Baymard research suggests that 70.19% of online shopping carts are abandoned before purchase. That means a large chunk of your customers leave right at the checkout stage.
While there are many reasons behind this drop-off, a major one is payment gateway UX. If your payment page loads slowly, asks for too much information, offers limited payment options, or raises security concerns in customers’ minds, they are far more likely to abandon their carts.
This article breaks down the key UX issues within payment gateways that lead to cart abandonment and shares practical, actionable fixes to help you recover lost revenue and increase conversions.
Understanding cart abandonment
Cart abandonment occurs when a customer adds products or services to their online shopping cart but exits the website without completing the purchase. It’s one of the most common challenges in e-commerce, leading to significant revenue loss.
Why do so many shoppers leave mid-purchase? Here’s what the data suggests:
• 48% of users leave at the checkout due to unexpected costs.
• 58.6% of users were simply browsing with no intent to buy.
• 24% abandon when account creation is a necessary step.
• 17% leave because of a long and complicated checkout process.
• 18% don’t trust the store with their credit card details.
• 13% abandon due to website errors or crashes.
• 9% say there weren’t enough payment method options.
• 48% of shopping carts are abandoned due to high shipping fees and taxes added during final checkout.
Payment friction ranks among the top reasons for customers to abandon their carts, making it essential to fix the payment gateway UX.
The role of payment gateway ux in cart abandonment
A user-friendly payment gateway is key to reducing cart abandonment. If the final step feels confusing or unreliable, customers will walk away without purchasing. Here’s what your payment gateway should include:
• An intuitive payment gateway UI with clear instructions and visually clean, appealing elements
• Fast loading speed and optimised processing to ensure a smooth checkout experience
• A responsive layout that works flawlessly across mobile, laptops, and other devices
• Trust badges and visible security indicators to build customer confidence
• Progress indicators so users know where they are in the process
• Clear, helpful error messages to guide users if something goes wrong
Even small flaws on your payment gateway page, like unclear buttons or confusing error messages, can reduce trust and make your website appear unprofessional. On the other hand, a seamless, intuitive payment experience helps users complete their checkout quickly and confidently.
Streamlining the checkout process
A seamless checkout process helps to reduce cart abandonment rates by 35%.
Here are some effective ways to simplify the checkout process:
• Enable one-click checkout with stored user credentials securely for returning customers.
• Allow guest checkout so users can buy without creating an account.
• Use autofill and smart suggestions based on stored data to reduce typing and manual errors.
• Limit form fields by asking only for essential information.
• Display saved cards and the default payment method for quicker selection.
• Offer multiple payment options to cater to different preferences and regions.
• Minimise distractions during checkout, keep it clean, focused, and free from unnecessary elements.
Trust and security in payment gateways
When shopping from e-commerce businesses, even a small doubt about payment security can cause customers to abandon their purchase.
To reassure them and build trust, here’s what you can do:
• Show trust seals, encryption symbols, and SSL certificates during checkout to signal that their data is secure.
• Use 3D Secure authentication, like passwords, SMS codes, or biometrics, to verify identity and reduce fraud risk.
• Be transparent by displaying transaction statuses, fees, and refund policies clearly.
• Include familiar payment providers that customers already trust.
• Avoid redirecting to external payment pages, unless absolutely necessary, to maintain confidence.
Here’s the psychological impact of UI security elements on the purchase behaviour:
• Increased completion rates: When customers feel confident that their payment is secure, they’re more likely to complete the transaction.
• Stronger brand trust: A well-secured checkout experience boosts your brand’s credibility and builds long-term trust with your customers, ensuring that they become repeat customers.
Mobile optimisation of payment gateways
66% of users prefer mobile payments over other payment methods. This makes it essential to optimise the payment gateway for mobile devices. Here’s what you should do to ensure a smooth, secure, and hassle-free payment experience.
• Ensure your checkout design is responsive, so it looks and functions well on all screen sizes, from smartphones to tablets.
• Optimise the page load speed; even a few seconds of delay can frustrate users and lead them to abandon their cart.
• Make your forms short and simple. Use auto-fill, minimise the number of fields, and ensure the form is easy to tap through on smaller screens.
• Incorporate mobile-friendly features like tap-to-pay, thumbprint or face ID authentication, and support for mobile wallets. These tools not only speed up the process but also build a sense of trust and ease.
The impact of payment method flexibility
Every customer has a preferred payment method, and if they do not find it, they might walk away. Here’s how payment method flexibility affects customer experience:
Offering multiple payment options
Giving the users a choice to pay via credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, UPI, or Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) ensures convenience. This enhances the overall customer experience while reducing drop-offs, making checkout faster and frustration-free.
