Expert answer · 2 min read
What is my checkout completion rate by payment method?
The short answer
In depth
Checkout Completion Rate by Payment Method
Payment method is one of the most impactful but least analyzed variables in checkout abandonment. Differences of 20-30 percentage points in completion rate between payment types are common - and each percentage point lost is revenue that can be recovered by offering the right payment options.
Completion Rate Benchmarks by Payment Type (2026)
| Payment Method | Typical Completion Rate | Primary Friction Point |
|---|---|---|
| Shop Pay | 88-93% | Minimal - pre-filled, 1-tap |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | 82-90% | Minimal - biometric auth |
| PayPal (one-touch) | 78-85% | PayPal redirect friction |
| Credit/debit card (manual entry) | 62-75% | Form length, card errors, 3DS |
| Buy Now Pay Later (Klarna/Afterpay) | 72-82% | Approval wait, eligibility anxiety |
| Bank transfer / manual | 40-60% | Multi-step process, delay |
How to Measure in Shopify
Shopify Reports
Analytics > Reports > Payments. This shows transactions broken down by payment gateway with order counts. For abandonment by payment type, export the Checkout Abandonment report and cross-reference with the selected payment gateway field for incomplete checkouts.
GA4 + Payment Event Tracking
Add payment_type as a custom parameter to your add_payment_info event in GA4. Then build a Funnel Exploration filtered by each payment type to see which methods have the highest drop from payment info entry to purchase completion.
Action Steps Based on Your Data
- 1. If card completion is below 65%: enable Shop Pay and accelerated checkout buttons prominently on cart and product pages
- 2. If PayPal abandonment is high: test reducing PayPal redirect by using inline PayPal checkout if available
- 3. If BNPL completion is low: add messaging about approval odds and instant decisions earlier in the funnel
- 4. For international markets with low completion: add local payment methods relevant to that market
Growth Suite - Cart Insights
Growth Suite's Cart Insights dashboard surfaces checkout abandonment patterns that correlate with offer exposure. If visitors who receive a Growth Suite offer still abandon at the payment stage at high rates, this often indicates a payment friction issue rather than a price sensitivity issue - helping you diagnose where to invest in payment method improvements.
Growth Suite for Shopify
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