images with their reviews
4. The logic and method for integrating social media images into ecommerce UX

1) Save Account Creation for the Confirmation Step (54% Don’t)

During Baymard’s large-scale testing, most participants explained that they are likely to create accounts at sites they repeatedly visit, and in practice having an account at a site saves users time and makes checking out more efficient.

But interrupting all guest users to suggest they create an account too early — before or in the middle of the checkout process — caused some participants to halt their progression through checkout.​‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‎

In other words, creating an account at the beginning of checkout (at the account selection step) was perceived by many participants to be a significant burden.

Making the problem worse, some users will consequently associate the majority of the form fields in the checkout flow with account creation rather than recognizing them as standard checkout fields they would have to complete regardless of whether they create an account or check out as a guest.

To keep users focused on the primary goal — getting through the checkout process — save the option to create an account until after checkout is complete.

In testing, this implementation performed better than presenting the invitation at either the start or the middle of the checkout process.

By saving account creation for the confirmation step, users don’t have to evaluate the pros and cons of creating an account before they’ve finalized their order — instead, they can proceed with completing their purchase.

In practice, any opportunity to delay users’ choices until after the order has been placed creates a checkout flow that is easier to complete — and, more importantly, feels easier to complete for the end user.

Saving account creation for the confirmation step may also increase users’ willingness to create an account, as users are less likely to associate the bulk of checkout fields — such as address and payment information — with account creation, as they will already have completed them as part of the guest checkout process.

Consequently, creating an account will then only consist of creating a password — and all of the guest user’s information can be automatically saved for the next time they return.

In effect, sites that don’t invite guest users to create an account following checkout miss a key opportunity to entice users to sign up.

2) Always Provide the Benefits of Creating an Account (57% Don’t)

Unfortunately, even if sites pick the right time to encourage users to create an account, it’s not enough to simply provide a password field and a message saying, “Create an account for faster checkout next time”.

In general, we’ve observed that most participants need more convincing to create yet another ecommerce account.

And the specific reasons matter — mentioning vague or unexplained “benefits” of account creation can be nearly as detrimental as not mentioning any benefits at all.

In testing, this was especially the case for sites that highlighted unique incentives such as rewards programs without explaining what the rewards actually are and how to redeem them.

Essentially, users are likely to be unconvinced to create an account when the benefits presented appear too vague or not enticing enough to be worthwhile.

In testing, we’ve observed that participants positively responded to a variety of featured account benefits.

Foremost, users often appreciate that having an account will save them from having to retype data when they visit the site again, especially in mobile ecommerce UX, where typing issues and typing fatigue are frequent problems.

Another standard benefit that sites can highlight is registered users’ comprehensive access to past order details and tracking, allowing them to easily monitor order status.

As one participant shared, “I find it really convenient, for electronics, that I can log in and see when I bought it if something breaks…and if it is something you frequently buy, then it is nice that you can go in and place the order again”.

For visual implementation, we observed that bulleted lists and eye-catching graphics often performed better at capturing participants’ attention than simple lines of text, which tended to be quickly scanned and risk being skipped entirely.

Providing the benefits of creating an account is a “low-cost” UX opportunity: a few lines of text can result in more registered — and loyal — users.

3) Encourage Users to Submit Photos with Reviews

Product images are essential for evaluating an item, and users increasingly seek user-submitted content to build confidence that a product meets their needs.

During testing, we’ve found that images submitted by users after their purchase often provide crucial details missing from a site’s standard images, such as how a makeup shade looks on different skin tones or creative styling ideas for clothing and decor.

Users often find user-submitted product images more objective, reliable, and trustworthy than site-provided ones, which can seem overly polished or enhanced.

Past buyers tend to share a range of both negative and positive experiences, while site images tend to focus on only the positives.

Thus user-submitted product images serve as social proof that allows users to view products in real-life settings, assess size and scale, and uncover unexpected details — boosting confidence in their purchase.

To support this, actively request images in the review form, and encourage uploads of one or more photos.

Furthermore, making reviewer-submitted images easy to find and simple to navigate reinforces their value and can motivate others to share their experiences too.