Regional preferences in India
In India, digital payments are widely preferred due to the convenience they offer. UPI leads the way as the dominant payment mode, with most customers choosing it for everyday transactions.
As per the 2024 EY-CII report, approximately 38% of respondents in rural and semi-urban areas prefer UPI as a mode of transaction. Additionally, digital wallets like Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay have gained strong traction, often surpassing cash as the preferred method for point-of-sale payments in various regions.
Reduce friction by letting users pick what’s familiar
When customers recognise and trust the options available, like their preferred wallet or bank, they’re more likely to complete the purchase without hesitation. Familiarity ensures a seamless checkout journey and increases overall conversion rates
Common UX mistakes that lead to cart abandonment
A smooth payment experience can quickly go downhill due to a few common UX mistakes. Here is a list of common UX mistakes that lead to cart abandonment:
| UX Mistake | How Does it Affect Users |
| Overly long forms | Long forms with too many fields feel tedious and time-consuming. Users may drop off if they feel overwhelmed. |
| Too many steps/pages | A checkout process split into multiple screens increases the effort required. Each extra step risks user exit |
| No progress indicator | Users feel uncertain or lost without a visual cue showing how many steps are left. |
| Unclear error messages | If errors don’t explain what went wrong or how to fix it, users get confused about what to do and may abandon the purchase |
| Lack of support/help | When users face issues and can’t get instant help, such as live chat or FAQs, they feel unsupported and may quit. |
Improving payment gateway UX to reduce cart abandonment
To reduce cart abandonment, continuously improving your payment gateway UX is crucial. Here’s a UX improvement checklist you should follow:
• A/B testing designs and button placements: Test different layouts for buttons and designs, find out which one is more convenient for the users, and ensure a seamless payment process.
• Heatmaps and analytics to find UX friction points: Use heatmaps and analytics to identify the areas where customers drop off. This allows you to optimise the design and improve navigation, form fields, or button placements.
• Integrating with a reliable, fast-loading gateway: Partner with a trusted payment gateway like Pine Labs Online to ensure quick load times and smooth processing to prevent customer drop-off at the checkout stage.
• Consistent branding throughout the checkout journey: Maintain visual harmony across all pages, from product listings to the final checkout. Use consistent fonts, buttons, and messaging that reflect your brand to build trust and reinforce brand recognition.
Case studies of improved UX and reduced abandonment rates
Let’s explore how brands improved UX to reduce cart abandonment rates:
VS Mani & Co. improved conversion by 27%
About the brand
VS Mani & Co. is a South Indian food & beverage company that offers filter coffee, coffee decoctions, spices, and snacks.
The challenges:
• The checkout process was long and manual, 1.5 to 3 minutes per purchase.
• Customers had to enter contact, delivery, and payment info repeatedly.
Impact: This friction led to high cart abandonment and low order conversions.
The solution:
• Enabled auto-filled details for faster transactions
• Reduced manual input steps drastically.
Results:
• Order conversion rate improved by 27%.
Shopdibz generated higher sales with Guest Checkout
Shopdibz promotes premium Indian brands and products on its e-commerce platform.
The challenge:
High cart abandonment despite strong traffic and click-through rates.
Identified issue:
Mandatory account creation was causing friction and user drop-off.
The solution:
Introduced guest checkout requiring only mobile number, email, and address.
Results:
• Higher conversion rates immediately after launch.
• Improved user experience and reduced cart abandonment.
• Customers found the new process more intuitive and convenient.
FAQs
What is the ideal number of steps in a payment checkout?
An ideal checkout process typically has no more than 3–4 steps: cart review, shipping details, payment, and confirmation. Minimal steps help reduce friction and boost conversion rates.
How do I measure the effectiveness of my payment gateway UX?
You can measure checkout UX effectiveness by tracking conversion rates, cart abandonment, average order value (AOV), and checkout time. These metrics reveal how smoothly users navigate payment. Regular analysis helps identify ways to streamline the experience.
Which tools help test cart abandonment fixes?
Tools such as Bugasura, BrowserStack, and LambdaTest support efficient bug tracking, mobile experience testing, and cross-browser compatibility. They ensure a seamless, consistent, and user-friendly checkout journey.
Conclusion: UX – The Hidden Revenue Booster
Complex or frustrating checkouts lead to cart abandonment, directly impacting sales. By streamlining the payment process and removing friction points, you can improve payment gateway UX and build long-term customer trust to stay competitive and retain customers.
Pine Labs Online offers a robust payment gateway to handle large traffic without compromising customer experience. Upgrade your checkout experience with Pine Labs Online for faster, frictionless payments. Want to streamline the checkout experience? Upgrade your checkout experience with Pine Labs Online for faster, frictionless payments.