How to Increase Average Order Value at Your Venue

You sold out last Saturday. Every session was full, queues at the door, guests spilling into the parking lot. And yet your revenue per visitor was almost identical to a quiet Tuesday in February.

Many operators don’t even notice that gap.

It comes down to everything guests spend beyond admission: food, drinks, upgrades, photo packages, merchandise, premium experiences. Admission gets them in the door. Everything after that is where the real growth sits.

The good news is that increasing what each guest spends is often faster and more practical than trying to drive more traffic. You don't need more visitors, more marketing budget, or more pressure on your capacity. You just need to make it easier for the guests you already have to get more out of their visit.

This guide breaks down how to increase average order value across every stage of the guest journey, from booking through to post-visit follow-up.

Why average order value matters more than attendance

Here's the math. Growing your visitor numbers by 10% usually means more marketing spend, more pressure on capacity, and often more staffing. It's expensive and slow.

Increasing what each guest spends by 10% is a different story. If the right tools are in place, it doesn't require more visitors at all.

Let's make it concrete. Say your venue sees 500 guests a day. If you increase average spend by just $4 per guest, that's an extra $2,000 per day, or roughly $730,000 over a year. Same staff. Same capacity. Same operating costs. The only thing that changed is what each guest chose to spend while they were there.

The metric behind this is simple:

Average order value (AOV) = Total revenue ÷ Number of transactions

Most operators can quote attendance numbers instantly. But ask how their average order value changed month over month, and the answer is usually unclear. That gap is exactly where the opportunity is.

The four stages where guests spend

Most operators think about upselling as something that happens at the counter: a guest is standing there with their card out, and your team suggests an add-on. That's one moment. But it's not the only one.

There are four stages in the guest journey where you can help guests get more out of their visit, and each one works differently.

The strongest results come from working across all four stages, not just one.

Pre-visit: your online checkout is doing the heavy lifting

The moment a guest confirms their booking is one of the best opportunities to increase average order value. They've already committed, they're excited, and they're still in a buying mindset.

According to ROLLER's 2027 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report, the average online basket is $69.90, compared with just $19.90 at POS, that’s more than 3.5x larger. If your checkout isn’t offering add-ons, bundles, or upgrades at the point of booking, that’s a lot of spend you’re leaving on the table before guests even arrive.

Order bumps: the simplest checkout win

An order bump is a single, low-friction add-on presented at the payment step, usually as a checkbox or one-click option. It doesn't interrupt the flow and doesn't require a separate decision.

Why they work so well:

• The main purchase decision is already made
• The additional cost feels small relative to the total
• It requires almost no extra effort from the guest

The best order bumps are priced under 20% of the booking total, immediately clear without explanation, and directly relevant to the booking. Think grip socks at a trampoline park, a group photo at an escape room, or a drinks combo at a bowling alley.

Sequence your upsells to match the guest's mindset

Placement matters as much as the offer itself. Guests are making different decisions at each step of the booking flow, and structuring your upsells to match that progression is what drives higher conversion.

Bundle to make the decision easier

Packaging food with admission, or combining a few add-ons into a single upgrade, simplifies the choice and increases pre-visit spend. Guests get convenience and perceived savings. You get higher order values before anyone walks through the door.

A strong bundle follows a simple structure:

• One anchor item that defines the experience (the session itself or a core food package)
• Two or three complementary add-ons that naturally enhance it (drinks, photos, rentals)
• Pricing that's 15-25% lower than buying items individually

Show the comparison so guests immediately see the value:

$8 pizza + $6 drinks + $10 photo = $24. Bundle price: $19.

Naming matters too. "Birthday Bash" performs better than "Party package: admission + pizza + drinks + 30 min extra." Guests are buying an experience, not a list of line items.

Follow up before the visit

A short, well-timed email between booking and arrival can reintroduce upgrades the guest skipped the first time. Booking confirmation emails tend to have some of the highest open rates you'll see, since guests want to verify their details. That makes them valuable space for a relevant, single add-on offer that feels helpful rather than promotional.

Read more: Maximize Revenue with Smart Upselling

On arrival and in-venue: make the day better

Once guests are on-site, every interaction is a chance to improve their experience and increase what they spend. The best in-venue offers solve small friction points or make the visit more memorable.

