How to Customize your Shopify Checkout Page: 28 Proven Ideas

The checkout page is the final destination of every Shopify store. 

Studies show that checkout optimization can recover up to $260 billion worth of lost orders. 

Applying any Shopify customization can be easy. But does it lead to more conversions?

Here's a detailed view of 28 fast and easy customizations to add to your Shopify checkout process that have proven to drive more sales.

28 Fast & Easy Shopify Checkout Page Customizations

1. Choose between Shopify one page & one click checkout

Most eCommerce businesses apply the standard checkout process as: 

Account creation > cart summary and shipping details > cart subtotal > payment method > payment 

In a single-page checkout process, one page displays all the shipping, delivery, and payment information.

Fewer steps and clicks significantly decrease the number of steps a customer has to take to complete an order, reducing cart abandonment.

How to customize Shopify checkout page:

Shopify merchants can use Shop Pay to accelerate checkout time, leading to faster order fulfillment. 

With this feature, customers don’t have to enter credit card details and shipping information every time they make a purchase. Shopify found that the order-to-checkout rate is 1.7 times higher when using this solution compared to the regular checkout experience.

Read more here: Best one-page checkout examples

2. Offer an alternative to ‘guest checkout’ 

While guest checkouts have been shown to improve conversions, there are some important drawbacks—you don’t capture critical customer information, have no access to abandoned carts, have low engagement in loyalty programs etc. 

The alternative is to send across a post-purchase survey over email when you're wondering how to customize Shopify checkout page.

How to customize Shopify checkout page:

a. Ask customers for an email ID to receive order confirmation, shipping and delivery information. 

Enable Multipass login through social— also enable multi-pass payments in your Shopify checkout flow. 

Go to settings>checkout>customer account>enable multi-pass. A secret code will help you proceed with the encoding process.

b. Shopify also offers the option of post-purchase account creation. 

To enable this, go to your Shopify admin>settings>checkout>customer accounts.

Choose ‘accounts are optional’ and click on save.

3. Incentivize account creation 

It’s no longer news that 25% of customers abandon their carts because of having to create an account. 

You can avoid this by providing them with an incentive. It can be as simple as free credits or free shipping. 

CrazyCups offers a $5 credit as an incentive in its Shopify checkout page template. Plus, subscription orders require an account. This increases its perceived value. 

4. Offer express checkout for Shopify customization

You’ve got to make your checkout process worth the returning customer’s time. 

This is why offering Shopify express checkout—which essentially lets a customer enjoy a faster checkout because they earlier saved shipping & payment details—is a great idea. 

How to add express checkout to Shopify checkout page:

Go to Shopify admin > Settings > Payments > Accept credit card > Express Checkout > Edit > API credentials > Activate

Recommended reading: How Do I Increase My Website’s Checkout Rate? (25 Proven Ideas)

5. Break down pricing with enough info

Research shows 55% of shoppers abandoned their cart because of extra charges that they couldn't understand.

A price breakdown in your custom checkout is the answer if you're considering how to customize checkout page in Shopify.

How to customize Shopify checkout page:

Within your Shopify admin, click on online stores.

- Click on Actions > Edit languages.

- In the search box, type Vat label html, and then press enter.

- Under Checkout & system / Checkout order summary, in the Vat label html text box, enter the following text: {{ amount }} tax included.

- Click Save to confirm.

6. Include urgency in your triggers

Urgency strategies can nudge potential customers into making an immediate purchase.

These highlighted text and numbers act as ‘brain candy’, and make your Shopify checkout flow more compelling.  

Here are some urgency trigger ideas:

a. Show the limited quantity left in stock

b. Give out a limited discount

c. Add a free item on each purchase during a particular window

d. Add a free gift to the order summary at Shopify checkout (position it like a one-time offer)

How to customize Shopify checkout page:

Enable inventory tracking:

- Access Products from your Shopify admin

- Input the name of the product & variant you’d like to track

- Check Track Quantity in the Inventory

- Enter the quantity information under Quantity

- Save the information & make it public

7. Assure shoppers about high-end products

Explore loss-aversion strategies for smart upselling.

