Checkout already loses ~70% of carts on average. Adding an account wall makes more people quit before they ever see shipping or payment. Here's what large-scale UX research and case studies show, and what to track in your own tests.
Forced accounts = avoidable drop-offs
About 19% of cart abandoners say they quit because the site wanted them to create an account. Offering guest checkout removes this blocker.
CAPTCHAs create real failures
Visible checkout CAPTCHAs have an 8–29% failure rate in testing and can meaningfully depress conversions. Prefer invisible, risk-based checks and challenge only when needed.
Passwords add friction
Strict password rules and sign-in issues can drive up to an 18% abandonment rate among returning users. Asking for a password before purchase adds that risk up front.
What to measure
Cart→payment conversion, time per step, error count (and type), CAPTCHA failure rate, and the % of users forced into an account step. This demo surfaces the same signals.
Key takeaway
Let people pay first. Offer accounts later (or passwordless). Keep the guest option obvious and keep fraud checks in the background. Expect faster time-to-pay and fewer errors.