Upselling means offering a better or bigger option than the one a shopper picked: the premium model, the larger pack, a three-month supply instead of one, or an extended warranty. It differs from cross-selling, which adds a different, complementary product.
A good upsell raises AOV without raising the cost of winning the customer, so it improves ROAS and profit per order. It also helps the customer when the upgrade really suits them better.
- On the product page: quantity options or bundles priced so the bigger choice is the better value.
- In the cart: a prompt to upgrade before checkout.
- After checkout: a one-click offer on the thank-you page, often added through an app.
Keep upsells relevant and modest. An upgrade that costs a little more and clearly does more is easier to accept than one that doubles the price.
Common mistakes: so many offers that checkout slows down, upsells unrelated to the original product, and pressure tactics that lead to refunds. You can see which apps successful stores install, upsell and bundle apps included, in Shop Analytics.