4) Add Social Media Visuals to the Product Page (69% Don’t)

Alongside review images, incorporating social media photos can further boost buyer confidence.

Some users seek inspiration for styling or want to confirm a design idea they have in mind, and social media images offer an authentic look at specific product attributes that may not be fully captured in brand-provided photos.

In testing, participants were eager to see social media images from past buyers of the product they were considering, since each social media image represents a unique and verifiable instance of a real person buying and using a product.

Thus the mere presence of social media images is a positive signal in itself separate from the image contents or composition.

Users expect to see social media content on the product page as a category of visual information in its own right, distinct from both site-provided and reviewer-submitted images, even as they serve overlapping roles.

When that insight is missing from the product page, some users will struggle to be fully confident in the product, and a subset will not feel comfortable purchasing without first leaving the site to seek them out.

To give users ample “visual social proof” from real users, sites should curate social media images from platforms like Instagram and integrate them on their product pages.

In terms of implementation, users respond well when social media images link to a larger, “shoppable” version of the image that provides links or other direct access to the products featured.

Sites can further improve the user experience by using labels to reference the original post or platform the image is sourced from, or to denote whether the posting is a promotion.

Sites are cautioned here not to include many social media posts from paid sources, since an abundance of “paid promotion” posts will diminish the feeling of authenticity the images are meant to convey.

Social media is the preferred source of product information for many users, and the place where many buyer journeys begin, so incorporating this content on the product page is increasingly important.

Sites will need to adapt as the relevance of different social media platforms and content formats shifts over time, but at minimum, embedding images or videos from these platforms relevant to the product in question reduces the likelihood of users leaving the site to seek them out.

Retain Users by Engaging Them Post-Checkout

Mastering post-checkout UX requires sites to understand the unique willingness to engage with a site late in checkout and at certain points after checkout is complete.

As users finishing buying a product, their curiosity about when it will arrive can motivate them to stay engaged with the site through creating an account to more easily track its delivery.

Later, users form their in-person opinion of the delivered product, and sites can encourage users to provide reviews with photos or to share their commentary of the product over social media, which has a special significance for users when used on product pages.

All of this engagement means more attention to a site and its products.

What’s more, we have tested, effective tools for encouraging that engagement and increasing the potential that users who check out will become users who check back in:

1. Save account creation for the confirmation step (54% Don’t)
2. Always provide the benefits of creating an account (57% Don’t)
3. Encourage users to submit photos with reviews
4. Add social media visuals to the product page (69% Don’t)

While not all users will end up creating an account or providing reviews or social media visuals, adopting these 4 tools for engagement will encourage some users to do so — providing a site with more registered users and additional valuable content.

This article presents the research findings from just a few of the 650+ UX guidelines in Baymard – get full access to learn how to create a “State of the Art” ecommerce user experience.

If you want to know how your desktop site, mobile site, or app performs and compares, then learn more about getting Baymard to conduct a UX Audit of your site or app.

While shopping online for your son’s holiday gift, you stumble across a cashmere scarf from an unfamiliar retailer. You’re checking out as a new customer, and the site requests your contact, shipping, billing, and payment information. You don’t have your credit card number handy, so you leave the checkout frustrated—without buying the scarf.

Sales are lost in scenarios like this all too frequently. In fact, the average online shopping-cart abandonment rate is higher than 70%, according to the Baymard Institute.

Shoppers don’t finish checking out for a variety of reasons, including:

• The requirement to create an account

• A lack of trust around payment information security

• A long, complicated checkout process

To convert new or existing customers, businesses cannot overlook the guest checkout experience—particularly around the holiday season, when guest-shopper traffic is highest.

Improving Guest Checkouts

Simply offering guest checkout is not enough to improve customer experience. Guest shoppers still need to complete multiple form fields, which makes the process notoriously cumbersome. Businesses that invest in speeding up and easing this experience can convert more customers.

A streamlined guest checkout process should offer:

• Early guest recognition that can quickly identify shoppers and their payment preferences

• Pre-filled customer information that automatically supplies a shopper’s email address and payment, shipping, and billing information

• Checkout speed that allows shoppers to finalize transactions in as little as one click

Sixty-six percent of customers expect to check out in four minutes or less, according to Capterra, and each innovation can shave precious time off the checkout experience. Taken together, these improvements can help a business drive conversion and deliver an ideal shopping experience for all customers.

