Filter subscription as a post-purchase upsell: 41% take rate
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsHydroviv added a post-purchase upsell that offered a replacement-filter subscription matched to the system just bought, and 41% of under-sink system buyers took it.
Hydroviv set up the offer itself, and the result was published as a Zipify case study in July 2020. This was a new offer measured after launch, not a split test.
- Subscription take rate: 41% of under-sink system buyers added a plan right after checkout. That is a strong rate for a post-purchase offer.
- Volume: the source says hundreds of subscription plans were sold from this funnel, without giving an exact count.
- Revenue: the source puts added recurring revenue in the tens of thousands of dollars, with no precise figure.
- No baseline was shared, so we can't say how many buyers would have subscribed through other routes anyway.
The change
A matched filter subscription offer appears right after checkout
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Water filter systems were sold with no offer after checkout. Buyers had to come back later to reorder filters.
Variant
Right after purchase, buyers saw a one-click offer for a recurring filter subscription. Each filter system had its own funnel with a plan tailored to that product.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Filters need replacing, so a refill plan solves a problem the buyer already has. It feels like part of the purchase, not an extra.
- Matching the plan to the exact system removes the work of finding the right cartridge later.
- Payment details are already entered, so saying yes takes one click.
- Buyers have just committed to the system, so their intent to keep it working is at its peak.
Caveats: This is a take rate on a new offer, not a split test, and no baseline or sample size was shared. It is vendor-published and from 2020, using an app version Zipify no longer supports.
Who ran it
Hydroviv ran this test for Hydroviv and published the results (Zipify case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Hydroviv →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we offer a refill subscription matched to the product just bought on the post-purchase page, then more buyers will start a subscription because the refill need is obvious and the offer takes one click.
- Primary metric
- Subscription take rate among buyers who see the offer
- Guardrails
- Subscription cancellation rate in the first 90 days
- Refund and chargeback rate
- Repeat one-off refill orders
- Who should test it
- Stores selling products with consumable refills, such as filters, cartridges or pods. It probably won't help if your products have no natural replacement cycle.
Questions
Can you sell subscriptions in a post-purchase upsell?
Yes. Several Shopify upsell apps can add a recurring plan after checkout.
Hydroviv used one to offer refill filter plans.
What is a good post-purchase upsell conversion rate?
It varies a lot by product and offer.
Hydroviv's 41% is unusually high and likely reflects a true refill need, so don't treat it as a typical benchmark.
Should the subscription be matched to the product bought?
Matching removes guesswork about which refill fits. Hydroviv built a separate plan for each filter system for that reason.
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