How to Increase Average Order Value on Shopify: Complete Guide
You spend money on traffic and conversion rate, but AOV is the growth lever most Shopify stores ignore. Learn 7 proven strategies to increase average order value and make more from every order.
Muhammed Tüfekyapan
Key Takeaways
- 1 Revenue equals Traffic times Conversion Rate times AOV. AOV is the only lever that grows revenue without extra ad spend or new customers.
- 2 A $10 AOV increase across 200 monthly orders adds $24,000 per year in extra revenue from the same traffic you already have.
- 3 Increasing AOV from $65 to $85 adds $4,000 per month, while increasing conversion rate from 2% to 2.5% adds only $3,250. AOV often wins.
- 4 Blanket discounts like 10% off everything actually decrease AOV. A $70 order becomes $63, and dedicated buyers get discounts they never needed.
- 5 Post-purchase upsells carry zero cart abandonment risk because the customer has already paid. Average acceptance rates run between 3-8%.
- 6 Start with free shipping thresholds and Frequently Bought Together first. These are low-effort, high-impact strategies that work at any store size.
You spend money on ads. You work hard on your conversion rate. But there's one growth lever most Shopify stores completely ignore: average order value. It's the easiest way to make more money from the same traffic you already have.
Here's the math. If you increase AOV on Shopify by just $10 across 200 monthly orders, that's $2,000 more per month. $24,000 per year. No extra ad spend. No new customers needed. Just smarter selling from orders you already get.
This guide covers 7 proven strategies to increase average order value on Shopify. Each one targets a different moment in the customer journey. You'll also get a prioritization matrix so you know exactly where to start based on your store size and current AOV.
The best part? Most of these strategies take less than a day to set up. Let's get into it.
The Revenue Equation: Revenue = Traffic x Conversion Rate x AOV. Most merchants spend money improving traffic and conversion rate. AOV is the only lever that extracts more value from every visitor you already have. It costs nothing extra to improve.
What Is Average Order Value and Why Does It Matter?
Let's start with the basics.
Average order value is the average amount a customer spends per order. The formula is simple:
If your store made $13,000 from 200 orders last month, your AOV is $65.
But AOV is more than just a number. It directly impacts your profitability. Here's why.
Every order has fixed costs. Shipping. Packaging. Payment processing fees. A $120 order absorbs those costs much better than a $45 order. Higher shopify average order value means more profit per transaction.
AOV also affects your ad ROI. If you spend $20 to acquire a customer, a $45 order leaves thin margins. A $85 order gives you room to grow.
Two related metrics worth knowing:
- Revenue Per Visitor (RPV) = Total Revenue / Total Visitors. This tells you how much each visitor is worth to your store.
- Items Per Order (IPO) = Total Items Sold / Total Orders. This tells you if customers buy single items or build carts.
Together, these three numbers show you the full picture. AOV tells you the size of each order. RPV tells you the value of each visitor. IPO tells you how well your cross-selling works.
Key Insight: A store with $120 AOV and 2% conversion rate is more profitable than a store with $45 AOV and 4% conversion rate. Higher average order value means each sale works harder for you.
AOV vs Conversion Rate: Why Increasing AOV Is Often the Better Move
Most merchants focus on conversion rate. It's the metric everyone talks about. But increasing AOV is often easier, faster, and more impactful.
Let's compare with real numbers.
Imagine a store with 10,000 monthly visitors, 2% conversion rate, and $65 AOV. That's $13,000 per month.
Scenario A: You increase your conversion rate from 2% to 2.5%. Revenue goes to $16,250. That's a $3,250 increase. Impressive.
Scenario B: You increase your AOV from $65 to $85. Revenue goes to $17,000. That's a $4,000 increase. Even better.
And here's the thing. Improving conversion rate often means redesigning your site, running complex A/B tests, and optimizing checkout flows. That takes weeks or months.