High involvement products involve a lot of time and money plus a high opportunity cost. 

Assuring your customers with a warranty and protection plan is a smart way to upsell. It evokes loss aversion—a tendency where the fear of losing is psychologically 2x more powerful than the pleasure of gaining. 

Peloton upsells its 48-month total protection warranty on its Shopify checkout page template. 

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How to add this Shopify checkout customization: 

You can download the Extend Product Protection App (it’s free btw) and use it on your checkout page.  

8. Run ‘thumb tests’ for theme responsiveness

It’s important to optimize your Shopify checkout page for mobile shoppers.

Ensure that it is mobile and responsive to several touch patterns, screen sizes, and finger sizes as well.

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

a. Optimize your website  & ensure any screen loads in under 4 seconds

Create optimal distance between buttons so that they can be easily tapped.

Ensure that the main navigation is visible and clear. 

Reduce the amount of text. 

Use compressed images to reduce page load time.

Increase your font size.Consider using a size 14-16. 

b. Opt for a responsive Shopify theme. 

These themes are optimized to not only load images and pages faster but are also mobile responsive, SEO optimized, easy to integrate with social media, and above all highly customizable. 

Read more: Science-backed Mobile Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Ideas

9. Design a clean & distraction-free checkout

In Shopify custom checkout, shoppers need to be able to fill in their details and move on with the payment process—unless it’s a direction they need to follow or an error message, it may not be important. 

Here are things that should NEVER SHOW UP on a Shopify checkout page

- Unnecessary links (the only valuable links at this stage have to do with privacy, shipping, and returns)

- Ads to specific product categories or sales sections (feature these only across your homepage and category pages)

- Highly visible discount coupon field (feature a coupon field but either place on the side in a smaller size or base it on log-in details)

10. Consider exit intent popups

Naturally, not everyone who comes till the checkout page, actually checks out. 

It’s this audience that you can target through a Shopify checkout popup. 

Such an exit intent pop-up can leverage:

- Social proof on the products in cart

- A limited time offer

- Free delivery

- Feedback from leaving customers

- Special offers only for email subscribers

Here’s an example from Shopify brand Kyile Cosmetics:

How to customize Shopify checkout page:

Copy embed code from popup app or integration > Shopify admin > Online store > Preferences > Add custom javascript to Google Analytics section > Insert the code that you copied earlier

Read more: 18 ways to make Shopify popups less annoying (+ examples)

11. Enable wishlist sharing

Introduce ‘Save for Later’ on your checkout page, which can significantly boost your chances of returning customers. 

A report shows that 44% of eCommerce buyers want to have a wishlist and the list of benefits that come with it. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

Though Shopify doesn’t have a built-in wishlist feature, you can one of the two following ways to do this:

a. Apply custom code by using Shopify’s theme editor

b. Use one of the highly rated wishliting apps that pair well with Shopify storefronts (Wishlist-Wishify and Wishlist Plus are a few we’d recommend)

12. Recommend products in the same price range

A recent study found that 56% of customers return to websites that recommend products.

Also, 35% of Amazon’s revenue is generated by its recommendations engine.

Suggest products between 10% to 50% of the main product’s price.

For instance, recommend products ranging between $30 to $60 when customers have a cart value of around $50. 

Ensure that your product recommendations are easy to add to the cart.

Also, display a progress bar to make the Shopify checkout optimization more compelling. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

Add a recommendations object to your code.

A recommendations object helps Shopify stores offer dynamic product recommendations to their audience basis purchase history, shopping behavior, etc.

To enable this, you can follow these steps:

- Create a new Liquid file in the /sections directory

- Name this “product-recommendations.liquid”

- Through recommendations.products_count, you can set up control-flow tags & layout

- Create a loop through recommendations.products to establish product associations.

