What Is Cart Abandonment? (And How to Prevent It)

Nearly 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned.

Seventy percent. Imagine the revenue left on the table.

This guide breaks down the what, why, and how of shopping cart abandonment. We’ll explore the latest stats, the psychology behind abandoned carts, and effective recovery strategies—including how SMS can be a game-changer.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What shopping cart abandonment really means in 2025.
• The psychology behind why people abandon carts.
• The most common reasons for abandonment (and how to fix them).
• Proven recovery strategies, including the power of SMS.
• How to measure your success and boost your ROI.

Ready? Let’s go.

What is Cart Abandonment?

Cart abandonment happens when online shoppers add products but exit before completing a purchase. Any item that enters the shopping cart but never makes it through the transaction is considered ‘abandoned’. While this affects 7 out of 10 online carts, smart retailers can spot warning signs and recover these lost sales.

Why Customers Abandon Carts

There are a few key reasons, and we can broadly categorize them into primary and secondary factors.

Primary Reasons (The Deal Breakers)

These are the big ones—the issues that immediately cause customers to bail. They’re often related to practical concerns or friction in the buying process.

• Unexpected Costs: This is the number one reason for cart abandonment. Nobody likes surprises at the checkout page. Hidden fees, high shipping costs, unexpected taxes—these are all major turnoffs. Be transparent about costs from the start.
• Complex Checkout Process: A long, complicated checkout process is a recipe for abandonment. Too many steps, confusing forms, and unnecessary information requests create friction and frustrate customers. Keep it simple. Make it fast.
• Forced Account Creation: Forcing customers to create an account before purchasing is a huge barrier. Many online shoppers just want to make a quick purchase without the hassle. Offer a guest checkout option. It’s a simple change that can make a big difference.
• Security Concerns: If your site doesn’t look secure, customers won’t feel comfortable sharing their payment information. Display trust badges, use HTTPS, and ensure your site is PCI compliant. It’s about building confidence.
• Limited Payment Options: Not offering customers their preferred payment method can lead to abandonment. Offer various options, including major credit cards, PayPal, and other popular digital wallets. Give them choices.

Secondary Factors (The Subtle Nudges)

These factors might not immediately cause abandonment, but they can contribute to a negative experience and make customers more likely to leave.

• Website Performance: A slow-loading online store is frustrating. Customers expect pages to load quickly. If your site is slow, they’ll bounce. Optimize your site’s speed for a better user experience.
• Mobile Optimization: With so many people window shopping online on their phones, a mobile-unfriendly website is a disaster. Ensure your ecommerce store is responsive and provides a seamless mobile experience.
• Return Policy Clarity: A clear and easy-to-find return policy builds trust and reduces purchase anxiety. Make your return policy visible and easy to understand.
• Stock Availability: Discovering an item is out of stock after adding it to the cart is incredibly frustrating. Keep your inventory information up-to-date and clearly display stock levels.

Addressing these primary and secondary factors is crucial for reducing shopping cart abandonment rate and boosting conversion rate. It’s about creating a smooth, trustworthy, and enjoyable shopping experience.

Here’s an interesting graph by the Baymard Institute that also reveals the most common reasons for abandonment during checkout.

Read Next:

• Text Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2025
• 8 Hacks to Increase Your Ecommerce Sales Today (Easily)

Reducing Shopping Cart Abandonment

So, customers are abandoning carts. It happens. But the good news is, you can win many of them back. There are several recovery strategies you can use, from traditional methods to more modern approaches. Let’s explore some of the most effective ones:

Recovery Method	Best Practices	Key Timing	Pro Tips
Email Follow-ups	• Personalize with customer name • Include abandoned items • Consider offering incentives	• First email: Within 1 hour • Second email: 1-2 days later • Final email: 3-4 days after	Test different subject lines and offers to find what resonates with your audience
Retargeting Ads	• Show specific abandoned products • Use eye-catching visuals • Include compelling copy	• Start within 24 hours • Run for 3-7 days • Set frequency caps	Segment audiences based on cart value to adjust ad spend accordingly
Push Notifications	• Keep messages concise • Include clear CTAs • Respect user preferences	• Send within 30 minutes • Limit to 2-3 notifications • Space them 24 hours apart	Use urgency without being pushy (e.g., “Your cart is waiting”)
Exit-Intent Popups	• Offer immediate value • Keep design simple • Make closing easy	• Trigger on exit intent • Show once per session • Reset after 24 hours	A/B test different offers to find the sweet spot between conversion and margin

SMS is the BEST channel for cart abandonment recoveries, data shows

While traditional methods like email and retargeting ads are valuable, SMS offers a direct and immediate line to your customer’s phone.

People check their texts constantly. It’s a personal and highly effective way to reach customers.

