Last Updated on by Dan S
Originally Published November 7, 2022.
Have you ever shopped online and seen an offer for a mystery box? You know, where you can get a box of goodies for a discounted price, but you don’t know exactly what’s inside? Mystery boxes can be a great way to upsell customers on your Shopify store. Not only do they offer customers a chance to get more value for their money, but they also create a sense of anticipation and excitement.
In this blog post, we’ll show you how to create a mystery box upsell on Shopify.
What is a mystery box upsell?
A mystery box is a type of product that is sold without the customer knowing what is inside. The customer pays for the box and receives it without knowing the exact contents. For the customer, this can be a fun way to shop for gifts or for themselves if they fancy a surprise. For the merchant, it presents a great opportunity to upsell and increase average order value or “AOV”. Additionally, it is an opportunity for merchants to give great value to a customer by including high selling products with low selling products which can increase awareness and in turn, drive more sales.
The mystery box market has seen tremendous growth, with the global subscription box market (which includes mystery boxes) reaching $37.5 billion in 2024 and projected to hit $116.2 billion by 2033. This represents a 13.3% annual growth rate driven by consumer demand for personalized, curated surprises.
How to create a mystery box upsell without an app
To setup a mystery box upsell on Shopify without an app, you first need to create the product. Head to Shopify Admin > Products. Here, create a new product. Give a title mystery box and use a mystery package icon as the product photo. You don’t want to give the game away!
The next part is surfacing this product on your Shopify store. You can do this if your theme has product output options. If your theme doesn’t, you can use liquid to add sections to your theme and output the upsell there. Manual methods risk overselling inventory — modern apps now handle real-time stock management automatically to prevent this.
How to create a mystery box upsell using an app
Creating a mystery box upsell on Shopify is easy with modern upsell apps. Here are three great options you can use in 2025:
- SellUp – Create viral campaigns with social sharing then simply redirect to your product pages where you can surface a mystery box via On Page offers. Perfect for TikTok and Instagram marketing.
- Mystery Box Bundles – Automatically pull in-stock products into your mystery boxes and manage real-time inventory.
- Profit Bundles & Mystery Boxes – Comprehensive solution with 4.8/5 rating that enables viral campaigns, automatic inventory management, and integration with Google Merchant, TikTok, and Instagram for product listings.
Steps to create a mystery box using these apps:
- Create a new product in your Shopify store. Give it a title like “[Your Brand] Mystery Box”, add a short enticing description, set a price, and use an engaging product image. Use an animated mockup showing a digital unboxing to give it a modern edge.
- Choose an app from the list above to generate your mystery box upsell. Follow the instructions to:
- Select trigger products that will show the mystery box offer
- Set tiers (e.g. $49/$99/$199) for customers to choose from, each with a defined value range
- Enable inventory automation so only in-stock products are selected
- Preview the upsell live on your store and test it across product pages, checkout, or post-purchase flows depending on your app’s options.
- Optional: Enable shipping protection as an add-on to the mystery box. This boosts AOV and reduces customer service issues.
Inventory automation
Modern apps now automatically select products to include in each mystery box while adjusting inventory levels dynamically. This eliminates the risk of overselling or disappointing customers due to out-of-stock items. It also saves time by removing the need to manually track included products. Apps like Mystery Box Bundles and Profit Bundles use AI and automated algorithms to curate product selections while maintaining accurate stock levels in real-time.
Post-purchase and checkout mystery box offers
Post-purchase upsells remain one of the highest-converting placements for mystery boxes, with some stores seeing conversion rates of 10-15% or higher. However, checkout upsells have emerged as equally powerful, with Shopify’s checkout converting up to 36% better than competitors. Placing mystery box offers at checkout captures last-minute buying impulses when customers are already committed to purchasing, making them significantly more receptive to additional offers.
2025 Best Practices for Mystery Boxes
- Social Integration: Encourage UGC (user-generated content) with shareable unboxing experiences. Customers love to post surprise reveals on TikTok and Instagram. Include QR codes or hashtags in the box. Viral unboxing videos have driven significant sales spikes for brands leveraging this strategy.
- Personalization: Use purchase history or customer tags to offer themed boxes. For example, offer a “Summer Refresh Box” to customers who recently bought swimwear. AI-powered apps can now analyze customer behavior to create personalized mystery box recommendations.
- Tiered Pricing: Offer multiple box tiers like $49 / $99 / $199, each with increasing value. Let customers choose their surprise level while improving your AOV. This subscription model approach is driving recurring revenue for many successful mystery box brands.
- Transparency & Trust: While mystery boxes thrive on surprise, provide clear value indicators. Show the minimum retail value customers can expect (e.g., “$150+ value for only $49”) to build trust and reduce purchase hesitation.
- Seasonal Campaigns: Mystery box searches peak during Q3/Q4 (back-to-school and holiday shopping) and in August. Plan limited-edition seasonal boxes to capitalize on these demand spikes.
Analytics integration
Mystery box apps now offer built-in analytics that help track the performance of your offers. This includes data points like customer retention, box engagement rates, and average order value lift. Apps like Mysbox and Profit Bundles provide intuitive analytics dashboards across all devices. Use this data to refine targeting, pricing, and the types of products included. Track which mystery box tiers perform best, monitor customer repeat purchase rates, and A/B test different offers to optimize your conversion rates.
Conclusion
Mystery boxes are a proven way to increase average order value on your Shopify store, with the market projected to grow 15-20% annually through 2026. And now in 2025, it’s easier than ever with powerful apps like Mystery Box Bundles, Profit Bundles & Mystery Boxes, and SellUp. Simply choose the products where you want to display the mystery box, give it a discount to entice customers, and let the mystery games begin. Remember, surprise your customers positively with great value and engaging packaging — they’ll share the experience on social media and bring their friends. Let the mystery selling begin!