Improving AOV? You can set up a free shipping threshold today. Add product suggestions tomorrow. See results within days.
| Increase Conversion Rate | Increase AOV | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Effort | High (UX redesign, A/B testing) | Low-Medium (add a suggestion, set a threshold) |
| Time to Results | Weeks to months | Days to weeks |
| Common Tools | Heatmaps, checkout optimization | Upsell apps, free shipping bars |
| Revenue Ceiling | Limited by traffic volume | Compounds with every order |
| Risk | Changes may reduce CR if done wrong | Low risk (suggestions can be ignored) |
This is not about choosing one over the other. The ideal approach is to work on both. But if your shopify average order value is below your industry average, that's where you'll see the fastest returns.
Think about it: A store with 200 orders per month that increases AOV by $15 earns $36,000 more per year. The same store would need 46 extra conversions per month to match that at the original AOV.
The 7 Proven Strategies to Increase AOV on Shopify
There are 7 strategies that consistently increase average order value on Shopify stores. Each one targets a different moment in the shopping journey.
Here's the full list:
- Free Shipping Thresholds
- Product Recommendations (Frequently Bought Together)
- Cart Drawer Optimization with Product Suggestions
- Product Bundling and Volume Discounts
- Post-Purchase Upsell Funnels
- Checkout Upsells (Shopify Plus)
- Tiered Storewide Discounts
They're listed in priority order. Quick wins first. Advanced strategies last.
You don't need all 7. The best results come from combining 2-3 strategies that fit your store. Pick based on the prioritization matrix at the end of this guide.
Let's break each one down.
Strategy 1: Free Shipping Thresholds
This is the single most effective AOV strategy with the lowest effort. Start here.
Nearly half of all online shoppers (49.7%) say free shipping is the number one reason they shop online. That's a powerful behavior you can use.
The concept is simple. Set a minimum order amount for free shipping. Customers who are close to that amount will add more items to qualify.
The 30% Rule
Take your current AOV and add 30%. That's your starting free shipping threshold.
If your AOV is $65, set free shipping at $85. If your AOV is $50, set it at $65.
Why 30%? It creates a gap that feels achievable. A $20 gap feels like "one more item." A $50 gap feels impossible, and customers give up.
The Progress Bar Effect
A message like "You're $12 away from free shipping!" is far more powerful than "Free shipping at $85." The first makes the gap feel small and personal. The second feels like a rule.
Show a progress bar in your cart drawer. When customers see how close they are, they're more likely to add one more item to reach the goal.
Common Mistakes
Setting the threshold too low means most customers already qualify. No AOV lift. Setting it too high means customers ignore it and pay for shipping anyway.
The 30% rule keeps you in the sweet spot.
Quick example: Your AOV is $65. A customer has a $55 cart. They see "You're $30 away from free shipping at $85." They add a $32 item. Your AOV for that order just went from $55 to $87. A 58% increase on that single order.
Strategy 2: Product Recommendations and Frequently Bought Together
Frequently Bought Together (FBT) is where most stores should start after free shipping. It needs almost no maintenance and uses real data from day one.
FBT works by analyzing past orders. It finds which products customers actually buy together. Then it suggests those combinations on your product pages.
Why Automated Beats Manual
Automated product recommendations average a 3.8% acceptance rate. Manually picked suggestions average 1.56%. That's a 2.4x difference.
The data picks better than guesswork. Every time.
Framing Matters
The label you use changes how customers respond. "Complete the Look" works better than "You May Also Like." Why? Because it implies the purchase is not finished yet. That triggers a small sense of incompleteness that motivates action.
"Often Bought Together" also works well. It uses social proof. Other customers bought these together, so it must be a good idea.
Where to Place FBT
The product page is the primary placement. The customer is browsing and open to ideas. Show 2-3 complementary products below the main product. Keep it clean and relevant.
Collection pages and the homepage also work for "Trending Products" and "Best Sellers." These catch customers earlier in the journey.
The real difference: Automated recommendations don't guess. They learn from your actual sales data. The more orders you get, the smarter the suggestions become. This is one of the most reliable shopify aov strategies for any store size.
Strategy 3: Cart Drawer Optimization and In-Cart Upsells
When a customer opens their cart drawer, they're in buying mode. This is the highest-intent moment before checkout. Don't waste it.
