Shopping Cart Magic: How Cart Upsell Shopify Apps Unlock Hidden Profits

Written by: Hannah

Topics: eCommerce Tips

Published: May 14, 2024

9 minutes read

cart upsell shopify

Almost there! You've added that perfect item to your cart, ready to checkout. But wait... a tempting offer pops up, suggesting a complementary product or upgrade. 


This is the concept of cart upselling on Shopify.


This article will equip you with the knowledge to leverage cart upsells effectively with the help of top-notch cart upsell Shopify apps. Let's dive into the world of cart upsell apps and unlock their potential for your Shopify business!

1. What is a cart upsell Shopify app?

Cart upsell is a sales technique used in eCommerce to encourage customers to spend more money before they complete their purchase. 


It specifically involves offering higher-priced versions or upgrades of the products customers already have in their shopping carts.
Upsell example in Shopify stores

Imagine you're checking out after buying a phone. An upsell might appear on the cart page, showcasing a more advanced phone model with better features.
The goal is to convince you that the upgraded product is worth the extra cost. This could be because it offers more features, better quality, or a perceived increase in value.

This is precisely what a Shopify cart upsell app is designed to do.

Cart upsell Shopify apps are tools born to leverage cart upsell strategies within your Shopify store.
They seamlessly integrate with your Shopify store's checkout page, displaying upsell recommendations right on the cart. This can be through slide-out drawers, pop-ups, or directly within the cart itself.
By using a cart upsell Shopify app, you can nudge customers towards adding more items to their cart, ultimately boosting your sales and revenue.

So now, let’s check on how to choose the best cart upsell Shopify apps with us!

2. Key Criteria For Selecting the Best Cart Upsell App Shopify

Choosing the right cart upsell Shopify app depends on your specific needs and requirements. Here are some key criteria to consider:

2.1. Evaluating Core Functionality

  • Upsell types: Does the app support different upsell tactics like product recommendations, bundled products, quantity discounts, or post-purchase upsells?
  • Customization: Can you tailor the upsell offers, design, and messaging to match your brand and target audience?
  • A/B testing: Does the app allow you to test different upsell variations to see what converts best?

2.2. Prioritizing User-Friendly Experiences

  • Installation and setup: How easy is it to install and configure the app on your store platform?
  • User interface: Is the app's interface user-friendly and intuitive for creating and managing upsell offers?

2.3. Ensuring Seamless Integrations

  • Compatibility: Does the app integrate seamlessly with other apps you are using (like page builder apps)?
  • Analytics: Does the app provide analytics to track the performance of your upsell campaigns?

2.4. Finding the Right Pricing Model

Consider the app's pricing model and whether it fits your budget. Some apps offer free plans with limited features, while others have tiered pricing based on usage.

2.5. Assessing Customer Support Reliability

customer support

Evaluate the reliability of customer support provided by the app for setup assistance, troubleshooting, and inquiries about using the features.

3. Five Top-Rated Cart Upsell Shopify Apps to Boost Sales

The App

Rating

Pricing

Install

4.9/5 (870 reviews)

Free - $19.99/mo

Qikify Discount & Free Gift

4.8/5 (606 reviews)

Free - $34.99/mo

Upcart

4.8/5 (410 reviews)

Free - $80/mo

Monk free gift and cart upsell

4.8/5 (553 reviews)

Free - $36.99/mo

monster cart upsell free gifts

4.8/5 (520 reviews)

Free - $29.99/mo

icart cart drawer cart upsell

3.1. Qikify Discount & Free Gift: Boosting AOV with Upsells

Looking to increase your average order value and encourage more sales on your Shopify store? Qikify Discount & Free Gift, boasting a stellar 4.9-star rating from users, might be the app you've been waiting for.

Qikify Discount & Free Gift

Qikify Discount & Free Gift

This user-friendly app allows you to create targeted upsell offers, cross-sell complementary products, and entice customers with free gifts, all with the aim of boosting your store's revenue.


Consequently, with its user-friendly interface, feature-rich premium plan, and free plan for testing, Qikify can be a valuable tool for your Shopify store.

