Checkout Features Explained: Order Bumps, Upsells, Subscriptions and Payment Gateways

A checkout page looks simple: someone enters a card number and buys. But a few settings around it decide how much you earn per customer, how smoothly you get paid, and how much admin work lands on you. This guide covers the four features you'll run into most: order bumps, upsells, subscriptions, and payment gateways. It also covers which ones to skip at the start.

One caveat first. Funnel tools differ in what they include and how they handle payments, fees and tax. Treat everything below as general explanation, and confirm current features and pricing on the official site of any tool you're considering.

Payment Gateways: Start Here

A payment gateway is the service that securely passes a customer's card details to the bank and reports back whether the payment worked. Many funnel tools connect to outside processors instead of handling money themselves. Which processors a tool supports, and in which countries, varies, so check before you commit.

What to check

• Is your country supported? This is the first question. A great tool is useless if it can't connect to a processor available where you operate.
• Which payment methods are offered? Cards are standard. Digital wallets or bank payments may matter to your buyers.
• Who charges what? Processors usually charge their own fees, and the funnel software may charge separately. Read both fee pages rather than assuming.
• How do payouts work? Find out how long funds take to reach your bank and whether the processor can hold money.
• Who handles sales tax or VAT? Don't assume the software does. Ask an accountant if you're unsure.

Practical steps

1. Open and verify your processor account before building anything. Identity checks can take time.
2. Connect it to the funnel tool in test mode.
3. Run a test purchase and check the confirmation email, the receipt, and what the buyer sees.
4. Switch to live mode and make one small real purchase yourself.

Order Bumps

An order bump is a small add-on offered on the checkout page itself, usually a checkbox like "Add this template pack to my order." The buyer has already decided to purchase, so the extra decision is small.

When bumps work

Bumps suit items that complement the main product and need no explanation: a checklist, a swipe file, an extended license. If you need a paragraph to justify it, it probably belongs elsewhere.

Tradeoffs

• Too many options clutter the checkout and can lower completed purchases. One bump is plenty to start.
• A bump that feels tacked on or misleading breeds refunds and annoyed customers.
• Only testing will tell you whether it helps your audience. No one can promise a lift.

Upsells and Downsells

An upsell is an offer shown after the buyer clicks purchase, typically a bigger or related product on its own page. A downsell is a cheaper alternative shown if they decline. Many tools let them buy with one click, using the payment details already entered. Confirm that your gateway supports this.

Keeping it sane

• Limit yourself to one upsell, maybe one downsell. Long chains of offers feel pushy.
• Make the decline link obvious and polite.
• Make sure declining still lands the buyer on a page with their purchase details.
• Read the funnel from the buyer's chair. If it's tiring, simplify.

The page design side of this is covered in Landing Page and Funnel Builder Features Explained: Templates, Editors and A/B Testing.

Recommended for youLanding Page and Funnel Builder Features Explained: Templates, Editors and A/B Testing

Subscriptions and Payment Plans

Recurring billing covers two different things. A subscription charges until the customer cancels, such as a membership. A payment plan splits one price into a fixed number of installments.

What gets complicated

• Failed payments. Cards expire. Find out whether the tool retries charges and emails the customer.
• Cancellations and refunds. Decide your policy in writing before you launch.
• Customer self-service. Check whether buyers can update their card without emailing you.
• Legal rules. Recurring billing is regulated in many places, covering disclosure, consent and cancellation. Check the rules where you and your customers are, and consult a professional if unsure.

If the subscription gates content, you'll also need access control. That's covered in Course Hosting and Membership Features in All-in-One Funnel Platforms, and the course question specifically in Can you sell online courses with ClickFunnels?

Quick Comparison

What I'd Skip at the Start

• Skip multi-step upsell chains until you have a working basic sale.
• Skip complicated subscription tiers. Launch one plan.
• Skip fancy checkout tweaks before you have real buyers to learn from.

Get one clean checkout working first, then add one feature at a time so you can tell what helped.

Do You Need One Platform for All of This?

Checkout is only one piece. Follow-up emails, memberships and pages all connect to it. An all-in-one setup keeps them in one place, while separate tools give you flexibility at the cost of more connections to maintain. See All-in-One Platform Features for the bigger picture, and Email Campaign and Automation Features in Funnel Software for post-purchase emails. If you're wondering about replacing your email tool, read Can funnel software replace Mailchimp?. And if you're unsure whether you need a funnel tool at all, What is the difference between a funnel builder and a website builder? helps.

When you're ready to compare specific tools on checkout features, use our review and comparison pages, and verify gateway support, fees and current features on each official site before you decide.

Keep reading

Email Campaign and Automation Features in Funnel SoftwareEmail is where most funnels either work or quietly fall apart. A landing page collects an address,…Course Hosting and Membership Features in All-in-One Funnel PlatformsIf you sell a course or a paid membership, you need a few things: a place to put the lessons, a way…Can funnel software replace Mailchimp?Sometimes, but not always. Many funnel platforms include email tools that cover the basics: sending…