In this article
Checkout leakage is when shoppers reach Shopify's native checkout instead of the custom one you installed — so your COD risk rules, your UPI-first screen and your offers never run. It's easy to miss because the orders still come through; they just come through unfiltered, and the RTO shows up later.
Where the leaks are
| Entry point | How it bypasses your checkout | The risk |
|---|---|---|
| "Buy it now" button | Jumps straight to native checkout | COD ships with no scoring |
| Google Shopping / Merchant Center | Links to the product, then native | Unfiltered COD + price mismatch |
| In-app browsers (Instagram, Facebook) | Fall back to the native flow | Rules and offers lost |
| Shop app / direct /checkout link | Native by default | Same — your rules don't run |
Why it matters
- Unscored COD orders ship — the exact ones most likely to RTO.
- Your offers, coupons and free-shipping thresholds don't apply.
- Google's signed discount can get dropped, triggering a Merchant Center mismatch.
- Server-side measurement misses the sale, so your ads optimise on partial data.
How to plug it
- Replace or disable the dynamic "Buy it now" buttons that skip your flow.
- Funnel every entry point — ads, in-app, Shop — into your checkout.
- Use a checkout that honours the Google signed price so Merchant Center stays clean.
How IndiSell handles leakage
IndiSell is built to capture the traffic that would otherwise leak into native checkout, so your COD rules and offers run on every order. See the checkout and the India-first setup.
Frequently asked questions
How do shoppers skip my Shopify checkout? Through "Buy it now" buttons, Google Shopping links, in-app browsers and the Shop app — all of which can drop them into Shopify's native checkout.
Why is checkout leakage a problem? Orders that reach native checkout skip your COD scoring, your offers and your measurement — so risky COD ships and your rules never run.
Can I stop the "Buy it now" bypass? Yes — replace or disable the dynamic buttons and funnel every entry point into your own checkout.
Start here
Not sure how much is leaking? Book a demo and we'll show you on your own store.
See it live on a private preview of your checkout.