Shopify Checkout Upsells After checkout.liquid: What You Can Still Add (and Where)
If your Shopify checkout upsell used to live in checkout.liquid, it is gone or on its way out. Shopify has replaced the old editable checkout template with Checkout Extensibility: app blocks, Shopify Functions, and pixels that plug into a checkout Shopify controls. You can still add upsells to Shopify checkout, but where they can appear now depends on your plan, and a few old tricks have no replacement at all.
This guide covers what changed, which checkout placements exist today, which ones need Shopify Plus, and which offers belong in checkout versus in the cart.
What Happened to checkout.liquid?
checkout.liquid was a theme layout file that let Shopify Plus stores edit the checkout's HTML directly. Developers injected upsell widgets, scripts, and custom markup into it. It was flexible, but it broke whenever Shopify changed checkout, and it slowed down upgrades like one-page checkout and Shop Pay improvements.
Shopify retired it in stages:
- Information, Shipping, and Payment steps:
checkout.liquidis no longer supported on these steps. Customizations here must use checkout UI extensions. - Thank you and Order status pages (Plus stores):
checkout.liquidand Additional Scripts were sunset on August 28, 2025. - Thank you and Order status pages (non-Plus stores): script tags on these pages were sunset on August 26, 2026. Stores that had not upgraded by then face an automatic upgrade, and old Additional Scripts do not carry over.
The replacement is not one thing but a toolkit. Checkout UI extensions render app blocks in fixed or merchant-chosen spots. Shopify Functions handle discounts, validation, and cart logic on the server. Web pixels handle tracking. The checkout editor (in your admin under Settings → Checkout → Customize) is where you drag app blocks into place, with no code.
Where Can You Still Add an Upsell to Shopify Checkout?
Short answer: in app blocks on the checkout steps (Shopify Plus only), on the Thank you and Order status pages (all paid plans), and on an optional post-purchase page. Here is how the surfaces break down, based on Shopify's current documentation.
| Placement | What the buyer is doing | Plan availability |
|---|---|---|
| Information, Shipping, and Payment steps | Entering details, about to pay | Shopify Plus only |
| Order summary and line items (same checkout) | Reviewing what they are buying | Shopify Plus only |
| Thank you page | Order just placed | All plans (Basic and higher) |
| Order status page | Returning to track the order | All plans (Basic and higher) |
| Post-purchase page (between payment and Thank you) | Order paid, one-click offer shown | All plans except Starter; live stores need access from Shopify |
Two notes on that table. First, Shopify's help center lists apps that customize the information, shipping, and payment pages as a Plus feature, and apps on the Thank you and Order status pages as available from the Basic plan up. Second, post-purchase extensions have been in a beta that requires requesting access for use on a live store. Check the current status with Shopify or your app provider before you plan around it.
Why the plan split matters for upsells
The Plus-only steps are the only places where the order is still open. An offer on the Thank you page cannot add a line to the order the buyer just paid for. It can only point them to a new purchase, a next-order discount, or a referral. So if you are not on Plus, your "checkout upsell" options are really post-purchase and next-purchase offers, and your best in-order upsell surface is still the cart.
What Makes Sense Inside Checkout (and What Does Not)
Checkout is a narrow window. The buyer has decided, has their card out, and wants to finish. Anything that looks like a detour costs you completed orders. The offers that work there share three traits: they are cheap relative to the order, they need no thinking, and they can be added without leaving the page.
Good fits for checkout
- Single-click add-ons. Gift wrap, shipping protection, priority handling, an extended warranty. A checkbox with a price is about as frictionless as it gets.
- Small complementary items. Batteries for the gadget, a cleaning cloth for the glasses, a travel size of the product already in the cart. Keep the price well below the item it pairs with.
- A reminder of rewards already in play. If your cart shows "Spend $15 more for free shipping", a buyer who reaches checkout just short of it should still see that progress, not lose it.
Poor fits for checkout
- Full-price upgrades to a bigger product. Swapping a $60 item for a $120 one is a decision, and decisions belong on the product page or in the cart.
- Bundles that need configuration. Size, color, or variant choices inside checkout slow everyone down.
