An order bump is a small, optional offer presented near checkout. At its best, it helps someone use what they are already buying. At its worst, it introduces another decision just when they were ready to finish. The difference starts before the checkout copy: with choosing an add-on that solves a real, nearby problem. Here’s how to plan one that feels useful rather than opportunistic.
•1. Protect the promise of your main offer
Start by writing down what the main purchase promises and what the buyer needs to achieve that outcome. Those essentials belong in the main offer. An order bump should not unlock a missing instruction, a required worksheet or the only practical way to apply the material. The buyer who declines it should still receive a complete, usable purchase.
Suppose you sell a course on planning a month of social content. Your core lessons should explain the planning process and give buyers a workable way to follow it. A separate collection of editable, niche-specific examples could be a helpful bump. The planning method itself should not be. Ask: “If someone skips this, can they still do what my sales page promises?” If the answer is no, revise the main offer.
•2. Find the next small point of friction
Look for a task the buyer will encounter immediately after purchase. They might need to adapt a framework, organize their materials or start from a blank document. Use questions from sales conversations, support messages and feedback to identify that friction. If you don’t have those signals yet, treat your idea as a hypothesis and ask prospective buyers what would make getting started easier.
For a workshop on running discovery calls, the bump might be an editable call-preparation pack. For a budgeting course, it might be a set of worked examples for different income patterns. Choose one clear job. A bundle of unrelated extras may look generous, but it asks the buyer to evaluate several new things instead of recognizing one useful shortcut.
•3. Keep the scope and price easy to understand
Define the deliverable before choosing a price. Write down exactly what buyers receive, the format, how they access it and any limits. “Client onboarding toolkit” is vague. “Three editable welcome-email templates and a client intake checklist, delivered as copyable documents” gives someone enough information to judge whether it belongs in their purchase.
Then consider the buyer’s total spend, the usefulness of the shortcut and your delivery costs. There is no universal percentage that makes a bump appropriate. A downloadable resource and a personal review have very different economics. If you offer your time, specify the turnaround, submission requirements and scope so you are not quietly creating an open-ended service.
Check for overlap, too. If the bump closely resembles something already included, explain the distinction or remove it. Buyers should not have to compare two vague descriptions to work out whether they are paying twice for the same help.
•4. Write an invitation, not a warning
Good bump copy answers four questions quickly: What is it? How does it support this purchase? What does it cost? Is it optional? Keep the explanation short enough that buyers can understand it without leaving checkout to investigate another sales page.
For example: “Optional: add the Discovery Call Prep Pack for $19. Get three editable preparation sheets and a follow-up checklist to use alongside the workshop. The workshop includes everything you need to learn the process; this pack gives you ready-made documents to customize.” This is illustrative copy and pricing, not a recommended price for every offer.
Avoid language that implies declining means being less committed or likely to fail. Leave the add-on unselected by default, make the extra charge clear and confirm that the order total updates visibly when it is selected. Before launch, test both purchase paths in your checkout platform, including the receipt and delivery experience.
•5. Check usefulness after the sale
A purchase tells you the bump sounded appealing. It does not tell you whether it helped. Alongside selection rate, review questions, refund requests and signs of confusion. Where appropriate, ask buyers whether they used the resource and which part made their first step easier. A simple follow-up question can reveal whether your promised shortcut actually reduced work.
Use that feedback to improve or remove the bump. If buyers repeatedly mistake it for something essential, change the offer structure or copy. If it creates more setup work than it saves, simplify it. An order bump earns its place by supporting the buyer—not merely by adding another line to the receipt.