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Checkout Upsells Page Documentation

Menu Location: Products > Checkout Upsells

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

Overview

The Checkout Upsells page allows you to configure product recommendations and add-on offers that appear during the checkout process. Strategic upsells increase average order value, introduce customers to new products, and improve the shopping experience by suggesting relevant complementary items.

Primary Functions:

  • Create and manage upsell offers
  • Configure when and where upsells appear
  • Set upsell trigger conditions
  • Design upsell presentation
  • Track upsell performance
  • A/B test different upsell strategies

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Page Title: "Checkout Upsells"
  • Add Upsell Button: Create new upsell offer
  • Performance Stats: Total upsell revenue, acceptance rate

Upsell List

Table displaying all active and inactive upsells:

  • Upsell Name
  • Trigger Conditions
  • Products Offered
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Revenue Generated
  • Status (Active/Inactive)
  • Edit/Delete Actions

Upsell Configuration Panel

When editing an upsell:

  • Upsell Details
  • Trigger Conditions
  • Product Selection
  • Display Settings
  • Messaging & Copy
  • Performance Tracking

Creating Upsells

Basic Upsell Setup

Steps:

  1. Click "Add Upsell" button
  2. Name your upsell (internal reference)
  3. Select upsell type
  4. Choose products to offer
  5. Set trigger conditions
  6. Write compelling copy
  7. Configure display settings
  8. Activate upsell

Upsell Types

Product Recommendation:

  • "Customers also bought..."
  • Suggests related products
  • Based on what's already in cart

Bundle Offer:

  • "Add these items together and save"
  • Discounted product bundles
  • Multiple items offered as group

Upgrade Offer:

  • "Upgrade to larger size"
  • Same product, bigger quantity or premium version
  • Shows value comparison

Complementary Product:

  • "Complete your order with..."
  • Products that go well together
  • Example: Chicken → BBQ sauce

Threshold Offer:

  • "Add $X more for free shipping"
  • Encourages reaching spending goal
  • Shows progress toward threshold

Last Chance:

  • "Don't forget these popular items"
  • Final reminder before payment
  • Limited-time urgency

Trigger Conditions

Cart-Based Triggers

Cart Contains Specific Product:

  • If cart has Product A, suggest Product B
  • Example: Customer adds steak → Offer steak seasoning
  • Most targeted upsell type

Cart Contains Category:

  • If cart has any vegetable → Offer salad dressing
  • Broader targeting than specific products

Cart Value Threshold:

  • Minimum: If cart over $50 → Show premium add-ons
  • Maximum: If cart under $75 → Show items to reach free shipping

Cart Quantity:

  • If cart has 5+ items → Suggest storage containers
  • If cart has only 1 item → Suggest variety

Customer-Based Triggers

New Customer:

  • First-time shoppers see welcome offer
  • Introduction to best sellers
  • Builds initial order value

Returning Customer:

  • Show favorites or frequently purchased
  • "You might also like based on your history"

Subscription Customer:

  • Special offers for subscribers only
  • Encourages adding to regular order

Customer Segment:

  • Target by tags (VIP, Wholesale, etc.)
  • Personalized based on preferences

Timing Triggers

Checkout Step:

  • Cart page
  • Shipping information page
  • Payment page
  • Order confirmation page (post-purchase upsell)

Time of Day/Week:

  • Weekend shoppers see different offers
  • Evening shoppers see ready-to-eat items

Season/Date Range:

  • Holiday-specific upsells
  • Seasonal product recommendations
  • Limited-time offers

Product Selection

Adding Products to Upsell

Methods:

Select Specific Products:

  1. Click "Add Products"
  2. Search for products
  3. Select products to offer
  4. Set order of appearance
  5. Save selection

Dynamic Category Selection:

  • Choose category instead of specific products
  • System shows bestsellers from category
  • Auto-updates with new popular items

Related Products:

  • System suggests based on purchase patterns
  • "Frequently bought together"
  • Updates automatically based on data

Product Display Configuration

Quantity Options:

