Usability Low Priority 6% Adoption 4 Seconds Saved
One of the top Usability Commandments is “Thou shall not repeat questions.”
Many checkouts include some form of shipping calculator – or possibly a tax calculator – designed to give a user an idea of how much they’ll pay in shipping or taxes before they reach the end of the checkout. This number is pulled from their ZIP code in a separate field early in the checkout process, or even on the cart page.
Of course, a ZIP is also needed when entering a shipping address. If a user entered their ZIP in a calculator, don’t ask them for it again in the checkout – carry it over.
Don't make users enter the same thing again on the next page.
Implementing this feature is simple and straightforward. If your site has a shipping calculator, carry the ZIP to the checkout.
Some sites may instead implement a tax calculator, or depending on the product, a local store locator - if ordering pizza for example. If it is a tax calculator, follow the same procedure as if it was a shipping calculator.
If a store selector is used, however, carying over the ZIP is risky since the store might not be in the same area code as the user.
Store Zip Code from Shipping Calculator has an 6% adoption rate among our benchmark group.
Don’t ask for verification or add another step – make it automatic. This isn't complicated.
Some sites may instead implement a ZIP-based tax calculator. For these edge cases, the same rules apply. Carry over the ZIP.