Add-on Menus Playbook

How Add-On Menus Work

When a customer’s basket reaches a set minimum spend threshold, an Add-On Sale Menu appears at the final stage of checkout. This menu gives customers the option to add a small, curated selection of extra items, often at discounted prices. Each item has both a gross price (its usual cost) and a minimum purchase price (the add-on price). Businesses control which items appear and at what basket value the menu is triggered. Customers can skip the menu if they choose, but when designed well it works as a last‑minute nudge to boost order value without disrupting existing offers or discounts.

Minimum Basket Value

When setting the minimum basket threshold for your add‑on menu, look closely at your outlet’s average basket value and the minimum basket for delivery/collection. The add‑on menu should only appear when the spend is high enough to encourage a meaningful basket increase, without being so low that customers would have qualified anyway.

Offering Free Items

Add-on menus also support free items, but these should be used carefully. Free items should be limited to one per basket to avoid giving away too much. When offering a free item, make sure the minimum basket value is set high enough to comfortably cover its cost. Free items can be a smart way to test interest in a new product or drive awareness of something you want customers to try, giving a taste today that could become a paid favourite tomorrow.

What to Offer at Checkout, and What to Avoid

Add-on menus are designed to nudge customers with tempting extras at the very end of checkout. The goal is to increase basket value without cannibalising what’s already been ordered. Avoid discounting staple items that customers are likely to have already added, focus instead on indulgent, premium, or “forgotten” extras that feel like small upgrades or treats.

Industry research shows that sweet treats, fried or carb-heavy indulgences, premium sides, and sauces/dips consistently perform well when offered at checkout.

Suggested Items by Takeaway Type

The following lists provide ideas tailored to typical takeaway categories. These are not exhaustive menus, but examples of what tends to work well in each cuisine type. Use them as inspiration to shape your own add-on offers.

Pizza

Curry / Indian

Burger / Grill

Fried Chicken

Universal Best Practice

• Keep it craveable: fried, cheesy, saucy, or sweet.

• Keep it quick: avoid anything that slows prep or extends delivery times.

• Keep it different: offer items customers don’t already have in the basket.

Add-On Menu Name Shortlist

These suggested menu names are designed to hint at indulgence, abundance, or a finishing touch, subtle cues that encourage customers to treat themselves. A good name should feel inviting, spark appetite, and make the add-on menu feel like a natural upgrade rather than an upsell.

• Tasty Extras

• Premium Sides

• Room for More

• Meal Boosters

• Sweet Treats

• Extra Bites

• Make It a Feast

• Final Touches

• Checkout Specials

• Little Luxuries