7 Ways to Increase Your Average Order Value (With Examples)

Getting more traffic is expensive. Getting more revenue from the traffic you already have is smart.

Your average order value (AOV) is the single most leveraged metric in your store. Increase it by 20% and your revenue jumps 20% — with zero additional ad spend, zero new customers, and zero extra traffic.

The average e-commerce AOV is $54. The stores using these 7 tactics push that to $72-$85. Here's how.

How to calculate your AOV

AOV = Total Revenue / Number of Orders

If you made $8,500 last month from 200 orders, your AOV is $42.50. That's your baseline. Track it weekly and measure the impact of each tactic below.

1. Product bundles (AOV lift: 15-25%)

Bundles combine 2-4 related products at a slight discount. Instead of selling a single candle for $24, offer a "Starter Set" with 3 candles for $59 (vs $72 bought individually).

Why it works: Customers perceive bundled discounts as better value, even when the discount is modest (10-18%). The key is combining products that naturally go together — not random items forced into a group.

Examples that convert:

• Skincare: Cleanser + Moisturizer + Serum = "Complete Routine" bundle
• Pet supplies: Food + Treats + Toy = "New Puppy Kit"
• Coffee: 3 different roasts = "Taster's Pack"

How to implement: Create bundle products in your store with a 15% discount vs buying individually. Feature them prominently on your homepage and product pages. Test pricing at 10%, 15%, and 20% discounts — 15% is usually the sweet spot.

2. Free shipping threshold (AOV lift: 15-25%)

Set a free shipping minimum just above your current AOV. If your AOV is $42, set free shipping at $50. Customers will add items to reach the threshold rather than pay $5.99 shipping.

Why it works: Loss aversion. Paying for shipping feels like wasting money. Spending $8 more on products to avoid $5.99 shipping feels like winning — even though the customer spent more overall.

The formula: Set your threshold at 125-130% of your current AOV. At $42 AOV, that's $52-$55. Round to $50 for a clean number. Display the threshold everywhere — header bar, cart page, checkout.

Real numbers: Stores implementing a free shipping threshold see AOV increases of $8-$12 within the first week. A store with 500 monthly orders and a $10 AOV bump generates $5,000 more per month.

3. Upsells at checkout (AOV lift: 10-18%)

Show customers a premium version of what they're buying, right before checkout. "Upgrade to the XL size for just $5 more" or "Get the premium version with a carrying case for $12 extra."

Why it works: The buying decision is already made. Adding a small upgrade feels trivial compared to the total purchase. A $5 upsell on a $40 cart is a 12.5% increase, but it feels like nothing to the customer.

What works best:

• Size upgrades ("Get 2x more for 40% extra")
• Premium materials ("Upgrade to genuine leather for $15")
• Extended warranty or protection plans
• Gift wrapping ($4.99 — pure profit)

Tool recommendation: ReConvert lets you create one-click upsell offers on your Shopify thank you page. Stores using ReConvert see 5-8% of customers accept post-purchase upsells.

4. Cross-sells on product pages (AOV lift: 8-15%)

Show complementary products on every product page. "Customers also bought" and "Complete the look" sections work because they surface items customers would want but didn't think to search for.

Examples:

• Phone case → screen protector + charging cable
• Dress → matching belt + earrings
• Coffee beans → grinder + filters + mug

Placement matters. Put cross-sells below the main product description and above reviews. A/B testing consistently shows this position outperforms sidebar placement by 23%.

Tool recommendation: Frequently Bought Together for Shopify creates Amazon-style "buy these together" sections. It uses purchase data to automatically suggest the best combinations.

5. Tiered pricing / volume discounts (AOV lift: 12-20%)

Offer discounts when customers buy more units:

• Buy 1: $24.99
• Buy 2: $22.49 each (10% off)
• Buy 3+: $19.99 each (20% off)

Why it works: Customers buying consumables (skincare, supplements, coffee, cleaning supplies) already plan to repurchase. Giving them a reason to buy 3 now instead of 1 now and 2 later increases your immediate revenue and locks in the sale before competitors can steal it.

The math: At $24.99 for one unit, your AOV is $24.99. If 30% of customers upgrade to 3 units at $19.99 each, your blended AOV jumps to $31.78. That's a 27% increase.

Best for: Consumable products, gifts (buy 3 candles for different friends), and small accessories.

6. Loyalty rewards on larger orders (AOV lift: 10-15%)

Offer bonus loyalty points for hitting spending milestones in a single order.

• Spend $50 → earn 50 points
• Spend $75 → earn 100 points (2x multiplier)
• Spend $100 → earn 200 points (4x multiplier)

Why it works: The accelerating rewards create a game dynamic. Customers at $65 think "I just need $10 more to double my points" — and they add another item.

Keep it visible. Show a progress bar in the cart: "You're $12 away from earning 2x reward points!" This real-time feedback is what drives the behavior change.

The ROI: If your points are worth 5% back in store credit, the 2x multiplier costs you 10% on orders over $75. But those customers spend $15-$25 more per order to hit the threshold, netting you $5-$15 in additional profit after the reward cost.

7. Post-purchase offers (AOV lift: 5-10%)

After the customer completes checkout, show them an exclusive one-time offer. "Add this to your order in the next 10 minutes for 25% off." The order is already placed — this just adds to it without requiring re-entry of payment info.

Why it works: There's zero purchase friction. The credit card is already charged, the commitment is made, and the offer feels exclusive. The urgency of a countdown timer increases acceptance rates by 35%.

What to offer:

• A complementary product at 20-30% off
• A subscription to auto-replenish what they just bought
• An exclusive product not available on the main store
• Extended warranty or accident protection

Conversion rate: 3-8% of customers accept post-purchase offers. On 500 monthly orders, that's 15-40 additional items sold per month with zero acquisition cost.

Combining tactics for maximum impact

Don't implement all 7 at once. Stack them strategically:

Week 1: Add a free shipping threshold (biggest, easiest AOV lift)

Week 2: Add cross-sells on your top 10 product pages

Week 3: Create 3 product bundles from your best sellers

Week 4: Set up ReConvert for post-purchase upsells

Measure for 30 days, then add tiered pricing and loyalty rewards.

Realistic combined impact: Stores that implement 3-4 of these tactics see AOV increases of 25-40% within 60 days. On a store doing $10,000/month at $45 AOV, a 30% AOV increase means $13,000/month — $3,000 more per month without spending a dollar on ads.

The metrics to watch

Track these weekly after implementing any tactic:

• AOV: Your primary metric. Should trend upward.
• Conversion rate: Make sure AOV tactics aren't scaring customers away. A 20% AOV increase with a 15% conversion drop is a net loss.
• Revenue per visitor: The ultimate metric. AOV x conversion rate = revenue per visitor. This should go up.
• Items per order: Tracks whether customers are adding more items (cross-sells, bundles) or upgrading to premium options (upsells).

Learn more about upselling and cross-selling in our Upsell and Cross-Sell guide.

Ready to optimize every revenue lever in your store? Start the free ecom.biz course and build a store that maximizes every visitor.