# Testing Payment Method Icons Before Checkout

Page: https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/lab/ab-test-library/tests/testing-payment-method-icons-before-checkout

## Hypothesis

If accepted payment methods appear in the cart before the checkout CTA, shoppers can find out whether their preferred method is accepted before they head to checkout. If the icons leave the cart uncluttered, the checkout start rate and the order completion rate could both rise.

## When to run this test

Support contacts asking which cards are accepted, session recordings of shoppers visiting the payment page to check methods and coming back, or survey answers about unclear payment options show that cart shoppers are unsure about payment options. If the icons settle that doubt early, checkout starts rise and carry on to completed orders rather than abandonment at the payment step. If shoppers leave over shipping costs or the total, look there first. Before launch, confirm you show only methods the business actually accepts and that the logos follow the payment providers' brand requirements.

## Primary metric

**Order completion rate**: Compare orders among assigned visitors who see accepted payment-method icons in the cart.

## Other metrics

- **Checkout start rate**: Measure cart visitors who proceed to checkout.
- **Payment-step abandonment rate**: Track checkout starters who leave during the payment step.
- **Page load time**: Check whether the extra icons affect cart load time.
- **Payment-method support contacts**: Track questions about accepted cards and payment methods.

## What to check before and during the test

- **Change**: Add icons for accepted payment methods to the cart before the checkout CTA; keep the existing display on the payment page.
- **Keep constant**: Keep payment methods, CTA and checkout flow unchanged. Set the icon set and placement before launch.
- **Behavior**: Track checkout starts and completed orders together.
- **Measurement**: Keep the cart uncluttered and the main CTA visible.
- **Separate tests**: Test icon count, size or placement separately.

## What to watch when reading the result

- A rise in checkout starts is not enough; base the shipping decision on the order completion rate. If starts climb while completion stays flat, the drop-off may simply have moved from the cart to the payment step; confirm that with the payment-step abandonment rate, and make sure page load time has not grown.
- This result speaks only to the icon set you tried and this spot in the cart. If the icon strip outranks product information or the main CTA, the difference may come from the broken hierarchy rather than the icons. Check separately that the icons stay readable on mobile; icons shrunk to decoration make the mobile result hard to interpret.
- Because orders are completed several steps after the cart, the icons' effect may look diluted by that point. Get the visitors needed per variant to catch a gap that small from the [sample size calculator](https://alidemirbas.com.tr/en/calculators/sample-size-calculator), work out how many days your cart traffic takes to reach it in each arm, and do not end the test before then. If the outcome is still unclear, do not call the icons ineffective; take icon count, size or placement into separate experiments.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is increased checkout entry enough?

No. Use order completion as the primary outcome. Track checkout exits diagnostically. More people entering checkout without completing may mean that drop-off has simply moved forward.

### Where should payment-method icons appear in the cart?

In this comparison, place them before the checkout CTA without displacing the button or cart total. Check mobile layout and image-loading costs. Compare other locations in a separate experiment.

### What rules should guide icon selection?

Only show methods genuinely accepted. Follow payment providers’ brand requirements and keep icons readable on mobile. Treat changes to count, size or location as separate comparisons.