Shopping is fun when it goes as smoothly as possible. New survey findings, however, suggest one inconvenience has become so big that it can drive a Gen Z shopper to cancel an order altogether: a forgotten password.
More than half of Americans have abandoned an online purchase because they have either forgotten their password or had trouble logging in, according to a new survey from internet marketing service HostingAdvice. This is more pronounced, however, when looking at Gen Z shoppers.
HostingAdvice said Gen Z shoppers (72 percent) are nearly twice as likely as Baby Boomers (37 percent) to drop a purchase because of log-in problems. The younger generation, the company said, seems to prefer the ease of fingerprints and face scans over actual passwords.
It’s an issue that particularly affects e-commerce, and Gen Z shoppers are arguably the most online generation. While certain security measures are necessary, it seems troubleshooting a forgotten password is so cumbersome that many customers say it’s not just worth their trouble.
“The consensus is pretty clear: Younger shoppers may have less patience for login issues, and they’re more likely to expect faster, easier ways to prove who they are,” HostingAdvice said in a statement. “For Gen Z, typing out another password can start to feel like an unnecessary obstacle, especially when their phone can already recognize their face or fingerprint in a second.”
What’s in a password? For 42 percent of Americans, passwords incorporate personal information, according to a 2024 survey from Bitwarden, a credential management company. In comparison, the global average is 25 percent.
Not only do American consumers use their personal information to create passwords that are easier to remember, but they (31 percent) also reuse them in more than 20 apps, Bitwarden said.
Perhaps the most troubling finding from the Bitwarden survey is how people manage their passwords. More than half, or 58 percent, simply keep their passwords to memory, while 34 percent say they write them down on a piece of paper.
HostingAdvice’s survey also echoes these findings, with 32 percent of Americans saying their biggest password-related grievance is remembering their passwords in the first place. Nearly a quarter say that the most annoying part is coming up with passwords that meet a website’s specific requirements, such as minimum number of characters. There are also just some (14 percent) who hate having to reset each password they’ve forgotten.
The findings, in any way, do not imply that passwords should be removed altogether. They’re essential security measures, but HostingAdvice said companies can benefit from making the process of retrieving access easier, may it be passkeys, biometrics, or even better account recovery options.
“As shoppers get used to faster, smoother online experiences, clunky authentication could become another factor that businesses need to consider when it comes to cart abandonment,” the company said.