Let’s look at some stats that show the power of SMS:

• SMS open rates are sky-high, often exceeding 98%. Compare that to email open rates, which typically hover around 20%. That’s a huge difference.
• 90% of text messages are read within three minutes of being received. This immediacy makes SMS ideal for time-sensitive reminders, like cart recovery messages.

Now imagine that paired with an irresistible SMS offer that doesn’t sound like a robot – that’s where TxtCart comes in.

TxtCart’s Conversational AI Can Send Human-like Texts to Your Customers

TxtCart takes SMS cart recovery to the next level with artificial intelligence specifically honed to answer customer queries and send cart recovery flows with eerily human-like text messages.

TxtCart doesn’t send generic reminders; it starts dialogue. Here’s a sample:

It builds real relationships with your customers on the frontline.

Plus, TxtCart’s smart customer segmentation allows you to send targeted campaigns to users who abandoned their carts with a simple click from a dropdown.

It’s about sending the right message to the right person at the right time.

Read Next:

• Conversational SMS Guide: 15+ Best Examples, Uses, & Tips
• 50+ SMS Templates for eCommerce That Simply Work

When to send your cart abandonment flows (+ templates)

Send too early, you’re that clingy brand nobody wants. Send too late? You lose the interest and momentum.

We’ve tested hundreds of recovery campaigns and found the sweet spots that hit the perfect balance. Here’s your ready-to-use playbook for cart recovery timing, complete with templates that actually convert if you’re not using TxtCart’s conversational AI:

Message Type	Strike Time	Cart Recovery Template (if you’re not using TxtCart)
Initial Message	Within 30 minutes of abandonment Why? Cart interest peaks in the first hour. Strike while the product is still dancing in their mind.	Copy Quick heads up – those *perfect picks* in your cart are getting lonely! Ready to give them a forever home? 👀 [View Cart] Pro tip: Check out now to dodge those dreaded ‘out of stock’ notices.
Follow-up Message	24 hours after initial message Why? The sweet spot between persistence and patience. They’ve slept on it – now’s your chance.	Copy *Psst* – your cart called… It’s still holding your awesome picks, but it’s getting nervous about other shoppers eyeing them. [Secure Your Items] Fun fact: Most of our sold-out items were chilling in someone’s cart first 😉
Final Message	72 hours after follow-up Why? The last window before interest drops off a cliff. Time to bring out your best offer.	Copy Last call on your cart picks! Here’s a little *thank you* for catching our eye: **Grab 10% off** when you check out today. [Save 10% Now] Bonus: Free shipping on orders over $50 🚀

Read Next: The Best Time to Send SMS Marketing Messages

Tracking Your SMS Recovery Efforts

To gauge the effectiveness of your SMS cart recovery campaigns, it’s essential to monitor key performance metrics. We talk about that in this section.

Here’s how to measure your success:

Key Metrics to Track

Txtcart provides a robust set of analytics to help you track your cart recovery performance. Here are some key metrics to focus on:

• Recovery Rate: The percentage of abandoned carts recovered through SMS.
• Open Rate: The percentage of customers who open your SMS messages.
• Click-through Rate (CTR): The percentage of customers who click on a link in your SMS message (e.g., link to their cart).
• Conversion Rate: The percentage of customers who complete a purchase after clicking on a link in your SMS.
• Average Order Value (AOV): The average amount spent by customers who complete a purchase through SMS cart recovery.
• Return on Investment (ROI): This metric looks at the revenue generated from SMS cart recovery compared to the cost of using Txtcart.

Calculating ROI with Txtcart

TxtCart simplifies ROI calculations by providing built-in analytics that track revenue attributed to cart recovery SMS campaigns and all your other SMS-related shenanigans.

You can also spot which products sail through checkout and which get left behind with TxtCart. These patterns help you fine-tune your recovery tactics and boost your overall conversion rate by:

Here’s how to act on those analytics in a practical way:

Price-Point Tweaks

• Test dynamic discounts based on item value
• Offer bundles for frequently-abandoned products
• Adjust shipping thresholds that trigger abandonments

Message Timing

• Speed up recovery emails for high-demand items
• Slow down sequences for consideration-heavy products
• Hit price-sensitive items with strategic weekend offers

Content Adjustments

• Highlight social proof for abandoned premium products
• Showcase “frequently bought together” for complementary items
• Add scarcity alerts for fast-moving inventory

Let TxtCart Take You From Cart Ghosting to Cash Flow

Look, cart abandonment happens. But with 70% of carts sitting empty, there’s serious cash waiting to be claimed. Let’s turn those digital ghosts into dollars.

Here’s what you’ve learned:

• Track the numbers – Know which products get cold feet and why
• Time it right – Hit that sweet 30-min, 24-hour, 72-hour rhythm
• Text to win – Tap into those crazy 98% open rates
• Get smart with AI – Let TxtCart’s industry-leading conversational AI handle your customer conversations and drive sales while you sleep.
• Test and tweak – Because what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow