Upselling vs. Cross-Selling in Ecommerce: Differences, Examples & Tips

Upselling encourages a shopper to buy a better or bigger version of the product they chose. Cross-selling suggests products that go with it. Both raise average order value (AOV): upselling increases what each item is worth, while cross-selling adds more items to the order.

I'm a firm believer that the best online shopping experiences occur when your customers feel they’ve found the perfect product or service for their needs.

And sometimes, it’s up to you as a merchant to help shoppers discover their next favorite product through upsells and cross-sells.

Upselling and cross-selling are strategic ways for ecommerce businesses to offer a better shopping experience. They show a product’s value without using aggressive sales tactics. 

In this article, we break down the difference between upsells and cross-sells and why they’re essential. We’ll throw in some tried and tested tactics sure to boost your AOV and drive more revenue for your online store.

Before making any changes to your online shop, though, let’s clarify what cross-selling and upselling really mean.

What Is Cross-Selling?

Cross-selling is a sales technique that encourages customers to spend more by buying related products. Think of fashion brands asking customers to “complete the look” by offering complementary items. For example, someone shopping for swim trunks could also want sandals and sunglasses. 

To cross-sell products effectively, it's crucial to suggest items that complement the purchase. For example, you could recommend a case and screen protector when someone buys a new smartphone. The relevance of the offer ensures it feels personalized and not like an attempt to increase sales.

What Is Upselling?

Upselling is a sales technique that asks customers to buy the premium version of a product. Think of upselling as upgrading. Instead of selling more items to complement the original product, you’re upgrading it altogether.

Let’s say you’re ready to buy a $130 running shoe—until you learn about the high-end features of the $160 running shoe. Can you run in either shoe? Sure. But if the $160 model offers a smoother ride, more cushioning, and is made with sustainable materials, it’s seen as the more premium product.

What Is The Difference Between Upselling and Cross-selling?

While both upselling and cross-selling can generate revenue, each has a distinct purpose.

The purpose of upselling is to increase the value of a single purchase. The purpose of cross-selling is to increase the total items a customer purchases. Upselling upgrades a single product to a more premium version. Cross-selling encourages customers to buy more (complementary) products. 

✍️ In short, upselling focuses on value. Cross-selling focuses on volume.

Upselling vs. Cross-Selling at a Glance

When deciding which technique to use for your business, consider customer intent and your business goals. 

• How often are certain products bought together? 

• Do your customers intend to buy a single product or many products? 

• What combination of upselling and cross-selling most often results in higher average order value? 

Answering these questions will help you decide how to organize your upselling and cross-selling strategy.

Whichever mix of upselling and cross-selling you choose, you'll enjoy a few key benefits.

Upselling and Cross-Selling Creates Benefits for Your Customers (and Your Ecommerce Business)

Integrating an upselling and cross-selling strategy into your marketing strategy can produce major benefits for your business.

Here are just a few advantages to consider.

1. Better customer experience

Two of the most appealing aspects of ecommerce are ease and convenience. Your customers don't want to scroll forever looking for the right product. Cross-selling and upselling reduce decision fatigue. They also decrease the need for your customer to keep scrolling and researching.

And trust us, when you save time for your customers, they'll appreciate it. 

But how do you know which product offers will enhance customer satisfaction? Use your data! When your merchandising is powered by AI, you help your customers discover products they'll actually buy. 

ℹ️ Learn how AI product recommenders automatically display personalized recommendations that strengthen customer relationships and boost revenue.

2. Stronger customer loyalty

Not everyone has a personal shopper, but cross-selling and upselling can make it feel that way. Personalized recommendations based on data like past purchases or recently viewed items let a customer feel known and understood. Plus, research shows it costs 6X - 7X more to get a new customer than to keep an existing customer.

Bottom line?

Personalized product suggestions create a better experience and earn you loyal customers for life.

3. More sales

You have no problem getting people to visit your site, and a lot of them even make purchases. But one-item shopping carts aren’t the goal, here. After all, you’re looking to grow your store fast and shatter your sales records!

Good upselling and cross-selling strategies lead to an increase in sales revenue. Look at Amazon, the pioneer and champion of cross-selling. You may have heard by now—personalized product recommendations have accounted for 35% of Amazon’s revenue. Even one extra item in every other cart adds up and can improve the average order value (AOV). 