Rating: 

4.9 ⭐ (870 reviews)

Built for Shopify 

✅

Demo store

Pricing Plan: 

  • Free plan: $0/month
  • Premium plan: $19.99/month

Qikify offers a free plan, allowing you to try it out first and assess if it meets your needs. This plan lets you generate up to $50/month in revenue through app offers and includes basic upsell, cross-sell, and product bundle functionalities.


For a more robust feature set, the premium plan has a comprehensive suite of features for serious sales optimization like upselling, cross-selling, and free gift promotions. 

Key Features: 

  1. Upsell techniques: One-click cart upsell Shopify strategies, product bundles, volume discounts, upselling product upgrades.
  2. Cross-selling: Buy X Get Y (BOGO) offers.
  3. Free gifts: Offer free gifts with purchase to incentivize checkouts.
  4. Customization: Control the design and messaging of upsell offers using pre-made templates.
  5. Analytics: Track the performance of your upsell campaigns with real-time insights.
  6. Multiple layouts: Choose from various upsell offer layouts.
  7. Shopify integration: Works seamlessly with Shopify and integrates with native Shopify discounts.

3.2 UpCart Cart Drawer Cart Upsell - Elevating Buying Experience

In the competitive world of eCommerce, maximizing every opportunity to convert website visitors into paying customers is crucial. UpCart, a Shopify cart upsell app, steps in to help you achieve just that. 

Upcart cart drawer cart upsell

UpCart - Cart Drawer Cart Upsell to boost Shopify AOV

This powerful app goes beyond simply enhancing your shopping cart functionality. It transforms the cart experience by incorporating strategic upsells, cart editing functionalities, and a customizable sticky cart option.

Rating: 

4.8 ⭐ (606 reviews)

Built for Shopify 

✅

Demo store

Pricing Plan: 

  • Free plan: $0/month (Only for Development Stores)
  • 0-50 orders: $14.99/month
  • 51-200 orders: $19.99/month
  • 201-500 orders: $34.99/month

UpCart offers a free plan for development stores, allowing you to experiment with the app's functionalities before committing. 


In addition, paid plans start at $14.99/month for stores with up to 50 monthly orders, with increasing costs for higher order volumes. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.

Key Features: 

  1. User-Friendly interface: UpCart is known for its ease of use, allowing even non-technical users to create and manage upsell offers.
  2. Customizable cart design: Tailor the cart drawer's appearance (colors, fonts, visuals) to match your store's branding.
  3. Upsell techniques: Implement various upsell strategies 
  4. Free shipping & discount promotions: Integrate eye-catching bars to incentivize adding more items and reaching free shipping or discount goals.
  5. Cart announcements: Keep customers informed about your brand or promotions directly within the cart drawer.
  6. Sticky cart button: Enhance cart visibility and potentially reduce cart abandonment.

3.3. Monk Free Gift & Cart Upsell: Strategic Revenue Unlocked

Monk Free Gift & Cart Upsell is a strong contender for Shopify stores looking for a user-friendly and feature-rich cart upsell and free gift solution.

monk free gift & cart upsell

Monk Free Gift & Cart Upsell

This app allows you to design strategic upsells displayed directly within your Shopify store, strategically placed to capture customer attention at a crucial point in the buying journey.

Rating: 

4.9 ⭐ (410 reviews)

Built for Shopify 

✅

Demo store

Pricing Plan: 

  • Free plan: $0/month (Only for Development, Sandbox & Partner stores)
  • GROWTH I: $30/month (For stores processing 0-500 total store orders per month)
  • GROWTH II: $80/month (For stores processing 501-1000 total store orders per month)

If you have a development store (test stores that are not operating live), you can get started with the free plan first to experiment with all of the app's features at no cost. 
The tiered pricing structure of this Shopify checkout upsell app allows you to choose a plan that aligns with your store's current order volume and provides room for growth as your business expands.

