In-cart upsell Shopify strategies target customers right before checkout, when they’ve committed to buying but haven’t completed the transaction. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn exactly how to add in-cart upsells on Shopify using three proven methods, complete with practical tips to optimize your sales funnel.
First, let’s examine why the in-cart upsell approach is effective for your Shopify store.
Why In Cart Upsell Shopify Works for Your Store
In-cart page placement is perfect for suggesting last-minute additions, bundle deals, or items they may have forgotten. Here are the three most outstanding reasons that make cart upsells effective for your Shopify store:
- Increase average order value (AOV) and revenue: By showing relevant product recommendations or upgrades just before checkout, stores can encourage customers to spend more. Forrester Research found that product recommendations, including cart upsells, can boost revenue by an average of up to 30%.
- Enhance customer experience: By showing relevant or upgraded items in the cart page, merchants can create a smoother purchasing experience and be more valuable to customers. This represents how you understand customer behavior and build loyalty.
- Cost-effective growth: In-cart upsell strategy protects your profit margins by increasing the order value from current shoppers, reducing the need for additional marketing spend.
Now that you understand why upsells are effective, let’s dive into the practical steps for implementing cart page upsells in your Shopify store.
How to Add In Cart Upsell Shopify (5-Minute Guide)
If you’re a first-time Shopify merchant wondering how to upsell on Shopify, you’ll want to choose a third-party app that provides seamless integration with an intuitive setup process to configure your cart upsell promotions effectively.
AOV Slide Cart Drawer is a powerful free cart upsell Shopify app that provides dynamic display capabilities with practical add-ons and reward bar campaigns in the cart drawer for optimized checkout conversion. This solution updates in real-time as shoppers modify their cart contents, significantly improving the customer experience throughout the purchase journey.
AOV Slide Cart Upsell boost conversions with an intuitive slide cart drawer that showcases upsell products without disrupting the shopping flow.
General app information
- Rating: 5.0/5 (2 reviews)
- Developer: AOV.ai (by Avada)
- Pricing: Free
- Free plan: Yes
Who is it best for?
- Various SKU-based stores (Fashion brands, home decor retailers, and beauty product merchants).
- First-time e-commerce merchants.
- Mobile-focused Shopify sellers looking to optimize the smartphone shopping experience.
How to add in cart upsell Shopify with Tiered Reward Bar
Tiered reward bars create powerful spending incentives that encourage customers to add more items to reach attractive thresholds. This proven approach effectively increases your AOV while making customers feel valued, thereby enhancing the overall customer experience.
Step 1: Create offer
- In AOV Slide Cart Drawer dashboard, click Create or Cart editor in the left-hand menu bar.
- Select Body > Enable Reward bar.
Open the AOV Cart Drawer and click “Create” to start building an upsell-ready cart experience.
Step 2: Set up the Cart page upsell offer
- Select Tiered reward type: Cart value or Product quantity.
- Add reward tiers (Maximum three tiers): Free shipping, free product, or product discount.
Pro tip: To receive a product discount, opt for an upgraded version of the original product, which increases the average order value and enhances purchase frequency.
Set up your upsell cart drawer—see how discounts, bundles, and milestones appear to customers at checkout.
For new Shopify merchants who don’t know how to set up a discount using Shopify’s built-in tools, here’s a Shopify discount step-by-step guide to configure your promotions effectively.
Step 3: Display settings
Personalize offer content and styling to align with your brand guidelines and visual identity.
Encourage higher-value purchases by adding reward milestones like free shipping or discounts based on quantity.
Step 4: Activate your upsell offers
- Set status to Active in the left-hand status box.
- Click Save > Your cart upsell offer is now live.
Step 5: Test the Offer
Add items to the cart and see how your upsell offer appears.
How to add in cart upsell Shopify add-ons
Product add-ons directly in the cart create a great chance to recommend related items when customers are most likely to make a purchase. Using the same in cart upsell Shopify app, AOV Slide Cart Drawer, follow these steps:
Step 1: Create offer
- Click Create or Cart editor in the left-hand menu bar.
- Select Body > Enable Upsell products.
Customize in-cart upsell settings in Shopify by manually selecting related products, setting call-to-action text, and choosing how upsells appear with AOV’s Cart Editor.
Step 2: Set up the Cart drawer upsell offer
Select your upsell products: AI-recommended or manually selected.
Choose between AI-powered recommendations or manually select upsell products in your Shopify cart to deliver personalized and high-converting in-cart offers.
Step 3: Display settings
Personalize offer content and styling to maintain brand consistency.
Easily match upsell offers to your store branding by customizing button styles, titles, and product card layout for a seamless upsell experience.
Step 4: Activate your upsell offers
- Set status to Active in the left-hand status panel.
- Click Save to implement your changes.
- Your add-on upsell offers are now active in your store.
Step 5: Test the Offer
Add items to the cart and see how your upsell offer appears.
Boost average order value by displaying relevant product recommendations directly in the Shopify cart drawer, encouraging customers to add more items before checkout.
After implementing standard in-cart upsell strategies, here are some advanced features to enhance your cart upsell campaigns that optimize the customer experience:
How to add in cart upsell Shopify advanced displays
The best in cart upsell Shopify strategies incorporate these advanced features to maximize conversion:
- Announcements: Display time-sensitive messages with countdown timers (e.g., “Your products are reserved for 1 minute!”).
- Additional notes: Allow customers to include specific instructions for their purchases.
- Customized text: Clarify important policy details (e.g., “Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.”).
- Trust badge: Enhance brand credibility with payment security badges.
- Discount codes: Display available promotion codes and provide an input field for application.
Note: Customers must proceed to checkout to apply free shipping discounts. For Shopify Plus stores using custom checkout.liquid templates, the discount codes module will not be visible on the storefront.
Enable high-converting features like discount codes and trust badges to enhance the checkout experience.
For merchants interested in product page and post-purchase upselling, explore our comprehensive setup guide, which includes app recommendations.
3 Common Upsell Challenges and Proven Solutions
Despite the effectiveness of in cart upsell Shopify strategies, merchants often encounter these challenges when implementing an in cart upsell Shopify app:
1. Irrelevant product offers
When your upsell products don’t align with what customers have added to their cart (e.g., offering body lotion when a shopper is purchasing a smartphone), these offers will confuse shoppers and reduce your conversion rates.
Pro tip: Analyze your store’s “frequently bought together” data to recommend products that complement the current cart. Utilize Shopify analytics or in-cart upsell apps with smart recommendation engines to ensure relevance.
2. Overwhelming variety of options
Don’t compromise the user experience by offering too many upsell options in an attempt to boost AOV. This approach can lead to choice overload, resulting in indecision or cart abandonment.
Pro tip: Limit upsell offers to three maximum relevant items. Focus on quality over quantity and keep the upsell interface simple and easy to understand.
3. App compatibility issues
Third-party apps can cause conflicts or slow down your store. Test any in-cart upsell Shopify app in a development environment before implementing it live, and monitor site performance afterward to ensure a good customer experience.
Pro tip: Choose a Shopify upsell app with customizable widgets to align with your brand and ensure a seamless customer experience.
3 Expert Tips to Optimize Your In Cart Upsell Campaigns
Once you understand how to upsell in cart on Shopify with upsell functionality, advanced optimization strategies can boost your conversion rates and average order value.
Learn how to increase Shopify sales with in-cart upsell strategies—focus on personalization, seamless flow, and urgency to convert more shoppers before checkout.
1. Personalized and targeted in-cart upsell offers
Leverage your store’s product and sales data to recommend items frequently bought together or relevant to the customer’s cart. Personalized suggestions based on user behavior and purchase history boost conversion probability.
For example, Inoki uses the AOV upsell app to feature authentic bathing herbs, offering a highly relevant tea bath set that enhances the main purchase and increases average order value.
2. Create a seamless customer experience
Ensure your upsell offers integrate naturally into the cart interface and match your brand style without disrupting the checkout flow. Make it easy for customers to accept or decline offers without overwhelming them with too many choices.
For example, the free AOV Slide Cart Drawer upsell app enables Shopify stores to display add-on products directly in the cart with clear call-to-action buttons, making the process feel intuitive and user-friendly.
3. Offer incentives and create urgency
Implement strategic incentives such as limited-time discounts, complementary gifts, or bundle pricing on upsell products. Create urgency with countdown timers or progress indicators (e.g., “Spend $20 more to qualify for a free gift”), which prompt customers to act quickly and complete their purchase.
As a result of addressing these challenges, you’ll be ready to implement these advanced optimization strategies that can significantly boost your results.
Conclusion
Effective in-cart upsell strategies for Shopify require careful planning, the right tools, and ongoing optimization based on performance data. By following this step-by-step guide to in-cart upselling on Shopify, you can boost your average order value while enhancing the customer experience.
3 FAQs on how to add upsell products in Shopify
Cart upsell in Shopify involves recommending additional or premium products on the shopping cart page before checkout. These offers are relevant to items already in the cart, including upgrades, complementary products, or bundles.
For example, if a customer adds a camera to their cart, you might offer a memory card or tripod as a cart upsell. This strategy helps increase average order value (AOV) without disrupting the purchase flow.
Shopify upselling works by encouraging customers to purchase higher-value items or add complementary products to their order at strategic points in the shopping journey:
- Product Page Upsell: Suggesting a premium version of the item.
- In-Cart Upsell: Offering upgrades inside the cart drawer or page.
- Post-Purchase Upsell: Recommending additional items after checkout but before payment is processed.
To set up upselling in Shopify, merchants typically use apps that allow for custom rules, such as “show product X when product Y is in the cart.” These apps also track conversion rates and AOV, helping you optimize for revenue growth.
To add upsell offers at checkout on Shopify, you need to use Shopify Plus or third-party apps that support post-purchase or checkout upselling.
- Create upsell funnels based on trigger conditions (e.g., product in cart, order value).
- Configure post-purchase offers with images, discounts, or bundles.
- Monitor performance via app analytics.
For more detailed implementation instructions, explore our comprehensive post-purchase upsell setup guide with expert optimization tips.
