21 Shopify checkout customizations to increase sales (2026)

Your Shopify checkout page is where the ecommerce magic finally happens — customers complete their purchases and generate revenue for your business. It’s the final step before the post-purchase stage, and it must be built with your customer in mind to keep abandonment rates low.

The best Shopify checkouts move customers to completion quickly and provide all expected payment options, such as Google Pay and Klarna. There, you also address final barriers to conversion (such as delivery estimates) and upsell to increase average order value.

Following 2026 trends, such as AI and personalization, there are plenty of ways to create a custom Shopify checkout flow. In fact, Shopify has been making significant changes to its checkout functionality. Join us below to learn all about them, plus expert tips, best practices, and apps for increasing sales in 2026.

What is a Shopify checkout page?

A Shopify checkout page is a secure, hosted page where customers complete their online purchase. It guides shoppers to enter their shipping and billing details, select delivery options, choose payment methods, and confirm the order.

The page automatically calculates taxes, shipping charges, and discounts. This allows shoppers to understand what they’re paying for. Shopify optimizes its checkout process, ensuring it’s fast, secure, and mobile responsive. It also supports PCI compliance and fraud protection.

Additionally, Shopify checkout allows limited customization and branding consistency. But you can connect apps like Omnisend for upsells, analytics, and conversion optimization. This reduces cart abandonment and increases completed orders.

Why is it important to optimize your checkout page? 

Optimizing your Shopify checkout page can make a bigger difference than you might expect:

• Reduce cart abandonment: A long or clunky checkout is a silent killer for conversions. Baymard Institute data shows that 18% of US shoppers abandon an order simply because the process feels like too much work. So streamlining it means fewer customers slipping away right at the finish line.
• Establish trustworthiness: Shoppers need to feel confident handing over their payment details. A polished, professional checkout page provides that reassurance, and it’s not just nice to have. Baymard found that 19% of shoppers will leave a site if something feels off about the security.
• Increase average order value (AOV): A well-optimized checkout page is the perfect moment to surface cross-sells and upsells, catching customers when they’re already in buying mode. Brands using Shop Pay Installments, for example, have seen AOV jump by as much as 50%, giving customers the flexibility to spend more without feeling the pinch all at once.

How to optimize the Shopify checkout page

The steps below will help you improve your checkout experience and increase sales, revenue, and AOV without additional marketing spend.

Click the links to jump to any that interest you:

1. Set up Shopify one-step checkout
2. Add a checkout progress bar
3. Provide more express payment options
4. Showcase your unique selling points
5. Add a free shipping threshold
6. Use AI-powered personalization at and after checkout
7. Prepare for agentic checkout
8. Use Rollouts to optimize checkout
9. Show related products
10. Make the checkout experience unique
11. Add live chat or a chatbot
12. Optimize checkout page speed
13. Convert visitors into SMS subscribers
14. Induce a sense of urgency
15. Display social proof
16. Offer multiple shipping methods
17. Let customers add gift wrapping and notes
18. Add post-purchase upsells on Thank You pages
19. Enable guest and social checkout options
20. Integrate product bundles
21. Use address verification to reduce errors and fraud

1. Set up Shopify one-step checkout

Multi-page checkout gives your shoppers plenty of opportunities to back out. In contrast, a one-page Shopify checkout process makes buying easier and faster. Consider these pros and cons before switching to a one-page Shopify checkout.

It’s important to note that Shopify’s one-page checkout is a built-in feature if you’re on the Plus plan.

Of the many excellent one-page Shopify checkout examples available, here’s one from Gymshark:

It has Express Checkout options with Google Pay, PayPal, and Shop Pay, and invites customers to save their information for a faster checkout experience later on.

You can introduce a similarly effective one-page checkout with these Shopify apps:

• Checkout Plus: It’s built for checkout customization, such as gift messaging, upsells, and payment rules. Free plan available for stores in the development and staging phases. Prices start at $29/month with a seven-day free trial. 
• PageFly: Seamlessly builds visually appealing store layouts and one-page checkouts with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor. A free plan is available with basic features. Otherwise, prices start from $24/month.

2. Add a checkout progress bar

A progress bar shows customers how many steps are left in the checkout process. This simple feature reduces the risk of abandoned carts when multiple stages are involved.

