Selling Add-ons at Checkout Without Scaring Buyers
+20 XPCase study
Selling Add-ons at Checkout Without Scaring Buyers
Someone buys a one pound domain on GoDaddy and meets a protection upsell that uses defaults, fear and confusing wording, followed by a cart that quietly doubles the price. You will learn to spot those tactics and see a redesign that frames the same upsell honestly.
+20 XP when you reach the endWhat you will learn
- Spot preselected defaults, salience and price anchoring in an upsell
- Recognize fear based copy and why it backfires
- Reframe an upsell with endowment, progress and visible options
Scroll to follow the story. The screen changes with you.
Based on the learnings from Growth.Design: GoDaddy: How to improve checkout flows ethically, presented in our own format.
Step 1 of 11
- The promise
01
The setup
A search for a new domain turns up a GoDaddy ad for 99p .com domains.
A small team wants a new domain for its case studies. The sponsored result promises up to 90 percent off, and one of its links reads '99p/1st yr .COM Domains'. That price is the reason they click.
TakeawayThe price in the ad becomes the promise the checkout has to keep.
Same price02
Step 1
The landing page repeats the offer: as low as £0.99 for the first year.
The headline invites them to bring a business online with a .com, and a badge repeats the low price. A large search field and 'Find Your Domain' button make the next step obvious.
TakeawayConsistent messaging from ad to page builds early confidence.
Motivating wait03
A nice touch
While results load, a short line says this could be the start of something big.
Instead of a blank spinner, the loading state shows an illustration and one encouraging sentence. It reminds the buyer why they want the domain at all.
TakeawayUse waiting time to reinforce the buyer's motivation.
PrimingPriming is the use of subtle visual or verbal cues that shape how people behave. Here the message reminds people that their new domain can help them achieve something great.
As promised04
Step 2
The exact domain is available at the promised price, with free privacy protection.
The result is labeled 'Exact Match' and priced at £0.99 for the first year, as promised. A line at the top says domains include free privacy protection forever. The buyer taps 'Order Now'.
TakeawayKeeping a promise earns the goodwill the next step will test.
Mixed message05
Where it goes wrong
The next screen asks the buyer to pay to protect a domain they were told was protected.
'Protect Your Domain' says free privacy protection is included, then highly recommends paid plans and calls them optional in the same paragraph. The buyer, who just read that protection was free, is now unsure what they actually get.
TakeawayContradicting what you said one screen ago destroys trust quickly.
- Selected for you
06
The tactics
The paid plan is preselected, highlighted and anchored to a crossed out price.
Full Domain Protection is selected by default, so opting out takes effort. A yellow 'Recommended' label draws the eye even though it is unclear why it is recommended. A struck through £9.96 next to £6.99 makes the plan feel like a deal, with no clear reference point.
What changed
- Selected by default: harder to change
- Salience: 'Recommended' with no context
- Price anchoring: a deal based on what?
TakeawayDefaults, salience and anchoring are powerful, so use them for the buyer, not against them.
- Scare tactic
07
The pitch
The main benefit is protection from hackers stealing your domain.
Framing the upsell around theft makes the buyer wonder why GoDaddy would not already protect them. Instead of feeling reassured, they feel pressured, and the product starts to feel less trustworthy.
TakeawayFear might win one sale, but it makes people doubt the whole service.
Fear based tacticsFraming around stolen domains and a lack of transparency about protection use fear and confusion to push people into paying more. Fear based tactics do not work in the long term.
Sounds unsafe08
The way out
Declining means choosing an option called 'No Domain Protection'.
At the bottom of the list, the free choice is labeled as having no protection at all, even though basic protection is included. The wording makes the buyer feel exposed for saying no, and the whole screen drains their confidence.
TakeawayLabel the free option accurately, or the decline becomes a guilt trip.
Current Pushy defaultRedesign 
Clear free option09
The repair
The same upsell, reframed so it guides instead of tricks.
Growth.Design's redesign opens with 'Your domain' and the name the buyer just chose. A step indicator shows the checkout progress, all three options fit above the fold, and the free choice reads 'No additional protection' with 'Standard Domain Protection included'.
What changed
- Endowment effect: 'Your domain' makes it feel owned
- Goal gradient: steps show progress toward checkout
- All options visible, with no pushy preselection
- The free option says standard protection is included
TakeawayGood psychology can make an upsell clearer and still keep it persuasive.
Fitts's LawThe time to reach a target depends on its distance and size. Showing every option above the fold lets people compare them quickly and removes friction on the way to the final step.
2 years added10
One more surprise
In the cart, the £0.99 domain has become £18.96.
A two year registration was added by default, which explains the jump. Below it, a yellow banner warns that criminals try to steal domains 170,000 times a year and offers protection again with a 'Get It' button.
TakeawayHidden defaults in the cart feel like a trick, even when the buyer can undo them.
ReactanceWhen people believe they are being manipulated, they react strongly and emotionally, because it feels like an attack on their intelligence and trust.
What they got Fear againWhat could be Fair choice11
The result
A promising start ended in skepticism, and Growth.Design gives the flow an E for ethics.
The ad, landing page, loading moment and exact price match all built confidence. Confusing protection copy, fear and sneaky defaults then pulled it down twice. A better framed upsell could have produced a similar lift without the damage.
What changed
- Keep the promised price through to the cart
- Never preselect paid add-ons or longer terms
- Describe protection plainly, without fear
TakeawayCheckout is where trust is either confirmed or lost.
Every takeaway, in one place
- The setupThe price in the ad becomes the promise the checkout has to keep.
- Step 1Consistent messaging from ad to page builds early confidence.
- A nice touchUse waiting time to reinforce the buyer's motivation.
- Step 2Keeping a promise earns the goodwill the next step will test.
- Where it goes wrongContradicting what you said one screen ago destroys trust quickly.
- The tacticsDefaults, salience and anchoring are powerful, so use them for the buyer, not against them.
- The pitchFear might win one sale, but it makes people doubt the whole service.
- The way outLabel the free option accurately, or the decline becomes a guilt trip.
- The repairGood psychology can make an upsell clearer and still keep it persuasive.
- One more surpriseHidden defaults in the cart feel like a trick, even when the buyer can undo them.
- The resultCheckout is where trust is either confirmed or lost.
Source: Growth.Design: GoDaddy: How to improve checkout flows ethically
Grow revenue at checkout without losing trust.
Upsells and add-ons can lift order value, but pushy defaults and scary copy cost you repeat customers and invite complaints. Zyxware can audit your checkout, rewrite upsell steps so options are clear and fair, and test the result against your current flow.