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Upsell and cross-sell

| Article: 2 min read | Store pages

An upsell is an offer of a more expensive, better version of a product the customer is already considering. A cross-sell is an offer of related products: accessories, components, add-ons. Both raise the average order value.

In plain words

A customer is choosing a smartphone. Upsell: a model with more memory. Cross-sell: a case, a screen protector, a charger. The difference is that an upsell replaces the product with a more expensive one, while a cross-sell adds another one to it.

What the research says

Baymard tested cart suggestions and found that 52% of desktop sites show cross-sells that are either not related to the cart contents at all or based only on what others bought (Baymard). The consequences:

  • users quickly ignore obviously unrelated suggestions;
  • one dubious recommendation can undermine trust in all of them, including the relevant ones;
  • irrelevant offers make the cart feel "pushy" and distract from checkout;
  • on mobile, the small screen makes this even more painful.

NN/g advises showing similar products sparingly on the product page, and only very relevant ones, so as not to distract from the specifications (NN/g).

Baymard's six tips for cart cross-sells

According to Baymard (Baymard):

  1. Show as many suggestions as there are truly relevant ones, not a fixed number.
  2. Be careful with alternative products: for someone already close to paying, add-ons fit better. Upgrades or newer versions may be an exception.
  3. Label the context: "Frequently bought together", "Based on your browsing".
  4. Prefer products of the same theme or use case.
  5. Put first what the product does not work without: batteries, cables, mounts.
  6. Offer promotions only when they suit the order amount, for example free shipping above a certain threshold: see free shipping threshold.

Baymard stresses that "bought together" data is useful but should not be the only signal: it is better to combine data about the current user (cart, history) with general behavior and category relationships.

Example

Numbers are hypothetical. An electronics store has an average order value of 8,000 UAH. Next to a smartphone in the cart, it shows a case and a screen protector for 600 UAH. If 10% of customers add such a set, the average order value rises by about 60 UAH. Measure this in the store KPIs and check it with an A/B test: include checkout conversion in the test, because a suggestion can lower it.

How different sources see it

NN/g warns against distraction on the product page itself, Baymard against irrelevance in the cart. Both agree: relevance matters more than quantity. The sources used contain no documents with a proven effect on profit, so check changes on your own data.

Common mistakes

  • "What others buy" recommendations unrelated to the cart.
  • Too many suggestions in the cart.
  • Offering a more expensive alternative when the person is already paying.
  • Not explaining why a product is recommended.
  • Judging only the rise in order value without looking at the drop in conversion.

FAQ

How is an upsell different from a cross-sell? An upsell is a more expensive version of the same product, a cross-sell is an additional related product.

Where should I show a cross-sell? On the product page (carefully) and in the cart (relevant add-ons). Baymard's tips concern the cart specifically.

How many products should I offer? As many as are truly relevant: Baymard does not recommend a fixed number.

Can a cross-sell do harm? Yes, irrelevant suggestions lower trust in recommendations and distract from checkout.

Sources

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