  • How many products to show (1-10)
  • Recommend 2-4 for best results
  • Too many options reduces conversion

Layout:

  • Single product prominent display
  • Multi-product carousel
  • Grid layout
  • List with thumbnails

Pricing Display:

  • Show individual product prices
  • Show bundle discount if applicable
  • Highlight savings amount

Upsell Messaging

Headline

Purpose: Grab attention and explain offer

Best Practices:

  • Keep under 10 words
  • Clear benefit statement
  • Create urgency if appropriate
  • Action-oriented

Examples:

  • "Complete Your Order"
  • "Customers Also Love These"
  • "Add This and Save $5"
  • "Don't Forget These Essentials"
  • "Upgrade to Family Size"

Description

Purpose: Provide details and persuade

Guidelines:

  • 1-2 sentences maximum
  • Focus on benefits not features
  • Create desire
  • Address objections

Examples:

  • "Our bestselling BBQ sauce pairs perfectly with your chicken order. Add it now for just $4.99."
  • "You're $12 away from free shipping! Add one of these popular items to qualify."
  • "Save 15% by adding the family-size portion instead."

Call to Action Button

Button Text Options:

  • "Add to Order" (straightforward)
  • "Yes, Add This" (affirmative)
  • "Add for $X" (price-focused)
  • "Claim This Offer" (value-focused)
  • "No Thanks" (decline option)

Best Practices:

  • Use action verbs
  • Include price if helpful
  • Make it easy to decline
  • Contrasting color for visibility

Display Settings

Position on Page

Options:

  • Top of cart page
  • Sidebar during checkout
  • Between cart and checkout button
  • After shipping information
  • Before payment submission
  • Post-purchase on thank you page

Strategic Positioning:

  • Early = more exposure, may interrupt
  • Late = less intrusive, high intent customers
  • Test different positions for best results

Visual Style

Presentation Options:

  • Modal/Popup: Overlay on screen, requires interaction
  • Inline: Embedded in page flow
  • Sidebar: Off to side, less intrusive
  • Banner: Across top or bottom

Design Elements:

  • Border style
  • Background color
  • Image size
  • Font styling
  • Spacing

Dismissibility

Options:

  • Requires Response: Must click yes or no
  • Easily Dismissible: X button to close
  • Auto-Dismiss: Disappears after time
  • Persistent: Follows through checkout

Considerations:

  • Aggressive = higher conversion but may annoy
  • Subtle = better experience but lower visibility
  • Balance based on offer value

Performance Tracking

Key Metrics

Impressions:

  • How many times upsell was shown
  • Indicates reach

Acceptance Rate:

  • Percentage who accepted offer
  • Formula: (Accepted / Impressions) × 100
  • Benchmark: 5-15% is typical

Revenue Generated:

  • Total sales from this upsell
  • Tracks financial impact

Average Order Value Impact:

  • AOV with upsell vs. without
  • Shows value of upsell program

A/B Testing

What to Test:

  • Different product combinations
  • Various headlines and copy
  • Button colors and text
  • Discount amounts
  • Display positions
  • Timing of appearance

Testing Process:

  1. Create two versions of upsell
  2. Split traffic 50/50
  3. Run for statistically significant period
  4. Compare acceptance rates and revenue
  5. Implement winner
  6. Continue testing improvements

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Free Shipping Threshold Upsell

Goal: Encourage customers to add more items to qualify for free shipping

Setup:

  1. Create upsell: "Free Shipping Threshold"
  2. Trigger: Cart value $35-$49 (assuming $50 free shipping)
  3. Headline: "You're Only $X Away from Free Shipping!"
  4. Products: Popular low-cost items ($5-15)
  5. Display: Top of cart page
  6. Button: "Add and Get Free Shipping"
  7. Activate

Result: Increased cart values, more customers reaching free shipping threshold

Use Case 2: Product-Specific Recommendation

Goal: Offer complementary product with specific item

Setup:

