How to Create Checkout Upsells on Shopify

Quick Answer

Checkout upsells are product recommendations shown after a customer has already paid, typically on the Thank You page or the Order Status page, rather than before checkout. Shopify does not include a built in way to configure these post-purchase offers on most plans, so merchants generally use an app. Hulk Bundles Quantity Breaks lets merchants set up checkout upsells that display related products on the Thank You and Order Status pages after an order is placed.

Introduction

Most upsell effort on Shopify stores goes into the cart and the product page, and the moment right after checkout gets skipped entirely. That page still has the customer's attention, and it is a place where a relevant offer does not compete with the original purchase decision.

This article covers what checkout upsells are, where they appear, and how to configure one from start to finish, including what to test before the offer goes live in front of real customers.

What Are Checkout Upsells?

A checkout upsell is a product recommendation shown to a customer after they have already completed payment. It appears on the Thank You page, the confirmation screen shown right after an order is placed, or on the Order Status page the customer returns to later to track their order.

This is different from a pre-checkout upsell, such as a cart offer or a product page bundle, since the original purchase is already confirmed. The checkout upsell is an additional, separate offer rather than a change to the order the customer just placed.

Why the Post-Purchase Moment Matters

A customer who just finished checkout has demonstrated real buying intent. They trust the store enough to hand over payment details, which puts them in a different mindset than a first time visitor browsing a product page.

Because the transaction is already complete, a checkout upsell does not risk disrupting or slowing down the original purchase. The customer sees the offer only after the order they intended to place has gone through.

This makes the Thank You and Order Status pages a natural place for related product recommendations, replenishment reminders, or complementary items the customer may not have noticed during their first visit.

Where Checkout Upsells Appear

The Thank You page is shown immediately after an order is completed, while the checkout experience is still fresh for the customer. It is typically viewed once, right after purchase.

The Order Status page is where a customer returns later to check shipping or delivery details, which gives a second, separate opportunity to show a relevant offer to a customer who is already engaged with the order.

• Thank You page: shown once, right after the order is placed
• Order Status page: revisited whenever a customer checks order or shipping details
• Both pages are outside the original cart and checkout flow
• Offers here do not alter the order that was just confirmed

How to Set Up Checkout Upsells on Shopify

Step 1: Define the Promotion

Decide what the post-purchase offer is meant to accomplish before configuring anything. A checkout upsell can introduce a complementary product, encourage a repeat purchase of a consumable, or simply surface a bestseller the customer has not seen yet.

• Choose which products will be recommended on the Thank You and Order Status pages
• Decide whether the offer should relate directly to what was just purchased
• Set a realistic goal, such as introducing one new product rather than the whole catalog
• Confirm which page or pages the offer should appear on

Step 2: Configure the Discount

Set up the checkout upsell inside Hulk Bundles Quantity Breaks app, choosing the recommended products and, where relevant, any discount applied to them. Keep the offer focused rather than listing an entire collection on a single confirmation page.

Step 3: Set the Conditions

Use the Conditions tab to control which products are shown based on what was purchased, or to limit the offer to specific collections. Only configure conditions the app actually supports rather than assuming broader targeting is available.

• Restrict recommendations to products related to the original order where possible
• Limit the offer to a specific collection if the store sells a wide range of categories
• Avoid showing the same product a customer just purchased as the recommendation

Step 4: Test the Offer

Place a real test order and walk through the entire flow, checking that the recommendation appears correctly on both the Thank You page and the Order Status page, and that it displays properly on mobile devices.

• Confirm the correct products appear on the Thank You page
• Confirm the same or related products appear on the Order Status page
• Check that the offer does not interfere with the original order confirmation details
• Test the mobile experience separately from desktop
• Confirm any conditions, such as product relationships, are filtering correctly

Step 5: Launch and Monitor

Once live, monitor whether customers are engaging with the recommended products and whether the offer is generating additional post-purchase orders. Avoid promising specific results and instead review the data against your original goal for the offer.

Checkout Upsell Examples

Business: Coffee equipment store
Problem: Customers bought a coffee maker but rarely added filters or descaling solution in the same order.
Offer: Recommend filters and descaling solution on the Thank You page
Setup: Configured a checkout upsell in Hulk Bundles showing accessories related to the machine that was just purchased.
Why it fits: The recommendation matched a genuine follow-up need without interrupting the original checkout.

Business: Skincare brand
Problem: Wanted to introduce a new serum to customers who had already checked out.
Offer: Feature the new serum on both the Thank You and Order Status pages
Setup: Set the recommendation to appear across both post-purchase pages so returning customers saw it more than once.
Why it fits: Repeated visibility on the Order Status page gave the new product a second chance to be noticed.

Business: Pet supplies retailer
Problem: Customers bought pet food once but did not think to reorder consumable treats.
Offer: Show a treats bundle recommendation after checkout
Setup: Displayed a related consumable product on the Thank You page, timed to when the main food order would need restocking.
Why it fits: The reminder targeted a replenishable product category where repeat purchases were already common.

Read more case studies for our apps covering how merchants use post-purchase pages to introduce related products.

Best Practices for Checkout Upsells

• Recommend products genuinely related to what the customer just bought
• Keep the offer to a small number of products rather than a full catalog listing
• Avoid recommending the exact item the customer just purchased
• Test the Thank You and Order Status pages separately, since customers view them differently
• Check the mobile display, since a large share of checkout traffic is mobile
• Review engagement data periodically rather than leaving the offer unchanged indefinitely
• Keep messaging simple so the recommendation does not read as a second, confusing checkout step

Common Checkout Upsell Mistakes

• Showing unrelated products that have nothing to do with the original order
• Overloading the Thank You page with too many recommended items at once
• Forgetting to test the Order Status page separately from the Thank You page
• Not checking how the offer renders on mobile before launch
• Leaving the same recommendation live indefinitely without reviewing performance

Summary

Checkout upsells use the Thank You and Order Status pages to recommend related products after a customer has already completed their purchase. Because the transaction is already confirmed, the offer does not risk disrupting the original order, which makes it a distinct opportunity from cart or product page upsells.

Merchants who want to add post-purchase recommendations can configure checkout upsells with the quantity breaks app, alongside other discount and bundle offers.