I’m curious to hear what has actually worked for other Shopify merchants when it comes to increasing average order value.
Have you seen better results from bundles, upsells, cross-sells, volume discounts, free shipping thresholds, or something else?
Would love to hear what has made a real difference for your store.
Hi @jay-raval Welcome To Shopify Community So Free shipping thresholds tend to have the most consistent impact since it’s a decision customers make almost subconsciously, “add ₹500 more to get free shipping” nudges people to add one more item without feeling like they’re being upsold. Bundles work well too, but only when they’re framed as a complete solution (like “buy the jacket, get 20% off matching accessories”) rather than just random paired products, forced/irrelevant bundles usually get ignored. Cross-sells at cart/checkout (the classic “customers also bought”) tend to underperform compared to the other two unless the suggestions are genuinely relevant, generic cross-sell widgets often just get scrolled past. Volume discounts work best for consumables/repeat-use products specifically, less effective for one-time purchase items like apparel or electronics. Hope this helps solve your problem, and if it does, don’t forget to like and mark it as the solution. Thank you!
I agree with the free shipping threshold advice above, though the number matters too. Set it 20 to 30% above your current AOV.
If you push it to double, most people don’t bother striving for the threshold.
The thing that moved ours most wasn’t an upsell though, it was what we put in front of people. Our AOV was low because the cheapest items were the ones on the homepage and in every ad, so we’d trained everybody to arrive at the bottom of the range. Leading with a mid-priced piece (or a bundle) instead moved AOV more than any cart widget we tried, and it cost nothing.
Worth checking your own numbers for that before installing anything. If your best seller is also your cheapest product, your AOV is telling you about your merchandising rather than about your upsells.
Volume discounts and free shipping thresholds tend to outperform bundles and complex upsells in most cases, because they’re frictionless at checkout. When you show a customer “add 10 dollars more for free shipping,” they understand it instantly. Bundles force them to mentally evaluate whether it’s a good deal, and most people abandon rather than think it through.
Upsells can work, but usually only when they’re specific recommendations at post-purchase, not generic offers at checkout. The tradeoff with volume strategies is margin: you’re giving away profit on incremental orders, but if your margins are healthy, the volume and repeat rate lift usually make up for it. Test on a segment first to make sure it matches your product category and customer mindset.
What worked best for us was combining merchandising with a free shipping threshold, not stacking more cart popups.
I’d test one change at a time so you can tell what actually moved profit per order, not just AOV.
Hi @jay-raval 
In my experience, free shipping thresholds and bundles have probably had the biggest impact on AOV.
For example, stores selling accessories, gifts, or personalized products often see customers add more items when they can build a bundle themselves rather than buying a fixed bundle. Volume discounts can work well too, but they’re usually more effective for consumable products.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that presenting optional upgrades directly on the product page can increase AOV surprisingly well. Things like gift wrapping, premium packaging, engraving, extra accessories, or personalization options often perform better than offering a blanket discount.
Some merchants use apps like Easify Custom Product Options to display those add-ons and upgrades directly alongside the product, which can make upsells feel more natural instead of interrupting the buying journey.
That said, I’m curious what has worked best for everyone else. Have bundles generated more revenue for you than upsells or free-shipping thresholds?
Hi @jay-raval
A lot of good suggestions here. One other approach we’ve seen work is using loyalty to encourage a slightly higher spend without relying on another discount.
VIP tiers and spends-based rewards can be useful here. If someone is close to unlocking a reward or reaching the next tier, showing that progress can give them a reason to add something they already wanted to the order.
The key is making the milestone clear and achievable. Something like “you’re $20 away from your next reward” is much easier to act on than simply showing a points balance.
I’d test different thresholds and look at profitable AOV rather than AOV alone. A bigger cart isn’t necessarily better if the incentive needed to get there eats most of the additional margin.
Small pet accessories store here (jewelry/collars). A few things that have actually moved AOV for us, for what it’s worth:
Free shipping threshold has been the most reliable one — we set ours around 25-30% above typical order value, similar to what’s mentioned above. The key for us was pairing it with a couple of low-price add-ons right at the cart step (extra charms, ID tags) that are genuinely useful, not just filler — customers seem to actually want them, not just add them to hit the threshold.
Bundling worked better than upselling for us specifically. A “matching set” (collar + charm, or collar + leash) converts noticeably better than trying to upsell a pricier single item after the fact. Might be specific to accessory-type products where a “complete look” makes more sense than a straight upgrade.
Cross-sell at checkout has been hit or miss — works okay for multi-pet households (adding a second collar), but feels forced for single-pet customers.
Curious if bundling performs similarly for people selling in less visual/style-driven categories, or if that’s more specific to accessories.
Hi there @jay-raval
Simple bundles and free shipping thresholds have been the easiest to execute for me, by far, as when the offer feels natural and not forced, it just clicks. I would begin by finding your average order value at the moment and then set the free shipping threshold a little higher than that. For bundles, group items that customers that tend to buy. Cross sells can be effective as well, but relevance is more important than volume. Testing one change at a time also makes it a lot easier to identify what’s really driving the numbers.
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Agreeing with the free shipping threshold point, with one caveat: the threshold only works if the shopper sees the gap in real time. “Free shipping over $75” in the header does much less than a live “you’re $12 away” that updates as they add items. Same offer, very different behaviour.
Beyond that, three things that moved AOV for us:
Curious whether anyone has found a threshold sweet spot that isn’t just “20-30% above AOV” - it seems to vary a lot by category.
Hi @jay-raval
I think there’s another AOV lever that you may be overlooking: how you structure the pricing of each customizable product.
Bundles and upsells try to get customers to add another product. But if you sell products with lots of possible configurations, you can increase AOV by making the product itself more flexible and commercially structured.
For example, a POD merchant might let customers configure one product with different sticker, personalization, quantities, or material choices, with the add-on price calculated from the combination they select.
That’s where I think tools like Aris Product Options can be considered, not necessarily as a traditional “upsell” tool, but as a way to add priced options and upgrades directly to the product, so merchants can monetize customization without having to rely on only separate products from an upsell strategy or a bundle tactic.
Looking forward to hearing other merchants’ thoughts regarding this viewpoint too!!
Hey @jay-raval ,
One thing that has worked well for us is using subscriptions to increase the value of each order rather than relying only on upsells.
For example, offering a “Subscribe & Save” option or letting customers build their own subscription box can encourage them to add multiple products while also driving repeat purchases.
If you’re looking for a Shopify app for this, Utterbond Subscriptions is worth checking out, especially if you want Build-a-Box, subscription bundles, and flexible subscription plans in one place.