How to upsell in Shopify
Turn single-product orders into multi-product orders. Enter your store URL to see upsells running on your own products, in seconds.
What is an upsell?
An upsell encourages a customer to add more value to their order. In this guide we focus on the most effective form for most
Shopify
stores: the cross-sell, where you recommend complementary products and add-ons next to the item a shopper is already buying.
Think of a phone case offered with a phone, gift wrap with a candle, or a hand cream paired with a body wash. The customer gets a more complete purchase, and you grow the order value without paying for another visitor.
Most merchants say "upsell" to cover both upgrades and cross-sells. Throughout this guide, upsell means recommending the right additional product at the right moment.
Upsell (upgrade)
Offer a better or larger version. Example: the 100ml bottle instead of the 50ml.
Cross-sell (add-on) our focus
Recommend complementary products. Example: a belt and a cap added to the order.
Designed for Shopify
Upsells for your entire catalog
From apparel to beauty to homeware, SellUp matches relevant add-ons to any product you sell.
Most stores leave money on the table
You worked hard to win the visit. If they buy just one item, you are capturing a fraction of the order they were happy to place.
Single-item orders
Shoppers buy one product and leave, even when there is an obvious add-on they would have happily taken.
Flat average order value
Your AOV barely moves, so every increase in revenue has to come from expensive new traffic.
Manual merchandising
Hand-picking related products for every page does not scale and quickly falls out of date.
Why upselling is the highest-ROI lever you have
Upsells monetise traffic you have already paid for. The lift is close to pure margin.
Average order value uplift across the journey
Extra ad spend required to earn it
To launch your first upsell with SellUp
On-brand, matched to your store design
Higher AOV
Every accepted add-on increases the value of an order you already won, lifting revenue per visitor.
Better ROI on ads
A higher AOV improves your return on ad spend and gives you room to outbid competitors for traffic.
Better customer experience
Relevant recommendations help shoppers complete their purchase with the items they actually need.
Compounding gains
Upsells run on autopilot across every order, so the revenue lift keeps stacking with zero extra effort.
How to upsell in Shopify, step by step
Use these placements across the customer journey. The best results come from combining several.
Product page add-ons
Show complementary products directly beneath the Add to cart button. This is the highest-intent moment, the customer is already choosing to buy.
Action upsells (popups)
The instant a shopper adds to cart, present a focused offer: "Want to add this?" One relevant product, one tap to accept.
Cart upsells
Recommend add-ons in the cart or cart drawer before checkout, while the customer is reviewing their order.
Post-purchase upsells
Offer a one-click add-on on the thank you page after checkout. There is no risk to the original sale and no need to re-enter payment.
See these methods on your own store
Scroll back up and enter your store URL to launch the live demo.
Upselling questions, answered
What is an upsell in Shopify?
An upsell encourages a customer to add more value to their order. In this guide we focus on cross-selling, the most common and effective form for most stores, where you recommend complementary products and add-ons alongside the item a shopper is already buying.
What is the difference between upselling and cross-selling?
Upselling traditionally means offering a higher-priced or upgraded version of a product. Cross-selling means recommending related products that pair well with the current item. Most Shopify merchants use the word upsell to cover both, and cross-sells are usually the easiest win.
Where should I place upsells on Shopify?
The highest-converting placements are the product page (add-ons under the buy button), the cart, the post-purchase checkout page, and action-based popups triggered when a customer adds to cart. A complete strategy uses several of these together.
Do upsells hurt conversion rate?
Well-built upsells do not. The key is relevance and timing. Recommending genuinely complementary products at the right moment increases average order value without adding friction to the core purchase.
How much can upselling increase revenue?
It varies by store, but it is common to see a 10 to 30 percent lift in average order value when relevant cross-sells and add-ons are added across the customer journey, with no extra ad spend required.
Do I need an app to upsell in Shopify?
You can build basic upsells manually, but it is time consuming to maintain. An app like SellUp lets you create AI-powered cross-sells, add-ons and cart upsells in about 60 seconds, matched to your store design.
Add upsells natively in Shopify in 60 seconds
SellUp creates AI-powered cross-sells, add-ons and cart upsells that match your store design, across the entire customer journey.
Get SellUp on the Shopify App Store