Add-ons: How to Grow Revenue Without Risking Checkout Conversion

More Choices = Less Revenue (Yes, Really)

Steve Krug argued in "Don't Make Me Think”, a guide for web usability, that people don't want more choices. They want the right choices.

In the quest to maximize AOV (average order value) and grow revenue it can be tempting to pack in as many cross-sell add-ons to a cart as possible. We’re here to counsel you to do the opposite. Used incorrectly, add-ons could actually send revenues down by overwhelming your fans and patrons with too many options or irrelevant choices.

According to Baymard Institute1, the average ecommerce cart abandonment rate across all industries is 70%. We’re already losing 7 out of 10 opportunities. This is why low-friction checkout is critical, even in our ticketing world.

You’ve probably been asked, “Would you like fries with that?” This is a no-brainer decision with a burger. Fast food lore claims the golden arches enjoyed a 15%-plus revenue increase from its use. But imagine if you were asked, “Would you like an order of fries, side salad, apple pie, apple slices, nuggets, hash brown, milk shake, ice cream cone, or ice cream sundae with that?” Customers would descend into a fugue state of confusion. Apply this to the ticket checkout process and now you’re risking upping that 70% abandonment rate.

Source: Google Gemini

Remember: Your core mission is selling tickets. Everything else should support that goal, not sabotage it.

But there’s an enticing upside to add-ons. According to a study by the business schools at the University of Florida and the University of Pennsylvania, on average, ecommerce cross-selling can boost revenues by 11%2, when done well.

That applies to online ticketing and is certainly worth the effort but let’s take the time to talk about how to do that well.

Principle 1: Keep Checkout Friction Low

A basic principle of ecommerce is to make it easy on the buyer by keeping the checkout friction low. That’s even more important when it comes to experiences on small screens. And, of note, this is relevant to us because 73% of Paciolan clients’ ticket buyers shop on mobile (performing arts, collegiate, and arenas in aggregate). That number spikes north of 80% when our collegiate market starts football season. That’s why PAC Live takes a mobile-first approach to its ecommerce experience.

That’s great but why does it matter with add-ons? The implication is huge. Your patrons and fans are purchasing tickets on a 6-inch screen, probably while multitasking, maybe with spotty internet. You want checkout to be brainless and easy.

So what is our recommendation here? Don’t cancel out the conversion benefits of PAC Live by spamming your buyers with add-ons in the checkout process. Just because you have the option for six add-ons, doesn’t mean you should use them all.

Principle 2: Enhance the Experience

During product discovery, Paciolan Product Manager Karen Long made solving the fan’s or patron’s next problem her guiding principle. “An add-on should feel less like you’re nickel and diming and more like a helpful suggestion that eliminates pre-event stress. It’s more than improving the customer journey, it’s about protecting the entire reason they bought the ticket: To be present and make lasting memories,” said Long.

"An add-on should feel less like you’re nickel and diming and more like a helpful suggestion that eliminates pre-event stress." Karen Long, Product Manager, Paciolan

Your add-ons messaging should feel like recommendations from a trusted friend on how to enhance an experience. Avoid making consumers feel like they’re trapped in the Finance Manager’s office at a car dealership (the worst!).

If someone is buying tickets to an event, offering parking makes sense because it's complementary and reduces cognitive load. They're already thinking about logistics. But throwing in a Propose on the Field option? What percent of any given sports audience is thinking “this would make the perfect game day experience!” Very very few.

The best add-ons answer questions fans and patrons are already asking themselves:

• "Where will I park?"

• "What will I eat?”

• “How do I make this a memorable experience for my family?”

• "Will the seating be uncomfortable?"

When you effortlessly solve problems they're already trying to solve, add-ons become no-brainers.

Principle 3: Price It Right

Here's a golden rule from ecommerce retail that live event venues need to adopt: Keep add-ons priced at 40% or less of the main purchase. With the variability of seat prices, nailing that percentage perfectly isn’t an expectation. But the principle is what matters.

Retail masters like Target and Walmart have this dialed. Add a kitchen mixer to your cart and note how the cross-sell add-ons are typically priced at 20-40% of your item value. There's a reason: It keeps the add-ons in "impulse buy" territory rather than "major decision" territory.

For two $50 tickets, that means your sweet spot for add-ons is $40 or below.

But here's the kicker: Don't lead with price. Lead with value.

Instead of "$25 parking" try "Reserved parking: Take the express parking lane." Instead of a "$15 food voucher" position it as "Skip the concession line: Pre-order now."

In both of these examples, the value lies in the time saved. Jennifer Aaker, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, finds in her research3 that marketing “referring to time typically leads to more favorable attitudes - and to more purchases.”

Principle 4: Make It Scalable

A lot of you have the opportunity to drive revenue through scalable add-ons. There are, however, add-ons that are not a good fit for the checkout flow. For example, things like exclusive behind the scenes experiences. Sure they’re unique, but that’s the problem. With only a handful of units for sale per game, you're adding checkout complexity for tens of thousands of buyers with a maximum impact of a couple thousand dollars in revenue. And the net result might be negative if there’s an impact on conversion rates.

Good add-ons have four characteristics:

1. High inventory: Hundreds or thousands available for sale

2. Low consumer cost: Falls in that “impulse buy” territory

3. Broad appeal: Relevant to a large segment of your audience

4. Good margins: There’s a healthy profit

Think parking passes, merchandise vouchers, concession packages, or chair-back rentals. These scale beautifully. If 1,000 or 10,000 fans want that hotdog, nachos, and drink combo, you can easily sell that without running out of inventory. Economies of scale applies here because you’re lowering the cost of selling something that you already have for sale and/or selling more of them.

The Bottom Line

Your checkout flow is not the place to showcase every possible revenue stream. It's the place to close the sale and maybe, just maybe, add one or two no-brainer enhancements. A little can be a lot here. Find the right “Would you like fries?” mix and you’ll discover the surefire way to incrementally grow revenue from every event without reducing conversion.

Here's your action plan:

1. Protect the primary sale. Never let add-ons create friction that costs you ticket sales.

2. Create the best experience. Make add-ons a no-brainer that already fits in their plans.

3. Price it right. Keep it in that impulse buy range so there’s little hesitation to add it.

4. Find your scale plays. Focus on add-ons that work whether you sell 1,000 or 10,000.

Lastly, be willing to experiment and test. Observe your audience. Understand what they like. Help them build out a friction-free experience that’s a win-win for both of you.

New to add-ons in PAC Live? Contact your eCommerce Operations Specialist or Account Manager to explore its use.

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Sources

1. Baymard Institute. 49 Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics 2025 – Cart & Checkout. Baymard Institute. Accessed 17 September, 2025.

2. Kumar, Anuj and Kartik Hosanagar. Measuring the Value of Recommendation Links on Product Demand. Warrington College of Business, University of Florida, and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. June 2018.

3. La Plante, Alice. Jennifer Aaker: The Happiness-Time Connection. Stanford University Graduate School of Business. 1 March, 2009.