Removed the checkout countdown timer: +26.18% revenue per visitor
Test run byKasper DolkMaison Commerce
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsHiding the countdown timer in checkout lifted revenue per visitor by 26.18% in Kasper Dolk's test, from €2.96 to €3.73. Conversion rose 25.61%, from 0.82% to 1.03%. The test followed a post-purchase survey where Dutch shoppers said the timer felt like too much pressure.
- Conversion rate: +25.61% (0.82% to 1.03%), range +5% to +49%. This range stays above zero, so the gain is solid.
- Revenue per visitor: +26.18% (€2.96 to €3.73), range -1% to +62%.
- Add-to-cart rate: +4.50% (2.78% to 2.91%), range -5% to +15%. Mostly flat, as expected for a checkout change.
- Average order value: no change (€359.91 vs €361.56).
- The tool estimated about +410 orders and +€150,775 a month.
The change
The variant hides the countdown timer from checkout.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
A Shopify Plus checkout showing a countdown timer.
Variant
The same checkout with the timer hidden.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- customers told Kasper Dolk in a survey that the timer felt pushy, and the test confirmed it.
- at checkout, shoppers are already committed, so a ticking clock adds anxiety rather than speed.
- urgency tactics play differently by market, and this Dutch audience reacted badly to it.
Caveats: One store, one market (Dutch). Sample size and test length were not shared. Other tests in our archive found checkout timers helped, so audience matters.
Who ran it
Kasper Dolk (@kasper_dolk) 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 countdown timer from checkout, then more visitors will complete their order because they feel less rushed and anxious.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Revenue per visitor
- Average order value
- Checkout completion time
- Who should test it
- Stores with a checkout timer, especially those selling higher-priced items or to markets that dislike pressure. Run a post-purchase survey first to see if shoppers mention it.
Questions
Do countdown timers in checkout hurt conversion?
They did in Kasper Dolk's test. Hiding the timer lifted conversion by 25.61% for a Dutch audience.
Where should I add urgency instead?
Kasper Dolk suggests putting urgency earlier, on the product page or in the cart, rather than in checkout.
How did they know to test this?
A post-purchase survey showed customers felt the timer put too much pressure on them. The test followed from that feedback.
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@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@kasper_dolk@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen