Profit Masterclass: How To Use Order Bumps (With Examples)

Online stores that use order bumps generate as much as 10-30% more revenue.

Order bumps can be incredibly effective at increasing average order value so it’s no wonder successful eCommerce stores use them!

If you don’t, you’re leaving easy money on the table.

It doesn’t have to be that way. It’s easy to add order bumps to your eCommerce store.

This guide will show you how.

We discuss everything you need to know about order bumps, including how to use them to grow your eCommerce store.

We’ll also share lots of examples of real world order bumps so you can see them in action.

Ready to increase profits?

What Are Order Bumps?

You know when you order a burger from McDonald’s and you’re asked ‘Would you like fries with that?’

Or when you buy a new pair of sneakers and are asked if you want some shoe polish or spare laces?

Those are order bumps.

An order bump is an offer that complements what you’re already buying made just before or at the time of purchase.

That last point is key.

A successful order bump is as much about when you make that offer as it is what you offer.

When you add something to your shopping cart or order food, you’re already in a buying mood. It’s much easier to convince someone to buy something extra in that frame of mind.

That’s why order bumps are so powerful.

What’s the Difference Between an Order Bump and an Upsell?

Now we know what an order bump is, let’s see how it differs from an upsell.

Here’s a table to help:

Order Bumps	Upsells
Shown on product pages or on or before checkout	Shown after a sale
Complements the item in the cart	Often premium or higher value items
Low price, low risk for quick buying decisions	Usually more expensive than the purchase
Can be discounted to convert more	Usually discounted to convert more
Captures customers in a buying mood	Shown on its own landing page or popup
A one-click addition to the shopping cart	Perform best as one-click sales

You can use both order bumps and upsells/downsells together to boost eCommerce revenue but they are most often used individually.

Want to implement order bumps or upsells in your store? CartFlows makes it easy!

The #1 Reason Order Bumps Are So Effective

Here’s the single biggest reason why order bumps are effective.

You’re capturing the customer when they are already primed to buy.

You don’t have to convince them, you don’t have to overcome objections and you don’t have to do the hard sell.

As long as the order bump is related to the purchase, you have the best chance of making the extra sale.

6 Examples of Effective eCommerce Order Bumps

Now let’s see some order bumps in action!

Here’s a list of some effective order bumps on some popular eCommerce websites.

1. Amazon – Complimentary Offers as an Order Bump

Presenting customers with complementary offers is a classic order bump.

Most online retailers use a version of ‘Frequently bought together’ or ‘Customers who bought this also bought…’ as they can be very effective.

A good example of this is Amazon. Select any product from any category and you’ll see a ‘Frequently bought together’ option under the main section.

Sometimes the items in this section will be discounted, sometimes not.

Either way, the idea is to capture customers already primed to buy with one or more items to enhance their enjoyment of the main item.

That’s not all.

Scroll down the page and you’ll also see ‘Customers who viewed this item also viewed’ and maybe even a box comparing the product you’re looking at with others of its type.

It isn’t just Amazon that does this, most other eCommerce stores do too.

Why This Order Bump Works

This order bump works because the additional items are all related to the main purchase.

It’s also clearly visible and offers obvious value to customers.

2. PetSmart – AutoShipping as an Order Bump

Autoshipping or subscription-style offers can be very effective order bumps.

PetSmart uses this method very effectively on their product pages.

Select any qualifying product in the store, for example dog food, and you have the option to collect it, have same-day delivery, standard delivery or autoship.

The autoship option highlights a discount on the product price and allows you to set the frequency of the delivery.

For busy households with a lot going on, that’s a convenience worth paying for!

Why This Order Bump Works

Autoshipping offers convenience for the customer and recurring revenue for you, so it’s a win win.

Life is getting busier. Adding convenience with no perceived cost at the time of conversion works well.

The ability to choose the frequency also helps, allowing customers to set the schedule according to their needs.

3. Wine.com – Membership Program as an Order Bump

Do you offer memberships? If so, order bumps can be a great way to get customers to sign up.

Here’s an example of how Wine.com sells its annual membership program called StewardShip.

There is an attention-grabbing banner at the top of the checkout page and an infobox on the right. Both promote Stewardship in different ways.

Why This Order Bump Works

Since you are already paying $19.99 for shipping, you just need to pay an additional $30.01 to join the membership plan and get free shipping for this and all future orders.

That’s definitely an order bump that will convert!

4. Best Buy – Future Upgrade as an Order Bump

Best Buy has a neat order bump offer which we rarely see. They offer a lease-type plan for laptops that enables you to upgrade after 3 years.

They aren’t unique in offering lease plans for products, but it isn’t that common and is done in a very slick way.

