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What is a recurring upsell?
A recurring upsell is a pop-up that donors see after they process a one-time contribution. The pop-up suggests that the donor increases their impact by converting to a recurring contribution after their one-time donation has already been processed.
How can I create and manage my recurring upsells?
Getting Started
To create and/or manage your recurring upsell settings, start by opening up the form you'd like to make changes to and clicking the blue Edit button. This will open up the Form Editor.
Next, select the Post-donation Upsells tab:
From here, select Recurring from the Post-donation Upsell dropdown:
The other option in the dropdown is Smart Boost. Please note that if you choose to enable the Smart Boost upsell, your donors will not see a recurring upsell after they donate, even if you have the recurring upsell enabled; however, a donor can still choose to make their contribution on the form itself. For more information (and to learn more about Smart Boost) click here!
Setting Recurring Upsell Asks
Next, click to expand the Recurring Upsell Ask dropdown menu and choose from one of the following options:
Smart Options
Due to its high conversion rate, the Smart Options recurring upsell is turned on by default for all Core contribution forms. This means that if you select a Monthly: Unlimited, Monthly: Specified Duration, or Weekly recurring frequency, Smart Options will automatically be enabled. (If you don't have recurring enabled, donors will not see the Smart Options upsell).
When Smart Options is enabled, all one-time donors will see a pop-up suggesting multiple monthly donation amounts smaller than the one-time donation they just made. Our conversion-optimized algorithm automatically generates these suggested amounts based on the original donation amount. Donors will also have the option to set a custom monthly amount.
Smart Suggestions
When you turn on Smart Suggestions, donors making a one-time donation will see a pop-up suggesting a single lower recurring donation amount after they process their contribution. (This is different from Smart Options, which suggests multiple amounts and lets donors input a custom amount).
Original Amount
The Original Amount option will ask donors to make their original donation amount recurring.
Regardless of the recurring pop-up you use, one-time donations will always process first, so you won’t lose a one-time donation if a donor opts out of your recurring program. When a supporter presses the donate button on a contribution form, we’ll initiate a charge for the one-time donation. If they choose to Make it monthly on the pop-up, we convert their donation to a monthly recurring one. Supporters always have the option to skip the monthly donation. If they hit Skip It or do nothing (close the page, etc), the donor will only see the one-time charge they initiated on their credit card statement.
Setting Recurring Upsell Customizations
Once you’ve selected a recurring upsell ask, you can customize the language displayed in the post-donation pop-up.
The Upsell Title is an opportunity to add a short, catchy headline to your recurring ask. The Upsell Message is custom text that will appear on the pop-up. Try to remind your donors why continued investment in your campaign or organization is important to your long-term goals. You’ll want to keep this blurb as short as possible, to make sure it’s not overwhelming for your mobile donors.
Once you’ve configured your pop-up settings, don't forget to click the green Publish button to save your changes. Then click Show Upsell Preview at the bottom of the Post-Donation Upsells tab to see what your pop-up ask will look like.
If you choose to translate your form’s standard ActBlue-provided text into Spanish, the ActBlue-provided text in your recurring upsell pop-up will also be translated.
(Note: You will still need to input a custom title and ask in Spanish).
Can I customize my pop-up recurring box?
Yes - and we highly recommend it!
By inserting an image or some customized HTML, you can prompt your donors by showing them something that will make them excited to become a recurring donor. When picking images to use in your fundraising, keep image vetting and consent best practices in mind.
Here's an example:
Customizing a pop-up box has worked well for several organizations, and we encourage you to try testing some customizations on your own forms.
Once you’ve finished customizing your pop-up, make sure to click on the green Publish button at the top of the form editor to save your edits.
Now you can use recurring upsells to build a large base of recurring donors!
What other recurring settings can I edit?
In the Recurring Settings tab of the Form Editor, you can also write a custom, static recurring pitch for your contribution form or offer a free gift to supporters who choose to make a monthly donation.
Please note that you cannot include a recurring pitch and incentive on the same form.