Speed Powered by Data

The key to fast guest checkout is data, including access to information about customers’ purchase history, credentials, and payment information.

“The ability to recognize verified shoppers is what makes a fast, one-click guest checkout experience possible. And it’s only possible with the right breadth and depth of data,” says Mike Sutter, SVP and head of checkout at PayPal. “You need the scale and trust of a large network to truly accelerate the process.”

Ensuring customer trust around data is equally important. Customers aren’t comfortable giving their personal information to just anyone. A majority will only buy from companies that have a reputation for protecting data, according to McKinsey. Businesses need to align with payment service providers known for taking data privacy seriously.

More Checkouts, More Conversion

A speedy checkout doesn’t just enable a convenient buyer experience. It can also lead to more completed checkouts, lower cart abandonment rates, improved authorization rates, and higher conversion rates. Importantly, it can also drive higher customer satisfaction, which can encourage customers to return.

The concept of a high-speed guest checkout isn’t new. Solutions are already available. But they all differ in the scale of their data network and their access to it.

Fastlane by PayPal is the only accelerated guest checkout solution that is powered by the scale and credibility of PayPal’s immense network, with 550 million cards securely stored. Businesses that use Fastlane can recognize shoppers and let them pay in seconds.

“Effective guest checkout solutions should balance ease of use with robust security measures,” says Sutter. “By recognizing returning customers and allowing for quick, one-click payments, businesses can create a smoother, more satisfying shopping experience.”

The holidays are just around the corner, and guest traffic is about to soar. A high-speed guest checkout may be the make-or-break element of the season. Now’s the time for businesses to examine their checkout processes and consider how they can improve customer experience with an accelerated guest checkout.

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Learn more about how PayPal is helping businesses convert shoppers into buyers with a fast, simple, and frictionless buying experience.

E-commerce retailers often consider the checkout experience an afterthought. After all, the customer has already found the product and decided to buy. All retailers need to do is ensure the customer’s payment goes through smoothly, right? 

However, retailers know that checkout can be fraught with friction. When customers reach the payment page and encounter unexpected shipping fees, sign-in requirements, payment issues, or other complications, they abandon their carts–and often abandon the retailer, too.  

With the average shopping cart abandonment rate at 70%¹, U.S. retailers lose more than $130 billion in revenue every year.² “That abandonment is disappointing,” said Kartik Ramachandran, VP of Product at Bolt, a leading e-commerce checkout technology provider. “We see the customer intent, where they’ve gone through the exercise of finding your brand and the product, but then not checking out. Merchants across the web and mobile are constantly looking for those fallout points.”

Ramachandran pointed out that although retailers see the results of cart abandonment at the end of the journey, multiple factors contribute to that dissatisfaction along the way. 

“The oversimplification would be that the payment or checkout process leads to the cart abandonment. While the most painful and controllable reason not to check out is a bad checkout process, there are upstream issues too,” Ramachandran said. “Was the customer able to compose the cart the way they wanted? Were the logistics and checkout processes streamlined so the customer could do multiple transactions? There’s a lot of convenience and convenience psychology involved in making sure the cart is not abandoned,” he added.

Retailers must investigate the fallout points and develop new solutions. Ramachandran suggested several strategies, such as providing customers with shipping fee information upfront instead of giving it for the first time upon checkout or offering guest check-in options and multiple payment methods.

Recognize to personalize and simplify

Addressing cart abandonment is just the start. Ramachandran said retailers have a significant opportunity to use the checkout for more than the final stage. He outlined key ways to use checkout to enhance the entire shopping journey.

Recognize the customer as soon as they log into the site. “We’re helping merchants recognize that the perfect login leads to the perfect log out,” Ramachandran said. Identify customers early in the visit, and not just when they prepare to pay. Retailers can use information from previous visits in personalized offers to make the next shopping trip easier. 

