Return policy added to product pages: -6.0% conversion rate
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding the return policy to every product page, near the add-to-cart area, lowered conversion rate by 6.0% and revenue per visitor by 6.9%.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store and published it in its A/B test library.
The drop was not statistically significant, but it showed up on both mobile and desktop.
- Conversion rate: -6.0%. The original had an 82.1% probability of performing better.
- Revenue per visitor: -6.9%, and orders -3.8%.
- Add-to-cart rate: +0.8%, roughly flat. The loss happened after shoppers added items.
- By device, conversion fell 7.1% on mobile and 4.6% on desktop.
- Flag: not statistically significant, so the true size of the drop is uncertain.
The change
The variant adds return policy information near the add-to-cart area.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Product pages showed no return policy information near the buy area.
Variant
Every product page showed the return policy, placed near the add-to-cart button or in the product details area.
Why it likely lost
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Bringing up returns at the moment of purchase may remind shoppers that the product might not work out.
- Extra text near the buy button adds reading and competes with the main action.
- If the policy had conditions or limits, showing them could add doubt rather than remove it.
- Add-to-cart held steady, so shoppers may have thought again about the policy later, before checking out.
Caveats: The test ran for 19 days and did not reach statistical significance. Sample size was not shared, and the results are reported by the agency that ran the test.
Who ran it
Clean Commit ran this test for a Shopify store (anonymized) and published the results (Clean Commit A/B test library). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Clean Commit →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show our return policy near add to cart, then conversion rate will rise because shoppers feel less risk in buying.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Add-to-cart rate
- Revenue per visitor
- Return rate on orders
- Who should test it
- Stores with a clearly generous policy, such as free returns, where the terms read as a plus. If your policy has fees or tight windows, keeping it one click away may work better.
Questions
Does showing a return policy increase sales?
It can, but it is not guaranteed. In this test it lowered conversion rate by 6.0%, though the result was not significant.
Where should a return policy go on a product page?
Many stores test a short line near the buy button with a link to the full policy.
Test the wording and placement rather than assuming more detail helps.
Why would return info hurt conversion?
It can bring up the idea that the product might not work out.
Long or strict terms can add doubt at the moment of purchase.
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