27 Free Shipping and Delivery Statistics, Trends, and Data Points for 2026

Free shipping is no longer a promotion. It is a default expectation that shapes conversion, average order value, and cart abandonment across online retail. This briefing compiles verified free shipping statistics from the Baymard Institute, the National Retail Federation, Deloitte, FedEx/Morning Consult, DHL, and Statista, attributing every number to its publisher and year and flagging where survey methods limit interpretation.

All figures below are drawn from primary research releases or the publisher’s own reporting. Self-reported consumer surveys measure stated intent, not observed purchases, and that gap is noted where relevant.

Executive Summary

• The average documented online cart abandonment rate is 70.22%, calculated across 50 studies (Baymard Institute, 2025, global). Source
• Among shoppers who abandoned a cart for reasons beyond browsing, 39% cited extra costs (shipping, tax, fees) being too high, the single most common reason (Baymard Institute, 2025, U.S. survey n=1,010). Source
• 75% of U.S. consumers prioritize free shipping over faster shipping (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, n=2,103 U.S. consumers). Source
• 81% of shoppers said they are willing to increase spending to meet a retailer’s free-shipping threshold (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, U.S.). Source
• 88% of holiday shoppers said they prefer free shipping over faster delivery, versus 12% who chose speed (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, n=4,036 U.S. consumers). Source
• 75% of consumers said they expect free delivery even on orders under $50, up from 68% the prior year (NRF/Prosper Insights, January 2019, U.S.). Source
• 51% of online shoppers said they add items to their cart to meet a free-shipping minimum, and 47% back out of a purchase when they do not qualify (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019, U.S.). Source
• High delivery costs ranked as the No. 1 frustration in online shopping worldwide, per a survey of 12,000 adults across 24 countries (DHL, 2024 Online Shopper Trends, H1 2024). Source

Key Findings

• The average online shopping cart abandonment rate is 70.22% across 50 documented studies (Baymard Institute, 2025, global). Baymard
• 39% of non-browsing cart abandoners cited extra costs (shipping, tax, fees) as too high, the leading abandonment reason (Baymard Institute, 2025, U.S. n=1,010). Baymard
• 21% of non-browsing cart abandoners said delivery was too slow (Baymard Institute, 2025, U.S.). Baymard
• 75% of U.S. consumers said they prioritize free shipping over expedited delivery (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, n=2,103). FedEx
• 57% of U.S. consumers ranked free shipping as a priority when buying online, ahead of finding the best price at 54% (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024). FedEx
• 81% of shoppers said they would spend more to hit a free-shipping threshold (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, U.S.). FedEx
• 48% of surveyed U.S. merchants said they currently offer free shipping (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, n=510 merchants). FedEx
• 88% of holiday shoppers said they prefer free shipping over faster delivery (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, n=4,036). Deloitte
• 66% of holiday shoppers said they are willing to wait 3 to 7 days for free-shipped merchandise (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, U.S.). Deloitte
• 62% of shoppers defined fast shipping as two days or less, up from 54% in 2017 (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, U.S.). Deloitte
• 72% of holiday shoppers named free shipping a key reason to shop online, second only to convenience at 77% (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, U.S.). Deloitte
• 75% of consumers said they expect free delivery even on orders under $50, up from 68% a year earlier (NRF/Prosper Insights, January 2019, U.S.). NRF
• 65% of consumers said they check shipping costs before adding items to their cart (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019, U.S.). NRF
• 39% of online shoppers said they expect retailers to offer free two-day delivery (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019, U.S.). NRF
• High delivery costs ranked as the top online-shopping frustration among 12,000 adults across 24 countries (DHL, 2024 Online Shopper Trends). DHL via eMarketer

Shipping Cost as a Cart-Abandonment Driver

The strongest and most consistently measured finding across the free shipping literature is that unexpected shipping and checkout costs are the leading cause of abandoned carts. The Baymard Institute is the primary source here because it isolates reasons among shoppers who intended to buy, excluding people who were only browsing.

The average documented cart abandonment rate is 70.22%, computed from 50 separate studies (Baymard Institute, 2025, global). Source: Baymard Institute, 2025.

Among U.S. shoppers who abandoned for reasons other than browsing, 39% cited extra costs such as shipping, tax, and fees being too high (Baymard Institute, 2025, n=1,010). Source: Baymard Institute, 2025.

Delivery being too slow was the second-ranked reason at 21% in the same survey (Baymard Institute, 2025, U.S.). Source: Baymard Institute, 2025.

Globally, high delivery costs were the single most frustrating aspect of online shopping in a 24-country survey of 12,000 adults (DHL, 2024 Online Shopper Trends, H1 2024). Source: DHL, 2024, via eMarketer.

What this means: the abandonment penalty is tied to surprise, not just cost. Shoppers add items expecting a total, then leave when shipping inflates it at checkout. A note of caution: the widely repeated “48% cite extra costs” figure reflects an earlier Baymard survey wave; the current figure is 39%. Numbers between 39% and 48% both circulate online, so citing the survey year matters. For a deeper analysis of why shoppers leave before purchase, see our companion resource on cart abandonment statistics.

Consumer Expectation of Free Shipping

Free shipping has shifted from a perk to a baseline expectation, and multiple independent surveys converge on that conclusion even when exact percentages differ by methodology and year.

75% of U.S. consumers said they prioritize free shipping over faster shipping (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, n=2,103). Source: FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024.

57% of consumers ranked free shipping as a priority when purchasing online, ahead of finding the best price at 54% (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024). Source: FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024.

75% of consumers said they expect free delivery even on orders under $50, up from 68% the prior year (NRF/Prosper Insights, January 2019, U.S.). Source: NRF, 2019.

88% of holiday shoppers said they prefer free shipping over faster delivery, versus 12% who chose speed (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, n=4,036). Source: Deloitte, 2018.

What this means: the preference for free over fast is stable across six years and multiple publishers, which strengthens confidence in the direction even if a single percentage should not be treated as precise. Limitation: the Deloitte and NRF figures predate 2020 and describe a pre-pandemic delivery environment.

Free-Shipping Thresholds and Order Value

Threshold free shipping, where orders above a set dollar value ship free, changes shopping behavior by giving consumers a reason to add items. Survey evidence shows both the willingness to spend more and the risk of abandonment when the threshold is missed.

81% of shoppers said they are willing to increase spending to meet a retailer’s free-shipping threshold (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, U.S.). Source: FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024.

51% of online shoppers said they add items to their cart specifically to reach a free-shipping minimum (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019, U.S.). Source: NRF, 2019.

47% of online shoppers said they back out of a purchase when the order does not qualify for free shipping (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019, U.S.). Source: NRF, 2019.

65% of consumers said they check shipping costs before adding items to their cart (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019, U.S.). Source: NRF, 2019.

The average free-shipping threshold reached about $64 in 2023, up 23.1% from 2019 (Digital Commerce 360, 2023, U.S.). Source: Digital Commerce 360, 2023.

What this means: thresholds work as a two-sided lever. They lift average order value from the majority who add items, but they also cost conversions from the near-half who abandon when they fall short. Limitation: the $64 threshold figure is an aggregate and varies widely by category and retailer.

Fast and Same-Day Delivery Demand

Speed matters, but survey evidence repeatedly shows consumers value free over fast, and their willingness to pay for speed is modest.

66% of holiday shoppers said they would wait 3 to 7 days for merchandise if shipping was free (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, U.S.). Source: Deloitte, 2018.

62% of shoppers defined fast shipping as two days or less, up from 54% in 2017 (Deloitte, 2018 Holiday Survey, U.S.). Source: Deloitte, 2018.

55% of consumers said they are willing to pay for same-day delivery and 45% for next-day delivery (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, U.S.). Source: FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024.

40% of consumers said they prefer next-day home delivery from local retailers (FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024, U.S.). Source: FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024.

39% of online shoppers said they expect free two-day delivery from retailers (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019, U.S.). Source: NRF, 2019.

What this means: the demand for speed is real but conditional. Consumers want fast delivery when it is also free, and their stated willingness to pay a premium for speed is limited. The definition of “fast” has compressed toward two days, raising the operational bar.

Original Synthesis

The following insights are derived by combining the verified figures above. They are directional, not precise, because they mix surveys with different samples, years, and question wording. Each is labeled with its inputs and limits.

1. The free-shipping expectation gap

Formula: consumer expectation minus merchant supply. 75% of consumers prioritize free shipping (FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024) while only 48% of merchants said they currently offer it (FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024). That leaves roughly a 27-point gap between what shoppers want and what the average surveyed merchant provides. Inputs: FedEx/Morning Consult, May 2024. Limitation: the two figures come from separate consumer and merchant samples within the same study, so this is a comparison of two populations, not a matched difference.

