When most store owners see a plugin named “Gift Wrap,” they think of paper and ribbons. They install it, charge $3 for paper, and stop there. This is a lack of imagination. WP Gift Wrap (formerly Gift Wrapper Plus) is actually a Contextual Product Add-On System. Because it allows you to offer any WooCommerce product inside its slide-out modal, it is the perfect vehicle for high-margin cross-sells right at the point of decision. You shouldn’t just be selling paper. You should be selling greeting cards, batteries, rush handling, and small accessories. In this review, we will explore how to hack this plugin to act as a powerful upsell machine that goes far beyond simple gifting.
The “Greeting Card” Arbitrage
Selling wrapping paper is low margin. Selling a greeting card is high margin. A generic “Gift Message” field is free. A physical “Birthday Card” is $5.00. WP Gift Wrap allows you to merchandise physical cards.
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The Setup: Create WooCommerce products for “Funny Birthday Card,” “Romantic Card,” and “Blank Card.”
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The Modal: When the customer clicks “Make this a Gift,” they don’t just see paper options. They see a grid of beautiful cards.
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The Win: You transform a free text field into a $5 physical product sale. Because the plugin tracks inventory, you can sell limited-edition cards safely.
Selling “Service” SKUs (Rush & Privacy)
You can use the plugin to sell intangible services that add pure profit.
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“Rush Processing” ($10): Create a “wrap” option called “Skip the Line / Rush Dispatch.” It doesn’t involve paper; it involves a digital flag for the warehouse.
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“Privacy Seal” ($2): Offer a “Discreet Shipping” option (plain brown box, no branding).
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“Video Message” ($5): Offer a QR code insert where the recipient scans to see a personal video from the sender. Because WP Gift Wrap adds these as line items, your fulfillment team sees exactly what to do, turning “Service” into a scalable SKU.
The “Batteries Included” Strategy (Contextual Upsells)
The plugin’s Category Exclusion/Inclusion logic allows for smart cross-selling.
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Scenario: You sell Toys.
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The Tactic: Create a “wrap” option that is actually a “4-Pack of AA Batteries.” Set it to only appear on products in the “Electronic Toys” category.
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The Flow: The customer adds a toy. They click “Gift Options.” They see wrapping paper AND batteries. They add both. You have just saved the customer a trip to the store and increased your cart size, using the “Gift” interface as a Trojan Horse for essential add-ons.
“Care Kits” for Niche Products
If you sell cutting boards, leather goods, or jewelry, you can use the wrapper modal to sell maintenance kits.
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Cutting Boards: Offer a “Mineral Oil Bottle ($8)” as a gifting add-on.
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Leather Bags: Offer a “Leather Conditioner ($12)” add-on. The logic is: “Buying this as a gift? Make sure it lasts forever.” Since the plugin allows you to link specific add-on sets to specific categories, you can micro-target these offers precisely where they make sense.
Visuals Sell the Add-On
Standard “Cross-Sell” widgets at the bottom of a cart page are often ignored (Banner Blindness). The WP Gift Wrap Modal requires active engagement. The user clicked it. They are looking at it. By using high-resolution images in the modal, you command 100% of the user’s attention. A beautiful photo of a “Luxury Chocolate Bar” ($6) presented inside the gifting modal converts significantly better than a small thumbnail in the cart footer.
Pricing vs. AOV Increase
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1 Site: $49/year. If you use this plugin to sell just one extra greeting card or chocolate bar per day, you will generate $1,500+ in extra revenue per year. The ROI is mathematical.
Final Verdict
Stop thinking of WP Gift Wrap as just a wrapping tool. It is a “Last Mile” Upsell Interface. It gives you a dedicated, high-attention slot in the checkout flow to sell anything—cards, services, accessories, or chocolate. By leveraging its inventory and category logic, you can build a sophisticated cross-selling strategy that significantly boosts your Average Order Value.