A woman in Berlin is trying to buy your bestselling beauty product from your U.S.-based online store. She added it to the cart, clicked checkout, and then… roadblock. Her country isn't listed, shipping is vague, taxes are unclear, and her preferred payment method is missing. What happens next? They abandon the cart — and likely never come back.
In today’s borderless eCommerce world, a poor international checkout experience is more than just a glitch. It's a major leak in your revenue pipeline. And if you’re not fixing it, your global competitors are.
Let’s break down the hidden costs of getting international checkout wrong and how Shekel’s retail technology can help you fix it.
1. Revenue Loss from Cart Abandonment
One of the biggest killers in global eCommerce? Cart abandonment due to checkout friction.
According to the Baymard Institute, over 70% of carts are abandoned, and international shoppers are especially sensitive. High shipping costs, unclear fees, currency mismatches, and unsupported payment methods all contribute to a broken experience.
Fix it with Shekel:
Shekel’s smart retail solutions, like the Innovendi unattended vending unit and its Product Aware Shelf, offer localized pricing, real-time inventory, and seamless product interactions. When paired with online systems, this enables consistent, intelligent international checkout experiences both online and in-store.
2. Damaged Brand Trust
If a global customer encounters glitches or inconsistencies at checkout, their perception of your brand instantly drops. They’re left wondering: If checkout is this confusing, can I trust shipping? Returns? Quality?
This brand erosion may not show up in your analytics, but it absolutely shows up in reviews, word-of-mouth, and long-term loyalty metrics.
Fix it with Shekel:
Shekel’s technology allows retailers to mirror real-time availability, pricing, and purchasing conditions across physical and digital spaces. When expectations are met every time, trust is built. This continuity helps bridge the gap between global customer expectations and localized operational realities.
3. Operational Inefficiencies and Support Costs
The more checkout issues international users encounter, the more strain is placed on your support team. Manual order confirmations, shipping clarifications, and refund disputes all cost money and time.
Fix it with Shekel:
Thanks to automated inventory updates, weight-based product tracking, and AI-powered shelf awareness, Shekel’s retail tech significantly reduces errors and operational friction. This enables you to expand globally without exponentially increasing support overhead.
4. Limited Market Expansion
If your checkout isn’t optimized for international buyers, you’re essentially blocking access to entire markets, even if your marketing says otherwise.
Fix it with Shekel:
Whether you’re launching smart shelves in new physical locations or offering a global D2C experience, Shekel’s real-time data infrastructure supports multi-region operations. This includes automatic currency conversion, localized promotions, and smarter forecasting based on real purchase behavior.
5. Lost Upsell and Cross-Sell Opportunities
An optimized international checkout isn’t just about removing friction — it’s about maximizing every transaction. Cross-sells and upsells tailored to the buyer’s location and preferences can increase AOV (average order value) significantly.
Fix it with Shekel:
Shekel’s Product Aware Technology (PAT) tracks real-time shopper interactions, enabling retailers to deliver hyper-relevant recommendations — not only online but at smart vending machines and in micro-stores. You create one intelligent retail ecosystem that works anywhere in the world.
Best Practices for a Better International Checkout
Let’s summarize what a great global checkout should include:
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✅ Localized pricing and currency
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✅ Multiple trusted international payment options
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✅ Clear shipping times and costs
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✅ Tax and customs transparency
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✅ Seamless integration between online and offline stock
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✅ UX designed for global mobile shoppers
And the glue that holds it all together? Smart, real-time retail infrastructure, like Shekel’s.
Your International Customers Deserve Better
If you’re scaling a retail brand beyond borders, don’t let the final step — international checkout — be your weakest link.
It’s not just about convenience. It’s about conversion, retention, reputation, and growth. Shekel’s product-aware solutions are designed to meet these challenges head-on, from vending to shelf, and from Israel to the world.
Ready to give your global customers the seamless experience they deserve?
Explore our smart retail solutions today.