Make sure to keep it simple: three steps maximum with labels. Here’s a prime example from an unusual gift company, Firebox, showing the steps involved in the checkout process:

You can add progress bars through apps, such as Checkout Plus, Checkit, or Yaco Progress Bar.

3. Provide more express payment options

The availability of express checkout options makes conversion much more likely. Shopify supports the following accelerated options: Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, and PayPal Express. 

While your competitors’ Shopify checkout pages might look like this:

Shoppers will be more likely to purchase from your store if your Shopify checkout options look more like this:

More payment options lead to more opportunities to make sales. It also signals that you consider your shoppers’ preferences and care enough to improve the customer experience. 

To help you set this up, check out Shopify’s official guide for setting up payment methods.

4. Showcase your unique selling points

You may have a strong competitive advantage, but that might not be immediately apparent to your shoppers. It could be: 

• Commitment to using premium raw materials
• Free shipping offer
• Generous refund policy
• Support for a cause

No matter what it is, state it plainly for your customers to appreciate, as these impact buying decisions considerably.

The Kate Backdrop Shopify checkout example below features a dedicated section in the bottom right-hand corner. It emphasizes durable materials and high-quality construction. This strengthens buyer confidence without distracting from checkout.

5. Add a free shipping threshold

Enabling your shoppers to earn a free shipping perk by hitting a certain threshold incentivizes them to spend more.

One of the best ways to implement this tactic effectively is to use a free shipping progress bar. It should tell shoppers just how little they need to add to their cart to save on courier costs.

Here’s an excellent example of a shipping threshold progress bar from Fashion Nova — it appears on the cart page (MY BAG) to encourage larger spending before checkout:

There are several other Shopify apps that make this easy to implement:

• Hextom: Free Shipping Bar: Promotes free shipping with progressive messages to motivate customers to complete a purchase. Plus, it works with the latest Shopify themes. It has a free plan available, and you can access all features for $9.99/month.
• ShippingLadder: Offers advanced customization options so you can design an engaging progress bar to reflect your brand identity. You can test functionality with a 14-day free trial before paying $8.99/month.

6. Use AI-powered personalization during and after checkout

AI checkout personalization uses machine learning to adapt the checkout experience in real-time. It leverages customers’ information, such as buying behavior, cart value, browsing history, and purchase intent. 

Instead of showing the same checkout page to everyone, AI personalizes payment methods, shipping options, upsells, and incentives to match each shopper’s preferences. AI-powered personalization can boost conversion rates by up to 35% and reduce checkout abandonment by almost 25%.

The benefits cut across the customer journey:

• Increases conversions through relevant, timely offers
• Reduces abandonment by removing friction at drop-off points
• Improves average order value with intelligent upsells
• Improves customer experience with tailored payment options
• Automatically optimizes based on real performance data

A great example is Jenny Bird, which uses Nosto to display personalized limited-time offers immediately after payment. It turns the post-purchase moment into an additional revenue opportunity:

You can achieve similar results on your Shopify checkout page using the following apps: 

• Rebuy Engine: Delivers AI-powered upsells, cross-sells, and smart product recommendations from cart to post-purchase. It features smart cart, flows, and A/B testing. It has a free plan, and you can access more features starting at $25/month.
• Nosto: An enterprise-grade AI personalization platform covering product recommendations, behavior analysis, dynamic content, and audience segmentation. It’s free to install, though a paid Nosto account is required. You’ll have to book a demo to learn about the pricing options.

7. Prepare for agentic checkout and AI shopping

In agentic commerce, the customer tells the AI what they need. It researches options and completes the purchase for the customer directly within AI chats. 

Shopify’s Winter 2026 Agentic Storefronts feature lets merchants syndicate products to AI platforms and manage how their brand appears in AI shopping results. With 71% of US consumers already using AI tools and 37% using them frequently, this is quickly becoming a mainstream buying behavior.

Here’s what this means for merchants:

• Customers may buy from you without ever seeing your website
• Product discovery will move from search results into AI conversations
• Structured product data is essential for AI visibility
• Traditional SEO is evolving into GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

You can prepare for agentic checkout using these actionable tips:

1. Optimize your product data for AI  

• Write detailed, natural-language product descriptions
• Include key specs, use cases, and comparisons
• Structure data with clear attributes (size, material, features)
• Add high-quality images with descriptive alt text

Shopify has a detailed video for setting up your product data:

2. Enable Shopify Agentic Storefront (if available on your plan) 

• Manage how products appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms
• Control which products you want to syndicate to AI channels
• Track attribution from AI-driven sales

3. Create AI-friendly content 

• Publish detailed buying guides and comparison content
• Include FAQ sections on product pages
• Create blog content answering common questions
• Leverage customer reviews (AI engines cite these heavily)

Below is an example of how a product appears in ChatGPT:

AI platforms currently supporting checkout include ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, and Claude (via integrations).

8. Use Rollouts to optimize checkout

A/B testing requires using apps like Omnisend to compare two versions of your checkout. 

Shopify has announced a Winter 2026 Edition rollout with built-in A/B testing for checkout pages.

It will let you split traffic between two themes. This approach enhances Shopify checkout optimization and increases conversion rates.

Some elements worth testing include:

• Checkout layout (one-page vs. multi-step)
• Form field placement and labels
• Urgency messaging
• Upsell offers and positioning
• Shipping options display
• Payment method order
• Social proof elements

Rollout is currently in early access, but you can sign up to be notified when it goes live.

9. Show related products

Upselling or cross-selling Shopify-suggested products at checkout can increase your customers’ average order value significantly. To implement this feature, use the Shopify checkout tool. It’ll let you customize and edit the functionality and appearance of your checkout page.

Add one to two products relevant to what’s already in the cart or your customer’s previous purchases. However, don’t go overboard in your recommendations. 

Here’s a good example from device protection brand Pela:

Also, on mobile, they appear just above the Pay now button to increase conversions:

10. Make the checkout experience unique

The transactional nature of checkout pages makes them typically bland, but they don’t have to be. A unique Shopify checkout design is branded, emotionally consistent, and memorable enough that customers feel good about buying from you again.

You can extend your brand voice into CTA buttons, error messages, order confirmation, and typography.  

See how Polène customizes its Shopify checkout experience using a unique font:

You can also create a custom confirmation page experience using a celebratory animation, a short founder thank-you, or a next-step story. Pair that with trust signals like custom security badges rather than stock icons.

This Shopify checkout page example from Huel shows how you can make yours interesting. It allows customers to choose a free gift, adds related products, and reminds them about loyalty points:

You can also create a custom confirmation page experience using a celebratory animation, a short founder thank-you, or a next-step story. Pair that with trust signals like custom security badges rather than stock icons.

This Shopify checkout page example from Huel shows how you can make yours interesting. It allows customers to choose a free gift, adds related products, and reminds them about loyalty points:

Also, guide customers’ eyes toward the checkout task using a visual-focused technique. For example, shoe retailer Lugz has a multi-step checkout that’s set into a greyed-out web page, guiding customers through all the steps:

11. Add live chat or a chatbot

Live chat is a must-have on your Shopify checkout page because it’s the fastest way to get support for customers. If a potential customer has any questions, they should be able to contact you first before abandoning the checkout.

Chatbots are also useful for this purpose, and they’re more cost-effective than live chats. For your chatbot to be effective, however, it should cover the most common questions your shoppers might have while checking out. Typically, this includes information on shipping times, refund policies, and so on. 

For instance, Urban Outfitters’ chatbot has instant answers to common questions:

You can implement a live chat feature or a chatbot using Tidio and Intercom.

12. Optimize checkout page speed

Faster sites encourage people to stay longer and buy more because slow loading times create friction and frustration that drive customers away. 

A fast checkout is crucial since any delay during the final purchase step increases the risk of cart abandonment when customers are already committed to buying.

For example, here’s how Beardbrand approaches it:

• To begin, visit the PageSpeed Insights website 
• Enter the URL of the page you want to test 
• Click Analyze to run tests
• Flick between Mobile and Desktop to view statistics. The speed report includes:
  • A score for web page performance 
  • Recommendations for improvement 

After you’ve read the reports, use this information to resolve vulnerabilities. Methods to optimize the Shopify checkout page speed include:

• Install a responsive website theme
• Compress images and use lazy loading
• Limit third-party apps
• Eliminate redirect loops
• Migrate tracking codes to Google Tag Manager

13. Convert visitors into SMS subscribers

Shoppers tend to be more receptive at checkout because they’re already committed to buying. This makes it the ideal moment to introduce an SMS opt-in field. 

Capturing a phone number here opens a direct line for post-purchase follow-up, abandoned cart recovery, and loyalty campaigns.

L’ange Hair is an example to take note of. Check out how its SMS subscription field seamlessly integrates into the checkout process:

Some Shopify checkout best practices for using SMS include:

• Be clear about what your shoppers are opting into
• Explain how shoppers will benefit
• Offer incentives in return for personal details
• Keep the opt-in field as a natural part of the form, not an interruption
• Make opting out as easy as opting in

Watch this video to discover how SMS can turn subscribers into loyal customers:

14. Induce a sense of urgency

Creating a sense of urgency doesn’t have to just be about voucher expiries and limited-time offers, although both are effective strategies. Instead, think outside the box and tap into your shoppers’ deep-seated FOMO (fear of missing out).

Effective tools to provoke a sense of urgency on the Shopify checkout page include:

• Countdown timers
• Limited stock or availability notes
• Social proof, such as reviews from other customers who loved the product
• Discounts if the shopper completes their purchase within a certain time frame
• Use of urgency words, like “hurry,” “act now,” or “limited time only”

Take a look at how Hismile uses this tactic — its cart expiry timer appears as a red alert above payment options to encourage the customer to buy immediately:

To add a countdown timer to your Shopify checkout page, you can use apps like: 

• Countdown Timer Bar: Essential: Creates urgency with customizable countdown timers, announcement bars, and cart timers to reduce abandonment and bank sales. Free plan available with up to 1,000 monthly views, paid plans from $6.99/month.
• GA:Urgency Countdown Timer Bar: Offers scarcity counters, sales popups, and automated timer scheduling that disappears after completion. Free to install for development stores. Growth plan costs $9.99/month for up to 10 orders.

15. Display social proof

A Shopify checkout page is a great place to establish trust. To build credibility and reduce abandoned orders at checkout, consider adding social proof, such as:

• Reviews
• Customer testimonials
• Celebrity endorsements
• Social media shares
• Earned media, such as magazine articles

Here’s an example from health food retailer Press London — its checkout page showcases Trustpilot reviews beneath the pricing section:

To showcase social media ratings and other social proof on your Shopify checkout page, use trusted apps like Fera and SalesPop.

16. Offer multiple shipping methods

Shoppers love convenience, which is why you should offer multiple ecommerce shipping methods. While most prefer store-to-door delivery, some might choose to pick up their product from a nearby location, such as a UPS Access Point.

In fact, the buy online, pickup in-store model has become a popular means to shop, especially for customers who want products as soon as possible.

Here’s an example from temporary tattoo retailer Tattly:

Tattly offers between two and eight shipping options, depending on the delivery address, and it automatically updates the cart total with each selection.

17. Let customers add gift wrapping and notes

Offering gift wrapping and personalized gift notes at checkout turns luxury shopping into a complete gift experience. When you offer these services, you capture spontaneous gifting and encourage customers to spend more for convenience.

Badesofa lets its customers add gift notes at checkout, with pre-written options to make leaving a note super-convenient:

You can add gift options to your Shopify checkout with apps like Wrapped: Gift Wrap & Messages and GLab: Gift Wrap & Gift Message.

18. Add post-purchase upsells on Thank You pages

Post-purchase upsells appear immediately after payment completes, on the Thank You or Order Status page. Unlike traditional upsells that interrupt the buying flow, these offers require a single click. That’s because the system has already captured the payment details.

Shopify’s August 2026 Thank You page upgrade introduces checkout extensibility features, making it easier to add smart upsell blocks without custom code. Post-purchase upsells work well because:

• Customer is in the buying mode 
• One-click acceptance
• Doesn’t risk initial conversion
• Complementary products increase the perceived value

The Shopify Thank You page upgrade includes the following:

• New features, such as app blocks, checkout extensions, and pixels
• Built-in compliance (EU payment disclaimers)
• Faster and more secure than the old checkout.liquid

If you haven’t upgraded yet, the deadline is August 2026. 

