Trust icons at checkout: +0.9% conversion, no clear effect
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding three trust icons to checkout changed conversion rate by just 0.9%, within normal variation.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store across 213,715 visitors over 40 days.
The test had enough power to spot a real effect, and none showed up.
- Conversion rate rose 0.9%, within normal variation. Treat it as no change.
- Revenue per visitor rose 3.6%, also within normal variation.
- Orders rose 1.1% and average order value rose 2.1%.
- Overall: flat. With 100% statistical power, this is a reliable null result.
The change
The variant adds three trust icons to the checkout page.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The checkout page showed no trust icons.
Variant
Checkout showed three icons: a conservation pledge, 45-day easy returns and exchanges, and a note that products are built for harsh conditions.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Shoppers who reach checkout have mostly made up their minds, so extra reassurance there has little to act on.
- Brand values like a conservation pledge are better at persuading earlier, on product or home pages.
- If the returns policy was already clear elsewhere, repeating it at checkout adds little new.
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 trust icons for returns and product durability on the product page, then more shoppers will add to cart because the reassurance comes before the decision.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Add-to-cart rate
- Checkout completion rate
- Who should test it
- Stores with an established brand and clear policies will likely see little from checkout icons. Newer or unknown stores with low trust may see more, and should test earlier in the funnel too.
Questions
Do trust badges at checkout increase conversions?
Often not by much. In this large test, three icons moved conversion only 0.9%, which was within normal variation.
Where should trust signals go instead?
Earlier in the journey, where shoppers are still deciding.
Product pages and the cart are common places to test them.
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