Meet Laura and Jamie. Both sell digital courses, workbooks, and ebooks online. Both have similar audiences, similar pricing, and similar products. But their revenue looks very different.
Laura closes a sale and that’s it – one product, one price, one transaction. Jamie closes the exact same sale, but at checkout, her customer also checks a small box that says “Add the done-for-you template pack for just $27.”
Three seconds of decision-making. One extra click. And Jamie walks away with 28% more revenue from the exact same customer.
The difference?
Jamie uses ThriveCart’s bump offer feature. And once you understand how it works, you’ll wonder why you weren’t using it from day one.
Key takeaways
- A bump offer is a low-friction, impulse-buy add-on shown directly on the checkout page – before the customer pays.
- The best bumps are closely related to the main product, easy to say yes to, and priced at roughly 25-40% of the main product.
- Bumps are not the same as upsell funnels – knowing when to use each is the real strategy.
- All ThriveCart plans include bump offers; ThriveCart Pro+ users can stack up to six digital bumps per checkout, with sellers seeing an average 30% increase in average order value (AOV).
Watch this short video to see how it works or keep reading for a more detailed explanation. 👇
What is a bump offer?
A bump offer is an impulse purchase displayed directly on your checkout page – right where your customer is already entering their payment details.
It shows up as a simple checkbox. Your customer sees it, decides in seconds, and if they check the box, the bump price is added to their order total and charged as a single transaction. No second checkout. No extra steps.
It’s not a funnel. It’s not an upsell. It’s the low-friction equivalent of “would you like fries with that?”
👀➡️ RELATED READING | ‘How to Create a High-Converting Sales Funnel (Beginner-Friendly Guide + Templates)‘
What makes a great bump offer?
Not every add-on will convert. The best bump offers share three things:
- They’re directly related to the main product – the bump should feel like a natural extension of what the customer is already buying
- They’re an easy decision – minimal selling required; the value should be immediately obvious
- They make the main product more useful or complete – think templates, checklists, quick-start guides, an extended license, or 1:1 time with you.
Some real-world examples:
- Selling a photography lighting course? Offer a pack of ready-to-use light presets
- Selling a fitness program? Add a recipe and meal prep guide
- Selling a Piktochart AI or Canva template pack? Bundle a brand style guide as the bump
- Selling a high-ticket course? Offer 1:1 sessions for students who need more individual attention.
- Selling an email marketing membership program? Add a template pack.
The goal is to create something that feels like it should have been included all along.
👀📗➡️ RELATED READING TO DOWNLOAD TODAY | ‘The Skills Crisis Gold Rush: How to Turn Your Expertise Into a 6-Figure Education Empire’
How to price your bump offer
Price matters more than most people realize.
Bumps typically convert best when priced at roughly 25-40% of the main product. That sweet spot is high enough to add meaningful revenue to every transaction, but low enough that the customer doesn’t hesitate or second-guess.
A $97 course? Aim for a bump in the $25-$37 range. A $297 program? A $74-$118 bump sits in the right zone.
Bumps vs. upsell funnels: knowing which to use
This is where a lot of creators get tripped up.
Use a bump when:
- The offer is a simple, obvious add-on
- You can explain the value in one sentence
- The price is lower than the main product
- No additional selling is needed
Use a post-purchase upsell funnel when:
- The offer is a genuine upgrade or a larger product
- You need more than two sentences to explain its value
- It carries a higher price point
- Your customer has already paid and you have more space to make your case
The checkout page is not the place for a full sales pitch. Save the complex offers for your funnel and keep your bump laser-focused.
Going further: multiple bumps with ThriveCart Pro+
If you’re on ThriveCart Pro+ with Stripe Connect+ enabled, you can take your bump strategy to the next level with up to six digital bump offers on a single checkout.
Instead of picking one offer and hoping it resonates, you can present several complementary options and let customers choose what’s relevant to them. Sellers using multiple bumps see an up to 30% increase in average order value with no extra traffic or ad spend required (based on ThriveCart user data).
You can also use conditional logic to show or hide specific bumps based on what a customer has already selected. If two bumps conflict or overlap, you can automatically hide one when the other is chosen – keeping your checkout clean and your offer relevant.
Setting up your bump offer in ThriveCart
The good news: this takes less than five minutes.
- Go to your product in ThriveCart
- Click the “Bump” tab in your product settings
- Select “Add Bump Offer” (or reuse an existing bump from another product)
- Set the name, price, and fulfillment method
- Customize the bump design using ThriveCart’s built-in editor – add a headline, description, image, or even video
- Choose a checkbox and optionally add a blinking arrow to draw attention
Both the Classic and Enhanced checkout editors are supported, with multiple layout options to match your checkout style.
Start earning more from every sale
The revenue you’re leaving behind isn’t coming from more traffic or better ads. It’s sitting right there on your checkout page, waiting for a well-placed checkbox.
ThriveCart makes it simple to add bump offers that feel natural, convert without pressure, and generate more revenue from every customer who already said yes to your main offer.
If you’re not yet a ThriveCart customer, this is one of the easiest wins you’ll get access to from day one. And if you’re already using ThriveCart, head to the “Bump” tab on any product and set one up today.
Are you a ThriveCart merchant who’s ready to start making the most of our revenue-boosting order bumps? Head here for a support guide on how to easily set them up in your account.
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