Total basket price inconsistent with basket_value parameters

Problem and Background


The basket_value parameter in the Conversion Basket Page View pixel denotes the total price of the checkout basket, usually including tax, discounts, shipping, and/or discounts in the account currency. This parameter should use the same order value/transaction total that you report to your analytics partner.

We have a check in place that determines if basket_value falls within a minimum and maximum range, where the calculation is:

min_value = calculated_basket_value* - 20% of basket_value (here 20% includes the tax and shipping)

max_value = calculated_basket_value* + 20% of basket_value (here 20% includes the tax and shipping)

*calculated by summing item_count and item_price

Common Causes


This issue usually occurs if you have high shipping costs and taxes. Additionally, you can get this error if you allow shoppers to apply coupons against the basket total.

We expect this error from time to time. The default threshold is 5%. It's unnecessary to investigate if the error percentage is low, and it's normal for your shipping, tax, and discount orders.

An investigation is needed if the percentage deviates from this normally accepted range.

Debugging Steps


1. Checking basket_value discrepancies

To debug this issue, follow the steps below:

  • Download the Failure Examples file provided under the Alert Graph.
  • Compare the basket details sent (in 1) with the acceptable range and actually reported revenue (in 2). In the example below, the Actual revenue shows 0, which is incorrect. This could happen if the basket_value is not set or if it is set to zero.

2. Checking basket parameter issues

You can validate if there’s an issue with the basket parameter. If you’re sending price*quantity in the price parameter, then the check can fail.

For example, if a shopper buys 2 of an item that is priced at $10 each:

Correct values sent in basket parameter:

Price: $10
Quantity: 2

Incorrect values sent in basket parameter:

Price: $20
Quantity: 2

👍

Did this article help you?

Please provide your feedback. We would like to know if our help center is effective in solving your queries. You can leave comments and suggestions on how we can make our help articles better. You can also suggest topics you’d like us to cover.