A well-optimized cart drawer has three AOV levers working together:
1. AI-Powered Product Suggestions
Show products that match what's already in the cart. If someone added running shoes, suggest moisture-wicking socks. Not random bestsellers. Relevant products based on cart contents.
AI-powered suggestions outperform generic ones because they feel personal. The customer thinks "oh, I do need that" instead of "why are they showing me this?"
2. Free Shipping Progress Bar
This connects directly to Strategy 1. A dynamic progress bar shows how close the customer is to free shipping. "You're $12 away!" creates a small, achievable goal right when the customer is deciding whether to check out.
3. Free Gift Threshold
Add a third layer: a free gift that unlocks at a specific cart value. "Spend $100 and get a free tote bag!" This gives customers another reason to add more items.
Together, these three elements create a "to-do list" effect. The customer sees goals to complete. Each one motivates adding one more item.
One important note: the cart drawer must be smooth and fast. If it's slow or clunky, customers will leave instead of adding more products. Good UX is non-negotiable here.
The triple stack: AI suggestions give the customer something to add. The free shipping bar gives them a reason. The free gift gives them a reward. Three layers of motivation in one cart drawer. This is how top stores increase AOV on Shopify consistently.
Strategy 4: Product Bundling and Volume Discounts
Product bundling changes the buying decision. Instead of "should I buy this?", the customer thinks "which combination gives me the best deal?" That shift alone increases order sizes.
There are three bundling models:
Model 1: Fixed Bundles
You pick the products. The customer gets a curated set at a discounted price. Think "The Complete Skincare Routine" with cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. This works best when products naturally go together.
Model 2: Mix-and-Match
The customer picks items from a group. "Pick any 3 tees for $60." This gives customers freedom. It works best when you have many similar products like t-shirts, socks, or supplements in different flavors.
Model 3: Volume Discounts
Buy more of the same product, pay less per unit. "Buy 2 Save 10%. Buy 3 Save 15%." This works best for consumables like supplements, coffee, or pet food. Customers stock up and your revenue per order goes up.
The Pricing Sweet Spot
Keep bundle discounts between 10-20%. Below 10%, the deal doesn't feel meaningful. Above 20%, you're giving away margin without much extra acceptance.
Always show "Individual Price" vs "Bundle Price" so the savings are visible. A bundle showing "$83 value for $70" feels like a real deal, even though the discount is only 15%.
When NOT to Bundle
Don't bundle products with no logical connection. A phone case and a kitchen timer? Nobody wants that. Don't bundle items customers already buy together at full price. That just reduces your revenue. And don't offer 10 different bundles. Two or three focused options work better than a wall of choices.
Remember: A customer buying a $40 product alone gives you $40. The same customer buying a 3-product bundle for $70 gives you $70. Bundling increased AOV by 75% on that order without needing a new customer or more traffic.
Strategy 5: Post-Purchase Upsell Funnels
This is the only upsell timing where the sale is already done. The customer has paid. Their credit card has been charged. The offer appears between checkout and the thank-you page.
That means zero cart abandonment risk. The offer can only add revenue. It can never lose you a sale.
How It Works
After checkout, the customer sees a special offer page. It shows a complementary product with a one-click "Add to Order" button. No need to enter payment details again. One tap and it's added to their order.
The Numbers
Average acceptance rates run between 3-8%, depending on how relevant the offer is. Even a conservative 5% makes a big difference.
Quick math: 200 orders per month x 5% acceptance x $15 average upsell = $150 per month = $1,800 per year. From orders that were already happening.
Best Practices
Keep the upsell relevant to what the customer just bought. Use trigger rules so the right offer matches the right order. If someone buys a camera, offer a memory card. Not a random product from your catalog.
One offer per customer. Don't show three pages of upsells. One well-matched offer converts better than a gauntlet of choices.
Key Insight: Post-purchase upsells are low-risk, high-reward. The sale is already done. You're just asking "want to add this too?" with one click. It's the safest way to test AOV optimization strategies.