  1. Create upsell: "Chicken Seasoning Offer"
  2. Trigger: Cart contains any chicken product
  3. Products: BBQ rubs, marinades, cooking sauces
  4. Headline: "Make Your Chicken Even Better"
  5. Description: "Our customers love these seasonings with their chicken orders"
  6. Display: Inline after cart items
  7. Show 3 top-rated options
  8. Activate

Result: Relevant recommendations increase acceptance rate

Use Case 3: New Customer Welcome Bundle

Goal: Introduce new customers to bestsellers

Setup:

  1. Create upsell: "New Customer Bundle"
  2. Trigger: First-time customer, any cart value
  3. Products: 5 bestselling products
  4. Headline: "First-Time Customer Special"
  5. Description: "Try our most popular items at 20% off when you add them today"
  6. Bundle discount: 20% off
  7. Display: Modal popup at cart
  8. Activate

Result: Larger first orders, product discovery

Use Case 4: Post-Purchase Upsell

Goal: Offer additional items after order completed

Setup:

  1. Create upsell: "One More Thing"
  2. Trigger: Order confirmation page
  3. Products: Perishable add-ons, impulse items
  4. Headline: "Add to Your Delivery"
  5. Description: "We'll include these items in your upcoming delivery at no extra shipping cost"
  6. Display: Thank you page
  7. Timeframe: Available for 24 hours after order
  8. Activate

Result: Additional revenue without increasing shipping costs

Use Case 5: Subscription Box Add-Ons

Goal: Offer extras to subscription customers at checkout

Setup:

  1. Create upsell: "Subscription Add-Ons"
  2. Trigger: Cart contains subscription box
  3. Products: Popular one-time additions
  4. Headline: "Enhance Your Box"
  5. Description: "Add these customer favorites to your delivery"
  6. Display: Before checkout
  7. Show 4 options
  8. Activate

Result: Higher subscription order values

Troubleshooting

Upsell Not Displaying

Symptoms:

  • Configured upsell doesn't appear at checkout
  • No customers seeing the offer

Check:

  1. Verify status is "Active" not "Draft"
  2. Check trigger conditions match test scenario
  3. Ensure products in upsell are in stock and published
  4. Verify display position setting is correct
  5. Check for conflicting upsells (priority settings)
  6. Clear cache and test in incognito mode

Low Acceptance Rate

Symptoms:

  • Upsell showing but few customers accepting
  • Below 3% acceptance rate

Solutions:

  1. Review relevance of products offered
  2. Test different headline/copy
  3. Reduce number of products shown
  4. Check price point (may be too high)
  5. Improve product imagery
  6. Add social proof (bestseller badge)
  7. Try different discount amount
  8. Test different display position

Common Causes:

  • Irrelevant product recommendations
  • Price too high for impulse add
  • Upsell appearing too late in process
  • Confusing or unclear messaging

Upsell Showing Too Many Times

Symptoms:

  • Same customer seeing same upsell repeatedly
  • Annoying customer experience

Solutions:

  1. Set frequency cap (max once per session)
  2. Track dismissals (don't re-show if declined)
  3. Rotate between multiple upsells
  4. Set cooldown period between shows
  5. Respect "no thanks" clicks

Products Not Available

Symptoms:

  • Upsell displays but products out of stock
  • Error when trying to add

Solutions:

  1. Enable auto-hide for out of stock products
  2. Set fallback products
  3. Use dynamic category selection (auto-updates)
  4. Check inventory levels regularly
  5. Configure low stock alerts
  • Products - Manage products available for upsells
  • Store Settings - Configure global upsell behavior
  • Reports - View detailed upsell performance data
  • Checkout Settings - Configure checkout flow and pages

Typical Workflow:

  1. Analyze purchase patterns to identify opportunities
  2. Create targeted upsells
  3. Test with small customer segment
  4. Monitor performance metrics
  5. Optimize based on data
  6. Scale successful upsells
  7. Continuously test new variations

Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

  • Manager: Create and edit upsells, view performance, configure settings
  • Administrator: All Manager + delete upsells, advanced testing, site-wide settings
  • Kiva Admin: All features + technical configuration, integration settings

