How to Add Upsells & Cross-Sells to the Checkout Page on Shopify?

The checkout page is often underestimated. Most store owners think of it as the final step in the buying process, but in reality, it’s also the last—and most powerful—opportunity to boost revenue. 

When customers arrive at checkout, their purchase intent is already high. They’ve browsed your store, compared options, and committed to a product. At this moment, they’re more receptive to relevant suggestions than at any other time. This is where upsells and cross-sells come into play. Not only do these strategies help increase your average order value (AOV), but they also make the shopping experience smoother by anticipating customer needs. 

In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive into how to add upsells and cross-sells to your Shopify checkout page, which apps to use, best practices, mistakes to avoid, and real-world examples to inspire your strategy.

1. Understanding Upsells & Cross-Sells

Before implementation, it’s crucial to understand the difference between the two techniques:

• Upsell: Encouraging the customer to purchase a higher-priced version of the product they’re considering. Example: If someone adds a $20 water bottle to their cart, an upsell could be a $35 insulated bottle that keeps drinks cold for 24 hours.
• Cross-sell: Suggesting a complementary product that enhances the original purchase. Example: A customer buying a smartphone might be shown a case, a wireless charger, or a screen protector.

Why They Work?

Both strategies are rooted in consumer psychology:

• Customers already trust your store since they’re at checkout.
• Convenience matters—if they can add something useful without browsing again, they’ll do it.
• People like curated suggestions. A relevant add-on feels like service, not sales.

This is why Amazon credits 35% of its revenue to upsells and cross-sells. It’s not just about making more money—it’s about making the customer feel like they’re making a smarter purchase.

2. Why Upsells & Cross-Sells Matter at Checkout?

You may already have upsells on product pages or in-cart pop-ups, but checkout upsells have a unique advantage: they reach the customer at the point of commitment.

Key Benefits:

• Increase in Average Order Value (AOV): Imagine 1,000 monthly orders averaging $50. If checkout upsells raise AOV by just 15%, that’s an extra $7,500 in revenue every month.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Instead of forcing customers to hunt for accessories, you’re putting them front and center.
• Reduced Cart Abandonment: Offers like “Add this for free shipping” or “Bundle and save 10%” create urgency and reduce the chance of shoppers backing out.
• Boosted Loyalty: A smooth, personalized checkout shows customers you understand their needs, encouraging repeat business.

In short, checkout upsells and cross-sells turn a routine transaction into a value-packed shopping experience.

3. Shopify’s Built-In Options

Shopify itself offers some upsell tools, though they’re limited unless you’re on Shopify Plus:

• Post-Purchase Upsells (Checkout Extensions): After a customer completes payment, you can display one-click offers without requiring them to re-enter payment details. For example, “Want to add 2-year warranty coverage?”
• Discounts & Bundles: You can set up bundle discounts (e.g., “Buy 2, get 1 free”) and promote them on your checkout page.
• Shopify Scripts (Plus only): These let you create custom discount logic—like automatically offering a discount if a complementary product is added.

For smaller stores not on Shopify Plus, third-party apps are the most effective solution.

4. Best Shopify Apps for Checkout Upsells & Cross-Sells

Third-party apps extend Shopify’s functionality and make upsells much easier. Here are some must-haves:

ReConvert Upsell & Cross Sell

• Customizable thank-you pages with personalized upsells.
• Supports triggers: “If a customer buys product A, show product B.”
• Great for small-to-mid stores.

Zipify OneClickUpsell (OCU)

• Creates seamless one-click post-purchase offers.
• Optimized for high conversions with templates.
• Perfect for stores with larger product catalogs.

Honeycomb Upsell & Cross Sell

• Uses AI to recommend relevant products.
• Can display offers pre-purchase, in-cart, and post-purchase.
• Quick to set up for beginners.

CartHook Post Purchase Offers

• Specializes in post-purchase upsells.
• Detailed analytics to track revenue impact.
• Focused on simplicity and clean user experience.

These apps vary in pricing and features, but all share one thing in common: they make upselling and cross-selling easy, scalable, and profitable.

5. Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Upsells & Cross-Sells

Here’s how to practically set them up:

Step 1: Identify Products to Promote

• Start with high-margin items like accessories or warranties.
• Use data-driven insights: Look at which products are often bought together in your analytics.

Step 2: Choose Your App

• For post-purchase upsells: ReConvert or Zipify OCU.
• For AI-driven automation: Honeycomb.

Step 3: Create Your Offer Rules

Examples:

• If customer buys running shoes → show sports socks.
• If customer buys basic headphones → offer premium wireless earbuds.

Step 4: Customize Offer Design

• Use clean visuals, benefit-focused copy, and a simple CTA like “Add to order with one click.”
• Example copy: “Upgrade your water bottle to the insulated version—keeps drinks cool for 24 hours!”

Step 5: Test the Checkout Flow

• Place test orders to ensure everything works.
• Check both mobile and desktop since over 70% of Shopify purchases are mobile.

Step 6: Track and Optimize

• Monitor metrics like:
  
  • Acceptance rate of upsells.
  • Change in AOV.
  • Checkout completion rate.
• Refine offers based on performance.

6. Best Practices for Upsells & Cross-Sells

Here are strategies to make your offers more effective:

• Relevance is everything: A phone buyer doesn’t want a random blender recommendation.
• Limit the number of offers: Stick to one or two per checkout. More creates friction.
• Bundle with savings: Combine products into bundles at a slight discount.
• Create urgency: Add a countdown or “Today only” message.
• Highlight social proof: “Over 5,000 customers added this to their order.”
• Keep it mobile-friendly: Buttons and text must be easy to tap.

Think of these as guidelines for making your upsells helpful rather than salesy.

7. Real-World Examples

Example 1: Beauty Brand

A Shopify skincare brand added a post-purchase upsell: “Add a travel-size cleanser for $5.” Over 30% of customers accepted, increasing monthly revenue by $10,000.

Example 2: Apparel Store

A fashion boutique used Honeycomb to recommend accessories like belts and scarves at checkout. Customers appreciated the styling help, and accessory sales grew by 22%.

Example 3: Electronics Retailer

An electronics store used Shopify Plus Checkout Extensions to offer warranties on high-ticket items. Not only did this generate more revenue, but it also reduced refund requests since customers felt more secure.

8. Mistakes to Avoid

• Overloading customers with offers: Keep it simple.
• Using irrelevant recommendations: Customers lose trust if your offers feel random.
• Not testing the flow: A broken upsell button can cost you sales.
• Ignoring analytics: Without data, you can’t know which offers truly work.
• Copy-pasting strategies: What works for one niche may not work for yours—test your audience.

Final Words,

Upsells and cross-sells are far more than just sales tactics—they’re about creating a smoother, more helpful shopping experience for customers while driving higher revenue for your store. By implementing them at the checkout stage, you capture attention at the most decisive point in the journey. The right offers, powered by Shopify apps and guided by customer data, can transform your checkout page into a profit center. 

Don't forget relevance and simplicity are key. Start small, measure results, and optimize over time. Done right, upsells and cross-sells don’t feel like sales pitches—they feel like great customer service that benefits both you and your shoppers.