Strategy 6: Checkout Upsells (Shopify Plus)
If you're on Shopify Plus, you have access to checkout extensibility. This lets you show product suggestions directly on the checkout page.
The customer is entering their payment details. They see a relevant product suggestion. One click adds it to their order without leaving the checkout flow.
Checkout upsells work best as part of a multi-stage approach:
- Cart drawer suggestions catch customers before checkout
- Checkout upsells catch them during payment
- Post-purchase funnels catch them after payment
Each stage is a new chance to increase average order value.
Important note: this requires a Shopify Plus plan. If you're not on Plus, skip this strategy and focus on the other six. They work on all Shopify plans.
Strategy 7: Tiered Storewide Discounts
Tiered discounts create a spend-based ladder. The more the customer spends, the bigger the discount they unlock.
A common setup looks like this:
- 10% off orders over $50
- 15% off orders over $100
- 20% off orders over $150
The customer with a $70 cart sees they're $30 away from the next discount tier. That motivates them to add more items. They're not just buying products. They're unlocking a better deal.
When to Use Tiered Discounts
Tiered discounts work best for specific campaigns. Black Friday. Seasonal sales. Store anniversary events. They're not an always-on strategy.
Pair them with a countdown timer for genuine urgency. A 48-hour campaign with tiered discounts creates natural motivation to buy now and buy more.
Watch the Gap
Make sure the gap between tiers is meaningful. "Buy 2 Save 5%, Buy 3 Save 6%" doesn't motivate anyone. Each tier should feel like a meaningful step up. At least 5% between tiers.
Important: Tiered discounts during campaigns can increase AOV by 15-30%. But always set an end date. If customers learn that tiered discounts are always available, they'll just wait for the next one.
The Blanket Discount Trap: Why Random Discounts Decrease AOV
This is the part most guides skip. And it might be the most important section in this entire article.
Many merchants think "more discounts = more revenue." The data says otherwise.
A 10% blanket discount on everything does one thing: it lowers every order by 10%. If customers don't add extra items to compensate, your average order value drops.
Let's see it in numbers. A customer was going to buy a $70 order at full price. You offer 10% off everything. They buy the same $70 order for $63. Your AOV just dropped by $7.
That's the opposite of what you want.
The Dedicated Buyer Problem
Some customers will buy no matter what. They want your product. They don't need a discount to convert. Giving them 10% off is pure margin loss. You just gave away money to someone who was going to pay full price.
The Training Effect
Once customers learn you run regular sales, they stop buying at full price. They wait for the next discount. This creates a cycle where you need bigger and more frequent discounts just to maintain the same revenue. Margins shrink every time.
The Alternative
Strategic discounting means the right offer to the right person. Not the same offer to everyone. Target walk-away customers who need a nudge. Protect full margins on dedicated buyers who don't.
The goal is to increase cart size, not decrease item prices.
Warning: A 10% blanket discount on a $70 order reduces AOV to $63. Unless the customer adds at least $7 more in products, you've decreased AOV. That's the exact opposite of AOV optimization. Be strategic with discounts. Not generous to everyone.
AOV Strategy Prioritization Matrix
Not every strategy is right for every store. This table helps you pick where to start based on your situation.
| Strategy | Setup Effort | AOV Impact | Orders Needed | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Shipping Threshold | Low (1 day) | High (+15-25%) | Any | Start here |
| Frequently Bought Together | Low (1 day) | Medium (+5-15%) | Any | Start here |
| Cart Drawer Suggestions | Low (1-2 days) | Medium-High (+10-20%) | 50+ | Quick win |
| Product Bundling | Medium (3-5 days) | Medium-High (+10-25%) | 100+ | After quick wins |
| Post-Purchase Funnels | Medium (2-3 days) | High (+3-8% acceptance) | 100+ | After quick wins |
| Checkout Upsells | Medium (2-3 days) | Medium (+5-15%) | 200+ (Plus) | If on Plus |
| Tiered Discounts | Medium (2-3 days) | High (+15-30%) | 200+ | For campaigns |
Here's how to read this table:
- Under 100 orders/month: Start with free shipping threshold and FBT. These are low-effort, high-impact, and work with any traffic level.
