The checkout page is the single highest-intent moment in a customer's journey. They've already decided to buy — their credit card is practically in hand. Adding a relevant offer at this exact moment feels natural rather than pushy, because the customer is already in purchase mode.
Checkout upsells are one of the most effective ways to increase average order value (AOV) without spending an extra dollar on ads. Instead of letting customers complete their purchase with only what they originally added to the cart, you show them a relevant, well-timed offer right at checkout — and they can accept it in one click.
Key insight: Selling more to a customer mid-transaction costs virtually nothing compared to acquiring a new customer. Even a modest upsell acceptance rate across thousands of orders adds up to significant revenue over time.
Before diving into setup, it helps to understand the two main types of upsells Shopify supports — because the tools and plan requirements differ.
| Type | When it shows | Shopify Plan | Customer action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-purchase (in-checkout) | During checkout, on the information or payment page | Shopify Plus only | Add to order before paying |
| Post-purchase | Immediately after payment is confirmed | All plans | One-click accept, no re-entry of payment details |
| Thank You page | On the order confirmation page | All plans | Click to a new offer or discount |
| Cart page / drawer | Before checkout begins | All plans | Add to cart before proceeding |
The critical distinction: true in-checkout upsells (displayed on the Shopify checkout page itself, before payment) use Checkout UI Extensions and are only available to Shopify Plus merchants. If you're on a standard Shopify plan, post-purchase and cart upsells are your go-to alternatives — and they are still highly effective.
For Shopify Plus merchants, Shopify has opened up checkout customization through Checkout UI Extensions — a developer-friendly framework that lets you inject custom blocks, banners, upsell widgets, and more directly into the checkout flow without touching theme code.
These extensions allow you to build upsells that add a product to the order with a single button click. The customer does not leave the checkout page, does not re-enter payment details, and does not restart the checkout process. That reduced friction translates directly into higher acceptance rates.
Keep your offer focused: display a maximum of 2–3 products per upsell. Anything more can create decision fatigue and hurt checkout conversion rates.
Post-purchase upsells are the great equalizer. They appear immediately after payment is confirmed — before the thank-you page fully loads — and let customers accept an offer with a single click, no payment re-entry required. This makes them feel nearly as seamless as an in-checkout offer.
Apps like Aftersell, ReConvert, Kaching Post Purchase Upsell, and Upsell Master all support this flow on standard Shopify plans. Setup is typically no-code: you create the offer inside the app, configure your targeting rules (product purchased, cart value, UTM tags, etc.), and activate.
The Shopify App Store has dozens of options. Here are the most widely used, broken down by key strengths:
When evaluating apps, check whether they charge a flat monthly fee or take a revenue share (commission) on upsell revenue — the latter can get expensive fast if your volume scales.
Relevance is everything. A poorly chosen upsell feels like spam; a well-chosen one feels like a helpful suggestion. Before configuring any app, think strategically about your catalog.
This is where your product sourcing strategy directly impacts your upsell potential. If you have access to a wide, deep catalog of complementary products at competitive costs, you have far more upsell ammunition. Merchants using sourcing platforms like Piratify to access Chinese marketplaces (1688, Taobao, Tmall) can often find complementary accessories and add-ons at a cost that makes a discounted upsell offer genuinely profitable.
A checkout upsell that interrupts or confuses the customer will hurt conversion, not help it. Follow these principles to keep acceptance rates high and cart abandonment rates low:
Also consider the downstream impact: when a customer accepts a post-purchase upsell, does your fulfillment workflow handle it correctly? If you're running a high-volume store, make sure your order management and fulfillment setup can process combined or split orders without delay.
Yes — with some caveats. True in-checkout upsells (displayed on the checkout page before payment) require Shopify Plus and Checkout UI Extensions. However, post-purchase upsells (shown immediately after payment, before the Thank You page) and Thank You page offers are available on all Shopify plans via third-party apps, and they are highly effective alternatives.
A well-implemented upsell — relevant, non-intrusive, limited to 1–3 offers — should not negatively impact your checkout conversion rate. The risk comes from poorly chosen products, aggressive copy, or too many simultaneous offers. Always monitor your checkout funnel metrics after enabling any upsell and remove or adjust offers that cause drop-off.
An upsell encourages the customer to buy a higher-value or upgraded version of what's in their cart (e.g., a larger bundle). A cross-sell suggests a different but complementary product (e.g., matching accessories). In practice, most checkout apps handle both, and the terms are often used interchangeably — what matters is that the offer is relevant and adds genuine value for the customer. For a broader look at product strategy, see our guide on finding winning products for your Shopify store.
