Businesses can improve online checkout experiences by making the journey faster, clearer and easier to complete on any device. Customers should be able to understand the total cost, enter only essential information, choose a familiar payment method and receive immediate confirmation that their order has been accepted.

The checkout is one of the most important parts of an ecommerce website. A customer may have already compared products, read descriptions, checked reviews and decided to buy. If the final payment process feels confusing or unreliable, that earlier work can be wasted.

Poor checkout experiences do not always involve dramatic technical failures. Small frustrations can be enough to interrupt a purchase. These may include an unexpected delivery charge, a form that repeatedly rejects an address or a payment page that loads slowly on a mobile phone.

Improving checkout is therefore not about adding more features for the sake of it. It is about removing uncertainty and unnecessary effort from the customer’s path to payment.

What Causes Customers to Leave During Checkout?

Customers abandon checkouts for many different reasons. Some are still comparing options and never intended to complete the purchase immediately. Others are ready to buy but encounter an obstacle.

Common problems include:

• Unexpected delivery or service charges
• Compulsory account registration
• Long or confusing forms
• Limited payment options
• A website that is difficult to use on mobile
• Slow-loading pages
• Concerns about security
• Unclear delivery times
• Discount codes that do not work
• Payment failures
• Poorly explained error messages
• A checkout that redirects unexpectedly

Businesses need to identify which of these issues are affecting their own customers rather than applying generic changes without evidence.

For example, a retailer may assume customers are leaving because card payments are failing. The actual problem may be that the delivery charge is only revealed after the customer has entered several pages of information.

The full journey should be reviewed from basket to confirmation.

Show the Full Cost as Early as Possible

Price transparency is one of the simplest ways to improve online checkout experiences.

Customers should not reach the payment page before discovering compulsory charges. Delivery fees, booking charges, subscription terms and other costs should be explained before the final payment stage.

Where the exact delivery price depends on the customer’s location or chosen service, provide a clear estimate or explanation earlier in the journey.

The order summary should display:

• Product or service prices
• Quantities
• Discounts
• Delivery charges
• Applicable taxes
• The final amount due

The total should remain consistent when the customer moves between checkout stages.

An unexpected price increase at the last moment can make the business appear less trustworthy, even when the charge itself is reasonable.

For subscription purchases, recurring costs should be particularly clear. Customers need to understand how much they are paying, how often they will be charged and how they can cancel.

Allow Customers to Check Out as Guests

Requiring every customer to create an account can introduce unnecessary friction.

Accounts can be valuable for repeat ordering, saved addresses, loyalty schemes and order tracking. However, a first-time customer may not want another password or ongoing relationship with the retailer.

A guest checkout allows the customer to purchase without completing a separate registration process.

Businesses can still invite customers to create an account after the order has been placed. At that point, the value is easier to explain because the customer may be able to save the order, track delivery or make future purchases more quickly.

Where account creation is necessary, the reason should be clearly explained. Avoid presenting it as an unexplained barrier between the customer and payment.

A sensible approach is to offer three clear routes where appropriate:

• Continue as a guest
• Sign in to an existing account
• Create a new account

The most relevant option should be easy to identify without overwhelming the page.

Ask Only for Information You Genuinely Need

Long forms can make an otherwise straightforward purchase feel difficult.

Every field should have a clear purpose. If the business does not need the customer’s date of birth, second telephone number or company name, those fields should not be compulsory.

Shorter forms save time and reduce opportunities for errors.

The required information will vary depending on the transaction, but it may include:

• Customer name
• Email address
• Delivery address
• Billing address
• Telephone number where genuinely needed
• Payment details
• Delivery selection

Optional fields should be clearly marked as optional.

Businesses should also consider whether billing and delivery addresses need to be entered separately. A simple checkbox allowing customers to confirm that both addresses are the same can remove several fields.

Form labels should remain visible after the customer begins typing. Placeholder text that disappears can make it difficult to review information or correct mistakes.

Make Address Entry Easier

Address forms are a common source of frustration, particularly on mobile devices.

Customers may struggle when:

• The postcode lookup fails
• Flat or unit numbers are rejected
• International addresses do not fit the form
• The business requires a county unnecessarily
• The form changes a correctly entered address
• An address cannot be entered manually

A postcode lookup can speed up UK checkout, but manual entry should remain available. Automated tools do not always contain new-build properties, business units or unusual rural addresses.

Address validation should help the customer rather than block them.

Where the delivery area is limited, make this clear before checkout. Customers should not spend time entering details only to discover at the final stage that the business cannot deliver to them.

Design Checkout for Mobile Customers

A large proportion of online shopping takes place on smartphones. The checkout must therefore be designed for smaller screens rather than simply adapted from a desktop page.

Mobile users should not need to zoom, rotate the device or repeatedly scroll sideways.

Buttons should be large enough to tap comfortably. Form fields should use the appropriate keyboard. For example, telephone, postcode and card fields should trigger a layout that makes the required characters easy to enter.

Important information should be visible without excessive scrolling. This includes:

• The total price
• The main payment button
• Error messages
• Delivery options
• Security reassurance
• Order confirmation

Pop-ups should be used carefully. A promotional box that covers the checkout or makes the payment button difficult to reach can cost more in lost sales than it generates through sign-ups.

Businesses should test checkout on real devices rather than relying entirely on a website preview tool.

Reduce Page Loading Times

Customers are particularly sensitive to delays after deciding to pay.

A slow checkout can create uncertainty. The customer may wonder whether the website has failed or whether the payment has been processed. Some may refresh the page, press the payment button again or leave altogether.

Businesses can improve checkout performance by reviewing:

• Oversized images
• Unnecessary scripts
• Excessive tracking tools
• Poorly configured plugins
• Slow third-party integrations
• Hosting performance
• Payment gateway response times

Checkout pages should not be loaded with features that do not help the customer complete the purchase.

Social feeds, background videos and complex animation may be suitable elsewhere on the website, but they can distract from the final transaction and increase loading time.

The payment button should also provide a clear response when selected. A loading indicator or temporary disabled state can reassure the customer that the payment is being processed and prevent repeated submissions.

Offer Relevant Payment Options

Customers are more likely to complete checkout when they recognise and trust the available payment methods.

For most ecommerce businesses, debit and credit card acceptance is the foundation. Depending on the customer base, digital wallets and other payment options may also improve convenience.

Useful options may include:

• Debit cards
• Credit cards
• Mobile wallets
• Bank-based payment methods
• Buy Now Pay Later, where appropriate

More choice is not always better. A long list of unfamiliar payment logos can make checkout feel complicated.

Businesses should prioritise the methods their customers are most likely to use. Payment data can help identify whether customers prefer cards, mobile wallets or another option.

The products being sold also matter. Digital wallets can be helpful for fast mobile purchases, while payment instalment options may be more relevant for higher-value orders.

Any additional method should be assessed for cost, customer suitability, refunds and operational complexity.

Keep the Checkout Visually Consistent

Customers should feel that they remain within the same trusted shopping experience from product page to payment confirmation.

Sudden changes in design can cause concern. A customer may hesitate when the payment page uses a different logo, colour scheme, business name or website address without explanation.

Some payment gateways allow businesses to keep the payment form within the main website. Others redirect customers to a secure hosted page.

Both approaches can work well. The important point is to make the transition clear.

Before a redirect, the checkout may explain that the customer will be taken to a secure payment page. The hosted page should display recognisable details and return the customer to the retailer’s website after authorisation.

Check that the business name shown during payment is familiar to customers. A legal trading name that differs significantly from the website brand may create uncertainty unless the relationship is explained.

Provide Clear Security Reassurance

Customers need to feel confident that their payment information will be handled securely.

Security reassurance should be visible but proportionate. Large warnings or excessive technical detail may create anxiety instead of confidence.

Useful reassurance can include:

• A secure browser connection
• Recognisable payment options
• Clear business contact details
• A professional and consistent design
• Accessible privacy and returns information
• Simple wording about secure payment processing

Trust begins before checkout. Customers may be less willing to enter payment information when the wider website has broken links, unclear policies or no obvious way to contact the business.

The payment page should not request information that seems unrelated to the purchase. Unexpected requests can make customers question whether the process is genuine.