2. The threshold conversion trade-off

Logic: threshold free shipping both lifts and suppresses purchases. 51% of shoppers add items to reach a threshold while 47% back out when they fall short (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019). The near-even split implies that for every shopper a threshold up-sells, roughly one is at risk of walking away, so threshold design is close to a coin flip on net conversion effect unless the threshold sits just above average order value. Inputs: NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019. Limitation: the two behaviors are not mutually exclusive and the same shopper may do both on different orders; the survey is from 2019.

3. Surprise cost is the true abandonment lever

Logic: abandonment is concentrated in cost surprise rather than shipping cost alone. Extra costs too high (39%) is the top reason and outranks delivery too slow (21%) by nearly two to one (Baymard Institute, 2025). Combined with 65% of consumers checking shipping cost before adding items (NRF, 2019), this indicates that unexpected fees at checkout, not the existence of a fee, drive most lost carts. Inputs: Baymard Institute 2025, NRF 2019. Limitation: the two inputs are different years and samples; the synthesis is directional.

Tables

Table 1: Top reasons for cart abandonment (non-browsing abandoners)

Source: Baymard Institute, 2025, U.S. survey (n=1,010). baymard.com

Table 2: Consumer free-shipping and delivery preferences by source

Sources: FedEx/Morning Consult 2024; Deloitte 2018; NRF/Prosper Insights 2019.

Table 3: How “fast” and paid speed break down

Sources: Deloitte 2018; FedEx/Morning Consult 2024; NRF/Prosper Insights 2019.

Charts to build

1. Cart abandonment reasons ranked. Data: the six reasons in Table 1. Source: Baymard Institute 2025. Insight: extra costs lead by nearly 2x over the next reason. Citation-worthy because it isolates buyer intent, not browsing.
2. Free versus fast over time. Data: 88% prefer free (Deloitte 2018) and 75% prioritize free (FedEx 2024). Source: Deloitte, FedEx/Morning Consult. Insight: preference for free is durable across six years. Citation-worthy as a trendline of stable consumer preference.
3. The expectation-supply gap. Data: 75% of consumers want free shipping vs 48% of merchants offering it. Source: FedEx/Morning Consult 2024. Insight: a 27-point unmet-demand gap. Citation-worthy for retail strategy pieces.
4. Threshold behavior split. Data: 51% add items vs 47% back out. Source: NRF/Prosper 2019. Insight: thresholds are a near-even up-sell versus abandonment trade-off. Citation-worthy for conversion-optimization coverage.
5. Willingness to pay for speed. Data: 55% same-day, 45% next-day. Source: FedEx/Morning Consult 2024. Insight: paid-speed appetite drops as the guaranteed window shortens. Citation-worthy for last-mile logistics stories.

Inline chart: leading cart-abandonment reasons (share of non-browsing abandoners)

Source: Baymard Institute, 2025. baymard.com

Methodology

Source selection prioritized primary research releases from the Baymard Institute, the National Retail Federation with Prosper Insights, Deloitte, FedEx with Morning Consult, and DHL, plus Statista and Digital Commerce 360 where they clearly reported original survey data. Inclusion required a named publisher, a datable release, and a recoverable percentage or dollar value. Statistics with no traceable publisher or year were excluded even when widely repeated.

Conflicting numbers were handled by citing the specific survey wave and year rather than averaging. The clearest example is the extra-costs abandonment figure, which appears as 39% in Baymard’s current survey and as 48% in an earlier wave; both are reported with their source year so readers can judge currency. Derived insights in the Original Synthesis section combine figures from different surveys and are labeled directional, with input sources and limitations stated. No numbers were invented or estimated. Last updated July 2026.

Source Quality

Tier 1 (primary research, official bodies): National Retail Federation with Prosper Insights (industry association survey); Baymard Institute (independent UX research firm with published methodology). Tier 2 (credible market research and corporate research): Deloitte (2018 Holiday Survey, n=4,036); FedEx with Morning Consult (2024, n=2,103 consumers and n=510 merchants); DHL (2024 Online Shopper Trends, 12,000 adults across 24 countries); Digital Commerce 360; Statista Consumer Insights. Tier 3 (reputable journalism and aggregation): eMarketer, Retail Customer Experience, Capital One Shopping research aggregation.

