Abandoned checkouts

An abandoned checkout is a donation that someone started on your website and did not finish. They filled in their details, then left before paying. Engage keeps a record of each one so that you can invite the donor back, either with an automatic message or by building a list of them.

When a checkout is abandoned

A checkout counts as abandoned about four hours after the donor last did anything in it. Engage keeps it as an abandoned checkout if the donor typed a valid email address, nothing was paid, and the donor has not given since.

There is one abandoned checkout for each email address. If a donor leaves more than one checkout unfinished, it shows the most recent one.

When an abandoned checkout is removed

An abandoned checkout is removed as soon as the donor gives, and otherwise after 30 days.

A gift made outside your website, such as one taken over the phone or sent by bank transfer, does not remove it. We recommend allowing for this in what you send, as described in Writing the message.

What an abandoned checkout holds

Detail	What it is
Name, email and phone number	What the donor typed at checkout
Items	What the donor was about to give to, with the value of each
Total	The value of the items, in the currency the donor was giving in
Stage	How far the donor got: Details, Payment or Payment Failed
Abandoned at	When the checkout was abandoned
Checkout ID and cart ID	The IDs of the donor's checkout and cart, available to use in links

An abandoned checkout is not an account, and does not create one.

What abandoned checkouts cannot tell you

You cannot use abandoned checkouts to count how many people left a checkout, or to work out an abandonment rate. They show who you can follow up today, and each one is removed when the donor gives or after 30 days.

In this section

✉️ Following up an abandoned checkout

Actions and templates are set up in the Admin area of Engage, so this needs someone with

📋 Listing abandoned checkouts

Anyone on your team who can build lists in Engage.