Here's the thing.

Personalized upselling and cross-selling enhance the customer experience and increase customer lifetime value. Over time, they help you increase revenue, improve customer satisfaction, and support your marketing strategy.

Next, we'll feast our eyes on some cross-selling and upselling examples to help you sell the lights out.

Upselling and Cross-selling Examples

Knowing when and where to offer upsells or cross-sells depends on your business needs. Luckily, there are several great methods to try so you can find the right combination for your store. 

But for now, let's look at a few upselling and cross-selling techniques designed to increase customer loyalty and revenue. As you browse, think about how each offer might encourage customers to buy more products and discover new ones.

ℹ️ Learn how AI and machine learning (ML) can personalize your cross-selling and upselling strategy to every customer.

What is an example of cross-selling in ecommerce?

Cross-selling efforts are foundational to a smart merchandising strategy. To maximize your sales opportunities and increase sales revenue, work towards adding personalization at key points along the customer journey. A good way to start is to add personalized recommendations to the PDP (product detail page).

Have a look below at how Flaunt cross-sells complementary products on the PDP.

The product viewed is an iPhone case. Based on Flaunt’s historical sales data and shopping behaviors, it’s likely the customer viewing this case will also buy a screen protector and/or a phone ring. So, Flaunt wisely cross-sells these items on the PDP, recommending customers to "compete the look."

Showing items frequently bought together helps buyers envision the complete package. Understanding your existing customers and showing personalized cross-sell offers can enhance the effectiveness of your cross-selling efforts. For an even more personalized experience, display products the shopper has recently viewed.

Now, let's look at an example of cross-selling in the shopping cart.

If your customers have added items to the shopping cart, then purchase intent is high. Take advantage of this opportunity by cross-selling complementary products. 

Fanjoy uses an intelligent cart flyout to cross-sell complementary items. In-cart offers help increase average order value and reduce cart abandonment. See for yourself! Fanjoy used personalized upselling and cross-selling to increase average order value by 11.7%.

Well-executed cross-selling strategies boost sales and improve customer satisfaction, ensuring your customers receive complementary products that enhance their primary purchase.

What is an example of upselling in ecommerce?

This first upselling example is from OLLY. While in-cart cross-sells help OLLY customers discover new and related products, the vitamin brand grew subscription revenue by 63% with in-cart subscription upsells. Notice variant selectors let you choose serving sizes without leaving the cart. (This helps to increase conversions and reduce cart abandonment.) Not bad!

Our next example is from immi. The instant ramen brand used well-designed, on-brand pop-up upsells to increase subscription opt-in rates by 5-10% and average order value by 24.55%. The immi team also saw customer lifetime value improve and a $3 increase in average revenue per customer (ARPC). Yum! (Read the immi success story.)

Not a subscription business? Neither is Au Vodka. But they love to use bundle upsells on the PDP to boost order values and increase product discovery. The Pineapple Crush page displays a bundle of items "frequently bought together." After all, you'll need glasses to enjoy those spirits.

Our final example comes from Posh Peanut. When a customer completes an order, you have 100% of their attention. How does this children's clothing brand seize the moment? With post-purchase upselling and cross-selling to enhance customer satisfaction when it counts.

One tactic Posh Peanut employs that you should consider: strategic post-purchase down-sells. This means if the shopper declines the initial post-purchase offer, a second relevant and often more affordable product offer will appear as a last-minute opportunity to buy something extra. Adding a new incentive like a deeper discount or free shipping is a great way to convert the offer, too. 

This strategy is paying major dividends for the children's brand. (Read about the Posh Peanut success story.)

A few things to keep in mind:

• Upselling and cross-selling work best when they are relevant and tailored to your customer.
• Bundling like items together at a discounted price is an effective cross-selling tactic.
• Use data to personalize the shopping experience for your future customers. Why? Customers are 80% more likely to buy from brands that offer personalized experiences.

Want more examples? Visit our Inspiration Page and our Case Study Page.

When to Upsell vs. Cross-Sell

Timing matters as much as the offer. Each step of the shopping journey suits a different kind of suggestion.

• Product page: The best spot for upsells. The shopper is still choosing, so a bigger size or premium version is an easy comparison. It's also a natural place for "frequently bought together" cross-sells.
• Cart: The shopper has decided to buy. Small, related add-ons work well here, especially when they help reach a free shipping threshold.
• Checkout: Keep it to one low-cost, relevant add-on. Anything more can slow shoppers down when they're ready to pay. (On Shopify, offers inside checkout need Shopify Plus.)
• Post-purchase: After payment, a one-click offer can't cost you the original sale, which makes it a strong spot for cross-sells and second-unit discounts. Our guide to Shopify checkout upsell apps explains how each placement works.
• Follow-up email and SMS: A few days after delivery, recommend a refill, an accessory, or the next product in a routine. Time it to when the shopper is likely to need it.

A simple rule of thumb: upsell while the shopper is deciding, and cross-sell once they've decided.

How to Cross-Sell by Email

Cross-sells don't have to stop at checkout. A post-purchase email keeps the conversation going after the order ships. A simple flow looks like this:

1. Pick the trigger. Most brands start with a completed order. Abandoned carts and repeat visits to a product page work too.
2. Choose one product. Recommend a single item that pairs with what they bought, based on their purchase history: a refill, an accessory, or the next step in a routine.
3. Time it right. Send it after delivery, not with the receipt. For consumables, time it to when the shopper starts running low.
4. Keep the email simple. One product image, one line on why it pairs with their order, and one button.
5. Segment and test. Split first-time buyers from repeat customers, and A/B test one thing at a time: the product, the send time, or the subject line.

Using Klaviyo? Rebuy’s Klaviyo integration adds personalized product recommendations to your flows and campaigns, based on what each customer has bought and recently viewed.

Upselling and Cross-Selling Best Practices

• Limit the choices. Show one to three offers, not ten. Too many options create decision overload, and shoppers may skip all of them.
• Keep the price in proportion. A cross-sell should cost well below what's already in the cart, and an upsell should feel like a small step up, not a different budget.
• Explain the value. Say why the offer helps. "Twice the battery life" beats "Upgrade now."
• Use real data. Base offers on what's in the cart, what the shopper has viewed, and what similar shoppers buy together.
• Test before you scale. A/B test one change at a time: the product, the discount, or the placement.

The Risks of Getting It Wrong

Upsells and cross-sells hurt the experience when they feel pushy. Watch for:

• Irrelevant offers, which make recommendations feel random and teach shoppers to ignore them.
• Interruptions, like pop-ups that block the path to checkout.
• Hidden add-ons, such as pre-checked boxes. They erode trust and often lead to refunds.
• Returns on add-ons. If shoppers send back what you upsold, the offer cost you money.

How to Measure Upselling and Cross-Selling

• Average order value (AOV): Compare orders with and without an accepted offer.
• Take rate: The share of shoppers who accept an offer after seeing it.
• Items per order: The clearest sign that cross-sells are working.
• Revenue per visitor: Shows whether offers add revenue without hurting your conversion rate.
• Refund rate on add-ons: An offer that's accepted and then returned isn't a win.

Look at these together. A high take rate on a $2 add-on can be worth less than a lower take rate on a $40 upgrade.

Upselling and Cross-Selling FAQs

What is the difference between upselling and cross-selling?

Upselling offers a better or bigger version of the product a shopper chose. Cross-selling offers a related product to go with it. Upselling raises the value of each item, and cross-selling raises the number of items in the order.

What is an example of upselling and cross-selling?

A shopper buying a phone is offered the model with more storage. That is an upsell. They are also offered a case and a screen protector. That is a cross-sell.

Which is better, upselling or cross-selling?

Neither wins on its own. Upselling tends to work best while a shopper is still choosing a product, and cross-selling works best once they have decided. Most stores use both and test which offers lift average order value most.

Where should I show upsells and cross-sells on my Shopify store?

Start on the product page and in the cart. Then add post-purchase offers, which appear after payment and cannot cost you the original sale. Stores on Shopify Plus can also add offers inside checkout.

How many upsell or cross-sell offers should I show?

One to three at a time. More options can overwhelm shoppers and lower the chance they accept any of them.

Enhance the Shopping Experience With AI-Powered Upselling and Cross-selling

Your customers want amazing shopping experiences. By offering personalized product recommendations with proven cross-selling and upselling techniques, you can provide an amazing experience to every customer...every time. And that benefits everyone.

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