An order bump is the single easiest thing most coaches are leaving on the table. It is a small, optional offer that appears on the checkout page itself — a tickbox next to a short pitch — that a buyer can add to their order before they hit "pay." No new page, no second decision, no extra ad spend. They are already buying; you are simply offering one more relevant thing.
This is the PLAYBOOKS edition: copy you can adapt, the exact spot in your funnel where the bump belongs, and a plain-English breakdown of how a bump differs from an upsell and a one-time offer (OTO). If you want the textbook definition first, see our order bump glossary entry; for how it fits the wider stack of offers, see offer architecture.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026.
Key takeaways
- An order bump lives on the checkout page, not after it. The buyer is mid-purchase and ticks a box to add it.
- SamCart reports that, across its $7B+ in processed transactions, order bumps convert at 30–40% on average, and that sellers who use them "consistently see a 30%+ increase in their average order value." (SamCart)
- A bump, an upsell, and an OTO are three different things. A bump is before payment; an upsell/OTO comes after the first purchase, usually on its own page.
- Price the bump low and relevant — a "no-brainer" add-on (think $17–$47) that completes the thing they just bought.
- Frame outcomes operationally, never as income promises. The FTC's June 2026 IM Mastery settlement is a reminder that earnings claims without a reasonable basis are a real legal risk. (truthinadvertising.org)
What is an order bump (in plain English)?
An order bump is a small "would you also like…" offer placed directly on your checkout form. The customer sees a short headline, a sentence or two of benefit, a price, and a checkbox. Tick it, and the item is added to the same order — one payment, one transaction.
Think of the gum and batteries at a supermarket till. You did not come in for them, but they are cheap, useful, and right there while your wallet is already open. A good coaching order bump works the same way: it is the natural companion to what the buyer just chose, priced low enough that saying yes feels obvious.
Because the buyer has already decided to pay, the friction is tiny. That low friction is why bumps tend to convert well — SamCart reports that, across its $7B+ in processed transactions, order bumps convert at 30–40% on average, meaning roughly three to four of every ten checkout customers add one (SamCart).
Where does the order bump sit in the funnel?
The order bump sits at the payment step, between the buyer's decision and the receipt. Map a simple coaching funnel and you can see exactly where it lands:
- Traffic / ad → someone clicks.
- Sales page → they read the offer and click "buy."
- Checkout page → they enter card details. ← the order bump appears here.
- Confirmation / upsell page → after payment, you can present an upsell or OTO.
- Delivery → they get access.
So the bump is the last thing the buyer sees before money changes hands, and it is the only extra offer that does not require a separate page or a second "yes" to your card form. Everything after step 3 (upsells, OTOs, downsells) happens once the first sale is already banked.
Order bump vs upsell vs OTO: what's the difference?
These three get muddled constantly, so here is the clean version. The short rule: a bump is before payment; an upsell and an OTO are after it.
| Order bump | Upsell | One-time offer (OTO) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it appears | On the checkout page, before payment | On a page after the first purchase | On a page after purchase, with urgency |
| Buyer action | Tick a checkbox | Click "Yes, add this" | Click "Yes" — or lose the deal |
| Typical price | Low, "no-brainer" ($17–$47) | Higher-ticket, a step up | Often discounted vs. its normal price |
| Key trait | Same transaction, one payment | A bigger or next-level offer | Time/availability limited — this page only |
| Coaching example | "$27 worksheet pack" beside a $97 course | "$297 group-coaching upgrade" after buying the course | "Today only: 1:1 audit, normally $500, now $197" |
A few clarifications, since the words trip people up:
- An OTO is a type of upsell. "Upsell" just means a bigger/next offer presented after the first sale. An OTO is an upsell with genuine scarcity — it is framed as available only on this page, right now. (Only use real scarcity; fake countdowns erode trust.)
- A bump is never an OTO. Bumps are calm and low-pressure; they ride along inside the checkout.
- Downsell is the cousin you reach for when someone declines an upsell — a cheaper or split-payment version. It also lives after payment.
For how these stack together into a coherent value ladder, see offer architecture.
How to build a coaching order bump that converts
The whole game is relevance and a low, easy price. The bump should feel like the obvious next puzzle piece for the thing the buyer just chose — not a random product. Here is the recipe.
Pick the right thing to bump
The best bumps complete, accelerate, or de-risk the main offer:
- Complete: they bought the course → bump the workbook / templates / swipe files that make it actionable.
- Accelerate: they bought a self-study program → bump a "fast-start" video or a 30-minute kickoff call.
- De-risk: they bought a DIY toolkit → bump a done-with-you checklist review so they know they did it right.
Price it as a "no-brainer"
Keep the bump well below the main offer so it never causes a re-think. A $17–$47 add-on next to a $97–$497 core offer reads as "why not." (These are illustrative example prices, not benchmarks — set yours to your market.) The point is psychological: the buyer should not have to re-justify the purchase.
Write tight, benefit-first copy
Bump copy is short by necessity — it has to fit beside a checkbox. Lead with the outcome, name the format, state the price, and add one line of reassurance.
Real order-bump copy examples for coaches
Adapt these to your offer. Each is written to sit next to a checkout checkbox.
For a therapist selling a self-paced anxiety course ($147):
☐ Yes — add the Calm-Down Toolkit ($24) Get my 12 printable grounding scripts and a 7-day audio routine, so you have something to do the moment anxiety spikes — not just theory. Instant access, yours to keep.
For a transformation coach selling a group program ($497):
☐ Add the 30-Minute Kickoff Call ($97) Skip the "where do I even start" week. We map your first 30 days on a private call before the group begins, so you arrive Day 1 already clear. Limited calendar slots.
For a mentor / course-creator selling a launch course ($297):
☐ Yes, include the Launch Swipe Pack ($37) The exact emails, checkout copy, and bump templates from this playbook — fill-in-the-blanks, not blank pages. Save yourself a weekend of writing.
For a wellness coach selling a meal-and-mindset program ($97):
☐ Add the Done-For-You Meal Planner ($19) 4 weeks of plans and a shopping list that match the program exactly, so "what do I eat" is solved before you start.
Notice what every example does: it names a concrete deliverable, ties it to the main purchase, states a clearly smaller price, and promises an operational result ("something to do," "arrive clear," "save a weekend"). None of them promise income or a guaranteed outcome — that is deliberate.
Stay on the right side of the FTC
Frame your bump's benefit operationally, not as an earnings or results guarantee. This is not just good taste; it is legal hygiene. In 2026 the FTC and the State of Nevada settled with the operators behind IM Mastery Academy / IYOVIA over false and unsubstantiated earnings claims, with a $795.8 million judgment against the lead defendants and the surrender of nearly $90 million in assets; the order bars them from making earnings claims without proper substantiation going forward (truthinadvertising.org).
The practical translation for coaches: say what the bump does ("map your first 30 days," "12 printable scripts"), not what the buyer will earn. If you ever cite a number, it must be true and substantiated.
A simple checklist before you publish your bump
- The bump clearly relates to the main offer (completes/accelerates/de-risks it).
- Price is a fraction of the core offer — an easy yes.
- Copy leads with the outcome, names the format, states the price.
- It is a checkbox on the checkout page, not a separate post-purchase page (that would be an upsell/OTO).
- No income or results guarantees; any claim is true and substantiated.
- You can track its take rate so you can test and improve it.
Start with one bump, watch its take rate, and iterate. When you are ready to layer upsells, OTOs, and downsells on top of it into a full value ladder, offer architecture walks through the whole sequence — and Bluedoor can wire the checkout, bump, and automation for you so you are not stitching tools together by hand.