In our example, you buy a MacBook Air M3 and use the Upgrade+ option to pay monthly. This gives you the option to upgrade after 36 monthly payments.

That’s not the only order bump on the page, but it is the most intriguing.

Best Buy also offers My Best Buy Plus, a ‘Hot Offer’ of Microsoft Office, Apple Accessory order bumps and AppleCare+ on the same page.

Once you navigate to the cart page you’ll see a popup promoting My Best Buy Plus membership offering a $50 discount on the order.

Even though the plan costs $49 per year, the main strapline of ‘As a Plus member you’d save $50.00 on this order.’ works well!

Why This Order Bump Works

This order bump works because it offers peace of mind when you’re spending a lot of money.

There are also multiple order bumps crafted in such a way that they don’t get in the way of the customer journey.

5. NewEgg – Protection Plans as an Order Bump

Staying with technology purchases for a moment, let’s turn our attention to NewEgg. They also offer a protection plan as an order bump.

If you’re spending a large amount of money on a product, offering insurance or a protection plan is an easy sell.

As long as you get the pricing right, you can convert many risk-averse customers by offering to fully protect their product for a reasonable price.

NewEgg does this a lot. They offer ‘Likewize Protection Plans’ for many higher cost products that provide cover for 2 or 3 years.

Why This Order Bump Works

The well-crafted slider highlights features and benefits and reasons why the protection plan is a good idea.

The cost of a plan is around 10% of the list price, so it seems good value. That’s what makes it a great order bump!

6. Udemy – Related Courses as an Order Bump

Product bundling can work great as an order bump and many retailers use some form of it.

Udemy, the online course provider, is one example.

Whenever you buy a course at Udemy, you’ll see a popup with ‘Frequently Bought Together’ and a couple of related courses as order bumps.

The courses are often heavily discounted as an extra incentive so probably convert very well indeed.

You’ll also notice that it’s easier to add all courses to the cart rather than just one. A smart design move that’s almost unnoticeable.

Why This Order Bump Works

This order bump works because courses will typically relate to the course you’re buying. In this case, related Python courses to complement the Python boot camp course in our cart.

As well as keeping the courses relevant, there’s also a steep discount as an incentive. While Udemy offers discounts all the time, this one is so good, it’s hard to resist.

8 Tips for Creating Profitable Order Bumps

Now you know what order bumps are and how they work, we’re going to share some tried and tested tips for creating them.

We use many of these techniques in our own stores and they perform well.

1. Offer a Complementary or Addon Product or Service

The power of an order bump is to offer something that would add to the enjoyment or utility of what’s in the cart.

For example, if the customer adds a digital copy of a book to their cart, offering a physical copy or an audio version could work well.

As could other titles from the same author.

Another example would be to offer an extra charging cable with a gadget purchase or a phone case with a phone purchase.

Both offers complement or enhance the enjoyment of what’s in the cart.

A real life example of a complimentary gift is Ulta Beauty.

The company offers a range of complimentary gifts on qualifying orders to help encourage hesitant customers.

2. Provide a Faster Delivery Option

Most shoppers appreciate there will be a wait for delivery as long as it isn’t too long. Many are willing to pay more for faster delivery so they have to wait even less time.

We recommend offering expedited shipping at a higher rate as an order bump. It plays into our inherent impatience and provides options for customers.

You can charge at cost or add a little extra for more profit, it’s entirely up to you.

Most successful online stores offer standard and expedited shipping.

We recommend you do too if possible.

Walmart Marketplace offers multiple delivery options. Choose from 1, 2 or 3 day delivery options and charge accordingly.

It leverages our impatience and helps elevate your store above those who only offer standard shipping.

3. Offer Auto-Delivery Through Subscriptions

If you sell products that support repeat purchases like supplements, medications, food items or household supplies, consider offering subscriptions.

You could offer the option to subscribe for weekly or monthly delivery through an order bump.

This can be a great value-add service as customers can sign up and forget all about it, knowing they will get their delivery on a schedule.

Amazon offers this as an option with many purchases. Shoppers have the option to buy as a one-off or set up a subscription at a discounted price.

This coffee retailer also does subscription offers well.

You’ll also notice another order bump underneath in ‘You May Also Need…’

SureCart makes it easy to set up recurring subscriptions in online stores.

4. Offer Maintenance, Training or Support Contracts

Offering maintenance, training or support can be a great way to make extra profit with an order bump.

If you sell products that could benefit from extra support, adding it as an optional extra at the time of sale helps both the store and customer.

Many retailers offer their own maintenance, training and support options alongside some products. If you have the facility to offer this, it’s an excellent option.