Personalize the shopping experience. When retailers know how customers arrive at their site, they have a better understanding of what the customers want, and how to offer a tailored experience. Ramachandran said to look at how customers behave, such as how long they take to consider a product, or if they’re adding and removing a product from the cart. This behavior might indicate that a customer needs more information before making a purchase. A retailer could offer a pop-up chat window for assistance. “If you’re not actually customizing that experience for that shopper, then you’re missing out on cues they’re giving you,” he said.

Simplify the buying process. Reduce the number of clicks necessary for shoppers to buy. Ramachandran suggested considering time-saving steps like adding cart functionality at the top of each page on the website so customers can easily see what’s in their cart and can purchase at any time. Another way to simplify buying is through one-click checkout. “We’ve rolled out a product called Checkout Everywhere,” he said. “Merchants working with Bolt can offer one-click checkout so customers can buy products directly from the biggest search engine, social media ads, and more.” He added that offering hyper convenience and instant gratification creates a fast lane for checkout.

Leveling up checkout

Retailers aiming to create engaging shopping experiences from start to finish find success with solutions like Adobe Commerce, coupled with third-party extensions like Bolt Ignite, which is available for Adobe Commerce merchants. The Adobe Commerce platform allows retailers to create personalized journeys and makes it easy for shoppers to go from browsing to buying, boosting conversion rates. 

Bolt Ignite enhances this by allowing payment at any point in the shopping process. It also allows retailers to tap into a powerful Universal Shopper Network that identifies shoppers, enables passwordless logins, and offers frictionless checkouts.

This network allows member retailers to recognize shoppers–even first-time visitors–enabling retailers to immediately offer a personalized shopping and buying experience. 

“The Network can also unlock powerful omnichannel experiences,” Ramachandran said. “The rich network insights help retailers recognize and provide best-in-class services to customers online, offline, and at every touchpoint from checkout to check-in,” he added. “Together, the Adobe Commerce and Bolt Ignite solutions bring the checkout process to a new level.” 

For more insights on elevating the checkout process, download the playbook: “Unifying the Ecommerce Experience: Start with Knowing the Customer.”

To learn more about boosting revenue through enhanced checkout conversion, explore the Bolt Ignite and Adobe Commerce partnership at bolt.com/adobe.  

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1. 49 Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics 2024 – Cart & Checkout – Baymard Institute. (n.d.). Baymard Institute. https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate


2. Wassel, B., & Wassel, B. (2022, November 7). The culprit behind $111 billion+ in lost revenue: abandoned ecommerce carts. Retail TouchPoints. https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/resources/the-culprit-behind-111-billion-in-lost-revenue-abandoned-ecommerce-carts

The checkout experience is a pivotal point of transformation for e-commerce retailers. If you’re not already treating it that way, it’s time to rethink your position. 

Here’s why: Retailers have always known they have to be flexible and responsive to changes, both in the industry and in the needs of customers. But the pace of change over the last decade has taken things to a new level—a complete reset, according to BCG analysts.

These changes have origins in the coronavirus pandemic, but also in advanced developments in e-commerce technology. What’s now possible for the checkout experience has completely changed. 

“When it comes to commerce technology, retailers no longer have to decide between the false binary of microservices and monoliths,” explains Ilya Grigorik, principal engineer and technical advisor to the CEO at Shopify. “Today, the technology is available that allows retailers to pick from tried-and-true tested components, including the checkout experience, and build your store your way—with the benefits of both worlds.”

Rising paid advertising and customer acquisition costs mean every lost percentage point costs even more than usual. Merchants that aren’t capturing the optimal conversions are leaving money on the table. This doesn’t have to be the case anymore. We now have powerful e-commerce solutions that give small and large retail businesses the versatility and scalability they need to deliver a world-class checkout experience. 

Shopify partnered with BCG to identify the elements of a high-converting checkout experience. Here’s a look at what it takes to build one:

Zero in on the biggest impact

There’s no single variable that explains conversions (or missed conversions, for that matter). However, data does point to five ways retailers can boost cart conversions at checkout. These lead to conversion uplifts of:

• Up to 50.4% by offering accelerated payment methods like Meta Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPal, Shop Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Up to 18.9% by offering simplified checkout flows
• Up to 15.5% (at the expense of total traffic) by offering customer accounts and subscriptions
• Up to 7.7% based on device type
• Up to 3.5% based on apps and customizations

How you mix and match elements of the checkout experience can have a significant impact, and there’s a lot of opportunity to grow for retailers that have not optimized it.

