Removed 'Shipping calculated at checkout': +14.49% conversion
Test run byDave DiederenSyntra Labs
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsHiding the line "Shipping calculated at checkout" below the add-to-cart button lifted conversion by 14.49% in Dave Diederen's test, from 2.67% to 3.05%. Revenue per visitor rose 14.07% and profit per visitor 14.31%. The ranges were wide and crossed zero.
- Conversion rate: +14.49% (2.67% to 3.05%), range -12% to +48%. More visitors completed an order.
- Revenue per visitor: +14.07% ($3.08 to $3.51), range -22% to +64%.
- Profit per visitor: +14.31% ($2.41 to $2.76), the primary metric. The range ran -21% to +66%.
- Average order value: no change ($115.47 vs $115.05). Shoppers didn't spend less per order.
The change
The variant hides the shipping note under the add-to-cart button.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
The product page showed "Shipping calculated at checkout" under the add-to-cart button, even though the page already promised free shipping over a threshold.
Variant
The same page with that line hidden. Nothing else changed.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- the line contradicted the free shipping promise, which made shoppers wonder about a hidden fee.
- doubt about the final price right at the add-to-cart button is a common reason to leave and compare elsewhere.
- removing one line cost nothing in order value, so all the gain came from more people buying.
Caveats: The confidence ranges were wide and all crossed zero, so the true lift could be much smaller. Sample size and test length were not shared.
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 "Shipping calculated at checkout" from product pages that promise free shipping, then conversion will rise because shoppers stop worrying about a surprise fee.
- Primary metric
- Conversion rate
- Guardrails
- Average order value
- Checkout abandonment at shipping step
- Support tickets about shipping costs
- Who should test it
- Shopify stores that offer free shipping, or free shipping over a threshold, but still show the theme's default shipping note. If most orders do pay shipping, removing the note may just move the surprise to checkout.
Questions
Should I remove 'Shipping calculated at checkout' from my product page?
If you offer free shipping, test it. In Dave Diederen's test, hiding the line lifted conversion by 14.49% with no change in order value.
Why would one line of text hurt sales?
Our reading is that it clashed with the free shipping promise and raised the fear of an extra fee at checkout.
Is this result certain?
No. The confidence ranges crossed zero, so the effect may be smaller than shown. It is cheap to test on your own store.
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@oliverkenyon@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen