You've spent months perfecting your product. You've spent thousands on Meta and Google Ads to get people to your site. Your "Add to Cart" rate is looking healthy — maybe even above the 5% industry benchmark.

But then, the data takes a dive. Your "Reached Checkout" to "Purchased" conversion rate is struggling. In the world of ecommerce systems, the checkout is the ultimate moment of friction. It's where desire meets financial reality. If your checkout isn't a frictionless slide, it's a brick wall.

Here are the five most common (and expensive) revenue leaks we see at User Actually — and exactly how to fix them.

1 The "Surprise" Shipping Fee

There is no faster way to kill a sale than a "gotcha" moment at the very last step. If a customer sees a £45 total in their cart, then clicks through to pay and sees £53.50 because of shipping and taxes, they feel deceived.

The Data: 48% of shoppers abandon carts because extra costs are too high.

The System Fix

Be radically transparent. Mention "Free shipping over £50" on every product page. If you can't offer free shipping, use a flat-rate shipping calculator early in the process so the total doesn't jump at the last second.

2 Forced Account Creation

We get it — you want the data. But forcing a first-time buyer to create an account and verify their email before they can give you money is like putting a bouncer in front of a cash register.

The System Fix

Enable Guest Checkout by default. You can invite them to create an account on the "Thank You" page after the transaction is secured. At that point, they are much more likely to say yes to a password setup.

3 Missing Trust Signals at the Point of Pain

The moment a customer reaches for their credit card, their brain shifts from emotional desire to logical risk assessment. They start asking: Is this site secure? What if it doesn't fit?

The System Fix

Place micro-copy directly under the Checkout button. Icons for "Secure SSL Encryption," "30-Day Easy Returns," or "Hassle-Free Refunds" act as digital reassurance. Don't make them go looking for your policy page in the footer.

4 The "Discount Code" Distraction

If your checkout has a giant, empty "Enter Discount Code" box, you are effectively telling customers: "Wait! You're paying too much. Go to Google and search for a coupon."

The System Fix

Use a collapsed "Have a discount code?" link instead of a prominent open box. Better yet, use auto-apply links for your email campaigns so the discount is already there when they arrive.

5 The Lack of One-Tap Payments

In 2025, mobile commerce is king. If your customer has to find their wallet and manually type 16 digits into a small screen, you've probably lost them.

The System Fix

Implement accelerated checkouts. Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are non-negotiable. Stores with Shop Pay enabled see an average checkout-to-purchase increase of up to 18%.

Every friction point in checkout costs you money. Most of them are invisible until you go looking.

The good news: these are all fixable. None of them require a platform migration or a major redesign. They require a methodical checkout audit — looking at each step with fresh eyes and asking whether you're making it easy to buy, or giving customers reasons to leave.

Ready to plug your revenue leaks?

We'll audit your checkout and identify exactly what's costing you money — for free.

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