More payment methods, fewer drop-offs

Someone fills their cart, enters their shipping address, and reaches the payment step. They want to use Apple Pay. You only accept credit cards. They leave.

This is measurable. Add Google Pay and Apple Pay and checkout completion typically increases noticeably. Not because these methods are better. Because they're what some people prefer, and not offering them is a friction point that stops the sale.

Buy-now-pay-later options like Klarna or Afterpay have a similar effect for higher-priced items. The total price doesn't change but splitting it into four payments reduces the psychological barrier. Average order values tend to increase significantly when BNPL is available.

The mistake is assuming everyone pays the way you do. Check your analytics for checkout drop-off at the payment step specifically. If it's above 10%, missing payment methods are likely part of the problem.