How AI is quietly changing the checkout experience

Artificial intelligence is often discussed in retail as something visible and explicit - chatbots answering questions, recommendation engines suggesting products, or tools predicting demand. But some of the most important changes driven by AI are happening much more quietly, especially at checkout.

As Novuna’s recent study on checkout abandonment shows, the final stages of the purchase journey are where shoppers are most likely to hesitate, lose confidence or abandon altogether. AI, and more specifically agentic AI, is influencing these moments by shaping what customers see, when they see it, and how much effort they need to make to complete their purchase.

From AI assistance to agentic AI

Recent research into checkout abandonment highlights how interactions with AI are becoming normalised for consumers. Many shoppers are already comfortable using AI-powered tools to search for products, compare options and plan purchases - particularly when those tools reduce effort or uncertainty. Agentic AI represents the next step in this evolution.

Rather than simply responding to customer input, agentic AI systems:

• Observe behaviour across the journey
• Interpret intent and hesitation
• Take initiative within defined limits to move a task forward

In a checkout context, this means AI systems that don’t just react to friction once it appears, but actively work to prevent it from becoming a reason to abandon.

Why checkout is such a critical decision point

Novuna’s recent study on checkout abandonment makes a clear distinction between browsing behaviour and checkout behaviour. While shoppers often use baskets as organisational tools earlier in the journey, abandoning at checkout represents a more definite lost sale, and is more likely to leave a negative impression of the retailer.

At this stage, shoppers are balancing several competing considerations:

• Cost, including delivery and unexpected fees
• Trust and security
• Confidence in their product choice
• The effort required to complete the transaction

AI’s influence here is subtle but powerful, because even small increases in friction or uncertainty can be enough to tip a customer towards leaving.

AI-driven personalisation: help or hindrance?

Novuna’s research highlights that AI-driven personalisation is increasingly expected as part of the online shopping experience. Consumers are accustomed to systems that tailor information, recommendations and assistance to their needs.

However, the research also surfaces an important behavioural insight: more relevant information does not always lead to faster decisions. In fact, when shoppers are presented with highly relevant information, they often explore more options, take longer to decide, and are more likely to defer the purchase altogether. This is where agentic AI becomes particularly important.

Rather than adding layers of personalisation at checkout, agentic AI can:

• Reduce the number of choices presented at key moments
• Prioritise the information most likely to build confidence
• Suppress prompts that might interrupt decision-making

The goal isn’t to inform customers more - it’s to support decisions more effectively.

Growing comfort with AI-powered assistance

The recent study on checkout abandonment also points to a broader trend: consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with AI-powered assistance, particularly in sectors where digital tools help them plan, visualise or compare purchases.

This growing familiarity has important implications for checkout experiences:

• Shoppers are more open to subtle, helpful AI support
• Poorly timed or intrusive interventions feel more jarring than reassuring

Agentic AI can help by working quietly in the background; simplifying flows, prioritising familiar payment options, or adapting layouts for mobile, without drawing attention to the technology itself.

Using AI analytics to anticipate friction

This research also highlights the growing role of AI analytics in helping retailers anticipate demand, improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experiences.

Applied to checkout, this intelligence can help retailers:

• Identify where customers most commonly hesitate
• Understand which steps cause the most drop-off on mobile versus desktop
• Detect when complexity is increasing abandonment risk

Agentic AI can then act on these insights in real time, adjusting journeys dynamically rather than relying solely on fixed design decisions.

Digital nudging, automation and trust

Novuna’s checkout abandonment research also explores the concept of digital nudging, such as scarcity messaging, default selections or social proof, and the mixed impact these tactics can have on trust.

While nudges can encourage decisions, the research shows that they can also undermine trust when used too aggressively or at the wrong moment. This is where agentic AI introduces both opportunity and risk.

Used responsibly, it can:

• Decide when not to intervene
• Avoid disrupting emotionally sensitive moments, such as payment entry
• Support decision-making without applying pressure

Used poorly, it risks automating distrust at scale.

Why mobile-first checkout makes AI even more influential

With smartphones now the most commonly used device for online purchases, checkout experiences are increasingly shaped by screen size, attention span and usability constraints.

In this context, agentic AI can quietly improve the mobile checkout experience by:

• Reducing the number of required inputs
• Optimising layouts dynamically
• Prioritising the most relevant payment options
• Removing unnecessary interactions

Here, intelligence isn’t about persuasion, it’s about removing obstacles.

What this means for retailers

Agentic AI isn’t about handing over control of checkout to machines. It’s about using intelligence to support better decisions - for both customers and businesses.

For retailers starting to think about this in practical terms, there are a few clear actions worth considering.

1. Audit where customers hesitate at checkout

Before introducing new technology, identify where friction already exists. Look for:

• Drop-off points in your checkout flow
• Long pauses or repeated edits
• Higher abandonment on mobile versus desktop

Understanding where customers struggle is more valuable than adding new features.

2. Focus on removing decisions, not adding intelligence

AI works best at checkout when it simplifies the journey. Ask:

• Are we presenting too many choices at once?
• Could certain options be prioritised or delayed?
• Is all information on this page genuinely necessary?

The goal is clarity, not cleverness.

3. Be intentional about when AI intervenes

Not every moment benefits from automation. Particularly at payment stage, too many prompts or nudges can undermine confidence.

A useful rule of thumb: Support early, step back late

4. Use data to anticipate friction - not to pressure customers

AI analytics can reveal patterns in behaviour, but how that insight is used matters. Focus on:

• Improving layout and flow
• Simplifying forms and steps
• Clarifying costs and delivery

Avoid tactics that make customers feel watched or rushed.

5. Start small and test quietly

Agentic AI doesn’t need to be rolled out all at once. Small, low-risk tests, such as reordering checkout steps or dynamically simplifying forms, can deliver meaningful improvements without disrupting the customer experience.

AI supports people - it doesn’t replace them

The most effective checkout experiences don’t feel automated at all. They feel smooth, intuitive and reassuring. Agentic AI should exist in service of that outcome, quietly supporting human decision-making rather than trying to control it.

Checkout experiences don’t need to be more intelligent for the sake of it. They need to be simpler, clearer and more trustworthy.

When grounded in behavioural insight and used with restraint, agentic AI has the potential to support customers at the moment confidence matters most, helping to remove the reasons shoppers walk away, rather than adding new ones.

As retailers think about how intelligence supports decision-making at checkout, it’s worth remembering that not all confidence comes from automation alone. Clear, flexible payment options can play a powerful role in helping customers move from intent to action - particularly when combined with simple, well-designed checkout journeys.

You can learn more about how Novuna Consumer Finance supports retailers with flexible finance options designed to fit seamlessly into the checkout experience.