Key Features: 

  1. Product recommendations: Recommend relevant products based on what's already in the cart.
  2. Tiered progress bars: Motivate customers to add more items by offering rewards (like free gifts or discounts) upon reaching specific cart value milestones.
  3. Cross-selling options: Encourage customers to purchase product bundles or complementary items that enhance the value of their initial selection.
  4. Subscription upgrades: Easily nudge customers towards subscribing to your product or service directly within the cart, increasing recurring revenue.
  5. Post-purchase upsells: Capture those last-minute sales by presenting upsell offers after a purchase is complete.
  6. Free gifts: Offer free gifts with purchases based on various criteria such as specific products, quantities, or cart values.

3.4. Monster Cart Upsell+Free Gifts: Seamless Integrated

Monster Cart Upsell+Free Gifts positions itself as a powerful tool to increase your sales through strategic upsells and free gifts presented directly within your Shopify cart. 

Monster Cart Upsell Free Gift

Monster Cart Upsell Free Gifts

This Shopify add-to-cart upsell app goes beyond basic product recommendations. 

It equips you with a variety of cart upsell Shopify techniques to target customers at different stages of the buying journey. 


Furthermore, this app takes a unique approach, avoiding disruptive popups and instead integrating seamlessly within the checkout process for a potentially smoother customer experience.

Rating: 

4.8 ⭐ (553 reviews)

Built for Shopify 

❌

Demo store

Pricing Plan: 

  • Free plan: $0/month (Only for Development, Sandbox & Partner stores)
  • Up to 50 orders: $12.99/month
  • Up to 200 orders: $21.99/month
  • Up to 500 orders: $36.99/month

Overall, Monster Cart Upsell+Free Gifts offers a free plan for development stores, tiered paid plans that scale with your business, and 10-day free trials on paid plans.

Key Features: 

  1. User-friendly interface: Easy to use, allowing even non-technical users to create and manage upsell offers.
  2. Customization options: Tailor the cart drawer to match your brand for a seamless shopping experience.
  3. Progress bars: Motivate customers to add more items by implementing visual progress bars that unlock rewards (like free gifts or discounts) upon reaching specific cart value thresholds.
  4. Frequently Bought Together: Showcase product combinations frequently purchased together, capitalizing on customer buying habits and potentially increasing AOV.
  5. Buy More Save More (Tiered discounts): Motivate customers to spend more by offering tiered discounts that incentivize reaching specific cart value thresholds.
  6. One-Click upsells: Simplify the upsell process with a single-click option for adding recommended items.

3.5. iCart Cart Drawer Cart Upsell - Fully Customized

iCart Cart Drawer Cart Upsell offers a feature-rich upsell solution with a user-friendly, customizable cart drawer.

icart cart drawer cart upsell

iCart Cart Drawer Cart Upsell - Complete Shopify cart upsell solution

This Shopify cart drawer upsell app goes beyond basic pop-up upsells, offering a customizable cart drawer that integrates seamlessly within your store.


It can be said that iCart's rich feature set and positive reviews make it a strong contender to boost your sales and elevate your Shopify store's upsell game.

Rating: 

4.8 ⭐ (520 reviews)

Built for Shopify 

❌

Demo store

Pricing Plan: 

  • Free plan: $0/month (Only for Development & Partner stores)
  • 0-50 orders: $12.99/month
  • 51-100 orders: $19.99/month
  • 101-500 orders: $29.99/month

The free plan for development stores allows for experimentation, while the paid plans cater to businesses of various sizes. To be more specific, it offers tiered pricing based on the number of monthly orders your Shopify store processes.

Key Features: 

  1. Product upsells & Cross-sells: Recommend complementary or higher-value products alongside what's already in the cart, or showcase frequently purchased product combinations.
  2. Free gifts: Offer free gifts as purchase incentives to attract new customers, boost conversions, and reward loyal customers.
  3. Product bundles: Create predefined product bundles at discounted prices, potentially enticing customers to spend more.
  4. Progress bars: Motivate customers to add more items by implementing visual progress bars that unlock rewards (like free gifts or discounts) upon reaching specific cart value thresholds.
  5. Countdown timers: Incorporate countdown timers, potentially nudging customers to complete their purchases before the time expires.
  6. Customizable cart drawer & cart page: Design the cart drawer and cart page to match your brand identity for a cohesive shopping experience.
  7. Sticky cart button: Reduce cart abandonment by displaying a persistent cart button that allows customers to easily access their cart from any page.

4. Elevating e-Commerce Success: Unlock Hidden Profits with Cart Upsell Shopify

In eCommerce, where customer engagement and revenue optimization are paramount, implementing strategic cart upsell tactics can skyrocket your store revenue. By leveraging the cutting-edge features of top-rated cart upsell Shopify apps, you unlock a wealth of opportunities to boost your average order value, enhance customer experiences, and drive sustainable business growth.


The key to success lies in carefully evaluating the core functionalities, user-friendly interfaces, seamless integrations, and pricing models of the best cart upsell apps in the Shopify App Store.


Don't hesitate and try to implement upsell techniques such as product recommendations, free gifts, product bundle,...today in your store. Our recommended cart upsell Shopify apps come with the insightful analytics to help you fine-tune the sales strategy and continuously maximum revenue growth. 


Remember that staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Embrace the power of cart upsell Shopify apps and unlock hidden profit potential within your online store. Maximize every shopping cart's value, cultivate customer loyalty, and propel your Shopify business towards unprecedented success.

5. Your Cart Upsell Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is cart upsell?

Cart upsell is a sales tactic used in online stores to encourage customers to spend more money before they complete their purchase. It involves strategically suggesting additional items to customers while they have products in their shopping cart. 

These suggested items are typically:

  • Upgrade cart items: A more expensive version of the product they already have in their cart.
  • Complementary items: Products that go well with the item in their cart, like phone cases for a new phone or batteries for a camera.

The goal of a cart upsell is to increase the average order value (AOV) by tempting customers with relevant or enticing products. It's a win-win situation if done well: customers get a more complete purchase and the store increases revenue.

2. Can you do upsells on Shopify?

Yes, you can definitely upsell on Shopify! There are two main ways:

  • Shopify apps: These are the easiest options. Install a cart upsell Shopify app to choose products, set triggers (show upsells based on what's in the cart), and design the upsell offer.
  • Theme code editing (for techies): This gives more control over design but requires coding knowledge. You'd edit your Shopify theme code to create and display the upsell.

Shopify apps are great for most users, while code editing is ideal for those comfortable with customization.

3. What is an example of upselling on Shopify?

Let's say you run a Shopify store selling athletic wear. A customer adds a pair of yoga pants to their cart. 


If you use an app, your Shopify cart solution might automatically display a pop-up offering a matching sports bra or a yoga mat at a discounted bundle price with the pants.


In addition, you can code a section on the checkout page showcasing recommended upsells. In this case, it might show high-quality yoga socks and a water bottle, perfect for a complete workout outfit.

4. What are the benefits of cart upsell?

Cart upsells on Shopify offer a range of benefits for both your store and your customers:

  • Increased revenue: The most direct benefit is boosting your average order value (AOV)
  • Enhanced customer experience: Upsells can actually improve the customer experience if done thoughtfully. These upsells help the customer get the most out of their purchase.
  • Convenience: Cart upsells offer a one-stop shop for everything a customer might need related to their initial purchase. They can avoid searching for extras elsewhere.
  • Higher customer lifetime value: By providing a more complete purchase, upsells can lead to happier customers who return for future needs.

5. How do I add a cart upsell to Shopify?

The easiest way to add a cart upsell to Shopify is with a Shopify storefront solution. Here's how:

  • Visit the Shopify App Store and search for "cart upsell”
  • Choose a reputable app (you can take a look at the comprehensive review above)
  • Install the app and follow the app's instructions to configure your upsell offers (This typically involves choosing upsell products, setting triggers, and customizing the upsell appearance)

This method is user-friendly and doesn't require any coding knowledge.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Gain insightful knowledge to grow your business stronger

We use Brevo as our marketing platform. By submitting this form you agree that the personal data you provided will be transferred to Brevo for processing in accordance with Brevo's Privacy Policy.

About The Author

  • Hannah

    With over 5 years of experience under her belt, Hannah is an eCommerce writer who crafts content specifically for a website that deals with online sales. She simplifies technical details to assist entrepreneurs in utilizing the platform and launching their online ventures.

Copyright © 2018 - 2023 qikify. All Rights Reserved.