Your pocket guide to answering purchase-blocking questions

70% of online shopping carts are abandoned before checkout. On mobile, it's 85%. That's not a leak. That's a flood. $4 trillion worth of products sit in abandoned carts globally every year. It is important to note that $260 billion of that is recoverable through better checkout design and faster answers alone.

The problem isn't that customers don't want to buy. It's that something that stopped them. Usually, a question you didn't answer fast enough.

The 5 purchase-blocking questions you need to answer

1. "What's the total cost?"

The blocker. Hidden shipping, taxes, or fees that appear at checkout.

The fix. Surface total cost early. Show shipping estimates on product pages. If free shipping has a threshold, make it visible everywhere.

Why it works. 48% of abandoners cite surprise costs. Transparency before checkout eliminates the shock.

2. "When will it arrive?"

The blocker. Unclear or slow delivery timelines.

The fix. Display estimated delivery dates, not just shipping speeds. "Arrives by Friday" beats "3-5 business days."

Why it works. 22% abandon over delivery concerns. Specificity builds confidence.

3. "What if I don't like it?"

The blocker. Unclear or restrictive return policies.

The fix. State your return policy clearly on product pages and in cart. Make the process obvious. "Free returns within 30 days" removes risk.

Why it works. 18% of abandonments stem from return anxiety. Easy returns remove purchase risk.

4. "Is this site trustworthy?"

The blocker. Security concerns, especially for first-time buyers.

The fix. Display trust badges, secure payment icons, and customer reviews prominently. Show real contact information.

Why it works. Trust signals can reduce abandonment by up to 28%.

5. "Do I have to create an account?"

The blocker. Forced registration before purchase.

The fix. Offer guest checkout. Always. Account creation can happen after purchase.

Why it works. 24% of customers will leave rather than create an account.

How to recover abandoned carts

Prevention is best. Recovery is essential.

Email works

Abandoned cart emails have a 41.8% open rate and 10.7% conversion rate. That's dramatically higher than standard marketing emails.

Best practices

• Send the first email within 1 hour

• Include product images and prices

• Add urgency without being pushy

• Three-email sequences generate $24.9 million vs $3.8 million for single emails

Timing matters

• 1 hour post-abandonment. Reminder with cart contents

• 24 hours. Address potential concerns (shipping, returns)

• 72 hours. Final nudge, possibly with an incentive

Incentives should be strategic

Discounts work, but train customers to expect them, and you erode margins. Try these first.

• Free shipping (if they're close to a threshold)

• Extended return window

• Saved cart notification ("your items are selling fast")

• Highlight reviews or ratings of items in the cart

The real-time recovery opportunity

Here's what most brands miss.

26% of shoppers who abandon carts go buy from a competitor instead. They wanted to purchase. They just had a question you didn't answer.

Real-time support during the purchase flow changes the equation.

When a customer hesitates at checkout with a question about sizing, shipping, or compatibility, the window to answer is minutes, not hours. AI that surfaces answers instantly, either through chat or proactive messaging, captures conversions that email recovery never reaches.

The best cart recovery happens before the cart is abandoned.

Quick wins to implement this week

1. Audit your checkout for surprise costs. If anything changes from product page to checkout, fix it.

2. Add delivery date estimates to product pages. Not shipping speed. Actual dates.

3. Put your return policy in the cart. One line is enough. "Free returns within 30 days."

4. Enable guest checkout. If you don't have it, add it. Today.

5. Set up a 3-email abandonment sequence. If you only have one email, add two more.

6. Add real-time support at checkout. Answer questions before they become abandonments.

The bottom line

Cart abandonment isn't inevitable. It's a symptom of unanswered questions.

Answer them before checkout, and you prevent abandonment. Answer them during checkout, and you save the sale. Answer them after, and you recover the revenue your competitors are losing.

The brands winning in 2025 aren't the ones with the lowest prices. They're the ones with the fastest, clearest answers.

See how Gladly helps brands answer purchase-blocking questions in real time and turn abandoned carts into completed orders.