Use your POS to surface relevant add-ons

Instead of generic prompts, a connected POS system can suggest extras based on what the guest has already booked. A family checking in for a basic session might see a food package or an extended playtime option. When the suggestion is relevant, it feels helpful rather than pushy.

Get the timing right

Early in the visit, keep it light. Mid-visit is ideal for food and drinks when energy starts to dip. At the end, focus on memory-driven purchases like photos when emotions are at their highest.

Train your team to recommend, not recite

Rigid scripts feel awkward, so they get skipped. The better approach is to train staff to frame add-ons as part of the experience. "A lot of families add the photo package, it's a nice way to remember the day" works better than reading from a list. When it feels natural and guest-first, uptake goes up without anyone feeling pressured.

Make mobile ordering easy to find

According to the 2027 Benchmark Report, the average mobile food and beverage order is $21.30,nearly double the $10.70 spent at the counter. But mobile ordering still accounts for just 6.8% of food and beverage revenue. Put QR codes on tables, mention mobile ordering in your booking confirmations, and ask staff to point guests to it when lines get long.

Consider self-serve kiosks

Kiosk baskets average $54.60, more than 2.7x larger than POS transactions ($19.90). Yet only 1% of bookings currently go through a kiosk. Placing kiosks where lines tend to form (at the entrance or near the cafe) gives guests another way to browse add-ons and buy without waiting.

Lean into what works

Photo packages consistently perform well when the purchase path is simple: clear photo moments during the visit, an easy way to buy, and instant delivery. Other reliable add-ons like lockers, VIP access, and equipment upgrades work for the same reason. They solve a small problem or make the day a little better.

Post-visit: the stage most venues skip entirely

The guest journey doesn't end when someone walks out the door. In fact, the post-visit window is one of the highest-intent moments in the entire experience. Satisfaction is high, memories are fresh, and guests are most open to coming back.

Send photos quickly

A gallery link within 24 hours of the visit, with an easy purchase path and a small time-sensitive incentive, drives quick action while the experience is still top of mind.

Pair review requests with a return offer

Asking for a Google review is great. Pairing it with a small discount on the next visit turns that positive sentiment into a concrete reason to come back, while also building your online reputation. If you're using ROLLER's GX Score, this process can happen automatically.

Introduce memberships at the right moment

Guests are most aware of the value of your venue right after experiencing it. A well-timed email with a membership offer and a sign-up incentive can convert one-time visitors into recurring revenue. This is especially effective for families who are already planning their next visit on the drive home.

Keep referrals simple

Referral programs work well right after a positive experience. A clear mutual reward ("Give your friends 15% off, and you'll get 15% off too") and an easy way to share keeps it low-friction.

How to measure whether it's working

Average order value is the metric that ties everything together. Track it consistently, weekly if possible, monthly at minimum and look for trends.

Break it down by stage: How much of your per-guest revenue comes from pre-visit add-ons versus in-venue spending versus post-visit purchases? This quickly shows you where your strategy is working and where it needs attention.

Review individual add-ons: Check how often guests are adding key extras like food bundles, photo packages, and upgrades. If something isn't converting, it usually points to either how it's positioned or whether it's the right product for your audience. As a rough guide:

• Under 5% uptake: the offer probably needs reworking or removing
• 15-25% uptake: performing well, worth optimizing further
• Over 25% uptake: a strong performer, consider featuring it more prominently or building it into a bundle

Use your reporting tools: With ROLLER's analytics, you can see revenue broken down by product, time slot, booking channel, and more, so you can connect what guests are buying to when and how they're buying it.

Even small gains per visitor add up quickly at scale. A $2 increase across 50 daily guests is $36,500 a year.

Next steps

If you’re looking for a place to start, three things tend to have the biggest impact on average order value:

1. Add an order bump at the payment step. It’s the simplest way to give every transaction a low-friction upsell opportunity.
2. Introduce at least one bundle that simplifies choices and helps guests feel like they’re getting a complete experience.
3. Track AOV weekly so you can see what’s working and adjust what isn’t.

The difference between packed weekends and underwhelming revenue isn't demand. It's how much value guests are getting from their visit.

Book a demo to see how ROLLER helps venues build upsells, bundles, and post-booking offers that work automatically, without adding friction for your team or your guests.