How indicators of payments security boost conversion

“Checkout is no longer the end of the journey – it’s the moment that defines it.” - Dewald Müller, Director of Customer Success

The global shopping cart abandonment rate sits at over 70%. Insights from our latest webinar and 2025 Consumer Payments Report highlight how important the checkout and payments experience is – particularly for online purchases – when it comes to increasing conversion. It doesn’t matter how well-known or trusted a brand is - if they drop the ball at the most crucial stage in the purchase journey, when the customer is ready to pay, the sale will likely be lost.

57% of South African consumers say a fast, easy payment process would convince them to choose one online platform over another. But a payment experience must also feel secure to see the transaction through. When something feels off - no request for OTP, a suspicious-looking site, too many redirects or a lack of familiar authentication steps - consumers will abandon their carts and even the platform itself. 

What makes an online checkout feel unsafe?

According to our report, 71% of potential customers abandon their purchase if a payment fails, and 62% of them won’t return at all. In many cases, it’s not a pricing or product issue but a breakdown in confidence at the payment stage. 

What makes customers think twice?

• Unprofessional site design: Missing privacy and data protection policies, outdated layouts and the absence of security badges raise red flags
• Unexpected redirects: Being taken to too many unfamiliar third-party pages is one of the biggest reasons for distrust. 57% of consumers say that too many unexpected pop-ups and redirects make payments feel at risk
• A lack of visible authentication processes: When customers aren’t asked to verify themselves, such as via OTP or with biometrics, they may question the security of the merchant’s online site.

As well, failed payments, too many steps in the payment process and lack of access to preferred payment methods all contribute to declining trust in the brand the customer is looking to pay.

How can you build confidence at checkout? 

Consumers respond positively to visible and personalised security features:

Use biometric authentication 

Over 90% of our respondents indicated they would prefer to authenticate using biometrics if given the option. Fingerprints and facial scans are unique to each user, reassuring them that only they can approve a transaction. This adds a personal layer of protection against fraud.

Implement two-factor authentication (2FA) 

Ensure that your payment gateway uses 3DS authentication to ensure that cardholders are authenticated before a payment is authorised. If you are concerned that the extra step may hurt your checkout experience, Stitch offers Dynamic 3DS, which allows businesses to apply 3DS selectively, based on their risk tolerance and transaction types. That means low-risk, repeat customers can check out faster, improving conversion rates without compromising security.

Offer digital wallets as a payment option 

Trusted brands like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay use both tokenisation and biometric authentication, delivering the perfect balance of speed and security. Including these wallets at checkout not only accelerates payment processing but also helps consumers feel safe at every step of the way.

When Apple Pay was launched at checkout on one of the leading e-commerce sites in South Africa, over 40% of iOS users switched from paying with card to using Apple Pay in two weeks. Additionally, the conversion rate when paying with Apple Pay is well above 90%. 

Partner with a trusted brand

Consumers need to trust the provider facilitating their payment. 45% said they would not feel comfortable completing a transaction if they did not recognise the payment provider. It’s a surprisingly high number for something often seen as a backend process, but it shows just how closely consumers are paying attention.

Switch to Stitch

South African consumers value speed and ease, but what ultimately drives conversion is trust. A seamless checkout experience means nothing if customers don’t feel secure, and the right authentication methods can be the difference between an abandoned cart and a completed sale.

Stitch’s authentication tools, trusted by some of South Africa’s leading brands, make it easy to offer fast, secure checkouts that build trust and drive growth.

Switch to Stitch for seamless authentication and amplified conversions.

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