Half of Shoppers Abandon Carts Because Of Tiresome Form Filling And Identity Checks

Almost half of adults in the UK have abandoned an online transaction after becoming frustrated with the length and complexity of the subsequent identity and security checks.

Experian, the global information services firm, said it had calculated that the number of shoppers that have abandoned online purchases due to the length of the form filling process has cost firms a total of £2.3 billion.

Of the 45 per cent that said they had dumped shopping carts, 47 per cent said they took their customer to a rival after becoming irritated with the process. One in five gave up completely while one in six tried again later.

The survey found that those in the 'Elderly Needs' demographic profile - characteristically pensioners in their 70s, 80s and 90s are the most patient with only 32 per cent having completely left a transaction in the past 12 months.

In contrast, the 'Upper Floor Living' group, typically young, single adults on limited incomes, was found to be the least patient with 43 per cent saying they had abandoned one or two deals due to lengthy security checks, and 16 per cent admitting to having done so ‘frequently’.

One in two UK adults believe transactions are becoming increasingly time consuming (49 per cent) and complicated (53 per cent). The 'Rural Solitude' group, typically those living in small, isolated villages with poor access to broadband, were most frustrated, with three quarters (72 per cent) believing verification processes are becoming more complex, significantly higher than the national average.

'Identity verification is becoming an increasingly important part of an organisation’s operations, particularly as the process of dealing with consumers face-to-face is becoming less commonplace. However time-consuming they appear, identity checks are in all our interests, not only protecting businesses from fraud but also individuals,' said Nick Mothershaw, director of identity and fraud at Experian.

Retail, where shoppers typically endure a five minute checking out process, was second only to online gambling where impatience rules with only a 4 minute journey. Both categories were more tolerant by a minute than in 2011.

Consumers were most tolerant when completing a mortgage or insurance where the wait is 10 minutes and 9 minutes respectively.