Start here · Essential guide
Checkout Design That Reduces Friction
Principles for a short, clear checkout, plus the typical points where shoppers give up and what a small store can do about each one.
Running It Safely
Checkout and Payments Experience
The final steps of the purchase, from forms to declined cards.
Checkout Form Fields and Autofill
Which checkout form fields you really need, how to order them, and how autofill and sensible validation help shoppers finish without typing errors.
Guest Checkout Versus Customer Accounts
Weigh letting shoppers buy without registering against the benefits of customer accounts, with practical ways to offer both without adding friction.
Handling Failed Payments and Card Declines
Why online payments fail, how to word error messages that help instead of blame, and how to make retrying easy for shoppers who want to buy.
Installment Payments Explained
How pay-over-time options work for buyers and sellers, what they can cost, who may be eligible, and the cautions a store owner should consider first.
Payment Methods Shoppers Expect
The kinds of payment options online shoppers commonly look for, and a practical way to choose which ones your store should offer first.
Showing Total Costs Early
Why surprise charges at the last checkout step cause abandonment, and how to present shipping, taxes and other costs upfront so shoppers can decide with confidence.
Trust Signals at Checkout
Which reassurances genuinely help shoppers feel safe at checkout, such as clear policies and contact details, and which badges are just empty decoration.
Related topics
More in running it safely
Payments and Security Taking payments safely and protecting the store. Shipping and Rules Fulfillment, taxes and legal basics. Trends and Mobile Where online selling may be heading. Money and Legal Basics Bookkeeping, margins, policies and general legal groundwork. Fraud and Risk Understanding fraud, chargebacks and keeping the store recoverable.