Checkout Testing - Getting Started
Learn how Checkout Testing can optimize your final conversion step and reduce cart abandonment.
Checkout testing lets you experiment with different checkout experiences to reduce cart abandonment and increase completed purchases. Test trust signals, urgency messaging, testimonials, upsells, and other checkout elements — and measure what actually moves the needle.
What Is a Checkout Experiment?
A checkout experiment adds or modifies elements on your Shopify checkout page for different groups of visitors. Each group sees a different checkout configuration, and Elevate tracks which version drives more completed purchases, higher order values, and better checkout completion rates.
This is different from other experiment types — you're not changing product pages or pricing. You're optimizing the final step of the buying process, where even small improvements can have a significant impact on revenue.
What Can You Test?
Checkout experiments let you add and configure these checkout elements:
Checkout Banner
A customizable banner at the top of the checkout with a heading, description, and status style (success, warning, info). Use it for urgency messaging, reassurance, or promotional callouts.
Customer Testimonials
Social proof displayed during checkout — customer reviews with star ratings, names, and quotes. Configurable layout (horizontal/vertical), styling, and number of testimonials.
Trust Badges
Visual trust signals like security badges, payment method icons, or guarantee seals to reduce checkout anxiety.
Payment Methods
Highlight available payment options to reassure customers they can pay their preferred way.
Upsell Offers
Post-purchase or in-checkout upsell opportunities to increase average order value.
Each element is fully customizable — you control the text, layout, styling, and positioning within the checkout.
How It Works
Checkout experiments use Shopify's Checkout Extensions — the official way to customize the Shopify checkout. Here's the flow:
You configure the checkout elements you want to test in each variation
When a visitor reaches checkout, Elevate checks their variation assignment
The checkout extension renders the appropriate elements for that visitor's variation
Elevate tracks checkout completion, revenue, and other metrics via the web pixel
The control shows the default checkout with no additional elements (or your current checkout setup)
The experience is seamless for visitors — the checkout elements appear as native parts of the checkout page.
Plan Requirement
Checkout experiments require Shopify Plus. This is because Shopify only allows checkout page customization through Checkout Extensions on Plus plans. This is a Shopify platform restriction, not an Elevate limitation.
Key Difference: Checkout Metrics
Because checkout experiments focus on the checkout flow, some metrics work differently:
Visitors are counted as visitors who started checkout, not total page visitors
Conversion Rate measures checkout completion rate — the percentage of checkout starts that result in a completed purchase
This gives you a more accurate view of the checkout's impact, since you're measuring the conversion of people already in the buying process
What You'll Need
Before creating a checkout experiment:
Shopify Plus plan — Required for checkout customization
Checkout extension enabled — Elevate's checkout extension must be installed. You'll be guided through this during experiment setup.
A clear hypothesis — What element are you adding or changing, and what do you expect it to do?
Next Steps
How to Create a Checkout Experiment — Step-by-step setup guide
Audience Targeting — Control which visitors see your experiment
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