“The study reveals what we have built for and always known to be true,” says Shopify president Harvey Finkelstein. “Drivers like an optimized checkout experience. The use of accelerated payment methods and selection of relevant customizations have a dramatic impact on conversion.”

Understand the role of speed and trust

Customers increasingly expect to move through their checkout experience quickly and easily. If they’ve reached this stage, they’ve worked through multiple steps, and if any one of them doesn’t work in a way that feels secure and convenient, they may decide to abandon the cart. Auto-fill for shipping and billing information (enabled by more than 99% of stores when available, in this study) is a helpful way to move customers through the process faster. 

As important as speed is, it must be balanced with displays of trust and security. For example, fraud monitoring and detection systems can play a powerful role in protecting both the merchant and the customer. But if they impede the flow of checkout, it can be more disruptive than helpful. The study found that autofill is essential for conversion uplift, but the presence of Captcha, a tool that tests if a user is human or a bot, deters some customers from continuing to checkout. 

One CEO of a small retailer put this dance between speed and trust perfectly: “Keep the customer targeted on completing checkout, and avoid asking for information you don’t need; you don’t want the customer asking questions or building doubt.”

Adjust expectations to retailer size and average order value

One interesting finding of the report is that the size of the store (in revenue) led to different results for customizations and checkout experiences. This can be important for retailers to understand as they grow from small to medium to large, or as they craft plans for viral or seasonal growth. 

For example, the conversion uplift impact of checkout customization varies, but it’s especially noticeable for stores with a revenue of $10 million or more. Simply customizing a checkout flow does not seem to generate a lift in conversion across most stores, but there is a lift in lower funnel conversion for stores with at least one customization and $1 million in revenue (see chart).
 

In another example, we see that conversion rates tend to rise as overall revenue rises, but then tend to decline as a seller matures (or as the average order value increases). 

The nuances of operating a retail store of a certain size influences the ways you invest in your checkout experience. Just consider a store with an annual revenue of $100 million and 53 million unique customer sessions. Improving that store’s lower funnel conversion rate by just 1% could generate an incremental $6 million per year. Investing responsibly across the funnel can clearly boost the bottom line without corresponding increases in marketing costs.

Getting customers across the finish line

With a landscape in constant flux, tools that facilitate adaptability and responsiveness are crucial for brands. This is especially true when it comes to the end of the customer journey and the conversions you need to drive in order to increase sales. By harnessing flexible solutions that make it easier for customers to complete their purchase, businesses can keep their focus on what they do best—producing top-tier products and building a world-class brand.

De techniek staat niet stil. AI, machine learning, zelfs dit artikel zou inmiddels geautomatiseerd geschreven kunnen zijn – maar dat is niet zo. Ook retailers zien de ontwikkelingen en proberen ze te implementeren in hun concepten. Neem bijvoorbeeld supermarkten, die steeds vaker techniek inzetten om de traditionele kassière te vervangen. Is kassaloos het toverwoord voor de supermarkt van de toekomst?

Het begon allemaal met, hoe kan het ook anders, Amazon. Een combinatie van diepe zakken, innovatief voorop willen lopen en graag willen uitbreiden met fysieke winkels, zorgde ervoor dat het Amerikaanse bedrijf begin 2018 al met een plan kwam om meerdere kassaloze Amazon Go-supermarkten te openen: winkels waarbij klanten binnenlopen, hun producten uit het schap pakken en dan hun weg vervolgen. Boodschappen worden automatisch afgerekend bij het verlaten van de winkel. Sindsdien testten meer retailers met deze technologieën, ook in Nederland.