- For best results, display between 4 to 10 products at one time

Do check out: 9 Shopify Cart Page Customizations That Boost Conversion Rate

13. Localize personalizations to solve Shopify checkout issues

Reports show that 40% of customers shop from online stores with international shipping due to better availability and better quality products. 

If you offer international shipping, then it’s better to customize the Shopify checkout page design for global customers.

As basic as it may seem, language brings a sense of familiarity instantly. 

Furthermore, set up international pricing models and rounding rules to avoid charging extra from customers. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

a. To enable multi-currency:

Shopify admin > Settings > Payments > Manage > Add country/region > Use the geolocator app that gets installed when you pick a country, to choose the right currency

b. To enable multi-language:

Shopify admin > Settings > Languages > Translated Languages > Add language > Visit Shopify app store > Download a translation app > Preview the languages you want to activate > Go back to Shopify admin > Settings > Languages > Translated Languages > Publish

14. Overcome objections on checkout pages

Around 79% of customers prefer live chats as it offers instant responses. Due to their instant response rates, live chats help brands convert 30% more shoppers than they usually would.

If you have a high number of cart abandonments, then it’s a good idea to have a live chat on the Shopify checkout page design to resolve customer queries. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

Copy the code from the live chat app you pick > Shopify admin > Online Store > Themes > Edit code > Theme.liquid option > Paste the earlier copied code into the theme.liquid box > Save

15. Include a free-shipping nudge above the fold 

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75% of customers say that free shipping has a massive influence on their ordering decisions—and free shipping can definitely be a tool in your Shopify checkout customization efforts.

How to add this Shopify checkout page customization:

a. Set a free-shipping threshold that lies between the price of your current as well as the ideal Average Order Value. 

When setting a free-shipping threshold, it’s important to consider three main things:

- Analyze the average order value over a 6-12 month period to set a threshold

- Set the threshold at a lower limit to determine the value at which they’re availing of free shipping

- Set the threshold at a higher limit to determine the value at which they’re willing to increase AOV to access free shipping

Further reading: How To Improve Average Order Value On Shopify: 22 Brilliant Ideas

16. Offer multiple shipping options

With more than one delivery option, you’re giving your customers choice and control over their orders during Shopify custom checkout. 

Offer shipping information and multiple delivery dates like same-day delivery, next-day delivery, and even free delivery.

Also, offer a pickup option or a find in-store option when you're customizing your Shopify checkout steps.

How to customize Shopify checkout page:

On Shopify, you can add a calendar on your checkout page so that customers can select a delivery date based on the available dates you provide.

All you have to do is add jQuery to your theme liquid, create a delivery snippet and add the snippet to your checkout page.

17. Experiment with smart subscriptions

Subscriptions have multiple benefits as it drives steady income from repeat business and lowers customer acquisition cost through organic customer advocacy. 

If you can’t implement a site-wide subscription model, try it for your best-selling products in your Shopify checkout page design.

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

You could pitch a subscription where users can automatically subscribe for continuous orders or deliveries.

Introduce an upgrade nudge by declaring incentives at checkout.

Pitch an upgrade by offering a newer model of the product.

Ask a potential customer to go for a newer version by highlighting the exclusive features. 

Pitch a spare part that will help make their experience with this particular product even better.  

Do read: Why Is Your Shopify Conversion Rate Low?

18. Seal the deal with Trust Badges

Introduce trust badges at Shopify custom checkout to drive the final leg of conviction in shoppers—we've seen this Shopify customization to drive conversions for clients.

These badges can be in the form of security certificate logos, multiple accepted payment methods as well as money-back or upgrade guarantees. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.

In the Alternative Payments section, click Choose alternative payment.

Choose a provider from the list.

Enter your account credentials for the provider you chose.