Restricted Features:

  • Delete Upsell: Administrator only
  • Advanced A/B Testing: Administrator recommended
  • Global Settings: Administrator or higher

Best Practices

Upsell Strategy

  1. Start with 2-3 highly targeted upsells, expand gradually
  2. Focus on relevance over quantity of offers
  3. Test one variable at a time for clear results
  4. Use data to inform product selection
  5. Respect customer's "no thanks" - don't be pushy

Product Selection

  1. Offer products that genuinely complement the purchase
  2. Keep upsell items lower price than main purchase
  3. Limit choices to 2-4 products for best conversion
  4. Rotate products to keep offers fresh
  5. Prioritize high-margin items when possible

Messaging

  1. Focus on benefits to customer, not just revenue
  2. Keep copy concise and scannable
  3. Use urgency sparingly and authentically
  4. Highlight savings amount not percentage when possible
  5. Make it easy to decline gracefully

Timing & Display

  1. Early upsells = more exposure, may interrupt flow
  2. Late upsells = less intrusive, high-intent customers
  3. Test different positions to find sweet spot
  4. Don't show multiple upsells simultaneously
  5. Mobile-optimize all upsell displays

Performance Optimization

  1. Track acceptance rate, revenue, and AOV impact
  2. A/B test regularly to improve performance
  3. Remove or revise upsells with <2% acceptance rate
  4. Monitor customer feedback about upsells
  5. Adjust seasonally based on product availability

Things to Avoid

  • Showing too many upsells (overwhelming)
  • Irrelevant product recommendations (annoying)
  • Aggressive tactics that disrupt checkout (cart abandonment)
  • Complicated bundle offers (confusing)
  • Showing same upsell repeatedly to same customer
  • Upsells that slow down checkout process

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Create new upsell Click "Add Upsell" button
Edit existing upsell Click "Edit" on upsell row
Add products to upsell Edit > Product Selection > Add Products
Set trigger conditions Edit > Triggers > Configure conditions
Change headline/copy Edit > Messaging section
Activate upsell Edit > Status > Active > Save
View performance Click "Performance" on upsell row
A/B test upsells Create two versions, split traffic
Set display position Edit > Display Settings > Position
Configure discount Edit > Pricing > Add discount
Deactivate upsell Edit > Status > Inactive > Save
Delete upsell Edit > Delete button (confirm)

FAQs

How many upsells should I have active at once?

Start with 2-3 highly targeted upsells. Too many can confuse customers or create overlapping triggers. As you optimize, you can expand to 5-10 covering different scenarios.

What's a good acceptance rate for upsells?

Industry average is 5-15%. Below 3% suggests poor targeting or messaging. Above 20% is excellent but verify you're not being too aggressive.

Should I offer discounts on upsell products?

Not always necessary. Relevance matters more than discount. Save discounts for bundles or threshold offers. Test with and without to see what works.

Can I show different upsells to different customer segments?

Yes, use customer-based triggers to segment by tags, purchase history, subscription status, etc. Personalization improves acceptance rates.

What if a customer adds the upsell then removes it?

That's fine - shows engagement even if not conversion. Track this data to understand hesitation points and improve offer.

How often should I change my upsells?

Review monthly. Update seasonal offers as needed. Test new variations every 2-4 weeks. Keep successful evergreen upsells running continuously.

Can I upsell on the order confirmation page after payment?

Yes, post-purchase upsells can be very effective. Frame as "add to your delivery" to avoid additional shipping costs. Acceptance rate is usually lower but pure profit.

What products work best as upsells?

Complementary items, popular bestsellers, high-margin products, impulse-buy items, and products that solve a problem the main purchase creates.

How do I know if my upsells are annoying customers?

Monitor checkout abandonment rate, customer complaints, and session recordings. If abandonment increases after adding upsells, dial back aggression.

Can I bundle products from different categories?

Yes, as long as they make sense together (e.g., pasta + sauce + cheese). Test cross-category bundles - sometimes surprising combinations work well.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.