Last Updated:
December 18, 2025
4 minutes

3 Strategies to Tackle Cart Abandonment Due to Shipping Costs

Written by
Alise Birzniece
Table of Content

Maybe I don't really need it that much...

Do you know how many potential sales slipped through the cracks in 2025? A staggering 70%, depending on the industry. The culprit behind these lost opportunities, in the majority of cases, was shipping costs.

Research conducted this year revealed that 39% of online shoppers abandoned their carts due to high shipping costs, and 21% did so because the delivery would be too slow.

Among other reasons for leaving their goodies behind, people listed:

  • Being forced to create an account
  • The checkout process was taking too long
  • The user couldn’t see the total order cost upfront

But the overwhelming majority said shipping was either too expensive or not fast enough.So, how can you avoid losing sales to disappointed customers? Optimise your e-commerce shipping!

Here are 3 strategies to turn cart abandonment into conversions.

1. Offer free shipping

1 in 2 global shoppers mainly buy from retailers that offer free delivery and returns. Viewed by many as the new standard, free shipping has three main benefits:

  • Increased sales and retention
  • Improved customer loyalty
  • The potential to boost order value

But the delivery fee should never come out of your profit margins – you should integrate the delivery fee into your product prices. This strategic move will allow you to give free shipping while safeguarding your profitability, creating a win-win scenario for you and delighted customers.

2. Optimise product packaging

Carriers often use dimensional weight (DIM weight) to determine shipping costs. DIM weight calculates shipping charges based on the package’s dimensions instead of its actual weight.

To optimise shipping costs and reduce the DIM weight, choose packaging that closely matches your product’s size. It will also decrease the risk of damage during shipping, reducing the need for replacements and refunds.

By investing in optimised packaging practices, you trim shipping costs and improve your overall shipping efficiency as well as customer satisfaction.

3. Use shipping software to reduce your shipping costs

If you're still manually comparing carrier rates or juggling multiple shipping accounts, you're wasting time and money.

Using a shipping platform is one of the best ways to speed up the shipping processes and offer your shoppers better shipping costs.

Here’s what you’ll get by opting for a shipping platform:

  • Increased resilience: if one carrier has delays, switch to another seamlessly
  • Effective delivery network: access to multiple carriers in one place
  • Real-time rate comparison: see the cheapest, fastest, or most sustainable option instantly
  • Competitive pricing: better rates through platform partnerships

Better rate selection, fewer errors, and happier customers!

​​How Swotzy helps


Swotzy gives you access to the cheapest, fastest, or most sustainable delivery options – all in one platform. Compare carriers, create shipments in seconds, fill in the customs information easily, and manage shipments without signing any contracts. You can integrate your store through a click of a button, integrate complex APIs, or connect through a Webhook.

Create a free account and see the difference in your shipping process yourself.

Written by
Alise Birzniece
Table of Content

Maybe I don't really need it that much...

Do you know how many potential sales slipped through the cracks in 2025? A staggering 70%, depending on the industry. The culprit behind these lost opportunities, in the majority of cases, was shipping costs.

Research conducted this year revealed that 39% of online shoppers abandoned their carts due to high shipping costs, and 21% did so because the delivery would be too slow.

Among other reasons for leaving their goodies behind, people listed:

  • Being forced to create an account
  • The checkout process was taking too long
  • The user couldn’t see the total order cost upfront

But the overwhelming majority said shipping was either too expensive or not fast enough.So, how can you avoid losing sales to disappointed customers? Optimise your e-commerce shipping!

Here are 3 strategies to turn cart abandonment into conversions.

1. Offer free shipping

1 in 2 global shoppers mainly buy from retailers that offer free delivery and returns. Viewed by many as the new standard, free shipping has three main benefits:

  • Increased sales and retention
  • Improved customer loyalty
  • The potential to boost order value

But the delivery fee should never come out of your profit margins – you should integrate the delivery fee into your product prices. This strategic move will allow you to give free shipping while safeguarding your profitability, creating a win-win scenario for you and delighted customers.

2. Optimise product packaging

Carriers often use dimensional weight (DIM weight) to determine shipping costs. DIM weight calculates shipping charges based on the package’s dimensions instead of its actual weight.

To optimise shipping costs and reduce the DIM weight, choose packaging that closely matches your product’s size. It will also decrease the risk of damage during shipping, reducing the need for replacements and refunds.

By investing in optimised packaging practices, you trim shipping costs and improve your overall shipping efficiency as well as customer satisfaction.

3. Use shipping software to reduce your shipping costs

If you're still manually comparing carrier rates or juggling multiple shipping accounts, you're wasting time and money.

Using a shipping platform is one of the best ways to speed up the shipping processes and offer your shoppers better shipping costs.

Here’s what you’ll get by opting for a shipping platform:

  • Increased resilience: if one carrier has delays, switch to another seamlessly
  • Effective delivery network: access to multiple carriers in one place
  • Real-time rate comparison: see the cheapest, fastest, or most sustainable option instantly
  • Competitive pricing: better rates through platform partnerships

Better rate selection, fewer errors, and happier customers!

​​How Swotzy helps


Swotzy gives you access to the cheapest, fastest, or most sustainable delivery options – all in one platform. Compare carriers, create shipments in seconds, fill in the customs information easily, and manage shipments without signing any contracts. You can integrate your store through a click of a button, integrate complex APIs, or connect through a Webhook.

Create a free account and see the difference in your shipping process yourself.