Click Activate to enable the provider

19. Add reviews on the checkout page

The checkout page, which is also the end of the Shopify checkout flow, is perfect for reinforcing social proof. 

Put simply, it can be the final nudge to influence a shopper’s decision to buy from you. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

Add Google Customer Reviews to your Shopify store. Check how:

- Log in to your Google Merchant Center account

- Go to “Growth > Manage programs”

- Activate “Customer Reviews”

- Log in to your Shopify store

- Go to “Settings > Checkout > Order status page”

- Add the following JavaScript snippet to your Shopify “Order status page” form field.

20. Tap into the power of collective social proof 

While adding a review works great, you can bring in the power of collective social proof by including the star rating and the total number of reviews. 

This evokes the Bandwagon Effect—the inclination to adopt certain behaviors, styles, or attitudes simply because others are doing it. 

A Baymard study confirms that star rating along with the average reviews positively affect the perceived credibility of the product. 

Here’s an example of Little & Lively using its average ratings as part of its Shopify checkout optimization. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization: 

The average star rating is a trust badge. Here’s how you can customize the Shopify checkout page: 

– Go to your Shopify admin and click Online store > Themes 

– Click the three dots menu(looks like … this) and click Edit code

– Open the product.liquid template under the Templates directory 

– Choose where you’d like to add your badges 

– If you’re place it in below the title, copy and paste your badge code under {{ product title}} Liquid tag and click Save

21. Make returns information prominent

In a survey conducted, at least 91% of customers agreed that a company’s refund policy is a decisive factor when making a purchase.

Research also shows that 68% of shoppers view a store’s return policy before making a purchase. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

a. It isn't just about having a solid policy—but the placement of the link that influences the sale.

Place it in the footer has been used to place the link to all the store policies.

To make it easier to locate, you can place it right next to the products or under all the products in the cart itself. 

b. Within Shopify admin - go to settings and click on 'legal'.

Enter your policy or choose a template from Shopify.

Edit and add links as per your needs.

Click save to confirm.

For your Shopify store, you can set up a Return Merchandise Authorized System (RMA system) which will help you easily manage returns and return requests in your store.

22. Add trigger words to your CTA 

Research showed that valued-based CTA as opposed to generic ‘Learn More’ generated a 9.49% increase in conversions.

CTA’s in your Shopify custom checkout should be clear and inspiring enough for people to complete the purchase. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization:

a. For instance, you sell subscription-based products.

However, most new shoppers might not be ready to buy a subscription before at least sampling the product.

‘buy subscription’ = primary CTA

‘get samples’ = secondary CTA 

b. When altering your Shopify checkout page design, ensure your CTA buttons are visible.

Sticky CTAs are a great way to achieve that. Also, make sure your mobile CTAs pass the thumb test. 

You'll love this: How To Drive Traffic To Shopify Stores: 14 Proven Strategies

23. Ensure webpages load within 4 seconds

Every 3 seconds your page spends loading, you lose 57% of your initial traffic.

This is why you need to optimize the page speed at the Shopify custom checkout stage. 

How to add this Shopify checkout page customization:

Start by analyzing your current checkout page speed in Google Page Speed Insights. 

Eliminate render-blocking resources: static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files can harm your website from loading.

Serve images in a next-gen format like webp files: instead of using the conventional png and JPEG files, webp files are easier to load and take up less space—compress wherever necessary. 

Remove unused themes and plugins.

Use properly sized images.

Reduce server initial response time: This is the initial time it takes your website to load.

24. Protect your Shopify store from fraud

eCommerce retailers deal with an average of 206,000 web attacks per month. 

Such fraudulent activity can wreck your brand reputation, alienate customers, and harm profits.

You can detect fraud and protect your online store by analyzing inconsistent order data such as larger-than-average orders, unusual locations or multiple shipping addresses, or multiple orders from many credit cards. 