Explain Errors Clearly

Errors are inevitable. The important issue is how the website helps the customer recover.

A form should identify the specific field that needs attention. Messages such as “There was a problem” are too vague.

A useful error message might explain that:

• A required field has been left empty
• The postcode format should be checked
• The card number appears incomplete
• The selected delivery option is no longer available
• The bank declined the payment
• Another payment method can be tried

The customer should not lose all previously entered information after an error.

Where possible, preserve the basket, address and delivery details so the problem can be corrected quickly.

Messages should also use plain language. Internal error codes may help developers, but they do not tell customers what to do next.

If the issue cannot be resolved automatically, provide an obvious way to contact support.

Make Delivery Choices Easy to Understand

Delivery uncertainty can interrupt checkout even when the payment process itself works perfectly.

Each option should state:

• The delivery method
• The price
• The estimated timescale
• Any relevant cut-off time
• Whether tracking is included
• Any geographical restrictions

Avoid vague labels such as “Standard” and “Express” without explaining the likely arrival date.

When customers are purchasing for an event, birthday or business deadline, delivery timing may matter more than price.

Click and collect options should clearly state where the order can be collected, when it will be ready and what identification is required.

For digital products or services, confirm when access will be provided and how the customer will receive it.

Keep the Order Summary Visible

Customers may want to check their purchase before committing to payment.

The checkout should provide an accurate summary of:

• Items or services selected
• Quantities
• Variations such as size or colour
• Delivery choice
• Discounts
• Final total

On a long checkout page, it can be helpful for the order summary to remain accessible without forcing the customer to return to the basket.

Customers should be able to edit the order without losing all their checkout information.

However, the editing process should not become too prominent. The main purpose of the page is still to help the customer complete payment.

The final payment button should use clear wording such as “Pay securely” or “Place order”. Avoid vague labels that do not make it obvious whether the customer is about to be charged.

Use Progress Indicators Carefully

A progress indicator can help when checkout is divided into several stages.

For example:

1. Details
2. Delivery
3. Payment
4. Confirmation

This reassures customers that the process is manageable and shows how much remains.

However, adding a progress bar does not make an unnecessarily long checkout acceptable. The business should still remove avoidable steps.

Customers should also be able to move backwards to correct information without losing their progress.

A single-page checkout may work well for straightforward purchases, while a carefully structured multi-step process may be better for complicated orders. The right choice depends on the amount of information required.

Make Discount Codes Less Disruptive

Promotional code fields can cause unexpected checkout problems.

A prominent empty box may encourage customers without a code to leave the website and search for one. They may find an expired offer, visit a competitor or become frustrated when the code fails.

Businesses can reduce this risk by making the field available without giving it excessive visual prominence.

When a code is entered, the checkout should explain clearly:

• Whether it has been accepted
• What discount has been applied
• Why it is not valid
• Whether a minimum spend is required
• Whether it can be combined with another offer

Avoid generic messages that leave the customer guessing.

Businesses should also test active promotions before launch. A campaign that sends customers to checkout with a code that does not work can damage trust quickly.

Help Customers Recover From Declined Payments

A declined payment should not automatically mean a lost sale.

Cards can be declined for many reasons, including incorrect details, an expired card, insufficient funds or a security decision by the customer’s bank.

The checkout should explain what the customer can do next without suggesting that the business knows more than it does.

Possible next steps include:

• Check the entered card details
• Try another card
• Use another available payment method
• Contact the card issuer
• Return to the basket
• Contact the retailer for support

The order should not be confirmed until the business has received a valid payment response.

At the same time, the basket should normally remain available so the customer can try again without rebuilding the order.

Businesses should monitor repeated payment failures. A sudden increase may indicate a gateway, website or authentication issue rather than individual customer problems.

Give Immediate Order Confirmation

After payment, the customer needs a clear answer.

An effective confirmation page should state that the order has been received and include:

• An order reference
• The amount paid
• A summary of the purchase
• Delivery or fulfilment information
• Customer contact details
• What happens next
• How to ask for help

A confirmation email should also be sent promptly.

The website should avoid leaving the customer on a blank or endlessly loading page after payment. This creates uncertainty and may lead to duplicate purchases or unnecessary support enquiries.

