48%
Median checkout completion — Shopify Plus

Solid mid-range for enterprise DTC. Plus stores have more leverage to optimize than SMB, and the highest-growth Plus brands sit at 55–68%.

Good / average / poor

Quick reference for where your number sits. Specific to Shopify Plus (8-figure DTC), not the broader DTC average.

Good
55%+
Average
45–54%
Needs work
under 40%

Metric: begin_checkout → purchase %

Breakdown by segment

Different segments of Shopify Plus (8-figure DTC) show meaningfully different numbers — use the right column for context, not the headline figure.

Paid social, new visitors 38–46%

Lowest intent tier

Paid search, new visitors 48–58%

Higher intent, category aware

Email / SMS, returning 62–72%

Known audience, highest completion

Organic, branded 54–64%

Strong intent, minimal friction

Premium express checkout (Apple Pay / Shop Pay) 68–78%

Removes form friction entirely

Why the number is what it is

Plus checkout completion is highly sensitive to baseline traffic quality. Stores that drive 50%+ email and organic traffic sit at 52–68% completion; stores that rely on paid social sit at 40–48%. The first move is auditing traffic source mix and shifting CAC spend accordingly.

The structural lever is reducing decision points and payment friction. Plus stores with consolidated checkout (3–4 steps max) and express payment (Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay) as the default option see 8–15 percentage point lifts from their baseline.

3 levers that move this benchmark

  1. Consolidate checkout to 3–4 steps max (cart review → shipping → payment → confirmation). Each additional step costs 3–5 percentage points. Typical total lift: +8–15%.
  2. Make Shop Pay / Apple Pay / Google Pay the first checkout option above the email field. Typical lift on completion: +12–18%.
  3. Implement address autocomplete and remove unnecessary fields (phone, email optional until post-purchase). Typical lift: +5–10%.
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Frequently asked

What is a good checkout completion rate for Shopify Plus?

55% or higher (begin_checkout → purchase) is strong for Plus. The median is around 48%. Stores at 55%+ typically have express payment defaults, consolidated checkout steps, and strong email/organic traffic mix.

How many checkout steps should a Plus store have?

Three to four steps (cart review → shipping → payment → confirmation) is optimal. Each additional step beyond 4 costs 3–5 percentage points of completion. Plus stores that consolidated from 6–7 steps to 3–4 typically saw +8–15% completion lift.

Does express checkout really improve Plus completion?

Yes. Making Shop Pay / Apple Pay / Google Pay the first option above email typically lifts checkout completion 12–18% because it removes form friction and reduces payment failures. This is consistently one of the highest-ROI Plus optimizations.

Methodology

Aggregated from Shopify Plus partner data (cross-vertical, $10M+ ARR), Littledata Plus cohort, Baymard Institute checkout research, and acceleroi audit data (n=23 Plus brands, 2025–2026).

Sources

  • Shopify Plus partner data 2026 (Plus cohort)
  • Baymard Institute checkout & form conversion research
  • acceleroi audit data 2025–2026 (n=23 Plus brands)

Related reading

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