Plain-language questions
Ask for upsell rate per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.
KPI · Sales
Upsell rate: formula and example.
Upsell rate is the percentage of existing customers who buy something extra in a period through a won upsell or cross-sell deal. You divide the number of customers with such a deal by the number of active existing customers at the start of the period. It shows how much growth you generate from your current customer base.
Upsell rate formula
Number of existing customers with at least one won upsell deal ÷ number of active existing customers at the start of the period × 100%
Worked example
At the start of 2025, Acme Groothandel had 320 active customers, measured as customers with an order in 2024. During 2025, 56 of them signed a won upsell deal. The upsell rate is 56 ÷ 320 × 100% = 17.5%.
Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.
How to read this KPI
A higher upsell rate means more existing customers are expanding what they buy. Compare the rate by segment and account manager, and look at upsell revenue as well as the number of customers. A low rate may point to a narrow product range, but also to too little contact with existing customers.
Pitfalls with upsell rate
- Counting ordinary repeat orders as upsell, although they do not expand what the customer buys.
- Not consistently marking upsell deals as upsell in the CRM.
- Including new customers in the denominator, although they were not yet customers at the start of the period.
SQL & DAX
Calculating upsell rate in SQL and DAX
Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.
WITH active AS (
SELECT DISTINCT customer_id FROM orders
WHERE order_date >= date '2024-01-01' AND order_date < date '2025-01-01'),
upsold AS (
SELECT DISTINCT customer_id FROM deals
WHERE deal_type = 'upsell' AND status = 'won'
AND closed_at >= date '2025-01-01' AND closed_at < date '2026-01-01')
SELECT COUNT(*) AS existing_customers,
COUNT(u.customer_id) AS upsold_customers,
ROUND(100.0 * COUNT(u.customer_id) / NULLIF(COUNT(*), 0), 1) AS upsell_rate_pct
FROM active a
LEFT JOIN upsold u USING (customer_id);Upsell Rate =
DIVIDE(
CALCULATE(DISTINCTCOUNT(Deals[CustomerId]), Deals[DealType] = "upsell", Deals[Status] = "won"),
CALCULATE(DISTINCTCOUNT(Sales[CustomerId]), DATEADD('Date'[Date], -1, YEAR))
)In ENABLE
Tracking this KPI in ENABLE
In your Power BI dashboard
Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.
Custom dashboards (pilot)
Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.
Monthly targets
With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate upsell rate?
Count how many existing customers had at least one won upsell deal in the period and divide by the number of active customers at the start of the period. With 56 out of 320 customers, the upsell rate is 17.5%. Define in advance when a customer counts as active.
What is the difference between upselling and cross-selling?
Upselling means the customer buys a more expensive or larger version of what they already buy, while cross-selling means they buy an additional product. In practice the two are often measured together as expansion revenue. Split them out if you want to know which approach works better.
How does upsell rate differ from net revenue retention?
Upsell rate counts how many customers expand, while net revenue retention measures how much revenue you keep from existing customers, including expansion, contraction and churn. Net revenue retention is therefore broader and mainly used by subscription businesses. A high upsell rate contributes to higher net revenue retention.
Further reading
- KPI librarySales KPIs: formulas and examplesSales KPIs measure how healthy your pipeline is and how well it turns into revenue. The data comes from your CRM, combined with invoiced revenue from your accounting system.Read more
- ResourcesHow to build a KPI dashboard: steps and examplesA KPI dashboard is an overview of the key figures you use to steer towards your goals, such as revenue, margin, on-time delivery or absenteeism. A good KPI dashboard does not start with the software, but with the decisions it needs to support. You then choose a limited number of KPIs, define them, sketch the dashboard and only then build it.Read more
- SolutionPower BI dashboard portal: share dashboards securelyShare your Power BI dashboards securely in your own portal, with role-based access.Read more
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