For example, you could offer basic training and 24/7 support as part of the purchase price and extra support as an upgrade.

We do this with our own products, although not as an order bump.

We offer full support to free and Pro plan users as well as documentation and how-to videos.

We also offer priority support to Essential Toolkit customers and dedicated SkillJet Academy training for Business Toolkit customers.

We find this very effective at converting customers to higher tier plans and can thoroughly recommend it!

5. Offer a Membership Program

Memberships can offer exclusivity, additional discounts and anything you like to increase uptake.

From streaming video to podcasts, eBooks to insider information, there’s a membership for almost anything.

Barnes and Noble offers a premium membership. Sign up and you get 10% off purchases and participation in a rewards program.

As long as memberships offer unique benefits and you offer it as an option before the sale, it could be a very lucrative order bump!

SureMembers makes it easy to set up membership programs and integrates seamlessly with the SureCart eCommerce platform.

If you like the idea of memberships, check out 14 inspiring membership site ideas and How to create a membership website.

6. Offer Additional Warranties or Protection Plans

Additional warranties or protection plans are common with electronics and more expensive products.

The idea of protecting a big ticket item can be in the forefront of someone’s mind during a purchase, making it a prime time to convert.

By highlighting that basic warranty protection comes as standard but enhanced protection doesn’t cost much extra, you can make quite a lot of money.

You’ll have to put the systems in place to service those warranties or protection plans, but only a portion of customers will ever require it.

That means a good portion of the money you make will be pure profit!

An example of additional protection plans is AppleCare. It’s an extra protection plan sold as an order bump when you purchase a qualifying Apple device.

As you’re paying a premium already, it’s a popular option to help protect your investment.

That’s why it’s such a good order bump.

7. Offer Accessories

Accessories work amazingly well as order bumps as they make the product being purchased even better.

For example, if a customer buys a new phone, you could offer a phone case, screen protector, spare USB charger or selfie stick as order bumps.

Any accessory that complements the main purchase and makes using it easier, better or more enjoyable could work as an order bump.

A good example of accessories as order bumps is Carphone Warehouse, a mobile phone retailer.

You’re presented with a dedicated order bump page offering insurance and relevant accessories once you add a handset to your cart.

It’s easy to skip but also very easy to add extras.

8. Offer Bulk Discounts

The bulk discount or ‘more of the same’ order bump is used often in lower cost, volume item sales.

For example, you order a pack of fresh coffee beans and you’re offered a discount on more packs just before the purchase.

Or you’re offered free shipping on 3 or more packs.

Bulk discounts are used extensively for groceries in 3 for 2 offers, or buy one get one.

They all work slightly differently and offer different incentives. But, as long as they are offered pre-purchase, they qualify as order bumps.

A good example of this is Bob Books. The company offers bulk discounts as a separate offer and as part of an order bump when you buy 5 or more items.

Adding Order Bumps to Your eCommerce Store

If you run a WooCommerce store, CartFlows helps you easily add order bumps and create simple or complex sales funnels.

Read The Ultimate Guide to Order Bumps to Boost eCommerce Sales [With Examples] to learn everything you need to know about adding order bumps to your eCommerce store.

Take CartFlows for a test run by downloading the free version at WordPress.org.

Summing Up Order Bumps

If you run an eCommerce store and have never tried using order bumps, you’re missing out on a massive opportunity to increase profits.

Order bumps are incredibly simple ways to boost average order value. They can improve the customer journey and your bottom line with very little work.

They are so powerful, we think every online store should use them!

• If you use WooCommerce, try CartFlows. It’s your shortcut to profit thanks to its powerful order bump tools.
• If WooCommerce isn’t delivering what you need, there’s always SureCart. It does all the same things, only better and has order bump features built in!

Do you use order bumps? Which type do you use? How well do they perform? Let us know in the comments below.

Order Bump FAQs

Here are some common order bump questions and their answers.

What’s a good example of an order bump?

A good example of an order bump is the classic ‘Do you want fries with that?’ Most retailers use them in one form or another as they are a simple, yet effective way to boost profits. Other examples of order bumps include ‘People also bought’ or ‘Customers who bought X also bought Y’ offers.

What’s the difference between an order bump and an upsell?

An order bump is shown on the product page or on or before checkout. It is usually for a lower priced item that complements the purchase. An upsell is offered at or after checkout and is often a more expensive, upgraded version of the product.

How do you price an order bump?

The most effective price for an order bump is less than the main purchase. The lower the cost, the lower the risk and the higher the chance of conversion. Not all order bumps have to be cheap, but they should be cheaper than the product and complement it in some way. You may need to experiment with pricing until you hit the sweet spot.