Between the cashback programs of neobanks, hidden fees that inflate the final cart, and the rise of environmental requirements, the factors influencing an online purchase have multiplied. Comparing two offers now requires looking beyond the displayed price on the product page. What criteria truly differentiate a good deal from a poorly calibrated impulse buy?
Displayed price and actual price: what the total cost online reveals
The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) conducted an experiment in 2024-2025 on the display of additional fees. The findings are clear: buyers who see the total price from the first page reduce their impulse purchases and product returns. Overall satisfaction increases, even if the volume of purchases decreases.
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This mechanism is starting to influence merchants’ pricing strategies. Some online stores now display the total amount including delivery from the results page, while others push these fees to the last step of the checkout tunnel.
| Criterion | Displayed price only | Total price from the 1st page |
|---|---|---|
| Impulse purchases | Frequent | Reduced |
| Product return rate | High | Decreased |
| Customer satisfaction | Variable | Improved |
| Sales volume | Higher in appearance | Lower but more profitable |
For buyers, the lesson is straightforward: before confirming a cart, add up the product price, delivery fees, and any service charges. On the site trending.fr to visit, shopping trends are analyzed from this perspective of actual value for money, helping to identify offers where the total cost remains competitive.
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Cashback and personalized discounts: a new criterion for choosing a merchant
Several industry analyses published in 2025 document a shift in the European market. The levels of cashback offered by neobanks have become a decisive criterion for certain segments of buyers. Services like Revolut or Lydia offer targeted discounts that influence the choice of merchant, sometimes more than the catalog price.
The mechanism is simple: a “shopping” payment card refunds a percentage on certain partner brands. The buyer then chooses their online store not because the price is the lowest, but because the cashback makes the final price more advantageous once the refund is credited.
How to assess the relevance of a cashback offer
- Check if the cashback applies to the total amount or only to the price excluding delivery, as the difference can negate the advantage
- Compare the refund time: some neobanks credit within 48 hours, others wait until the end of the withdrawal period
- Monitor monthly cashback caps, which limit the interest for high-value purchases
The displayed price loses its role as the sole point of comparison as soon as a personalized discount program comes into play. Optimizing online purchases now involves a cross-reading of price, cashback, and payment conditions.
Carbon footprint of delivery: a growing purchase filter
The 2025 e-commerce barometer from Fevad highlights a behavior that is gaining traction in France. Buyers abandon their cart if the carbon footprint of delivery is not indicated or if no low-impact option is offered. This sensitivity has notably increased since 2023.
For online stores, the stakes are twofold. Clearly displaying the environmental impact of each delivery method reassures the most attentive consumers. Not displaying anything, on the other hand, leads to abandonment right from the first step of the checkout tunnel for a growing share of customers.
Standard delivery or consolidated delivery: the concrete trade-off
Individual express delivery generates a higher logistical and environmental cost than consolidated delivery to a pickup point. Buyers looking to optimize their online purchases should group their orders rather than multiplying individual shipments.
This choice also affects the final price. Express delivery fees often represent a significant portion of the cart for low-value items. Grouping purchases reduces both cost and carbon impact, making it a rarely highlighted optimization lever.
Mobile checkout and abandonment rate: measurable friction points
Mobile now represents the majority of e-commerce traffic, but the conversion rate on smartphones remains lower than on computers. The reasons are identifiable.
- Long payment forms on mobile discourage completion, especially when they do not offer one-click payment
- The lack of saving delivery information forces users to re-enter the same data with each order
- Pop-ups and ads on mobile reduce the readability of the product page and slow down navigation
- Loading times beyond a few seconds lead to massive abandonment on slow mobile connections
Optimizing the mobile checkout process is the most direct lever to reduce cart abandonment. Stores that offer simplified payment (Google Pay, Apple Pay, or payment by link) show significantly better conversion rates.
For the buyer, testing the checkout process on mobile before committing to a store helps avoid unpleasant surprises. A site with a smooth mobile checkout is often an indicator of reliability across the entire customer experience.
The catalog price remains a starting point, not an endpoint. The total cost, cashback, carbon footprint, and fluidity of mobile payment form the four variables that determine the actual quality of an online purchase. Each variable alters the final price in sufficient proportions to reverse a ranking between two offers.