Most Quotable Statistics

• “The average online cart abandonment rate is 70.22% across 50 studies.” (Baymard Institute, 2025)
• “Extra costs such as shipping and fees are the No. 1 reason shoppers abandon carts, cited by 39%.” (Baymard Institute, 2025)
• “75% of consumers prioritize free shipping over faster shipping.” (FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024)
• “88% of holiday shoppers prefer free shipping over faster delivery.” (Deloitte, 2018)
• “51% add items to reach a free-shipping threshold; 47% back out when they miss it.” (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019)

Data Limitations

Every figure here is self-reported survey data measuring stated intent, not observed transactions, so real-world behavior may differ. Several anchor statistics from Deloitte (2018) and NRF (2019) predate the pandemic-era shift in delivery expectations and should be read as directional rather than current. The extra-costs abandonment share varies between 39% and 48% across Baymard survey waves; year attribution is essential. Global figures from DHL blend 24 countries and do not isolate U.S. behavior. Aggregate threshold and free-shipping-rate figures mask wide variation by product category and retailer.

Recommended Dataset Fields

For a downloadable CSV, recommended columns: statistic_name; value; unit (percent or USD); geography; publisher; survey_partner; survey_year; sample_size; population (consumer or merchant); source_url; tier; notes_on_limitation.

Press Summary

Free shipping has become a baseline expectation rather than a promotion. The Baymard Institute reports the average online cart abandonment rate at 70.22% across 50 studies in 2025, with extra costs such as shipping, tax, and fees the leading reason to abandon, cited by 39% of non-browsing abandoners. Consumer preference for free over fast delivery is durable: 88% of holiday shoppers preferred free shipping in Deloitte’s 2018 survey, and 75% prioritized free over fast in FedEx and Morning Consult’s 2024 study. Thresholds cut both ways. NRF and Prosper Insights found 51% of shoppers add items to qualify for free shipping while 47% abandon when they do not. Demand for speed is real but conditional; consumers want fast delivery when it is also free, and paid-speed appetite is modest. All figures are self-reported survey data, and several anchor statistics predate 2020, so they describe direction more than precise current levels.

Suggested Headlines

1. Free Shipping Statistics 2026: Why 39% of Abandoned Carts Come Down to Cost
2. The 70% Problem: What the Data Says About Shipping and Cart Abandonment
3. Free Beats Fast: Six Years of Shipping-Preference Data in One Place
4. The Free-Shipping Expectation Gap Retailers Cannot Ignore
5. Thresholds That Sell and Thresholds That Lose Sales: The 51/47 Split

FAQ

What percentage of shoppers abandon carts because of shipping costs?

Among U.S. shoppers who abandoned for reasons beyond browsing, 39% cited extra costs such as shipping, tax, and fees as too high, the leading reason (Baymard Institute, 2025).

What is the average online cart abandonment rate?

The average documented rate is 70.22%, calculated across 50 studies (Baymard Institute, 2025, global).

Do consumers prefer free shipping or fast shipping?

75% of U.S. consumers said they prioritize free shipping over faster shipping (FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024), and 88% of holiday shoppers preferred free over fast (Deloitte, 2018).

Do free-shipping thresholds increase order value?

51% of online shoppers said they add items to their cart to reach a free-shipping minimum (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019), which lifts average order value.

How many shoppers abandon a purchase without free shipping?

47% of online shoppers said they back out of a purchase when the order does not qualify for free shipping (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019).

How much are consumers willing to spend to get free shipping?

81% of shoppers said they would increase spending to meet a retailer’s free-shipping threshold (FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024).

What is the average free-shipping threshold?

The average threshold reached about $64 in 2023, up 23.1% from 2019 (Digital Commerce 360, 2023).

Do consumers expect free shipping on small orders?

75% of consumers said they expect free delivery even on orders under $50, up from 68% a year earlier (NRF/Prosper Insights, 2019).

Will consumers pay for same-day or next-day delivery?

55% of consumers said they would pay for same-day delivery and 45% for next-day delivery (FedEx/Morning Consult, 2024).

What counts as fast shipping to consumers?

62% of shoppers defined fast shipping as two days or less, up from 54% in 2017 (Deloitte, 2018).

This briefing is maintained by CO Consulting as a research reference. If your team wants help turning these benchmarks into a shipping and checkout strategy, you can book a consultation.

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