'No extra fees' checkout message for US shoppers: +14% conversion
Test run byVisuallyTesting and CRO tool
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsShowing US shoppers a clear checkout message that there would be no extra fees lifted conversion rate by 14%.
Visually ran this test with London womenswear brand Odd Muse and published it as a case study.
In 2025, new US tariffs made shoppers wary of surprise duties when buying from brands abroad.
- Conversion rate: +14% for US shoppers who saw the message.
- Sample size, test length and confidence were not shared.
The change
US shoppers see a 'no extra fees' message at checkout.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
US shoppers saw checkout with no message about duties or fees.
Variant
US shoppers only saw a clear message at checkout confirming there would be no extra fees. Odd Muse had started shipping US orders from inside the US.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Tariff news made shoppers expect surprise charges on delivery. The message answered that fear at the moment of payment.
- Odd Muse had already moved US fulfilment inside the country, but shoppers didn't know. The message made a real change visible.
- Showing it only to US shoppers kept it relevant and avoided confusing others.
Caveats: Reported in a vendor case study without sample size, duration or significance. The result reflects 2025 tariff conditions, which may change.
Who ran it
Visually ran this test for Odd Muse and published the results (Visually case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Visually →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we tell cross-border shoppers at checkout that there are no extra duties or fees, then more will complete their order because the fear of surprise charges goes away.
- Primary metric
- Checkout conversion rate for the targeted country
- Guardrails
- Customer service contacts about duties
- Refund or refused-delivery rate
- Who should test it
- Brands selling into a country where shoppers worry about import charges, and who truly cover them. Don't run it unless the claim is true; it won't help where duties aren't a concern.
Questions
Should I mention duties and taxes at checkout?
If shoppers in a market worry about surprise import fees and you cover them, saying so clearly can help.
In this test it lifted US conversion by 14%.
Should the message show to every visitor?
Odd Muse showed it only to US shoppers.
Targeting keeps it relevant and avoids promises that don't apply elsewhere.
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