Bonus Tip: When you're figuring how to customize Shopify checkout page more effectively, add a ustomization to protect your store from bots that place fraudulent orders (ann app like Fraud Control can help.)

25. Reserve Shopify checkout for cause marketing

Since the onset of the pandemic, many customers like to shop from brands that are compassionate and support causes. 

If your store doesn’t have a manufacturing story that directly supports a cause, then you can implement a donation drive on the checkout page.   

26. Collect feedback right after checkout 

Your customer made a purchase. 

And while that’s cause for celebration. It’s not over yet.  

You can gain insights into your customer, shopping experience and get feedback on the checkout experience through surveys.

Collecting responses at checkout, by email, or through a link in a popup can all be part of your Shopify custom checkout strategy.

Further reading: Low form conversions? Making any of these 10 mistakes?

27. Normalize convenience with BNPL options 

BNPL options in your Shopify checkout page design helps reduce cart abandonment since they split the financial burden in interest-free payments. 

Which is why 48% of customers use BNPL options to buy things they can’t afford. Plus, it gives the choice of convenience over credit cards which are hard to obtain. 

MyProtein features two BNPL options in its Shopify checkout page template. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization: 

Shopify supports many popular BNPL options such as Klarna, AfterPay, ZIP, etc.

Head to your Shopify admin and click Settings>Payments. Click Add payment methods under Additional Payment Methods. 

Choose Select by Provider and type the BNPL provider of your choice. Click Activate and click Connect under Account status. Next click Connect and Install App.

In the final step, login into the BNPL account and click Activate.

28. Make it easier to access special discounts 

Purpose driven brands command a positive brand image with 86% of customers highly likely to buy from them. 

Start by offering Military, First responders, and Teachers discounts on your checkout page template. Under Armour offers these discounts that’s properly verified by ID.me. 

How to add this Shopify checkout customization: 

To create community discounts, create special discounts for each community. Go to Discounts in Shopify admin. You will have to set limits like validity dates, usage limits, and minimum order amounts. 

Next, integrate your Shopify store with the ID.me app to verify the credentials to tackle discount abuse and fraud. 

Shopify Checkout Page FAQs 

And, if you’re using Shopify, chances are you're bursting with these questions. 

What is checkout in Shopify? 

The Shopify checkout allows you to accept payments and receive orders when you’re selling online. The customer can proceed to checkout after adding items to the cart filling the payment and shipping details to make the final purchase. 

How do I create a checkout link on Shopify? 

You can create a checkout link using the admin access- 

If you have the Buy Button channel, you can create the checkout link directly on the product page using these steps.  

• Head to Products and click the particular product you want to create the checkout for. 
• Click More actions dropdown on the product details page and click Create checkout link.‍
• Click Copy link.

Wasn’t that easy? 

You can create checkout links for product variants by creating a manual link. 

How do I add content on my Shopify checkout page?

In order to add content to your Shopify checkout page, you’ll have to be able to edit it—here are the steps

Online Store > Themes > Customize > Checkout > Update content (logo, text, color, banner etc.) > Save

Is Shopify checkout customizable? 

It is by all means customizable. You can customize the UI, add content, add a tracking pixel, and more. For more information, check out the Shopify development site. 

Why can’t I checkout on my Shopify store?

The two common reason why your users aren’t able to checkout are:

• No shipping rate or option available for a particular country.
• Payment gateway error. 

How to edit checkout page in Shopify?

The best way to apply any Shopify customization is to use the Shopify checkout editor.

It is a separate tool from the theme editor that Shopify allows businesses to use—using the checkout editor, an eCommerce business can alter both the appearance and functionality of its storefront.

Recommended reading:

In-depth Guide to Shopify conversion rate optimization

Shopify Homepage CRO: 21 proven ideas to boost conversions

Shopify landing page design: 22 amazing examples + proven ideas

24 Best Shopify Marketing Strategies to Promote your Shopify Store

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