The payment gateway and ecommerce platform must exchange information correctly. A payment should not be taken while the website records the order as failed, and the website should not confirm an order when payment was unsuccessful.

Regular test purchases can help identify these issues before customers report them.

Review the Entire Experience Regularly

Checkout improvement is not a one-off project.

Websites, plugins, payment gateways and customer expectations change over time. An update to one part of the system can affect another part of the journey.

Businesses should regularly complete their own test purchases using:

• Different devices
• Different browsers
• Guest checkout
• Existing customer accounts
• Several payment methods
• Discount codes
• Different delivery options
• Declined or incorrect payment details

It is also useful to ask someone unfamiliar with the website to test it. Business owners and website managers often know the intended route so well that they overlook confusing wording or navigation.

Customer service queries can reveal recurring checkout problems. If several customers ask where to enter a code or whether payment was successful, the website may need clearer instructions.

Measure Where Customers Leave

Analytics can help businesses identify where checkout performance declines.

Useful measures include:

• Basket abandonment rate
• Checkout abandonment rate
• Payment failure rate
• Conversion rate by device
• Conversion rate by payment method
• Time spent at each checkout stage
• Use of guest and account checkout
• Number of support enquiries about payment

The data should be interpreted carefully.

A high exit rate on the delivery page may suggest that costs or timings are discouraging customers. A high failure rate after payment submission may indicate technical or authorisation issues.

Businesses should test one meaningful change at a time where possible. If the form, payment gateway and delivery pricing all change together, it can be difficult to understand what improved or damaged performance.

How Can a Payment Provider Support Better Checkout?

The payment provider influences several important parts of the experience.

A suitable provider should offer:

• Reliable payment processing
• Relevant card and wallet support
• Secure handling of payment information
• Mobile-friendly checkout options
• Clear transaction reporting
• Practical technical support
• Transparent charges
• Compatibility with the ecommerce platform

The cheapest payment arrangement may not offer the best value if customers regularly encounter failed or confusing transactions.

Businesses should understand how the payment gateway integrates with their website and what happens when a payment is interrupted, declined or refunded.

Gorilla Pay provides flexible payment services for businesses looking to accept online and in-person payments without unnecessary complexity. Businesses can also contact Gorilla Pay to discuss their checkout requirements and existing ecommerce setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many steps should an online checkout have?

There is no perfect number. The checkout should use as few steps as necessary while keeping the process clear. A straightforward purchase may suit one page, while a complex order may benefit from several short stages.

Is guest checkout better than requiring an account?

Guest checkout often reduces friction for first-time customers. Businesses can still offer account creation after the purchase or explain the benefits of registering without making it compulsory.

Which payment options should an online shop offer?

Most online shops should support widely used debit and credit cards. Digital wallets or other methods may also be useful depending on the audience, devices used and average order value.

Why does mobile checkout have a lower conversion rate?

Mobile customers may encounter smaller fields, difficult navigation, slower connections or payment methods that require too much typing. Testing on real smartphones can help identify the specific problems.

Should customers be redirected to another payment page?

A secure hosted payment page can work well when the transition is clear and the page is recognisable. Unexpected or poorly branded redirects may cause customers to leave.

How often should businesses test checkout?

Checkout should be tested regularly and after any change to the website, ecommerce platform, payment gateway, delivery settings or plugins.

Creating a Smoother Path to Payment

A better online checkout experience removes doubt and unnecessary effort.

Customers should know what they are buying, how much it will cost and when it will arrive. They should be able to complete forms easily, choose a suitable payment method and understand what to do when something goes wrong.

The most effective improvements are often practical rather than dramatic. Removing an unnecessary field, showing delivery costs earlier or making mobile buttons easier to tap can improve the experience immediately.

Businesses should view checkout as a connected journey rather than an isolated payment page. Basket design, account requirements, delivery information, payment processing and order confirmation all need to work together.

Regular testing, customer feedback and transaction data can help identify where improvements are most needed.

For support with flexible online payment solutions and a payment gateway suited to your business, explore Gorilla Pay’s payment services or contact the team.

Phone: 02392 253322
Email: gorillas@gorillapay.co.uk
Find out more: https://gorillapay.co.uk