- 100-500 orders/month: Add cart drawer optimization, product bundling, and post-purchase funnels. You have enough data to make these work well.
- 500+ orders/month: Consider the full stack. If you're on Shopify Plus, add checkout upsells. Use tiered discounts for seasonal campaigns.
The goal is not to use all 7 strategies at once. It's to find the 2-3 that work best for your store and do them well.
How Growth Suite Helps Increase AOV Across Every Touchpoint
Here's a problem many Shopify merchants face. They install one app for product suggestions. Another for the cart drawer. A third for post-purchase upsells. Maybe a fourth for checkout offers.
That's 4 different apps. They don't share data. They don't coordinate. Sometimes they show competing offers to the same customer.
Growth Suite takes a different approach. It covers all major AOV touchpoints from one platform:
- Product recommendations: Frequently Bought Together and Trending Products on product pages, collection pages, and homepage. AI-powered, so suggestions improve automatically as you get more orders.
- Cart drawer: AI-powered product suggestions matched to cart contents. Free shipping progress bar. Free gift threshold. All three AOV levers in one smooth slide-out drawer.
- Post-purchase funnels: One-click upsells with trigger rules based on products, order value, or item count. Manual or smart product selection. The customer adds to their order with one tap.
- Checkout upsells: For Shopify Plus stores, smart suggestions directly on the checkout page through Shopify's checkout extensibility.
Because everything runs on one platform, the data is shared. Growth Suite knows what a customer saw on the product page, what's in their cart, and what they just bought. This means better suggestions at every stage.
A/B Testing with AOV as the KPI
This is where Growth Suite stands out. Most testing tools measure conversion rate. Growth Suite lets you test specifically for average order value. You can see which product suggestions, which free shipping threshold, or which post-purchase offer produces the highest AOV. Not just the most clicks.
Cart Insights Report
Growth Suite's Cart Insights Report gives you daily AOV trends, cart value distribution, and average items per cart. That's deeper than Shopify's default analytics. You see the full story behind your numbers, not just a single metric.
The setup is simple. Install the app, and a pre-configured campaign goes live right away. You can customize everything from there.
The difference: Most AOV optimization tools cover one touchpoint. Growth Suite covers product pages, cart drawer, post-purchase, and checkout. All sharing the same behavioral data. And the A/B testing module lets you test specifically for average order value, not just conversion rate.
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.
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.
In This Article
References & Sources
Research and data backing this article
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.
Stop giving discounts to everyone.
Growth Suite watches each visitor, predicts purchase intent, and makes one real, time-limited offer—only to those who need it.
Try Free for 14 DaysRelated Articles
Shopify AOV Benchmarks by Industry: Where Does Your Store Stand?
Is your AOV good or bad? These 2026 benchmarks by industry, store size, and traffic source show you where your Shopify store stands and where the opportunity is.
Free Shipping Threshold Strategy: The #1 Way to Increase AOV
49.7% of shoppers say free shipping is the top reason they shop online. Learn the 30% rule for setting your threshold, the progress bar effect, and 5 common mistakes that kill your AOV lift.
Product Bundling and Volume Discount Strategies for Shopify
Product bundling changes the buying decision from "should I buy this?" to "which combination gives me the best deal?" Learn the 3 bundling models, pricing sweet spots, and when NOT to bundle.
AOV Calculator: Measure and Optimize Revenue Per Order
Calculate your AOV, Revenue Per Visitor, and Items Per Order in seconds. See the exact revenue impact of improving your average order value with our free interactive calculator.
Continue Reading
More articles you might enjoy
Best Shopify Upsell & Cross-Sell Apps (2026)
Shopify Upselling & Cross-Selling: The Complete Guide
Post-Purchase Upsell on Shopify: The Complete Guide
Frequently Bought Together & Product Recommendations on Shopify
Shopify AOV Benchmarks by Industry: Where Does Your Store Stand?
AOV Calculator: Measure and Optimize Revenue Per Order
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this topic