Glossary
What is an abandoned cart?
An abandoned cart is a purchase someone started and then left without paying. They added a product or reached checkout, then closed the page. It matters because they were already interested, so it is one of the cheapest sales to win back.
Updated 6 October 2026
An abandoned cart is an order a customer started, by adding a product or reaching checkout, and left before paying. Sellers often follow up by email to bring them back.
How it is defined and measured
Stripe’s documentation puts it simply: in e-commerce, cart abandonment is when customers leave the checkout flow before completing their purchase. In Stripe’s Checkout a session counts as abandoned once it reaches its expiry time and the customer has not finished paying.
To measure it, count the carts or checkouts that were started in a period, subtract the ones that ended in a payment, and divide by the started ones. Multiply by 100 for a percentage. Compare like with like: a cart rate and a checkout rate are different numbers.
| Started checkouts | Completed payments | Abandoned | Abandonment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 50 | 150 | 75% |
| 80 | 32 | 48 | 60% |
Treat any “typical” rate you read online with care. It varies with the product, the price and how you count, and your own trend over time tells you more than an industry average.
How sellers follow up
The usual method is an email that links back to the unfinished purchase. Stripe describes a recovery flow: when a Checkout session expires, your system is notified and can send the customer a link that opens a copy of the original session. Stripe says that link works for 30 days, and its example only emails people who agreed to promotional messages and avoids emailing the same person repeatedly.
- Get consent first. Stripe says customers must agree to promotional emails before you contact them, and that cart abandonment emails fall into that category.
- Send one or two messages, not a stream. Record who you contacted.
- Make it easy to finish: link straight to the checkout, with the product shown.
- Answer the likely objection (price, delivery, trust) rather than only saying “you forgot something”.
Abandoned carts when you sell through Instagram
On Instagram the abandoned step is often earlier: someone asks for the link, even replies “yes”, and never pays. Rules from Meta apply to a follow-up. An automated message is only allowed within 24 hours of the person’s last message, so a nudge the next day works only if it falls inside that window. After it, an email you collected with permission is the way back.
Tip: Look for the reason in the drop-off. If people leave at the payment step, check that UPI or cards actually work on a phone. If they leave before it, the price or the promise may be the issue, not the checkout.
An example
A buyer asks for a template pack in a DM, opens the checkout page and closes it at the payment step. A friendly message the same afternoon, inside the 24-hour window, asking if anything was unclear, can bring them back.
Questions people ask
What is cart abandonment rate?
It is the share of started carts or checkouts that never end in a payment. Divide the number abandoned by the number started and multiply by 100. For example, 150 abandoned out of 200 started is 75%.
Why do customers abandon their carts?
Reasons sellers commonly report include an unexpected total, a long form, a payment method that is missing or fails, or simply being interrupted. Your own data and a few honest messages to buyers will show which applies to you.
Can I email people who abandoned their cart?
Only if they have agreed to receive promotional email. Stripe’s documentation says customers must agree before you contact them, and its example sends only to people who opted in. Local law may add its own rules, so check yours.
Does an abandoned cart exist for digital products?
Yes, as long as a buyer reaches a payment step and leaves. The recovery is the same: a consented email or a prompt message, with a link back. There is nothing to ship, so speed matters.
Sources
Related terms
- CheckoutThe final step of a purchase, where the buyer reviews the order, enters payment details and confirms. It can sit on your site or in a payment provider’s window.
- Coupon codeA coupon code is a short code a buyer enters at checkout for a discount, such as a percentage or fixed amount off, with limits the seller sets, like an expiry date.
- Nurture sequenceA planned series of messages sent after someone shows interest, each one answering the next question they are likely to have, until they are ready to decide.
- Conversion rateThe percentage of people who finished a chosen goal, such as buying or signing up, out of everyone who could have: conversions divided by visitors, times 100.
- Lead magnetA lead magnet is a free resource, such as a checklist, template or short lesson, offered in exchange for contact details like an email address.
- Marketing funnelThe steps a person takes from first seeing your content to becoming a customer, drawn as a funnel because fewer people reach each next step.
More terms
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