Checkout Feature Flag

A concurrent usability test ran during A/B test T379 to assess conversion impact of:

  • 1-column vs 2-column cart/checkout

  • Step sequence changes

  • Persistent vs collapsed order summary

method

Parallel Moderated usability study

tested

default vs single col vs 2-col

device

desktop

Recruitment Criteria

High-store states only

Overview

T379 Checkout FF Reorder Usability Testing

Research Objectives
  1. Determine which cart and checkout experience most effectively facilitates ease of use, supports purchase intent and drives successful transactions.
  2. Identify friction points and moments of hesitation that may lead to check-out abandonment.
  3. Focus on user reaction to better understand which design best supports a confident and distraction-free checkout experience.
  • Dscout was used to recruit participants who had to pass two rounds of screening:
    • Initial screening indicating tire purchasing intent
    • Secondary screening leveraging a micro-diary study to confirm they had selected and were ready to purchase a tire(s) from discounttire.com.
  • A 30-40 minute interview was then conducted, during which:
    • Participants were directed to one of the three experiences.
    • They then talked through each step of the experience from cart to the confirmation screen.
    • Purchases were completed during the interview and recording stopped when participants were inputting credit card details for privacy reasons.

$200/participant 

10 participants

Total: $2000 

Participants to Recruit   
 MUST-HAVE CRITERIA 

Criteria to include or exclude to find the required participants.

  • Include customers who seek to buy wheels soon or have in the past 

 NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS NEEDED 

8 total  
5 enthusiast
3 circumstance  

Worked alongside another UX researcher and cross-functional teams in product, design, and digital marketing

This study evaluated three cart and checkout experiences—Control, Variant A (Two-Column with Step Reorder), and Variant B (One-Column New Design with Step Reorder)—to determine which layout best supports ease of use, purchase intent, and transaction success.

Key focus areas included:

  • Order Summary Clarity: Measured user understanding, confidence, and perceived completeness with a simplified, collapsed summary.

  • Product Detail Accessibility: Assessed whether clickable product names (opening a detail drawer) improved confidence and reduced checkout exits.

  • Friction & Drop-off Analysis: Identified layout complexity, visibility issues, and trust signal gaps contributing to hesitation or abandonment.

  • Comparative User Reactions: Analyzed behavior and feedback across variants to determine which design most effectively supports a distraction-free, trustworthy checkout experience.

insights

Key Findings & Opportunities

Variant a

2-Col Cart & Checkout

  • New Checkout Order: Installation → Contact Info → Payment
  • 2-column layout was seen as efficient and familiar by several participants. It allowed for quicker scanning and reinforced trust when Cart and Checkout layouts matched.
  • UXR recommends maintaining persistent Order Summary visibility in Variant A’s 2-column layout. Participants consistently described feeling “in control” and “less lost” when the total was visible throughout the flow.
  • Anchor users at the top of the page after advancing steps or page changes to maintain orientation as users transition between the Cart, Checkout and Confirmation.

Variant B

Single-Col Cart & Checkout

  • Variant B’s 1-column layout was praised for its clean, linear flow. Participants described it as intuitive and easy to follow, with minimal visual clutter.
  • Collapsed summaries in Control and Variant B led to missed pricing details and reduced confidence. 8/11 users either missed it entirely or needed prompting to find it.
  • If Discount Tire proceeds with a 1-column layout, the expanded summary from Variant A should not be applied directly — past studies showed it made Checkout appear visually redundant with Cart, leading to confusion.

Key results

A campaign that delivered

Annualized Web Units
0 K
ANNUALIZED REVENUE
$ 0 M
Variant A Desktop Lift
%
Cart to Checkout Lift
0 %
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UXr recommendation

Advance with Variant A’s flow and layout. Avoid selective hiding — consistency matters.

Shelley Hall • UXR

the report

AB T379 Checkout Feature Flag

/01

cart & Checkout order summary

The visibility and usability of the Order Summary (“Your Total”) varied significantly across variants, directly impacting user confidence and flow clarity.

/02

Step Reorder & Flow Expectations

Reordering the checkout steps (Appointment → Customer Info → Payment) in Variant A and B broke conventional flow expectations. While recoverable, the shift caused initial disorientation for most users who expected payment immediately after Cart.

/03

Countdown Timer Impact

The countdown timer introduced urgency at the Appointment step, but participant reactions were mixed. While some found it helpful and motivating, others described it as emotionally pressuring or unclear — especially regarding what would happen when the timer expired.

/04

quick wins

Primary button should explain next step “Let’s schedule your appointment first” to reinforce the flow logic.

Add step indicators or progress bar early in the flow to reduce uncertainty.

Consider combining Payment and Customer Info into one step to reduce cognitive load for our customers and better match their expectations for Checkout.

Checkout Feature Flag Report
Checkout Order Summary Report