Upsell Benchmarks & ROI: What's a Good Upsell Rate?
A good upsell rate ranges from 1-8% depending on the touchpoint. Post-purchase leads at 3-8%. Use our free calculator to see how much upselling can add to your store's revenue.
Muhammed Tüfekyapan
Key Takeaways
- 1 Post-purchase upsells lead all touchpoints at 3-8% acceptance, while product page FBT averages 1-3%
- 2 Automated AI-driven recommendations average 3.8% acceptance, which is 2.4x higher than manually curated offers at 1.56%
- 3 A medium store (1,000 orders/month) with a 5% rate and $18 average upsell generates $10,800 per year in extra revenue
- 4 Even the most conservative upsell scenario (200 orders, 3% rate) produces enough revenue to cover a $30 monthly tool cost
- 5 Every dollar of upsell revenue has near-zero acquisition cost because it comes from orders that were already happening
What is a good upsell rate? It depends on where you're measuring. Average upsell acceptance rate benchmarks range from 1-8% depending on the touchpoint. Post-purchase one-click upsells sit at the top. Product page recommendations sit at the bottom.
But a benchmark is just a number. What really matters is what that number means for your revenue. Even a modest 5% acceptance rate can add thousands of dollars per year to your store. This page gives you the benchmarks, the math, and a calculator to see your own upsell ROI.
Upsell Benchmarks by Touchpoint
Not all upsell touchpoints perform the same. Here's how they compare based on industry data.
| Touchpoint | Acceptance Rate | What "Good" Looks Like | Why This Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-Purchase (one-click) | 3-8% | Above 5% | Buying momentum, zero friction, payment on file |
| Cart Drawer Suggestions | 2-5% | Above 3% | Buying intent confirmed, low-cost additions |
| Checkout (Shopify Plus) | 1-4% | Above 2% | High commitment, competes with checkout focus |
| Product Page (FBT) | 1-3% | Above 1.5% | High volume but browsing stage (low intent) |
| Automated (any touchpoint) | 3.8% avg | Above 3% | Data-driven personalization |
| Manual (any touchpoint) | 1.56% avg | Above 1.5% | Limited by manual curation accuracy |
A few things stand out here.
Post-purchase has the highest rate because the customer has already paid. There's zero friction. Buying momentum is at its peak. One-click acceptance means no re-entering payment details.
Product page has the lowest per-visitor rate, but it sees the most visitors. Don't compare your FBT rate (1-3%) to your post-purchase rate (3-8%). They're different touchpoints with different customer mindsets.
Automated recommendations (AI-driven) average 3.8%. Manually picked suggestions average 1.56%. That's a 2.4x difference. Letting the data pick your offers consistently beats guessing.
Tip: Always compare your upsell conversion rate against the right benchmark. A 2% rate on product pages is solid. A 2% rate on post-purchase means there's room to improve.
Upsell Revenue Calculator
Benchmarks are useful, but what matters is your revenue. Use this calculator to see how much can upselling increase revenue for your specific store.
Upsell Revenue Calculator
Enter your numbers to see your upsell ROI potential
Revenue Scenarios by Store Size
Here's what upselling revenue impact looks like for different store sizes using conservative numbers.
| Store Size | Orders/Month | Rate | Avg Upsell | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 200 | 5% | $15 | $150 | $1,800 |
| Medium | 1,000 | 5% | $18 | $900 | $10,800 |
| Large | 5,000 | 5% | $20 | $5,000 | $60,000 |
Look at the medium store. 1,000 orders per month. A 5% acceptance rate at $18 average upsell. That's $900 extra every month. $10,800 per year. From orders that were already happening.
No extra ad spend. No new traffic needed. Just smarter selling from existing customers.
The compound effect: Upselling revenue doesn't require extra ad spend. Every dollar of upsell revenue has near-zero acquisition cost. That makes it some of the most profitable revenue your store can generate.
The ROI of Upsell Tools: Cost vs Revenue
Most upsell apps cost $20-100 per month for mid-size stores. Is it worth it? Let's check the math.
| Scenario | Orders/Mo | Rate | Revenue/Mo | Tool Cost | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 200 | 3% | $72 | $30 | 2.4x |
| Moderate | 500 | 4% | $300 | $40 | 7.5x |
| Realistic | 1,000 | 5% | $900 | $50 | 18x |
| Scale | 5,000 | 5% | $5,000 | $100 | 50x |
Even the most conservative scenario (200 orders, 3% rate, $12 average upsell) generates $72 per month. That's enough to cover a $30 tool and still have profit left over.
The realistic scenario? A $50 monthly tool generating $900 in upsell revenue. That's an 18x return. The break-even point is just 3-4 upsell conversions per month at $15 average. Most stores hit that in the first week.
The real question: It's not "can I afford an upsell tool?" It's "can I afford NOT to upsell?" Every order without an upsell offer is revenue left on the table.
7 Best Shopify Upsell Apps: Touchpoint Coverage Matrix Included
Over 100 upsell apps on Shopify. We compared 7 best across all 4 touchpoints with honest pros, cons, real pricing, and decision frameworks by goal, budget, and store size.
How to Track and Improve Your Upsell Performance
Three metrics matter for upselling. Track each one separately for each touchpoint.
- Acceptance rate: The percentage of customers who accept the upsell. Your primary performance metric.
- Average upsell value: How much revenue each accepted upsell generates. Tells you if you're pricing right.
- Total upsell revenue: Acceptance rate x average value x volume. The bottom-line number.
Quick ways to improve your numbers:
- Switch from manual to automated product selection (potential 2.4x improvement)
- Test different products in your post-purchase funnel
- Add a free shipping progress bar to your cart drawer
- Make sure your upsell products are priced within the 25% rule
Growth Suite gives you analytics for each upsell touchpoint. Post-purchase funnel acceptance rates. Cart drawer suggestion conversions. Checkout upsell metrics. Product recommendation performance. You can see exactly which channel generates the most revenue and where to focus your optimization.
What if every discount went to the right person?
Growth Suite predicts purchase intent and shows time-limited offers only to visitors who need them.
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Muhammed Tüfekyapan
Founder of Growth Suite
Muhammed Tüfekyapan is a growth marketing expert and the founder of Growth Suite, an AI-powered Shopify app trusted by over 300 stores across 40+ countries. With a career in data-driven e-commerce optimization that began in 2012, he has established himself as a leading authority in the field.
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