- Long carousels. One to three well-matched items beat a scrolling grid. If you want a deeper look at matching offers to each surface, see different recommendations for cart, product page, and checkout.
Where the cart still does more work
The cart drawer runs on every plan, sits before any express checkout button, and gives you room for things checkout cannot host well: tiered reward bars, gift choices, multi-item upsell carousels, and discount code fields. It also catches the buyers who never see your checkout steps at all. Shoppers who pay with an accelerated option like Shop Pay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay from the product page or cart can skip the steps where Plus app blocks live.
That is why a sensible setup puts the heavy lifting in the cart and uses checkout as a second, lighter touch. For the cart side, how a reward bar drives higher average order values covers the mechanics.
What Can You Add on the Thank You and Order Status Pages?
On any paid Shopify plan, these two pages are your post-purchase real estate. The order is done, so the goal shifts from "add to this order" to "start the next one".
- Next-order discount or free gift. A code valid on the next purchase, shown while the buyer is still happy.
- Replenishment reminders. For consumables, a "reorder in 30 days" signup is a natural follow-up.
- Referral offers. Give a friend a discount, get a reward.
- Account and loyalty prompts. Invite the buyer to join your loyalty program.
The Order status page is revisited when buyers check their tracking, which makes it a second chance at the same message. Keep offers there modest; a buyer checking on a late package is not in a shopping mood.
How EliteCart Handles Checkout Upsells
EliteCart's Checkout section (in the app sidebar) adds modules to the checkout steps through checkout UI extensions, so they work with Checkout Extensibility and need no code. You place each one with Shopify's checkout editor. Because they render on the Information, Shipping, and Payment steps, they require a Shopify Plus store (and an EliteCart Professional plan or higher). The feature is currently labeled Beta in the admin.
There are four module types:
- Upsell block. A product recommendation block you can place in the order summary or on a checkout step. Choose EliteAI™ Ultra for automatic recommendations, Upsell flows for products you pick yourself, or Hybrid: Flows + AI to run your flows first and let AI fill the gaps. You can create several blocks for different placements.
- Line item upsells. A small "Goes well with" button next to each product in the checkout's cart summary. Clicking it opens up to three pairing suggestions for that specific item.
- Reward bar. Mirrors the reward progress bar from your cart drawer (free shipping, discount, and gift milestones) inside checkout, including gift claiming. The rewards themselves stay in Cart designer → Rewards & free shipping, so there is one source of truth.
- Add-on. A compact card with a checkbox that adds or removes one product you choose, such as gift wrap or priority handling. Hide once added removes the card after the buyer ticks it.
One honest limitation: rewards that depend on customer tags or UTM parameters do not show on the checkout reward bar, because a checkout extension cannot read that information. They keep working in the cart drawer, and the Reward bar module shows a live status banner telling you whether any of your rewards are affected.
If you are not on Plus, the same logic from this guide applies. Put your upsells, add-ons, and reward bar in the EliteCart cart drawer, where they run on every plan.
FAQ
Is checkout.liquid still supported on Shopify?
No. It is unsupported on the Information, Shipping, and Payment steps, and it was sunset on the Thank you and Order status pages on August 28, 2025 for Plus stores. Script tags on those pages were sunset for non-Plus stores on August 26, 2026.
Can I add an upsell to Shopify checkout without Shopify Plus?
Not on the checkout steps themselves. Non-Plus stores can add app blocks to the Thank you and Order status pages, but those appear after the order is placed. For in-order upsells, use the cart or cart drawer.
What is the best place for a Shopify checkout upsell?
Low-priced, one-click items (add-ons, small accessories) near the order summary. Bigger upgrades and bundles convert better earlier, on the product page or in the cart.
Do checkout upsells show for Shop Pay or Apple Pay express buyers?
Often not. Buyers who use an express button from the product page or cart can skip the checkout steps, so cart-level offers reach them more reliably.
Rebuild your checkout upsells for the new checkout. Start with the cart, where every plan can upsell, then add a light checkout layer if you are on Plus. Review the 7 ways to increase cart-to-checkout conversion before you add anything that could slow buyers down.