Why e-commerce checkout customisation is the new conversion strategy

In e-commerce, it’s often the unseen details that drive the biggest results. One of the most overlooked? The checkout experience.

We tend to talk a lot about challenges e-commerce businesses face when it comes to conversion, which can be impacted by things like downtime, slow loading speeds and lack of high-converting methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay. But there’s another silent killer: a checkout screen that’s structured around payment providers, not payment methods. It’s subtle, but it matters.

When your checkout displays only provider names instead of clearly labelled methods, you risk introducing doubt and confusion at the most critical point in the customer journey. Customers know they want to pay with a particular method, not a particular PSP - it’s your job to make that selection as easy as possible for them.

As important as things like top-of-funnel marketing like ads, landing pages and product photography can be, what happens at the final step—the actual act of paying—can be the difference between growth and stagnation.

The truth is this: checkout is no longer just a technical necessity. It’s a strategic asset.

The silent conversion killer

The average cart abandonment rate in an e-commerce checkout sits at around 70%. A clunky or confusing checkout experience is often the final nudge a shopper needs to walk away.

What if that final step could be smarter? What if it could be simpler, more method-aligned and designed to meet real customer expectations?

At Stitch Express, we’ve spent a lot of time asking ourselves that question. That’s why we built the Express Checkout Companion App—exclusively for Shopify merchants.

Reclaiming control at checkout

Shopify’s default checkout is powerful but rigid. Unless you’re on Shopify Plus, your ability to tailor the payment experience is limited.

Our app changes that.

It allows merchants to:

• Rename payment providers to match customer expectations (e.g. “Pay with Card”, “Pay with Apple Pay”)
• Reorder payment methods based on what converts best (e.g. Apple Pay first, card last)
• Reorder payment providers to prioritise your best-performing or most cost-effective options

It’s deceptively simple, but the impact is significant.

The psychology of checkout

When customers reach the checkout, they’re no longer discovering—they’re deciding. That moment isn’t emotional anymore; it’s functional. Subtle cues like familiar payment methods or clean, clear naming can dramatically increase confidence and reduce friction.

One of the most overlooked tactics is method-led naming. When a customer sees an option like “Pay with Apple Pay | Google Pay | Card”, they know exactly what to expect before clicking. That clarity helps eliminate hesitation, particularly on mobile, where speed and trust are critical.

By tracking overall sales from new merchants who previously did not offer digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and analysing the conversion rates between card and wallet payments, our internal data shows that putting Apple Pay or Google Pay front and center can improve conversion rates by up to 12%.

Why? Because it aligns with how customers already want to pay — quickly, securely, and intuitively.

Optimising for profitability

Checkout customisation isn’t just good for conversion—it’s good for your bottom line.

Many merchants have determined their preferred payment providers based on lower transaction fees, negotiated rates or insights into which options perform best. By reordering the checkout to prioritise your most profitable and effective payment methods, you can subtly guide customers toward the options that you prefer they use —without compromising experience.

It’s a small change with big upside, especially for high-volume stores.

Customisation = brand ownership

Great brands don’t outsource their final impression.

When the last touchpoint of your store—the payment page—feels disconnected from your brand, the experience suffers. With Stitch Express, you’re no longer stuck with generically named options or a one-size-fits-all flow. You’re back in control, designing a checkout that’s as thoughtful and trustworthy as the rest of your site.

“This is a really great app that's easy to setup/install and I love the ability to see a preview before going live! Highly recommend.”
— Jess Admur, Lelive

A smarter way to convert

The Stitch Express Checkout Companion App is now available to all Shopify merchants—and it’s completely free for Stitch Express users.

It’s lightweight, easy to install and designed to work with any store that uses Stitch as their payment gateway. No code. No friction. Just a smarter way to convert more of the customers who already want to buy.

Ready to take control of your e-commerce checkout?

Install the Stitch Express Companion App
Learn more about Stitch Express

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