A few best practices when implementing post-purchase upsells on Thank You pages are:

• Keep offers relevant to the original purchase
• Use urgency (“Add now before shipping”)
• Show a clear value proposition
• Limit to one or two upsell offers (don’t overwhelm)
• Test different products and messaging
• Track acceptance rate and AOV impact
• Consider offering a price slash on the upsell

Jenny Bird’s Thank You page is a great example of a post-purchase upsell:

19. Enable guest and social checkout options 

Guest checkout is a popular option for privacy-conscious consumers because it’s quick and anonymous. It allows customers to buy without sharing extensive personal information or creating passwords. According to Baymard’s research cited earlier, adding a guest checkout can prevent 19% abandonment from forced account creation.

Benefits of guest checkouts for shoppers include:

• Faster purchases
• Reduced abandoned carts
• Builds trust with first-time buyers

Another tactic you can use to convert data-conscious customers is adding signup options using Google, Facebook, or Apple credentials.

Chubbies is an example of a brand that does guest checkout and sign-in options well. It provides options to check out as a guest, sign in, and sign up with social media:

20. Integrate product bundles 

Grouping complementary products into bundles and upselling larger item quantities helps you sell more products and increase AOV.

Reasons to incorporate it into your Shopify checkout page include:

• Streamlines the shopping experience
• Clears out old inventory
• Increases product awareness
• Improves customer satisfaction

Natural skincare retailer Gentle Therapy uses bundles and multi-quantity product listings to encourage larger orders:

You can add bundles to your Shopify store with these apps:

• FBP | Fast Bundle Product: Creates product bundles including mix-and-match, BOGO, volume discounts, and buy X get Y offers with AI-powered recommendations. Free for development stores, Standard plan $19/month for up to $1,000 monthly bundle sales.
• Bundler – Product Bundles: Offers unlimited bundle creation with subscription integration and POS compatibility, specializing in landing pages and funnel upsells alongside traditional bundling strategies. Free plan with unlimited bundles, Premium plan $8.99/month without revenue limits.

21. Use address verification to reduce errors and fraud

Address verification validates shipping addresses in real-time. It catches typos, incomplete entries, and invalid locations before an order ships. 

This prevents failed deliveries and reduces returns while speeding up checkout through autocomplete suggestions.

Here are four main types of address verification:

• Autocomplete: Works with postal databases to reduce typos and speed up checkout 
• Real-time validation: Checks if the address exists and prevents checkouts with invalid addresses
• Address standardization: Formats entries to carrier standards, especially for international shipping 
• Fraud detection: Flags suspicious patterns like mismatched billing/shipping addresses or freight forwarders

Take a look at how My Medic provides autocomplete address suggestions:

You can implement this using:

• Google Address Autocomplete
• Shopify apps (e.g., Loqate, Checkout Address Validator)
• Carrier-based verification through USPS, UPS, and FedEx address validation APIs

Checkout page examples

What do all the best Shopify checkout page examples have in common? Above all else, they put the customer first and make the process as straightforward as possible. 

That means eliminating time-consuming steps, showing progress, and only interrupting the buying journey when absolutely necessary, like when someone intends to leave the website.

Want to see best practices in action? Check out the three eye-catching Shopify and Shopify Plus checkout examples below:

Huel

Huel masters the Shopify checkout flow by including all key information on one page — but it doesn’t end there. On the top left, notice how the meal replacement company sweetens the deal and increases brand loyalty by offering a free T-shirt for new customers. Similarly, on the right-hand side, it upsells samples to increase AOV.

Loop Earplugs

Loop understands that most of its customers are new to the brand and have doubts about the product. Its checkout page puts social proof right at the top — mentioning 10M+ happy customers — to reinforce it as a reputable, high-quality solution.

Mejuri

Jewelry retailer Mejuri uses its checkout page to encourage customers to create a MEJURI+ account for free shipping every Monday and exclusive offers. It also cross-sells products below the checkout total to increase the average order value.

Popsockets

Popsockets is another example to take note of. Its checkout page features a unique design that includes a donation option, an express checkout option, and even the option to skip the donation:

Brooklinen

This example from Brooklinen features a personalized design with light colors that match the website’s branding:

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