Balanceeract

Albert Heijn begon ongeveer tegelijkertijd met een andere vorm van kassaloos winkelen, genaamd Tap to Go, en deed enkele jaren later een proef met een kassaloze AH to Go, vergelijkbaar met het concept van Amazon. Ook Spar en Aldi zijn ermee bezig. Verschillende supers, verschillende concepten. Eén ding hebben ze gemeen: willen innoveren en de moderne digitaal georiënteerde consument voor zich winnen. Dat ziet ook Henk Hofstede, sector banker Retail bij ABN Amro. Volgens hem is er zeker een behoefte vanuit de consument aan snelle en gemakkelijke winkelconcepten, zoals kassaloze winkels, maar is de vraag wel of dit op grote schaal uitgevoerd gaat worden: ‘Het is een balanceeract voor supermarkten. Aan de ene kant wil je als supermarkt en retailer blijven innoveren, klanten helpen en voldoen aan de toenemende vraag naar gemak. Daarnaast is er momenteel sprake van grote personeelskrapte. Daar kunnen deze concepten heel erg bij helpen, omdat je spaarzaam personeel op een andere wijze kunt inzetten. Aan de andere kant hebben we momenteel te maken met hoge inflatie en dat raakt veel consumenten in de portemonnee. Experimenteren met kassaloze winkels vergt flinke investeringen. Voor retailers met diepe zakken, zoals Amazon, is investeren daarin dan een minder grote stap dan voor een kleinere supermarktformule.’

Een balanceeract dus, waarbij het financiële aspect voor veel retailers wegens de economische onzekerheid steeds doorslaggevender wordt. Zo moet Amazon momenteel pas op de plaats maken en heeft Albert Heijn er – ondanks de proeven – voor gekozen om de concepten nog niet breed uit te rollen. Supers kiezen daardoor steeds vaker voor zelfscannen. Of, in het geval van Spar University, een systeem waarbij de smartphone als scanner wordt gebruikt. Goedkopere systemen dan een geheel automatische winkel, en de klant wordt gehoord in zijn behoefte aan meer zelfstandigheid. Die ontwikkeling valt Hofstede ook op, maar zelfscannen heeft volgens hem één groot nadeel: ‘Hoe zeker ben je er als retailer van dat je klant alle producten wel scant en betaalt? Je wilt niet continu de confrontatie aangaan met je eigen klanten in de winkel. Dat komt de klantvriendelijkheid niet ten goede, dus controleren willen ze eigenlijk zo min mogelijk. Er is behoefte aan een hufterproof systeem. En als je niet actief controleert, kan er misbruik van worden gemaakt. Dat bleek onlangs ook uit onderzoek.’

Het onderzoek waaraan Hofstede refereert, kwam eind februari. Volgens cijfers van de politie is het aantal winkeldiefstallen het afgelopen jaar met 30 procent gestegen. Zelfscannen zou een belangrijke oorzaak zijn van deze toename. Albert Heijn heeft al laten weten extra maatregelen te treffen om het aantal winkeldiefstallen terug te brengen, onder andere bij zelfscankassa’s. Het voedt de discussie of het wel verstandig is om de verantwoordelijkheid van het afrekenen aan de consument over te laten. Techniek die deze schakel weghaalt, zou een oplossing kunnen zijn.

Para Ti

Wie gebruikmaakt van de ‘automatische afrekentechniek’ is het Belgische Para Ti, een jong concept van ondernemer Corneel Martens. De Belg opende inmiddels al vier vestigingen van de gemaksformule: kleine winkels waarbij de klant producten alleen uit het schap hoeft te pakken, vergelijkbaar met het al eerder genoemde Amazon Go. Hij bedacht Para Ti op reis in Spanje. Vanaf een terras in Valencia zag hij op een nabijgelegen strand volleybalpalen, waar je zelf de ballen en netten voor moest meenemen. Onhandig, voor iemand die graag wil spelen maar geen ballen en netten bij zich heeft. En daar op het terras kwam hij op het idee: ‘Een winkel waar alles automatisch gaat. Van huis uit ben ik bekend met de wereld van voedselleveranciers. Dus zo kwam ik op het idee om een kassaloze buurtwinkel te starten. We zijn begonnen in het plaatsje Beernem. Dat was eerst een proef en later zijn we uit gaan breiden. We werken met sensoren in de schappen en in de koelkasten. Daar zit een slot op, dat klanten met een QR-code via onze app kunnen openen. De afrekening gebeurt automatisch één uur na de aankopen. De winkels zijn vrij klein en onbemand.’

