The Final Upsell: How to Boost AOV at Checkout with Smart Recommendations

Ellie Ho

August 21, 2025

•

3 min read

Boost AOV at checkout with smart recommendations

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The checkout page, often viewed as merely transactional, is the final opportunity to increase average order value (AOV). By incorporating smart product recommendations at checkout, you can boost AOV by up to 30% and enhance the personalization of the customer experience.

The challenge has always been how to do this safely and effectively. Now, with Boost Commercer, we’ve unlocked this potential. Introducing Product Recommendation Widgets for the Shopify Checkout Page, a powerful new feature designed to turn your checkout into a revenue-driving engine.

Why the checkout page is your ultimate upsell moment

Recommendations at checkout reach customers at their peak purchase intent. They have their digital wallet out, they’ve already decided they trust your brand, and they are ready to buy. A thoughtfully placed, relevant product suggestion at this stage is seen as an added service rather than a disruption.

Integrating recommendations into your checkout is a strategic move that delivers clear, measurable results.

Increase AOV: This is the most direct benefit. By presenting relevant, often low-cost, products at the moment of purchase, you make it effortless for customers to add one last item to their cart. This small lift, multiplied across thousands of orders, can result in a substantial increase in your total revenue.
Enhance the customer experience: A well-placed recommendation feels like great customer service. You’re anticipating your customer's needs and helping them complete their purchase. This positive, non-disruptive interaction builds brand loyalty and encourages repeat business. Personalization plus speed equals repeat sales.
Leverage your existing AI and rules: You don't have to start from scratch. This feature uses the same powerful AI models and rule-based merchandising you already use for your cart and product page widgets, ensuring consistency and saving you valuable time.

Maximum trust and commitment: By the time a customer reaches checkout, they have overcome any initial hesitation. They’ve navigated your site, evaluated your products, and made a conscious decision to buy from you. Their trust is established, making them more receptive to a final, helpful suggestion.
The power of the "Add-On": It’s far easier for a shopper to add a small, complementary item to an existing order than it is to initiate a brand-new purchase. The primary decision to buy has been made; the add-on is a minor, low-friction extension of that decision.
A feeling of service, not selling: When a customer buying a leather bag is shown a recommended leather conditioner right before they pay, it doesn't feel like a pushy upsell. It feels like a thoughtful reminder, an act of good customer service that anticipates their future needs. This positive interaction can enhance their overall experience and perception of your brand.

For too long, this powerful moment has been left on the table. We knew that if we could provide merchants with a safe, intelligent, and seamless way to engage customers here, it would be a massive win for your businesses.

Learn more:

All you need to know about online product recommendation and how to optimize it.

How Top Shopify Stores Utilize Product Recommendation

How To Measure Product Recommendation Performance On a Shopify Store?

Introducing Boost's checkout recommendation widgets: A seamless and smart upsell solution

Backed by Shopify’s modern and secure Checkout Extensions, Boost now allows you to place beautiful, intelligent recommendation widgets directly on your checkout page. This isn't a hack or a workaround; it's a native, fully integrated solution that works flawlessly within the Shopify ecosystem.

This new feature is exclusively available for merchants on a Shopify Plus plan with a Boost Professional subscription and using our TURBO version. It’s designed for high-performance stores ready to leverage the most advanced tools available.

The experience is designed to be completely frictionless. When a customer sees a recommended product, they can add it to their order with a single click. An "Undo" banner appears immediately, giving them full control without ever disrupting the payment process. It’s the perfect balance of opportunity and usability.

The intelligence inside: How AI and personalization algorithms deliver the perfect recommendation

What makes this feature truly transformative is the intelligence working behind the scenes. The widget doesn't just show random products; it uses the same robust AI and personalization logic that powers the rest of the Boost platform, now optimized for the unique context of the checkout page.

How the checkout recommendation of Boost Commerce works

The AI synthesizes multiple data points in real-time to surface the product most likely to convert as a last-minute add-on.

1. Based on the current cart and order history: The AI begins by analyzing the items the customer is about to purchase. It understands the relationships between products. If the cart contains a camera, it knows a memory card is a logical pairing. If it contains a dress from a specific collection, it might suggest matching earrings from the same line.

2. Based on real-time shopper behavior: The widget looks beyond the cart to the customer's entire session. What categories did they browse? What filters did they apply? What did they search for? This behavioral data creates a rich, dynamic profile, allowing for true 1:1 personalization. A shopper who spent time comparing different types of coffee beans might be shown a small-ticket item like a coffee scoop at checkout.

3. Based on merchandising rules: You are always in control. The checkout widget respects the powerful merchandising rules you’ve already configured in Boost. If you’ve set rules to boost certain brands, pin specific products, or hide others, that logic is applied here, ensuring a consistent strategy across your entire site.

What types of recommendations does Boost offer at checkout?

This combination of signals allows for incredibly smart and effective recommendation strategies.

Personalized Recommendations: This is the ultimate 1:1 marketing tool. The widget utilizes our powerful personalization algorithms to analyze the shopper’s behavior and the items in their cart, displaying products they are uniquely likely to love. It’s the perfect way to create a "just for you" moment that feels both personal and helpful, suggesting that perfect, unexpected item they didn't know they needed.
Frequently Bought Together: This classic, high-converting cross-sell widget will automatically show items that are commonly purchased with the products already in the customer's cart. It’s the ideal way to suggest essential accessories or perfect pairings, like offering a shoe care kit to a customer buying leather boots.
Related Items: Get the best of both worlds with AI-powered suggestions for complementary or alternative products. You will be able to configure this widget to show items that complete a look (complementary) or similar items they might also like (alternative), giving you incredible flexibility to upsell and cross-sell based on the entire cart.

Best practices for a high-converting checkout

To get the most out of this powerful new feature, here are a few tips from our team:

Keep It Simple: The checkout page is a high-intent environment. Avoid clutter by starting with just one recommendation widget and limiting the display to 2-4 products. The goal is to assist, not distract.
Match the Offer to the Moment: Use Personalized Recommendations to create a moment of surprise and delight with a tailored suggestion. Once available, use Frequently Bought Together for obvious and essential add-ons.
Use Clear, Action-Oriented Titles: Instead of a generic title, use clear and compelling copy like, "Complete Your Order," "You Might Also Like," or "Don't Forget These."

It’s time to turn your checkout into an AOV booster. Elevate your checkout experience and maximize your revenue with our new product recommendation widgets for checkout pages.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Will adding this widget slow down my checkout page?

No. The feature is built using Shopify's native Checkout Extensions, which are designed for performance and security. The widget loads asynchronously and is highly optimized, so it will not impact the speed or reliability of your checkout process.

2. What kinds of products work best for checkout recommendations?

The most effective products are typically low-cost, high-value add-ons that don't require much consideration. Think of small-ticket impulse buys (like a lip balm or a keychain), essential accessories (like a phone case for a new phone), or products that are frequently bundled together.

3. Do I need to be a developer to set this up?

Absolutely not. The entire setup process is designed to be code-free. You can create, customize, and enable the widget directly from the Boost app admin, and then simply add the corresponding block using Shopify's intuitive drag-and-drop Checkout Editor.

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Ellie Ho

•

Content Marketing Specialist

August 21, 2025

•

3 min read

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The Final Upsell: How to Boost AOV at Checkout with Smart Recommendations

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