An upsell asks the shopper to buy a bigger or better version of what they already chose, like the 3-pack instead of the single.
A cross-sell asks them to add a different, related product, like solvent next to the tape.
Upsells raise the value of the item. Cross-sells raise the number of items in the order.
Both are ways to lift average order value, and most stores run both.
Below we put the two side by side, show real examples, map where each fits on a store, and look at what tests in our database show about each.
Upsell vs cross-sell: definitions side by side
The quickest test: if the offer replaces the shopper's choice, it is an upsell.
If it sits next to the shopper's choice, it is a cross-sell.
| Upsell | Cross-sell | |
|---|---|---|
| What you offer | A larger, premium or multi-pack version of the same product | A different product that goes with the one in the cart |
| What changes | Price per item or units of the same item | Number of distinct items in the order |
| Typical formats | Bundle selectors (1/2/3-pack), tier upgrades, "buy more, save more" | "Frequently bought together", cart add-ons, order bumps, post-purchase offers |
| Main risk | Confusing the choice or making the base product look like a bad deal | Distracting the shopper or cluttering the cart before checkout |
| Best for | Consumables, products people reorder, items with clear good/better/best tiers | Products with natural accessories, refills, care items or gifts |
The line blurs with bundles. A 3-pack of the same item is an upsell.
A kit that pairs the item with something else is a cross-sell packaged as one offer.
Our bundles guide covers that middle ground in more detail.
A quick worked example
Say a shopper adds one $30 bottle of shampoo.
An upsell offers the 3-bottle pack for $75. If they take it, that order goes from $30 to $75, but it is still one product.
A cross-sell offers a $15 conditioner instead. If they take it, the order goes from $30 to $45 and now has two products.
The upsell added more revenue here, but the cross-sell introduced the shopper to a second product they may reorder later.
That is the trade-off in short. Upsells tend to add more money per accepted offer.
Cross-sells tend to be easier to accept, because they do not ask the shopper to rethink a choice they just made.
Examples of each
Upsell examples
- Multi-pack bundle selector. A supplement page offers 1, 2 or 3 bottles, with a per-bottle saving on the larger packs.
- Premium tier. A knife store shows the standard chef's knife next to a forged version with a better handle.
- Size upgrade. A coffee brand offers the 1 kg bag next to the 250 g bag at a lower price per gram.
- Subscription upgrade. "Subscribe and save" turns one purchase into a repeat order of the same product.
Cross-sell examples
- Frequently bought together. Tape shown with the solvent that removes it.
- Cart add-on. A watch store offers a spare strap in the cart drawer.
- Gift wrapping. A low-cost service add-on in the cart.
- Post-purchase offer. After payment, a one-click offer for a refill or accessory, with no need to re-enter card details.
For a deeper look at the upgrade side alone, see our guide to upselling.
Where each works on a store
Placement matters as much as the offer. Each page in the funnel suits a different kind of ask.
Product page: mostly upsells
The product page is where the shopper decides how much of the product to buy, so it is the natural home for upsells.
Bundle selectors, quantity breaks and tier choices sit in the buy box.
A single, tightly related cross-sell ("add the solvent") can also work here if it is one click.
Cart and cart drawer: mostly cross-sells
Once the item is in the cart, the shopper has made their choice.
Asking them to change it adds friction, so the cart suits small add-ons: accessories, refills, gift wrap, or an item that unlocks a free-shipping threshold.
Checkout: small cross-sells
On Shopify Plus, checkout extensions let you add a checkbox or order bump.
These should be cheap, low-thought items, since the shopper is about to pay.
Post-purchase: cross-sells with no risk to the first order
A post-purchase offer appears after payment, so it cannot cost you the original sale.
It suits complementary items and repeat-use products. You can browse more placements in our upsells element guide.
How to pick the right add-on
A good cross-sell answers a question the shopper already has.
Ask what they will need to use, protect, refill or gift the product, and offer that.
- Price it well below the main item, so it reads as a small extra rather than a second big decision.
- Keep it to one or two offers per placement. A wall of suggestions turns a cart into a second catalog.
- Match it to what is in the cart. A generic best seller is weaker than an item that pairs with the product.
Rule of thumb
- Before the add-to-cart: help them pick the right size or pack (upsell).
- After the add-to-cart: suggest what goes with it (cross-sell).
- After payment: offer the next thing they will need (cross-sell or repeat of the same item).
What the tests show
Our database has dozens of tests on bundles and add-on offers from Shopify stores.
Here is what they show about each approach, with the real numbers.
Upsell tests
Order and framing in the bundle selector move revenue.
Elevate AB listed the biggest pack first in the bundle selector and saw +8.47% revenue per visitor.
Kasper Dolk emphasised the "3 for X" bundle with a custom selector and measured +43.75% revenue per session against the old product page.
Oliver Kenyon tested a 3-pack bundle with "Save 20%" above Add to Cart, worth +$52,820/month.
Dave Diederen added a confetti effect and a "biggest savings unlocked" message when shoppers picked the largest bundle, for +5.47% conversion rate.
Upsells can also backfire. Milos changed a 2-pack offer to "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" at the same price, and revenue per visitor fell 52.38%, an estimated loss of $104,679/month.
The offer was the same value on paper, but the framing hurt. Test the wording, not just the deal.
@oliverkenyon
@DaveDiederen@DaveDiederen
@kasper_dolk
@elevate_ab
@CROguy_Cross-sell tests
Relevance wins. Alex Stoykov added a "Frequently Bought Together" one-click bundle of tape and solvent near the add-to-cart button and saw +10.87% revenue per visitor.
The two products are used together, so the pairing needs no explaining.
Which product you offer matters. Milos tested a leather strap against a mystery box as the cart drawer offer, a +15.26% revenue per visitor difference (+$28,912/month).
Oliver Kenyon added a gift wrapping prompt inside the cart, worth +$58,860/month.
After payment, Dave Diederen added a 1-click complementary post-purchase offer and got a 16.64% offer conversion rate.
At checkout, Kasper Dolk reports a 50% take rate on a checkbox add-on for fashion clients, and a 15-20% take rate for a custom order bump on other stores.
@oliverkenyon@CROguy_@DaveDiederen@kasper_dolk
@stoykovallex1@kasper_dolkMore offers is not always better
Kasper Dolk ran a straight upsells vs no upsells test: the version with offers won by +1.86% revenue per visitor, an estimated +$26,471/month.
That is a real gain, but smaller than many single-element tests in our database.
And sometimes removing an offer is the win.
Oliver Kenyon redesigned the slide cart, removed a $25 pre-checkout offer and added trust elements, for +$31,000/month.
A pricey add-on at the last step can push shoppers away from the order they came for.
What to take from the data
- Upsells on the product page live or die on framing. Small changes to order, labels and savings copy swing results both ways.
- Cross-sells work best when the add-on is cheap, clearly related and one click away.
- Judge any offer on revenue per visitor, not take rate alone. A high take rate means little if fewer people check out.
Tools for running upsells and cross-sells
Most Shopify stores run these offers through an app.
Rebuy covers both sides: its Cart and Merchandising package includes a smart cart, recommendation widgets and bundles, and a separate Checkout and Post-Purchase package handles checkout extensions and post-purchase offers.
As of November 2026, Rebuy's pricing page lists custom plans from $25/month for one package, priced by monthly orders, with a 14-day free trial.
Downsides to weigh: pricing scales with order volume, so costs grow as you do, and the full suite is quote-only.
Rebuy is built for Shopify, so it is not for stores on other platforms.
Very small stores that only need one "frequently bought together" widget may find a simpler app is enough.
Compare options in our Shopify upsell apps roundup.