Reached checkout is not a diagnosis: the four cuts I use first

Data and Analytics
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“Reached checkout” tells you a shopper crossed one threshold; it does not tell you which checkout step failed. After nine years working on Shopify CRO, I cut the funnel by four dimensions before changing a theme: device, payment method, market/currency, and whether shipping cost appeared or changed.

The facts are the transition rates. “Unexpected shipping” or “payment friction” is still a hypothesis until the step-level counts or a real test order supports it. Start with the single largest percentage drop, then validate it with a few representative journeys.

What is the first cut you use when checkout starts look healthy but purchases do not?

3

Hi @Icey.Lane
I’d probably check whether shipping costs are being shown consistently across the affected journeys. A checkout can look healthy overall, but if shipping appears unexpectedly or changes after the customer enters their address, that could create a drop at the final step. Comparing the checkout flow with and without shipping costs would be a useful test before assuming it’s a payment issue.