Abandoned Cart vs. Abandoned Checkout in Klaviyo: What's the Difference?

"Abandoned cart" gets used loosely, but in Klaviyo it can mean two different flows triggered by two different events. Getting this right is one of the fastest fixes in most accounts.

The two events

• Started Checkout: fires when a shopper reaches checkout and Klaviyo can identify them, typically because they entered an email. This is the highest-intent moment short of buying.
• Added to Cart: fires when an identified shopper adds a product to their cart. On Shopify it usually needs Klaviyo's onsite tracking and the Added to Cart event set up.

Why build both

The checkout flow catches people who were one step from paying. The cart flow catches a larger, earlier group who added an item but never reached checkout. They're different audiences with different levels of intent, so they need different messages.

Stopping the overlap

If someone adds to cart and then starts checkout, they shouldn't get both sequences. Typical filters: - Cart flow: "Started Checkout zero times since starting this flow" and "Placed Order zero times since starting this flow." - Both flows: "has not been in this flow in the last 7 days" so frequent shoppers aren't spammed.

A starting sequence (checkout flow)

1. 1 hour (email): a friendly reminder with the dynamic cart block (product, image, price), plus your shipping and returns reassurance.
2. About 4 hours (SMS, consented only): "Hi {first name}, your cart at {brand} is saved: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out."
3. 24 hours (email): reviews of the item in the cart and one common objection answered.
4. 48–72 hours (email): last reminder. An incentive is optional; if you use one, limit it to first-time buyers or orders above a threshold so you don't train regular customers to abandon carts on purpose.

The cart flow is usually shorter and softer: two emails with no incentive.

Common mistakes

• Only one flow, triggered on Added to Cart, which misses identified checkout starters.
• No exit when the shopper buys.
• A discount in the first message, which trains shoppers to abandon on purpose.
• SMS sent without documented consent.

Check whether your cart and checkout flows are both live with the free audit.