5 ways to make online checkout easier for your customers

One easy way to cater to all kinds of shoppers is to offer options for account creation at checkout. Some customers may want to share their information and save it with you for future purchases, but others might not be ready to do that—or have other reasons. Offering options for guest checkout as well as account creation could ensure you don’t discourage anyone from making a purchase, especially one-time or first-time shoppers.

To help you retain customers and grow your base, make clear the benefits of starting an account with you. You could offer rewards at every purchase, loyalty points for signing up for a subscription, or a discount code for sharing their information with you. You’ll also need to store customer credentials securely so they can have peace of mind that their information is safe with you.

Consumers think about shopping, not about channels. Our research shows that 39% of consumers mix online and in-store shopping. In-person shopping has always been simple and relatively frictionless, so you should aim to offer the same type of experience online. Offering returning customers that you do recognize a quick and easy way to pay can help their online experience feel more like an in-person one.

Tokenization can also help you prioritize the security of customers’ data online, and utilizing authentication tools to mitigate fraud without adding friction can keep the online payment process smooth.

Consumers love choice, so give them options for payment and delivery. Research shows that 14% of shoppers initiate their journey online but opt for in-store payment or pickup.¹

Offering options like buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) or the ability to start a purchase in store for home delivery gives customers the convenience and control they want. You can also offer things like free shipping if they spend a certain amount or different delivery speeds based on how much they’d like to spend or how quickly they need their purchase.

And if you have both online and brick-and-mortar presences, it’s also helpful if customers can check store inventory nearby to see if their item is available for viewing or purchase before they decide to visit.

Research shows that 88% of consumers say they’d consider abandoning a purchase if they experience friction when paying.² Fight cart abandonment by asking customers for only the most essential information during checkout.

Customers might be willing to share more information when they return for another purchase, so postpone asking for nonessential information until they return. And it might help to give them an incentive for sharing more information, like a discount.

Even for customers who want to create an account, it’s still a good idea to only collect the most essential customer data you need to minimize friction. For those that do return, you can automatically populate their payment details for credential-on-file (CoF), digital wallets, and more.

Research shows that customers will abandon a purchase if it takes too long: In Europe, manual PAN entry takes an average of 3.3 minutes, whereas 62% of consumers tend to give up on a purchase after 2 minutes.³ Keep payments quick and easy with Click to Pay.

Rewards, loyalty programs, and discounts are a great way to excite your customers about shopping with you. You can structure the program in a way that suits your business, like awarding points for purchases, offering discounts, or giving access to special items or services.

The program should let your customers save their preferences, such as their size, preferred payment method, any food allergies, or whatever’s relevant. Then you can recognize returning customers and offer personalized recommendations based on their previous purchases or known preferences.

Give your customers an incentive to join the program, because it ultimately helps you encourage repeat buying and learn more about them. You can offer discounts for joining or award them points for opening an account.

Our payments experts can share easy-to-implement ways you can make things smoother for shoppers.