# Why visitors add to cart but do not buy

> Why shoppers leave after adding to cart: what Baymard’s research lists, how to find the cause in your Shopify store, and how to set up recovery emails.

Published 2026-11-04, updated 2026-11-04. Source: https://forgefont.com/blog/add-to-cart-but-no-purchase

Visitors add to cart and do not buy for two main reasons: they were never ready to pay, or something surprised them on the way, usually the total cost. The first group is normal. The second is what you can fix, by finding the step where your store creates doubt or an unexpected cost.

## Is it normal for carts to be abandoned?

Yes. [Baymard Institute](https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate) puts the documented average cart abandonment rate at 70.22%, calculated from 50 studies (page last updated September 22, 2025). Its survey of US online shoppers found that the largest single reason was “just browsing” or not being ready to buy, at 42%. Many people use a cart as a shortlist. Do not expect to recover every cart.

## What pushes the others away?

Once Baymard sets aside the shoppers who were only browsing, these are the reasons people give. The third column is what to check in your own store.

| Reason given | Share | What to check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extra costs too high (shipping, tax, fees) | 40% | Is shipping stated before checkout? Is tax included or added? |
| Delivery was too slow | 20% | Are your times written down, and are they accurate? |
| Did not trust the site with card details | 19% | Contact details, policies, About page, a working domain |
| Site wanted an account | 18% | Can a buyer pay without creating one? |
| Checkout too long or complicated | 17% | Extra fields or steps added by apps |
| Errors or crashes | 17% | A test order on a phone |
| Returns policy not satisfactory | 13% | Is the policy easy to find, and is it fair? |
| Could not see the total up front | 12% | Could a buyer work out the total from the cart? |
| Card was declined | 10% | Payment events in your abandoned checkouts |
| Not enough payment methods | 9% | The methods your customers expect in their country |

These are survey answers, not measurements of your store. Use them as a list of places to look.

## How do you find the cause in your own store?

1. **Find the step.** Open the Conversion rate breakdown report, as explained in our guide to your [Shopify conversion rate](https://forgefont.com/blog/shopify-conversion-rate). Compare the people who add to cart, reach checkout and pay.
2. **Read your abandoned checkouts.** Go to **Orders** > **Abandoned checkouts**. Open a few and check the payment events in the **Timeline**. Failed payments point to a different problem than people who simply left.
3. **Buy from your own store.** Use a phone, as a new customer, with an address in a country you sell to. Note the price on the product page, then the total at the last step. The gap between them is what your buyer feels.
4. **Ask.** A short message to someone who abandoned a checkout, where your consent rules allow it, can tell you more than a report.

## What should you fix first?

Costs and information, because they rarely need an app. State shipping costs and delivery times on the product page and on a clear [shipping page](https://forgefont.com/blog/shipping-page-guide). Say who pays for returns and link to your [returns page](https://forgefont.com/blog/returns-page-guide). If you offer free shipping over an amount, say so in the cart as well as in your banner. Remove checkout steps that you added and do not need.

## Does Shopify treat carts and checkouts differently?

Yes, and it matters for recovery. According to [Shopify’s help center](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/orders/abandoned-checkouts), a checkout counts as abandoned when the customer has entered an email address and it stays incomplete for more than ten minutes. A shopper who leaves the cart before giving an email cannot receive a recovery email from this feature.

## How do you set up recovery emails?

1. In your Shopify admin, go to **Apps** > **Messaging** > **Automations**.
2. In **Abandoned checkout emails by Shopify**, open the actions menu and choose **Edit settings**.
3. Select the option to send the emails automatically.
4. Choose who receives them under **Send to** and the delay under **Send after**, then save.

Which group you may email depends on the consent rules where your customers live, so ask a professional if you are unsure. Shopify’s help page lists cases where no email goes out, such as a shopper who gave a phone number or a shipping address you do not serve. Recovery applies only to the Online Store and Buy Button channels.

## Removing doubts before the cart

Most of these reasons are questions a buyer could have had answered earlier. Forgefont’s product pages include dropdowns for details such as material, care and shipping, and if you give us your terms we create a Shipping and returns page. We only write the delivery times and conditions you provide. [Compare the plans here](https://forgefont.com/#forfaits).

## Frequently asked questions

### Why are there carts in my store but no abandoned checkouts?

Shopify lists an abandoned checkout only when the customer entered an email address and did not finish paying. A shopper who leaves before that step does not appear in the list.

### How long does Shopify keep abandoned checkouts?

Shopify’s help center says abandoned checkouts older than three months are deleted automatically, so review them regularly if you want to learn from them.

### Should I send a discount in every recovery email?

No. Start with a plain reminder and a link back to the checkout. If every abandoned checkout earns a discount, returning customers can learn to wait for one.