upsell

American  

[uhp-sel] / ˈʌpˌsɛl /

verb (used with or without object)

upsold, upselling

1. to try to persuade (a customer) to buy more, or to buy something more expensive.

   I don’t like aggressive salesmen trying to upsell me or tack on expensive warranties.

2. to sell (something) in this way.

   Want to upsell merchandise or VIP experiences on your website? No problem.

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noun

1. an act or instance of making such an attempt (often used attributively).

   Unlike other software companies, we don't have complex pricing tiers or upsells.

   If one of your other products would solve a customer's problem, it's a great opportunity to send an upsell email.

Etymology

Origin of upsell

First recorded in 1975–80; up- ( def. ) + sell ¹ ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

upsell upselling upsold

“So we can’t lie to our customers, or we can’t try and upsell you.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

The difference shakes out to about a $125,000 upsell for the V12.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

The vet says this would create pressure to "upsell" services.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

“If you call the number on your bill, you’re calling customer service, and their job is to upsell you,” Keaney says.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 11, 2025

“It is also the volume that allows Microsoft to upsell data fabric and other infrastructure software, thus getting growth leverage and lifting AI margins overall.”

From Barron's ● Dec. 4, 2025

Airlines face significantly higher jet fuel costs due to the Iran war, but view such upselling as a profitable longterm bet.

From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2026

The "Heat on Charles over slavery row" features on the front of the Sunday Mirror, but its main story is about a warning of "cosmetic surgery firm upselling risky operations abroad".

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Telenor said it expects the acquisition to deliver significant synergies over time, including through upselling and cross selling across its broader product portfolio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Service companies often reject the suggestion that diagnostic or investigation fees are simply a form of upselling.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026

The only other downside was the relentless upselling throughout the cruise — from drink packages to spa treatments, it felt like someone was always trying to sell us something.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2025

Still, there’s a difference between being tricked and being upsold.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

They were upsold facial filler for places they did not initially request it, and after the treatment were left with extreme swelling and fluid pooling under their eyes.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025

Had he been relentlessly upsold on the fancy wine?

From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2023

If you regularly use an Alexa device, you’ve probably been upsold by Amazon’s assistant at some point.

From The Verge ● Dec. 23, 2021

But regardless, it’s alarming that a signal designed to warn that your plane may be about to pitch toward the Earth was upsold like a free checked bag.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2019

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