Checkout Upsell
What is a Checkout Upsell?
Checkout Upsell displays product recommendations during the checkout process, before the customer completes their initial purchase. This allows customers to add items to their cart while they're still in the buying mindset.
Available to Shopify Plus stores only (due to Shopify's platform limitations)
Why Checkout Upsell Works
Conversion Rate: 1 in 6
Checkout Upsell converts 16.7% of customers (1 in 6), making it one of the highest-performing upsell strategies.
The Psychology Behind It
Simple, clean presentation that adds items before purchase commitment is finalized. Customers are already in buying mode and haven't completed payment yet, making them more receptive to adding "just one more thing."
How Checkout Upsell Works
Customer Experience Flow
Customer adds products to cart and proceeds to checkout
Checkout Upsell appears on the checkout page
Customer sees product suggestions with discount
Customer can add items with one click—they're added to the cart automatically
Customer completes checkout with all items together
Key advantage: Items are added to the existing cart, not as a separate transaction. Everything processes in one payment.
Customization Options
Checkout Upsell offers full customization for which products appear and when, based on multiple conditions:
Targeting options:
Order value thresholds
Specific products in cart
zProducts NOT in cart
Product types or collections
And more!
This flexibility allows you to create highly relevant, targeted upsells for different customer scenarios.
Setting Up Checkout Upsell
Step 1: Create Your Upsell Strategy
Navigate to Upsell Strategies in your Order Editing dashboard
Click Create New Strategy
Select Checkout Upsell template
Follow the prompts to configure your strategy (see examples below)
Click Save
Step 2: Add Block to Checkout Page
Go to Shopify Settings > Checkout
Click Customize (for your active checkout configuration)
Navigate to the Checkout page
Click Add Block
Select "Checkout Offers" from Order Editing
Position the block where you want it to appear (typically before payment section)
Tick the Checkout Behavior buttons to enable the upsell functionality
Customize in Block Settings:
Click Save
Configuration Examples
Simple Example: Broad Appeal
Goal: Show recently viewed products to all customers with a discount
Setup:
Rule: None (shows to everyone)
Product Module: Recently Viewed Products
Automatically displays products the customer has browsed
Strategy Discount: 20%
Result: All customers see items they've recently looked at with 20% off, reminding them of products they showed interest in.
Why this works: Leverages proven interest—if they viewed it, they considered buying it.
Advanced Example: Targeted Product Strategy
Goal: Upsell complementary products to specific buyers
Setup:
Rule 1: Product "Surfboard"
Product Module: A Group of Products - Various surf waxes
Manually selected collection of surf wax products
Strategy Discount: 20%
Result: Anyone buying a surfboard sees a selection of surf waxes at 20% off—a highly relevant, essential accessory for their purchase.
Why this works: Perfect product-fit for the customer's needs. If they're buying a surfboard, they likely need wax.
Step-by-Step: Creating Your Strategy
1. Set Your Rules (Triggers)
Define when the upsell appears. You can use multiple rules together:
Common rules:
Order value thresholds - "Order total is greater than $50"
Product in cart - "Product type equals Skateboard"
Product NOT in cart - "Product [Helmet] is not in cart" (for safety items, accessories)
Collections - "Cart contains products from [Summer Collection]"
2. Choose Product Module
Select how products are presented:
Options:
Recently Viewed Products - Shows items customer browsed
Related Products - Automatically suggests complementary items
Single Product - Display one specific product
Group of Products - Manually select multiple specific products
3. Set Strategy Discount
Enter the discount percentage for upsell products:
Example: 10-20% for broad upsells
Example: 25-30% for targeted, strategic upsells
Example: 0% for generic upsells
4. Customize Display Settings
In the Block Settings after adding to checkout:
Indicate how many products you want diplsayed
5. Save and Test
Click Save and place a test order to see how the upsell appears and functions.
Best Practices
Messaging and Copy:
Use friendly, casual language - "Add a little something" vs. "You should buy this"
Keep it short - 5-8 words maximum for headlines
Create subtle urgency - "There's still room in your cart" implies limited opportunity
Avoid pushy sales language - Focus on convenience and helpfulness
Product Selection:
Show 1-4 products maximum - Too many options overwhelm customers
Prioritize complementary items - Items that enhance the main purchase
Match price point - Aim for upsells that are 20-60% of cart value, not more
Use recently viewed for broad strategies - Proven interest increases conversion
Targeting:
Start simple, then refine - Begin with "Recently Viewed" for everyone, then create targeted strategies
Create product-specific rules - Match accessories to main products (wax to surfboards, cases to phones)
Test different discount levels - Find the sweet spot between conversion and margin
Use multiple strategies - Different rules for different customer segments
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