Inmiddels is Para Ti ook in de grote stad te vinden, zo is er een winkel in het centrum van Gent. ‘Daar mikken wij echt op de werkende consument’, stelt Martens. In een paar jaar tijd van één naar vier vestigingen; waarom slaat het concept van Martens aan? ‘We richten ons op een “echte” winkelervaring. Winkels zien er bij ons uit als een gewone buurtwinkel, maar dan zonder personeel en kassa. Voor de mensen is het dus bijna hetzelfde als bij hun vertrouwde winkel.’ Wat volgens Martens ook werkt voor Para Ti, is dat het concept niet in één klap breed wordt uitgerold, maar stap voor stap. ‘Wij willen eerst bekend worden in een regio, daar groeien in aantal klanten en vervolgens uitbreiden. Momenteel focussen we op de regio Brugge en Gent.’

Technieken
In dit artikel komen veel verschillende concepten aan bod: van de Amazon Go- en Para Ti-winkels tot Spar Skippen en AH Tap To Go. Maar hoe werken die concepten nu precies? Bij Amazon Go, Para Ti en Aldi Shop & Go wordt vooral gewerkt met sensoren en slimme schappen. Vanaf het binnenstappen van de winkel worden de bewegingen van de klant bijgehouden. Welke producten worden gepakt? Welke worden even later weer teruggelegd? Op deze manier wordt het boodschappenlijstje accuraat bijgehouden en bij het verlaten van de winkel automatisch verrekend. Skippen van Spar University werkt anders: daarbij scant een klant met de app de producten, betaalt deze in de winkel met een Tikkie, en met een code kan hij de winkel weer uit. Bij Tap to Go van Albert Heijn kon de klant met een pas of smartphone de slimme schapkaartjes scannen. Na tien minuten zonder activiteit werd het bedrag automatisch van de rekening afgeschreven.

Nederlandse concepten

In Nederland zijn momenteel ook ontwikkelingen op het gebied van kassaloze winkels. Zoals gezegd hebben de testconcepten van Albert Heijn geen directe doorgang gevonden. Spar University heeft inmiddels het concept Skippen uitgerold. En meest recent is Aldi nog gestart met een kassaloos concept (zie kader). Dat concept is gebaseerd op slimme technologie. Sensoren en slimme weegschalen houden bij welke producten de klant meeneemt. Bij het verlaten van de winkel wordt het verschuldigde bedrag automatisch verrekend, vergelijkbaar met de Amazon Go technologie en de kassaloze AH to Go-test op Schiphol en in Zaandam.

Gevraagd naar het concept laat Sietske van der Kleij, director internal & external communication van de discounter weten: ‘Onze positionering is erop gericht om de klant in staat te stellen snel en gemakkelijk boodschappen te doen. Dat zie je bijvoorbeeld terug in ons overzichtelijke assortiment. Maar snel en eenvoudig winkelen gaat verder dan dat. Het gaat er ook om met de klant mee te denken over hoe de winkelervaring nog prettiger gemaakt kan worden. Dat is waar dit innovatieproject perfect past, dus ook binnen onze strategie van eenvoud.’ Aldi is te spreken over het testconcept. Onlangs is een nieuwe betaalmethode toegevoegd aan de app. Klanten kunnen nu ook met Apple Pay betalen. Voorheen kon dit alleen met creditcard, maar omdat dat geen veelgebruikte betaalmethode is in Nederland, liep het nog niet storm bij het testfiliaal in Utrecht.

Aldi zonder kassa
Boodschappen doen in een kassaloze winkel is een bijzondere ervaring. De redactie van Twinkle wilde het uitproberen en toog naar de Aldi in Utrecht. Binnenkomen vergt enige voorbereiding. Benodigd is de Aldi Shop & Go app (te downloaden door in het raam de QR-code te scannen), waaraan je een betaalmethode moet koppelen. Na opening was alleen betalen met creditcard mogelijk, maar aangezien dat een niet alledaags gebruiksmiddel is in Nederland, hebben veel mensen die niet (bij zich). Aldi voegde later Apple Pay toe. De app leidt de gebruiker van te voren goed door de do’s en don’ts van de winkel. Als je in de app klikt op Start met winkelen, krijg je een QR-code op je scherm waarmee je naar binnen kunt. Eenmaal binnen word je in de gaten gehouden door camera’s en sensoren. Elk product dat je pakt, wordt geregistreerd. De vakken hebben weegschalen, die voelen wanneer er wat af wordt gehaald. De sensoren registeren de klant die het pakt. En als je het artikel teruglegt, registreert het systeem dat ook. Waarschuwing van te voren in de app: ‘Geef geen producten door aan andere klanten.’ Dan registreert het systeem misschien niet de juiste producten in de juiste tas. De winkel voelt aan als een normale supermarkt. In niets verschilt het van winkelen bij Albert Heijn of Jumbo met een zelfscan in de hand. Er is alleen geen personeel: naast kassaloos is het ook een contactloze supermarktervaring. Als alle producten in de tas zitten, loopt je naar de uitgang. Het poortje gaat open en als je weer buiten staat, heb je binnen dertig seconden de bon in je app en na een uurtje in je mail. Doordat dit automatisch gaat, verschilt de Aldi van andere supermarkten. (Tekst: Ryan Baij)

Albert Heijn laat in een reactie weten dat de proeven van Tap to Go en de digitale winkel als doel hadden ‘om te kijken hoe we boodschappen doen nog makkelijker kunnen maken voor onze klanten. Met onderdelen uit de proeven ontwikkelen we weer verder.’ Twinkle heeft Spar herhaaldelijk gevraagd naar de ervaringen en plannen met Skippen, maar de super heeft niet gereageerd.

Tot slot het woord aan Hofstede. Want we hebben het nu vooral over kassaloze supermarkten. Liggen er ook nog kansen voor andere retailers? ‘Ik denk dat retailers het een techniek vinden die bij sommige van hen steeds meer wordt doorgevoerd, in welke vorm dan ook, omwille van het klantgemak en als deeloplossing voor het personeelstekort. Maar het hangt wel af van welke retailer en van zijn serviceconcept. Je gaat een kostbare jurk of boormachine van 150 euro niet snel afrekenen via zo’n systeem. Vooral bij voeding en betrekkelijk goedkope producten lijkt dat logischer vanwege de hogere omloopsnelheid. Daarbij is het relatief minder erg als dat een keer fout gaat.’

Tijdlijn
• 12-2017: Albert Heijn test op het hoofdkantoor in Zaandam met Tap to Go. De pilot stond voor 2018 op het programma, maar werd naar voren gehaald.
• 03-2018: Spar University lanceert Skippen, een concept waarbij samen wordt gewerkt met Tikkie. Klanten kunnen de wachtrij ‘Skippen’ door producten te scannen en zelf af te rekenen.
• 09-2018: Albert Heijn start zijn kassaloze concept Tap to Go in twee filialen van AH to Go in het Amsterdam Medisch Centrum.
• 09-2019: Hema test een mobiele check-out. Klanten kunnen met hun smartphone producten in het schap scannen en deze bij de uitgang direct afrekenen, zonder daarbij langs de kassa te hoeven gaan. De test vindt plaats in Haarlem.
• 09-2019: Albert Heijn doet een pilot van twee maanden met een kassaloze AH to Go in Zaandam. De test is een samenwerking met techbedrijf AiFi en bank ING.
• 11-2019: Albert Heijn verplaatst de kassaloze testwinkel naar Schiphol. De winkel is voor alle bezoekers van het vliegveld beschikbaar. De winkel staat ook hier twee maanden.
• 08-2020: Spar breidt de proef met Skippen uit. Ook is besloten de technologie te integreren in het kassasysteem, laat het bedrijf weten aan Distrifood.
• 7-2022: Aldi opent, na het Verenigd Koninkrijk, ook in Nederland een kassaloos concept, in een testfiliaal in Utrecht.
• 02-2023: Aldi breidt de betaalmogelijkheid in zijn kassaloze concept Aldi Shop & Go in Nederland uit met Apple Pay.