We get this question a lot.
If you want an option to increase the price, Shopify requires that the cost be connected to a product. So yes, a product is still needed.
The good news is that it does not have to be visible on your storefront. 🎉
You can keep it hidden and only use it to adjust the price when selected.
How to Set It Up
Create a simple product in Shopify for the add-on cost
Example: “Vanilla Filling – $5”
Set the product to Active
Remove it from the Online Store sales channel
That’s it.
As long as the product is Active and not set to Draft, it can be added to the cart when selected as an option, but customers won’t be able to find or purchase it on its own.
Connect It Using Native Bundling
Enable Native Bundling in Infinite Options to link the option to your hidden add-on product.
With Native Bundling:
The add-on does not need to be published
The price is added automatically
You will not see “Cannot find variant” errors
You can enable this in:
Infinite Options → Settings → Native Bundling
If Native Bundling is turned off, or if you are on a legacy plan that does not include Native Bundling, add-on products must remain published to the Online Store channel.
If they are unpublished while using Legacy Bundling, Shopify will return a “Cannot find variant” error.
If you’re unsure which version you’re using, reach out and we’ll take a look.