Every venue operator knows the frustration of guests disappearing without completing a purchase. It’s not just annoying, it’s expensive. Studies show that up to 70% of online carts are abandoned, and the experience economy is no exception. That’s potentially 7 out of every 10 interested guests walking away without booking. 

These aren’t cold leads. You already had their attention. They browsed, selected, and were this close to checking out. So, what went wrong? Often, it comes down to a mix of psychological and logistical friction. Guests get distracted or overwhelmed, and sometimes they just need more time. But without a follow-up, they’re gone for good.

Abandoned carts vs. abandoned checkouts: What’s the difference?

There are two key types of abandoned purchases:

• Abandoned Cart: A guest adds items to their cart but does not begin the checkout process. You may not capture their contact details unless they are logged in or you have the right data foundation and set up, like cookies.
• Abandoned Checkout: A guest starts the checkout process (e.g., enters their name or email) but leaves before completing payment.

While both represent lost revenue, abandoned checkouts are more easily recoverable due to the availability of guest data. Thankfully, with the right setup, you can automate flows to target both.

The cost of doing nothing

Let’s say your venue sees 500 abandoned carts and/or checkouts each month, and your average order value is $120. Recovering just 10% of those purchases means $6,000 in recovered revenue per month, which is $72,000 annually. That’s a game-changing figure and all without increasing ad spend or attracting new guests.

How to turn lost bookings into revenue 

If abandoned purchases are the leak in your revenue bucket, then a smart recovery strategy is the patch. With the right tools, you can recover bookings on autopilot, working in the background, while you focus on delivering unforgettable experiences.

Integrated systems: Real-time data powers personalization

The more personalized the follow-up, the more effective it is. That means your systems need to talk to each other. When your ticketing platform (like ROLLER) is connected to your marketing tools, you get instant access to the data that matters most. Find out instantly who abandoned their cart or checkout, what they were booking or purchasing, and how to re-engage them.

A connected tech stack lets you dynamically reflect real-time availability, pricing, and even the guest’s name or selected tickets. It eliminates guesswork and lays the foundation for your messages to be relevant, timely and automated, far more effective than generic blasts.

Here’s what you’ll need to enable personalised recovery for carts and checkouts: 

• A ticketing platform like ROLLER to track cart and checkout activity.
• On-site tracking to log guest actions like add to cart or start checkout.
• Your preferred marketing automation tool like Klaviyo or Hubspot, to send targeted emails and SMS.
• The Smart Segments Roller Connector to sync guest and session data across your systems in real time.
• Automation rules to trigger the right flow (cart or checkout) based on guest behaviour. 

Automation: Turn data into action 

Once your systems are integrated, automation takes over—building and sending personalized email flows, all without your team lifting a finger. Automation works around the clock, nudging guests back toward checkout, keeping your venue top of mind. Although, how you set up your automated recovery flows matters just as much as the content itself. 

Here’s a simple framework to follow, starting immediately after a purchase has been abandoned: