Order bumps vs upsells: What’s the difference?

TL;DR: An order bump is a low-cost add-on a customer accepts with one click at checkout, before paying. An upsell is a bigger or related offer made after the purchase, once trust is already established. Order bumps work best for small, complementary products like a workbook or template, while upsells suit higher-priced offers like a membership or coaching program. On our checkout, order bumps are called checkout upsells, with up to 10 allowed per product, and upsells after the sale run as in-lesson upsells inside the course itself. Here's how to use each one, and where they fit into your checkout.

Increasing your average order value is one of the most direct ways to grow revenue, since it works with customers already buying from you rather than requiring new ones. Order bumps and upsells are the two main tools for it on our platform. The difference is timing: an order bump is offered on the checkout page before the customer pays, and an upsell is offered after the purchase is complete.

What is an order bump?

An order bump advertises another offer during checkout, before the sale completes. It is usually a low-cost add-on that complements the main purchase and requires little thought to say yes to. A customer sees the order bump while checking out and can add it with one click before paying.

Order bumps matter for the same reason upsells do: they increase average order value and profit. Because order bumps are usually lower-cost, they also give you a way to sell products that would not stand on their own.

An order bump example

Let’s say you’re a yoga teacher selling online courses about yoga for people at different levels. If you want to maximize your sales, you could offer a trial membership program as an order bump. Instead of offering a full-price program, offer the customer a discounted option as an order bump. It’s a low-cost offer that doesn’t require much commitment. And, a customer can get a feel for how the membership program could benefit them.

Now, let’s take a look at another order bump example. If you’re selling lower price products like a meditation guide, for example, you could use the guide as an order bump during checkout as well.

When students are buying your yoga course, they’ll find value in a meditation guide that can help them in their wellness journey. The lower price guide doesn’t require much consideration. Plus, because it adds value, shoppers may be more likely to add the product to their cart.

What is an upsell?

An upsell offers another product after the initial sale completes. On many checkout tools, the upsell appears on a page between payment and the thank-you page and can be accepted in one click. On our platform, upsells after the sale sit inside your course lessons.

Upsells help increase transactions because it is generally easier to sell to an existing customer than a new one. Effective upsells take few steps and stay closely related to what the customer already bought.

Upsell offers can also help you introduce existing customers to more of your products they might find useful. Not everyone might have the time to sit and endlessly scroll through all of your products, so an upsell offer allows you to put more of your products right in front of your customers.

Upsell offer example

Let’s come back to our yoga courses and wellness product example. As part of your business, you may run a membershipthat gives students monthly yoga and wellness content from you.

A good upsell offer for your business may be to offer your membership program whenever a customer purchases your online course about yoga.

Let’s say your membership program costs $40/month. That’s a commitment that can be intimidating for many. But, if they already bought your course and trust you, then you can upsell your membership program. To the customer, this is a way to get more yoga and wellness content and accountability during their wellness journey. For you, it’s more revenue.

Order bump vs upsell: What’s the difference?

Order bumps and upsells share a goal, increasing revenue, but they work at different moments. Order bumps happen before checkout completes. Upsells happen after.

Price point matters too. A lower-cost offer that needs little justification works best as an order bump. A higher-priced offer that needs more warming up works better as an upsell. Many creators use both: a small add-on at checkout, then a bigger offer once the student is inside the course. For pricing the add-on, see our guide on pricing an order bump.

How to set up order bumps and upsells on Teachable

The steps below apply to schools on our Teachable Payments gateway, our Stripe-powered payments system. If your school uses the Monthly Payment Gateway or a Custom Payment Gateway, your checkout and upsell options may look different from what’s described here.

Order bumps: on Teachable Payments, order bumps are called checkout upsells. You can add up to 10 to a product’s checkout, offering any course, coaching product, digital download or bundle in your school. You can also create products that show up only as order bumps and never appear in your main store, which adds an exclusivity angle.

Upsells: after the sale, you can add an in-lesson upsell. It embeds an offer in a course lesson, and its button takes students to that product’s checkout.

Creating an order bump

Go to the Upsells tab of the product and click Create checkout upsell, then choose the product, pricing plan, headline and description. Create as many products as you want to experiment with what order bumps work the best for your business. Set up current products you have in your store to show up as order bumps during checkout. Or you can create separate products that won’t show up on your main store and will be offered only as order bumps.

This allows you to play around with the exclusivity factor and allow people to have a selection of products only available for purchase during checkout.

Order bumps can use one-time, payment plan or subscription pricing, with one exception: you can’t add a subscription as an order bump on a product sold as a one-time payment. Coupons on the main product don’t apply to the order bump, and students already enrolled in the add-on won’t see it. Our help center has a step-by-step guide on checkout and in-lesson upsells.

Creating upsell offers

On Teachable Payments, upsells after the sale live inside your online course.

If you’re offering products or services that complement your online course, you can take advantage of the tools that allow you to upsell right inside your lesson.

In the lesson editor, add an Upsell block, pick the product and pricing plan, and write a short headline and description. When a student clicks the call-to-action, they go to that product’s checkout page.

Checkout upsells and in-lesson upsells come with every plan on our online course platform, next to the course builder, checkout and tax handling.

Start a 7-day trial and build your first course before committing to a plan.

FAQs

What is a post-purchase upsell?

A post-purchase upsell is an offer shown right after the customer pays, usually before the thank-you page. Because the payment details are already saved, the customer can accept it in one click. On our platform, offers after the sale are in-lesson upsells inside the course.

Is an order bump a cross-sell?

Usually, yes. A cross-sell offers a related product, while an upsell offers a bigger or upgraded one. Most order bumps are cross-sells placed on the checkout page. Our guide to upselling vs cross-selling covers both.

How many order bumps can I add to a product?

Up to 10 per product on our checkout, for any course, coaching product, digital download or bundle in your school.

Can I use an order bump and an upsell on the same product?

Yes. Many creators offer an order bump at checkout and an in-lesson upsell after the sale, on the same product. The two happen at different points in the purchase, so there's no conflict between them.

Key terms

Order bump: A low-cost, one-click add-on offered on the checkout page before a customer completes payment.

Upsell: A bigger or related offer made to a customer after the first purchase is complete.

Checkout upsell: Our term for an order bump. Up to 10 can be added to a single product's checkout.

In-lesson upsell: An upsell embedded inside a course lesson, with a button that sends students to that product's checkout.

Average order value (AOV): The average amount a customer spends per transaction, increased by both order bumps and upsells.

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