Abandoning the cart and abandoning the checkout are two different behaviors that email service platforms (ESPs) tend to talk about as one: Abandoned Cart. Here are the key differences between these behaviors and how this information can help you improve the efficacy of your email automations.

What actually defines the abandoned cart behavior?

Some ESPs start their abandoned cart flows whenever someone abandons the cart, but others trigger the flow when someone abandons the checkout.

These are two very different behaviors.

Think about the way you shop online. You probably use your cart to window shop without ever having the intent of buying something.

If someone abandons a cart, they might be:

1. Sleeping on it and deciding if they really need whatever they added
2. Waiting for a paycheck to hit before continuing to checkout
3. Comparing prices or styles among other stores

Those who abandon the checkout are much more primed to buy, and are encountering friction with the process of buying.

If someone abandons the checkout, it’s likely because:

1. Shipping costs are too high
2. Shipping is too slow
3. The checkout process is too long
4. They’re forced to give up information before seeing the total cost
5. They’re required to create an account and don’t want to

This distinction can help you improve your email performance with targeted messaging, recover more carts with email automations, and understand your users’ shopping behavior more.