In this article
Why do so many stores lose the sale at the very last step?
A shopper lands on your store, browses, adds a product to the cart... then vanishes at checkout. This plays out daily across thousands of stores. Research by the Baymard Institute, which specializes in UX studies, puts the average cart abandonment rate at roughly 70% — meaning seven of every ten ready-to-buy customers leave before completing the order. The good news: a large share of that loss comes from the checkout design itself — and that is fixable.
Checkout isn't a minor technical detail; it's the moment intent turns into revenue. A small improvement here can lift sales without spending a single riyal more on ads.
The most common reasons customers abandon their cart
- Surprise costs: shipping or tax that wasn't clear upfront is the number-one reason people bail. Show the full cost early.
- Forced account creation: requiring sign-up before purchase drives new customers away. Offer guest checkout.
- A long, complex process: too many fields and steps exhaust the customer, and every extra field is a chance to lose them.
- Limited payment options: missing mada, Apple Pay, or STC Pay means losing a large segment of Saudi buyers.
- Weak trust: no security cues or clear return policy makes customers hesitate before entering their card.
- Poor mobile experience: most purchases in Saudi happen on mobile; any slowness or non-responsive design costs you sales.
Principles of a checkout that sells
- Guest checkout first: let people complete the order without an account, then offer one-tap account creation after purchase.
- Fewest possible fields: ask only for what shipping and payment require; use address autofill and map-based location.
- Cost transparency: show product price, shipping, tax, and total before the payment step, not after.
- Local payment methods: mada, Apple Pay, and STC Pay, plus installment options like Tabby and Tamara — which raise average order value for many Saudi stores — and cash on delivery for those who prefer it.
- A clear progress indicator: tell the customer which step they're on and how much is left.
- Instant, clear error messages: validate fields in real time and explain errors in plain language without wiping what the customer already entered.
- Trust signals: security certification, a clear return policy, and visible contact options reassure the buyer.
- Speed and mobile responsiveness: large buttons, the right keyboard per field, and fast loading.
What's specific about the Saudi market
The Saudi shopper expects an authentic Arabic (right-to-left) experience, not a literal translation; prefers local payment methods; and is strongly influenced by clear delivery times and the availability of cash on delivery. Buy-now-pay-later integration has also become a real factor in the purchase decision, especially for higher-value orders. Ignoring these details means offering an "imported" experience that doesn't fit your customer.
Every extra field and every extra step in checkout is a back door your customer slips out of.
How to measure and keep improving
Track your checkout completion rate and cart abandonment through analytics, and pinpoint exactly which step customers leave at. Then test improvements incrementally with A/B testing: try fewer fields, or add a payment method, and measure the impact with numbers rather than guesswork.
Origami's role
At Origami we build custom stores and checkout flows optimized for conversion and integrated with Saudi payment methods and shipping providers — or we improve your existing store to fix the leak points in the buying journey. The goal is singular: convert the largest possible share of visitors into actual customers.
Sources
- Baymard Institute — cart abandonment statistics: baymard.com
- mada — Saudi Central Bank (SAMA): sama.gov.sa
- Tabby and Tamara — buy-now-pay-later in Saudi Arabia
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal cart abandonment rate for online stores?
Baymard Institute research puts the global average at roughly 70% — about seven of every ten customers leave before completing the order. A large part of that is caused by checkout design and can be reduced.
What is the single biggest reason customers abandon their cart?
Surprise costs at the end, such as shipping or tax that didn't appear earlier. Showing the full cost from the start addresses this reason directly.
Should I require customers to create an account before buying?
No. Forced registration is one of the biggest causes of losing new customers. Offer guest checkout, and present one-tap account creation after the order is complete.
Do I really need mada, Apple Pay, and installment options in my store?
Yes, in the Saudi market. Missing local payment methods loses you a large share of buyers, and installment options like Tabby and Tamara raise average order value and increase the chance of completing the purchase.
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