Order bumps on Shopify: what they are and where they fit
The term comes from funnel builders. On a one-page order form, just above the pay button, there is a box to tick: “Yes, add the travel case for $9.” No new page, no pop-up, only a small add-on the customer accepts in passing. It is one of the most copied ideas in online selling, because it asks so little.
What makes an order bump work
- It is small: a fraction of the main price, easy to say yes to on impulse.
- It is obvious: the customer sees at once why it goes with the order.
- It costs one gesture: a tick, not a new decision.
- It never blocks the purchase: ignoring it changes nothing.
Why Shopify stores rarely have a checkbox at checkout
On Shopify, the checkout belongs to Shopify. Apps can only add content inside its steps — contact, shipping, payment — on stores on the Plus plan. So the classic order bump, a checkbox next to the pay button, is out of reach for most stores, whatever an app’s screenshots suggest.
Two places that do the same job
What makes an order bump work isn’t the checkbox, it’s the moment: the customer has decided and is one step from paying. On Shopify, two places give you that moment, on every plan.
| Cart page | Post-purchase page | |
|---|---|---|
| When | When the customer clicks checkout | Right after payment, before the thank-you page |
| What the customer does | Adds the item before paying | Accepts in one click, without entering the card again |
| Can it help reach free shipping? | Yes | No, shipping is already paid |
| Risk for the order | Very low, if the offer is quick to close | None, the order is already paid |
Keeping the spirit of a bump
Whichever place you use, the rules that make an order bump work still apply:
- Keep the item cheap compared with the order.
- Make the link obvious: a case for the phone, a refill for the device.
- Show one offer, not a series.
- Make “no thanks” as easy to find as “add”.
Where FlatUpsell fits
FlatUpsell gives you both moments without Shopify Plus: a small offer when the customer clicks checkout on the cart page, and a one-click offer after payment. The same spirit as an order bump, placed where Shopify lets apps speak.