Upselling and cross-selling in Shopify, explained simply

1 Upselling is the better version, cross-selling the matching extra

Upselling means offering a pricier, better version of what the customer is buying: the camera with the bigger sensor. Cross-selling means offering something that goes with it: memory card, bag, spare battery.

Both raise order value, but in different places. Upselling belongs on the product page, before the decision. Cross-selling fits wherever the customer has already decided, including the cart.

2 Separate alternatives from add-ons

Baymard recommends showing two separate lists on the product page: similar products as alternatives and matching products as add-ons. In an older review of 50 large stores, fewer than half did.

Shopify can do both with the free Search & Discovery app: related products are generated automatically, complementary products you pick yourself, up to ten per product. The block for them needs an Online Store 2.0 theme.

3 In the cart, show add-ons, not alternatives

In the cart the customer has decided. An alternative brings back doubt, an add-on fits. According to Baymard, 52% of the stores studied showed cart suggestions that were unrelated or based only on what others had bought.

Note: Shopify's recommendations are documented for the product page. For suggestions in the cart you need a theme that supports it, or an app.

4 Give every suggestion an image, title, price and rating

A suggestion you have to click to see the price often gets skipped. Baymard's minimum: thumbnail, full title, price and rating with count, plus variants and brand where they matter.

Also say why something is suggested, such as "Fits this model" or "Often bought together".

5 Know where your plan allows offers in checkout

This is where many merchants go wrong. Apps on the information, shipping and payment steps of checkout are Shopify Plus only. On all plans from Basic up, apps are possible on the thank-you page and the order status page.

6 Expect limited reach from post-purchase offers

Offers right after payment sound great, but they don't reach everyone. According to Shopify's developer docs, the page doesn't appear when the buyer pays with PayPal, Klarna, Apple Pay, Google Pay, a gift card or anything other than a credit card. And only one app can use that page at a time.

So before you buy an app for it, check how many of your orders are paid by card. In some markets it's a minority: in Germany, PayPal and pay by invoice together made up more than half of online revenue in 2024, according to EHI.

7 Turn the add-on into a bundle with a price advantage

Someone who gets camera, battery and bag cheaper together makes one decision instead of three.

Shopify's free Shopify Bundles app builds fixed bundles and multipacks. If you want customers to mix and match, say a camera and any bag from a collection, you need a different app.

8 Follow up by email after the purchase

Someone who bought a camera may need a spare battery two weeks later. With automations in Shopify Messaging you send relevant suggestions after the purchase. They count toward the 10,000 free emails a month included in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus.