Grow AOV & profit with Post-Purchase Upsell for Shopify checkout

Shopify’s checkout is widely recognized as one of the best in the world, designed to maximize conversions and provide a seamless purchasing experience. And while many merchants rely on it to streamline their checkout process, there’s often a missed opportunity right after payment. 

This is where post-purchase upsells come in. Tapping into the excitement right after a customer buys, when they’re already saying ‘yes’, it’s the perfect moment to present relevant offers and drive additional revenue.

In this post, we’ll explore how Shopify merchants can leverage intelligent post-purchase upsell strategies to capitalize on these underutilized moments and boost profitability.

What are Post-Purchase Upsells?

Post-purchase upselling is the practice of offering additional products to customers immediately after they complete a transaction. 

These offers appear between the checkout confirmation and the thank-you page, allowing customers to effortlessly add products to their existing order in one click without going through the payment process again.

This strategy is an efficient way to increase your average order value (AOV) and drive more revenue without the need for extra marketing costs, making it a highly profitable growth opportunity.

Tactics for Post-Purchase Upsell 

To help you make the most of post-purchase upsells on Shopify, we are sharing three powerful tactics that not only increase AOV but also enhance the customer experience.

Offer complementary products

Example: A customer buys a pair of shoes → Offer a shoe care kit

Show products that are related to the products that the customer just purchased. Customers may have intended to buy these items but forgot, and post-purchase upsells give them a last-minute opportunity to do so.

Why it works?

• Helps customers discover useful add-ons they might have missed
• Feels helpful rather than sales-driven, improving satisfaction
• Increases AOV without disrupting the checkout experience

Best sellers & crowd favorites

Example: A shopper buys a skincare item → Offer your best-selling serum or top-rated moisturizer

Why it works? 

• Popular products provide instant social proof through their best-seller status and high ratings, signaling trust and desirability to customers
• When presented right after purchase, these items feel like exclusive opportunities that shoppers shouldn’t miss
• In this low-risk, high-reward moment when customers have already committed to buying, they’re more likely to add popular items to their order

Push 1-to-1 personalized products with limited-time discounts 

Example: “15% off your favorite. Just for you, for 2 minutes!”

A time-sensitive discount triggers FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and encourages impulse buying. This strategy is especially effective when applied to personalized product recommendations based on a buyer’s unique preferences.

Why it works?

• Creates urgency that compels customers to act quickly
• Encourages hesitant shoppers to finally purchase a product they’ve shown high interest in
• Reinforces exclusivity, making the deal feel special

Elevate your post-purchase upselling in Shopify with Nosto

Why Shopify merchants should leverage Nosto’s Post-Purchase Upsell feature?

Most traditional post-purchase upsell apps make it hard for merchants to present the right offers to the right customers at the right time. They rely on manual product selection and complex workflows, which often result in irrelevant recommendations and missed opportunities. Nosto solves this problem with an AI-powered, fully automated solution that ensures each upsell is personalized, strategic, and easy to implement.

Benefit from AI-powered product recommendations 

Nosto’s predictive AI processes vast amounts of behavioral data, identifying patterns that anticipate future customer behavior and preferences. Combined with a deep understanding of the product catalog, our algorithms accurately predict the products a shopper is most likely to buy. This enables real-time delivery of the best complementary item based on the cart’s contents or a personalized offer tailored to the shopper’s unique preferences.

Create highly-targeted offers for customer segments

Nosto allows you to customize Post-Purchase Upsell offers for specific shopper segments based on category and brand affinity, traffic source, lifecycle stage, and more. This gives you the flexibility to achieve advanced scenarios that align with precise business objectives.

For example, a returning customer who frequently buys premium skincare can be shown an exclusive upsell for a high-end serum, reinforcing their luxury preference and preserving brand value. Meanwhile, a first-time buyer might receive a discounted add-on, encouraging a larger first purchase and future loyalty. 

Stay in control with merchandising rules 

With Nosto, you can fine-tune your post-purchase upsell strategy using merchandising rules. Whether you want to prioritize top-reviewed products, high-margin items, or slow-moving stock, Nosto gives you the tools to align your recommendations with your business goals and ensure maximum profitability.

Go live in minutes with smooth and seamless onboarding

Nosto provides an intuitive onboarding experience, no developers or complex setup required. The post-purchase upsell feature automatically matches your Shopify checkout design, ensuring a seamless, branded experience. Thanks to AI-powered personalization, you’ll be delivering relevant, tailored offers in no time.

Ready to get started?

If you’re a Nosto client but don’t yet have access to this feature, reach out to your Customer Success Manager for a demo. If you already have access, read our help article to get started.

New to Nosto? Contact our team today to learn how Post-Purchase Upsell can help you grow your revenue.