Wallet buttons above or below the form: the order is a segmentation question

A wallet button above the form intercepts the shopper before any checkout work happens. For a returning buyer replenishing a known product, that interception is the whole value: no email field, no address form, payment and address arrive from the wallet, and the order is placed inside a minute. Baymard's checkout research has documented for years that account and form burden sit behind a large share of abandonment, and the wallet removes both at once for this shopper.

For a first time buyer of a considered product, the same interception skips the information gathering they came to checkout to do. They have not seen the delivery date, the returns terms, or the final total with shipping. Tapping the wallet feels like committing before the facts, so many back out of the wallet sheet, and a share of those never return to the form they left.

What the top position actually does

Segment a month of checkout starts by new versus returning and by single item versus multi item baskets. If returning single item orders dominate, the top position is leaving money on the table anywhere else. If first time considered baskets dominate, the top position mainly manufactures wallet sheet abandonments. Most stores sit between the two, which is why the honest answer is usually top placement plus a form that stays fully visible below, so the wallet reads as a shortcut rather than a gate.

Measure the wallet sheet abandonment rate separately from checkout abandonment. A store that lumps them together cannot tell whether the button is helping or merely moving the exit earlier, and will argue about placement from vibes.

Read your mix before you move anything

Run placement as a proper split for at least two full weekly cycles, because weekend traffic mixes differently from weekday traffic, and judge it on completed orders per checkout start within each segment, not on overall conversion. A placement that wins overall by winning big with returning buyers while quietly losing first timers may still be wrong for a store trying to grow its new buyer share.

The test that settles it on your store

Keep reading: Express Checkout: Setup Guide for Faster Buying, Checkout Delivery Options That Lift Conversion.

Frequently asked questions

Do express wallet buttons increase checkout conversion?

For returning and single item buyers, usually yes, because they remove the form and account burden entirely. For first time buyers of considered products, a top placed wallet can reduce completion by asking for commitment before shipping and totals are visible. Your traffic mix decides which effect dominates.

What is wallet sheet abandonment?

It is when a shopper taps an express wallet button, sees the payment sheet, and backs out without completing or returning to the standard form. Track it separately from ordinary checkout abandonment, or you cannot tell whether button placement is helping or just moving the exit.

Should the regular form stay visible below wallet buttons?

Yes, in almost every case. A visible form frames the wallet as a shortcut for shoppers who want it, rather than a gate everyone must understand before proceeding. Stores that hide the form behind an express step add confusion for the majority who still check out manually.

How long should a placement test run?

At least two full weekly cycles, judged on completed orders per checkout start within new and returning segments separately. Shorter tests mostly measure your weekday traffic mix, not the placement.