Shopify Post Purchase: Everything to know and examples

What do Shopify brands need to know about maximizing their post-purchase offering?

There are a few terms that fall under the post-purchase umbrella, like the post-purchase experience, post-purchase upsell/product offering, and post-purchase page.

In the simplest terms, the post-purchase experience encompasses anything that occurs after a customer has bought from a brand.

The main reason a Shopify brand would include a post-purchase offer is to increase an order's value, or average order value (AOV). By providing your customer with a post-purchase sale (like a bundle-and-save, discounted, or subscription option), customers might feel inclined to add products to their order after they've already completed a checkout with another item.

There are many ways leading Shopify brands are enhancing their post-purchase experience, like with a branded order tracking page, personalized transactional emails, product upsells, and more. So, let's dive into the things you should care about when it comes to knowing everything you can do within and outside of Shopify's post-purchase.

What is a Shopify post-purchase page / post-purchase product page?

A post-purchase product offer presents an additional sales opportunity to customers right after they finish checking out. Shopify has post-purchase checkout extensions that allows a merchant to upsell/cross-sell to their customers during the Shopify checkout process. But there are limitations to what a brand can achieve within Shopify's post-purchase offering without adding a post-purchase app. These could be apps that help with post-purchase product recommendations and/or order tracking apps.

One of the top Shopify apps for Shopify post-purchase upsells is Rebuy, where Shopify merchants can create engaging, individualized and intelligent shopping experiences. Many Shopify merchants utilize the Rebuy x Malomo integration to go one step further and display these dynamic and personalized product recommendation on their branded order tracking page.

Limitations of Shopify's post-purchase offer

Shopify has post-purchase technology, but as we've stated, there are certain roadblocks. So before making your decision for post-purchase offerings, all merchants should consider the following. You can also visit the Shopify developer hub for a full list of limitations.

Data Source Rules

Shopify post purchase doesn't support data source rules such as some Cart Rules, URL based Rules, Order Tag Rules, Recently Viewed Endpoint, Buy it Again Endpoint, Products Search Endpoint, and Geolocation Rules.

Common Scenarios Where a Post Purchase Offer Will Not Display

Here are a few common scenarios in which Shopify's post purchase offer will not display. For a full list, please visit Shopify's post purchase documentation.

1. Additional payment methods
2. Duties and support for multiple currencies
3. Order creation delays
4. Orders for local delivery
5. Minimum order price

Fulfilment Holds

If a customer is interacting with a post purchase page, the fulfillment status for that order will be placed on hold so that the order is not fulfilled while a customer is still interacting with a post purchase offer on their order. When the customer reaches the Shopify thank you page or after one hour if they don't reach the Shopify thank you page, the order hold will be lifted and sent to fulfilment/inventory management system/order management system.

Payment capture

Many merchants want to ensure that the post purchase authorization is captured. There are some instances when a customer will receive a payment declined message when they are adding a post purchase offer. The two main reasons a customer would get a transaction declined or an error message would be a decline from the bank (customer side) or a decline from the payment processor (merchant side). The post purchase offer will still be aded to the order and if the payment is successful, there will be an additional transaction on the order. If it is failed, the product will be added without an additional transaction and Shopify will send an email to the customer asking the customer to pay. The Shopify support team will be the most helpful in these scenarios.

Selling Subscriptions Post Purchase

Shopify also has certain restrictions when it comes to upselling with a subscription. Subscriptions can only be offered if the initial order doesn't have any subscription products. You also can't create subscription post purchase that modifies a subscription on an order with an existing subscription, adds a subscription to an order with an existing subscription, or converts a one-time purchase into a subscription order.

Going beyond post-purchase product upsells

There are many ways to enhance a post purchase that are beyond what Shopify offers in their post purchase technology and even beyond post purchase upselling.

It lies in an order tracking page and transactional notifications.

Enhancing the post-purchase experience with branded order tracking and transactional notifications

The Significance of Branded Order Tracking in the Shopify Ecosystem

Branded order tracking (a tracking page that is personalized to your brand) empowers you to control the post-purchase experience, generated additional revenue with those post purchase upsells, increases customer data with post-purchase surveys and reviews and provides deeper insights into problem orders and shipment analytics while keeping your customers up-to-date on their delivery. With these insights, you can make informed decisions to enhance customer satisfaction, streamline operations, and propel growth.

Transactional Email and SMS - The Best Tool In Your Post Purchase

These shipping notifications are the key to your post purchase experience because if a customers places an order, they will receive a transactional notification. They don't have to opt-in, and transactional emails notoriously receive a high open rates. We're talking an average of 80%+ open rate where as marketing emails is typically 20% open rate.

Examples of Shopify brands crafting a beautiful post-purchase experience

Everything we've talked about in this article, made easy.

Customizable tracking enables brands to tailor their order tracking experience according to their preferences. Incorporating branded order tracking provides a personalized touch that reinforces brand identity and cultivates customer trust.

In enhancing the post purchase customer experience through order tracking design, integrating essential tracking features is a must. Here are some aspects to consider when designing your order tracking page:

1. Branding your order tracking notifications and tracking page
2. Providing delivery tracking information
3. Offering personalized product recommendations
4. Including educational content (such as important product information/care, mission, referral and loyalty programs)
5. Providing an option for SMS opt-in
6. Integrating social feeds

We also have plenty of branded order tracking examples and best practices when it comes to designing your brand's order tracking page.

Or, let us do the work for you and we'll show you what your branded tracking page could look like.

Want to keep learning? Check out these related resources...

• 6 Shipping Notification Best Practices to Reduce Costs and Increase Sales
• Post purchase email flows
• Malomo x Klaviyo Integration
• Malomo x Attentive Integration
• Malomo x Postscript Integration
• How SMS shipping updates improve the customer experience
• Eight Creative Ideas to Beef Up Your Transactional Emails
• How To Communicate Delivery Delays To Customers
• Shopify Order Confirmation Email
• 9 Best Practices for Ecommerce Order Confirmation Emails
• 6 Revenue-Generating Order Status Emails You May be Missing
• Take your SMS strategy up a notch with Klaviyo & Malomo