A free-shipping progress bar in the cart
A bar that fills as the cart total approaches the free-shipping threshold, showing the exact amount left to spend rather than just stating the threshold as a rule.
What it is
Above the cart line items, a progress bar shows how close the current subtotal is to the free-shipping threshold, with the remaining dollar amount stated in text, and switches to a confirmation state once the threshold is crossed.
Why it works
A flat statement like "free shipping over $75" asks the shopper to do subtraction against a cart total they may not have added up themselves. A progress bar does the subtraction for them and turns an abstract policy into a concrete, small gap, "add $12 more," that reads as easy to close rather than as a sales pitch. The visual fill also gives the shopper a sense of momentum toward a goal, which a static line of text does not.
How to test it
- Hypothesis
- Showing a free-shipping progress bar in the cart will lift average order value, because shoppers who are close to the threshold can see exactly how little more they need to spend to clear it.
- Primary metric
- Average order value (carts within the incentive range of the threshold)
- Guardrail metric
- Discount/margin per order, since the items added to clear the threshold are typically chosen for price rather than being full-margin products
Related ideas
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