Best checkout optimization for cross-border eCommerce
Optimal cross-border checkout localizes every step to the shopper’s country and expectations. Detect location, price in local currency, and prioritize familiar, country-preferred payment methods. Present duties, taxes, shipping, and delivery timelines before payment, with a single landed total on the review screen. Collect applicable taxes at checkout to reduce refusals. This clarity and payment familiarity lower cognitive load, prevent surprises, and measurably increase completion rates and international conversion.
FAQ
### How do unfamiliar payment methods affect cross-border checkout conversion?
They increase perceived risk and friction, causing hesitation and abandonment. Shoppers favor methods they recognize and trust. Prioritize country-preferred options and order them by popularity to lower cognitive load and raise completion.
### Should duties and taxes be collected at checkout for international orders?
Yes. Showing and collecting duties and taxes before payment creates a clear landed cost, reduces delivery refusals, and improves compliance. Keep rates accurate and updated for each destination.
### Is pricing in local currency necessary to improve international conversion?
Yes. Local currency eliminates mental conversion, clarifies value, and reduces charge anxiety from foreign transactions. Combined with localized payment options, it materially improves trust and completion.
### What information must appear on the review page to prevent surprises?
Display itemized merchandise, shipping, duties, taxes, discounts, and the total in local currency, plus delivery timelines and key return terms. Ensure nothing changes after payment authorization.
