Hid pre-ticked shipping protection in cart: +6.39% conversion
Test run byDave DiederenSyntra Labs
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsHiding the pre-ticked shipping protection checkbox in the cart raised conversion rate by 6.39% in Dave Diederen's test. Revenue per visitor rose 3.74% and profit per visitor rose 2.33%. Average order value fell 2.49%, as fewer orders included protection.
- Conversion rate: +6.39% (1.10% to 1.17%). More visitors completed an order.
- Revenue per visitor: +3.74% (A$1.79 to A$1.86). This was the primary metric.
- Profit per visitor: +2.33% (A$0.97 to A$0.99). A small gain after the lost protection fees.
- Average order value: -2.49% (A$162.29 to A$158.25). Negative, as expected without the default add-on.
The change
The variant removes the pre-ticked shipping protection checkbox above the checkout button.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The cart showed a pre-ticked shipping protection checkbox between the subtotal and the checkout button.
Variant
The shipping protection checkbox was hidden from the cart.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- many shoppers now spot pre-ticked add-ons and see them as a trick, which adds doubt right before checkout.
- the extra line changes the total shoppers expected, a known cause of cart abandonment.
- removing the add-on lowers order value a little, but more orders made up for it.
Caveats: All ranges cross zero (RPV -9% to +18%), so the result is not conclusive. Sample size and test length were not shared, and the post says some shoppers still opted in to protection elsewhere.
Who ran it
Dave Diederen (@DaveDiederen) shared this test on X. The numbers and screenshots are theirs.
View the original post on X
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we remove the pre-ticked shipping protection checkbox from the cart, then more shoppers will check out because there is no surprise add-on to question.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor
- Guardrails
- Profit per visitor
- Average order value
- Shipping claim costs
- Who should test it
- Stores that add shipping protection by default in the cart. If protection income covers a large share of shipping losses, check profit closely or test an opt-in version instead.
Questions
Does shipping protection hurt conversion rate?
In this test, hiding a pre-ticked protection checkbox raised conversion rate 6.39%. Revenue and profit per visitor also rose slightly.
Will removing shipping protection lower order value?
Yes, a little. AOV fell 2.49% here, but more orders made revenue per visitor go up.
Should shipping protection be opt-in?
Dave Diederen suggests at least making it opt-in with a clear explanation of the value. This test only compared pre-ticked against hidden.
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