In today’s hyper-competitive digital economy, a seamless payment experience isn’t just the final step in a transaction — it’s a crucial moment of truth. A slow, clunky or confusing checkout process can sideline a sale, while a seamless one can build trust, reinforce your brand and drive repeat purchases.
The new standard: Fast, frictionless, secure payments
Customers expect a seamless payment experience. If it’s not there, they’ll walk. According to the Baymard Institute, 18 percent of U.S. consumers say they have abandoned their carts simply because the checkout took too long or felt too complicated.¹ That’s nearly 1in 5 potential customers gone — not because of price or product selection, but because of a poor user experience. And the kicker? Baymard also found that optimizing checkout usability could lead to a 35 percent increase in conversion rates. A frictionless payment process is no longer optional. It’s a major brand touchpoint that directly impacts revenue.
Best practices for checkout optimization
A seamless payment experience removes barriers, instills confidence and builds loyalty. Here’s how to build a customer-centric payments journey alongside online checkout best practices.
1. Improve payment flow
Less is more when it comes to checkout. Since fewer clicks equal less friction, aim for no more than three steps. Progress indicators that let customers know where they are in the process (e.g., “Step 2 of 3”) can help keep customers focused on moving through checkout.
A seamless experience will also have an option for guest checkout. Forcing customers to create an account is a significant reason for drop-offs — 19 percent of shoppers say they’ve abandoned their cart when forced to do so.² In addition, autofill is a simple, easy-to-add feature that can save customers time and reduce typos. It is imperative that your online checkout works correctly with autofill.
The most common cause of cart abandonment during checkout is extra, unexpected costs. Nearly 40 percent of shoppers who abandoned a purchase said that they did so because shipping, taxes and fees pushed the overall cost too high.² Clearly displaying costs, or building fees into the upfront price, can avoid these lost sales.
Finally, with $2.5 trillion worth of e-commerce sales expected to happen on mobile in 2025, any checkout experience must look great and function flawlessly on smaller screens.³
2. Provide multiple payment options
Customers want flexibility to pay with their preferred method. The more payment options you provide, the more customers you can accommodate, and the lower your rate of cart abandonment. Must-haves for today’s users include not just all major credit cards, but digital wallets too. Displaying familiar payment logos like Apple Pay or Visa early in the checkout process builds trust.
3. Build trust with security signals
When customers hand over their payment data to you, they want to know their financial details will be protected from any harm or theft. Nearly 1 in 5 shoppers who abandoned their carts say they did so because they didn’t trust the site with their credit card info.¹
A few simple steps can instill confidence. First, your site must be TLS-secured. This means using Transport Layer Security encryption, which protects data exchanged between your customer’s browser and your website’s server. It also confirms the identity of your website through a digital certificate, helping customers know they’re visiting a legitimate site. Telling customers about the steps you’re taking shows that you have thought about possible problems and are ready to deal with them. Display any trust badges (including Visa) near the payment button to build customer confidence.
Trust is also boosted by clear, easy-to-find refund and return policies. As many as 15 percent of shoppers say they didn’t complete a purchase because of an unsatisfactory return policy.² Shoppers also don’t want to have to visit another site to check out. Unless you’re using a trusted platform like PayPal, keep the experience within your brand.
4. Reduce friction with smart authentication
Security matters — but it shouldn’t come at the cost of user experience. Fraud prevention tools like tokenization, which replaces the credit card number with a unique one-time code or token, thus protecting sensitive data, offer both convenience and security. Tokens allow customers to securely store their card data so they don’t have to re-enter it each time. Authentication tools like Visa Secure also add a layer of security with minimal disruption. During the checkout process, customers may be prompted to verify their identity, either with a one-time code sent via text or email, or a prompt for a security question.
5. Follow through after the purchase
The customer experience doesn’t end when the payment goes through. An instant confirmation page reassures customers that their order was a success. Immediately sending an email receipt also confirms the order and acts as a record that can be accessed later. And if you’re delivering physical goods, order tracking keeps customers in the loop throughout the shipping journey.
Knowing help is available also builds confidence. Include clear options for accessing customer support, such as email or chat.
Common mistakes to avoid
Even small missteps in your checkout process can lead to lost revenue. Common pitfalls include overly long or cluttered checkout forms that frustrate users and increase abandonment rates. Failing to offer a guest checkout option can also deter customers who don’t want to create an account. Not supporting digital wallets — such as Apple Pay or Samsung Pay — means missing out on customers who prefer these fast, mobile-friendly transactions. Finally, absent or hard-to-find trust signals, like security badges or return policies, can cause hesitation at the point of purchase, while confusing third-party redirects can interrupt the flow and erode customer confidence.
Payments are part of the customer journey
The payment experience is more than a transactional moment. It’s a key part of your brand. Done right, it not only closes the sale, but builds trust, strengthens loyalty and increases lifetime value.
Even small improvements — like enabling guest checkout, accepting digital wallets or adding a trust badge — can have an outsized impact. In a landscape where every abandoned cart represents lost revenue, having an optimized checkout is one of the smartest, highest-ROI moves a small business can make.
- Baymard Institute. Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics 2025.
- Ibid.
- Statista (2025, March). Mobile commerce worldwide - statistics and facts.