Commerce
Checkout Friction
Plain-language definitionAny unnecessary effort, uncertainty, or obstacle in the path from cart to purchase. Common causes include surprise costs, forced accounts, unclear errors, and excessive fields.
Why it matters
Use the term to make a better decision.
In practice, checkout friction matters when a team needs to connect a technical or creative choice to a visible change in clarity, performance, discovery, or conversion. The useful question is not whether the term sounds sophisticated. It is what decision it helps the team make.