Cart upsell in PrestaShop: suggesting a cheaper package instead of loose pieces
A cart upsell that saves the customer money: how to suggest the same quantity as packages in a PrestaShop cart, what the suggestion must show, when not to show it, and how it differs from cross-selling.
In short
- The most convincing cart upsell is one that lowers the customer’s price: the same quantity, bought as packages, for less.
- The suggestion should show the same number of pieces, how they split into packages, the new total next to the current one, and a single button to switch.
- Show it only when the saving is worth it. A minimum saving percentage avoids suggestions that change a few cents.
- PrestaShop’s native cross-selling suggests other products. Replacing loose pieces with packages of the same item needs a module.
Most upsells in a cart try to make the customer spend more. There is one kind that makes them spend less, and still raises the value of your orders over time: telling a customer who added loose pieces that the same quantity costs less as packages. This article explains how that cart upsell works in a PrestaShop shop, what it has to show and when it should stay hidden.
Upsell and cross-sell
Two words are often used for any suggestion in the cart, but they mean different things:
- Upsell: a better or larger version of what the customer already chose. Here: the same 40 mugs as boxes instead of loose pieces.
- Cross-sell: a different product that goes with it, such as a case for a phone or a refill for a pen.
PrestaShop’s own Cross-selling module is a cross-sell: it adds a “Customers who bought this product also bought…” section to product pages. It does not change what the customer already has in the cart.
Why a cheaper package is a good upsell
A customer who adds 40 loose mugs to the cart has already decided on the quantity. If the shop sells the same mug in boxes of 12 at a better price per piece, the cart is the last chance to point it out. An example:
| Pieces | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| In the cart | 40 loose mugs at €11.90 | €476.00 |
| Suggested | 3 boxes of 12 at €9.90 per piece, plus 4 loose mugs | €404.00 |
The customer saves €72 and gets the same 40 mugs, and the shop sells boxes it packs anyway instead of picking 40 loose pieces.
What the suggestion must show
- The same quantity. “The same 40 pieces as 3 boxes of 12 + 4 pieces.” The customer should not have to check that nothing was lost.
- The new total next to the current one. “€404.00 instead of €476.00” is clearer than a percentage alone.
- One button. Switching should replace the loose pieces with the packages in the cart in one click, without the customer removing and adding items.
- The right variant. For a product with combinations, the packages must be of the same size and colour the customer chose.
When not to show it
A suggestion that appears too often is ignored. Keep it for cases where it really helps:
- A minimum saving. Below a few percent, the suggestion is noise. A setting for the smallest saving worth suggesting avoids it.
- Stock. Do not suggest boxes that are not in stock.
- Already packages. If the customer chose packages on the product page, there is nothing to suggest.
- One suggestion at a time. The cart should stay a summary of the order, not a list of offers.
In PrestaShop with Pack Selector
Pack Selector adds this suggestion to the PrestaShop cart. When a customer has loose pieces and the same quantity costs less as packages, the cart shows “A cheaper way to buy the same quantity”, the same number of pieces split into packages and loose pieces, the new total next to the current one, and a Switch to packages button that swaps them in one click. In the settings you can switch the suggestion on or off and set the smallest saving worth suggesting as a percentage.
The same packages are shown on the product page, with the price per piece and the saving, so customers who see them there order packages before they reach the cart. For the wider picture of raising cart value, see How to increase average order value.
Questions and answers
What is a cart upsell?
A suggestion in the cart to buy a better or larger version of what the customer already chose. A cross-sell, by contrast, suggests a different, matching product.
Does PrestaShop have a cart upsell feature?
PrestaShop’s Cross-selling module adds a “Customers who bought this product also bought…” section to product pages. It suggests other products; it does not offer to replace loose pieces with packages of the same item. That needs a module.
What should a package suggestion in the cart show?
The same number of pieces the customer chose, how they split into packages and loose pieces, the new total next to the current total, and one button that swaps them in the cart.
When should the cart not show a package suggestion?
When the saving is too small to matter, when there is not enough stock for the packages, or when the customer has already chosen packages. A minimum saving, set as a percentage, keeps the suggestion for cases where it really helps.