Re: Problems with Shopify checkout and Safari users

Problems with Shopify checkout and Safari users

Nicola__G
Explorer
42 0 27

We are losing sales due to an issue between shopify checkout and customers who use safari. Many abandoned checkouts because of this. Unless you look into it or contact your customers who are not completing checkout, you won't know about the issue!  Shopify merchants you need to be aware of this!

 

We do know of other Shopify merchants having the same issue but there must be many who are unaware.. We have reported it to shopify on more than one occasion and in my last chat session a few weeks back I was promised a follow up by email,  but Shopify hasn't bothered.

 

We are uncertain whether the issue is limited to customers who are still using older versions of safari and not the up-to-date version, but regardless why isn't Shopify sorting this issue out?

Replies 10 (10)

Tom739
Excursionist
25 0 12

We also have customers still reporting the issue of not being able to go to the checkout page when using Safari.

Nicola__G
Explorer
42 0 27

There is also another thread about theissue which has gained some traction. From what I can gather, Shopify is expecting all Apple users to have the most up-to-date version of Safari, and if not then checkout won't work!! Shopify don't seem to be bothered about it.   No wonder shopify merchants have so many abandoned checkouts!! https://community.shopify.com/c/payments-shipping-and/my-customers-can-t-procced-to-checkout-in-safa...

Nicola__G
Explorer
42 0 27

UPDATE 29th June 2023:

In response to us losing sales because many people cannot complete checkout when using safari browsers, Shopify support told us today that "The workaround here is to request customers upgrade their device OS to the latest version." 

But this is extremely unreasonable when a lot of Apple devices can no longer update their OS.  And If you can't update your browser due to your operating system, then Shopify say "consider updating your device"  

 

Yes, that's right, Shopify Merchants just contact your customers and ask them to buy a new Apple device if they want to continue buying from you!

 

Basically these are the Apple devices that I know of that can no longer update to the latest OS and thus everyone using these devices (plus more)  can no longer complete checkout on a Shopify store:

 

iPhone 6s
iPhone 7
iPad Air 2
iPad mini 4
iMac (2015-2016)
MacBook (2016)
MacBook Air (2015-2017)
MacBook Pro (2015-2016)
Mac mini (2014)
Mac Pro (2013)

 

The only way for all of those customers to complete checkout on a Shopify store is to use a different browser such as FireFox - and yes it would seem Shopify expects you to contact your customers and tell them all of this!  Most people don't understand about different OS versions and browsers so it's completely unacceptable!

 

Also, Shopify is assuming that you have the contact details of every 'potential' customer that would have completed checkout if only they could access the checkout page!! With this problem people can't even complete their contact details at checkout because the actual checkout page isn't opening up at all!

 

This is very worrying.

Tom739
Excursionist
25 0 12

Hello,

 

Do you know if the customers affected "at least" get a message telling them they are using a browser that is not supported?

 

Shopify advertise that they are doing so on this page:

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-admin/supported-browsers

Ecolena
Visitor
1 0 1

Update as of 27 August '23.

 

We had TWO customers report to us this morning that the browser problems still exist AND that NO message displays saying they need to update their browser. It's annoying enough that Shopify is willing to waste every sale from someone who dares to not have the latest device/browser. It's downright dishonest for them to say users are provided with information that is NOT provided.

 

Imagine if a car mechanic refused to service any cars that weren't this years model. Shopify is turning away many millions of sales for it's paying users every month with this approach. 

Nicola__G
Explorer
42 0 27

Yes, and they are just the ones that took the time to tell you. There will be loads of customers that don't and will instead just move onto shop somewhere else. It is a coding issue that can easily be sorted out. For example, Shopify Plus merchants who have access to the checkout code and have access to shopify's web developers, they've managed to resolve the issue (the ones that know about it anyway as many merchants are blissfully unaware). Yet if you aren't paying over 2K a month to shopify then you won't have access to that stuff and thus you are screwed!

Nicola__G
Explorer
42 0 27

Hi. Well it's been a couple of months now since we first reported the issue to Shopify and other merchants reported the issue prior to that too, yet they still haven't fixed it! Customers don't get a message by the way, they just get an error message saying checkout isn't available try again later.

LeslieK
Visitor
1 0 1

As of today, 12 October, Shopify have not addressed the issue of their platform not allowing checkout on older versions of Safari. Unfortunately, my shop's customers are older and therefore less tech savvy, on a budget so unlikely to upgrade to new devices with the latest OS and also less likely to try to figure out why checkout is not working. They just get an error message telling them to refresh the page and try again later. Unfortunately, though they tried this, it didn't work. So, it's OCTOBER 2023 and Shopify have not rectified this problem which seems to have been around for 1 year. Not sure why they are ignoring most likely an older age group of Apple users? Ageism? And Nicola, that reply that customers need to get new devices - seriously, the person who wrote that should be sacked. 

NautilusPuzzles
Excursionist
18 0 33

Hi Leslie,

So here we are December 2nd and we are still having the same issue with our website.

 

We have reported it to Shopify support multiple times over the last year, and every time they feign ignorance.

 

This last time they sent us down a rabbit hole telling us that it was an issue with our theme, so we spent a bunch of money having our web developer try to fix it, and then discovered this thread.

 

If I was a conspiracy theorist I would suggest the reason is that if customers try to check out on Safari they would likely be using Apple Pay to do so, and if they can’t do that then the likelihood of them using Shop Pay would be higher.

 

In reality, I know that the reason is that Shopify is incapable of fixing issues for its small business customers and frankly doesn’t care about them. If you are not on Shopify Plus, then you are just not on their radar, as you are not worth enough money to them.

 

Sites that are on Shopify Plus also usually have their own development team who can fix all these issues for them, so they are more profitable for Shopify as they don’t have to expend any resources to work with them.

 

They haven’t tried to fix issues their non-enterprise customers have been reporting for a long time, and frankly, I’m getting sick of it.

ssctm
Visitor
1 0 0

We are having the same issue. I've spoken to a few customers, and to Shopif and can't get it resolved. Customers who went to extra yard and called our Helpline is how we figured it out. Chrome seems to work, but it's definatly a browser thing. I read about consumers needing to allow pop-ups, but most consumers we work with have no idea. I hope this is helpful.