There is no way to emphasize how convenient online buying is. It beats driving all the way to the store only to discover they don’t have what you’re looking for in stock, whether you’re just casually scrolling after clicking on an Instagram post or methodically scouring online merchants for the ideal item. Additionally, internet buying is virtually always advantageous due to the abundance of free shipping deals available on a variety of websites. Don’t let the ease of pressing “add to cart” deter you from spending the time to look for discounts though.
We consulted with shopping gurus to learn their top tips for reducing those virtual price tags so that we could be confident we were saving money (and not simply time) when we were shopping online.
Compare prices before you buy
When you take the time to look for lower prices, you have more money to shop. “Never buy anything online or in store without comparing prices,” says Andrea Woroch, a consumer and money-saving expert. “You never know if another store is offering a better price or if they’re hosting a sale or coupon.”
She says online shoppers can quickly compare prices by running an online search with the product name and style number. “You can also get instant price comparison by using a browser tool like PriceBlink which will alert you with a pop up if they find the item you’re browsing at another site for less,” she adds. “This is helpful because you may find it at a store you wouldn’t have thought to check in the first place.”
Check price history and set sale alerts
Woroch also recommends checking pricing history as this could tell you if a deal you’re eyeing is in fact a good sale price. She recommends sites like CamelCamelCamel.com and PayPal Honey, which provide historical pricing data to help you make informed buying decisions.
Read Also: What Are The Best Online Shopping Sites in India?
“Retailers may try to trick you into thinking a certain sale is the best deal you will get but the pricing history will tell the true story,” Woroch explains. “And if you see that something was sold for less recently, it pays to wait.”
Another trick to try: Use Paypal Honey’s DropList feature—which sends alerts when an item’s price drops below a specific amount—to make sure you don’t miss out on any discounts.
Try to get a retroactive discount
The price comparisons don’t necessarily have to stop once you’ve hit purchase. “If you know something went on sale after you bought it, check the store’s price adjustment policy as some may give you anywhere from a few days, up to two weeks, to get credit for the price difference,” advises Woroch. She suggests using the online chat feature, or calling customer service to inquire about a price adjustment.
Search for coupons
Try to snag a coupon for any online purchase. “Most online retailers offer a coupon—this could be a coupon for a new shopper or email subscriber for money or free shipping,” explains Woroch. Check the retailer’s homepage or go directly to a deal aggregator like CouponFollow.com, which organizes coupons by store name so you can quickly find what you need.
“The site also lets you know if a coupon has been verified so you don’t waste time trying a coupon that could be expired or doesn’t work,” says Woroch. She also suggests using a coupon browser tool that hunts down the best coupon codes for you. Consider the Chrome extension Cently, which alerts you if there is a coupon available for the site you’re shopping at. The extension will also test each code and apply the deal with the biggest discount to your order automatically. A double win: Cently also applies cash back so you get both savings and rewards.
Subscribe to loyalty programs and newsletters
Most loyalty programs are free to join, so it doesn’t hurt to subscribe to these programs to stay informed on deals, upcoming flash sales, and new products. “Plus, it’s really common for retailers to offer a special discount code to new subscribers,” says McGrath. If you’re shopping with a retailer for the first time, sign up for the newsletter a day or two before you need to make the purchase to make sure that promo code gets to you.
Plan your shopping list in advance
Instead of purchasing something as soon as you have the idea to buy it, create wish lists and wait for sale events, like long weekend promos (think Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Presidents’ Day, etc.), or Black Friday and Cyber Monday. “That keeps your shopping list organized, so you can see when the items you want drop in price,” McGrath adds.
Maximize cash back on every purchase
Be sure that your credit cards are working for you, helping you earn valuable rewards that you can use to save up for a big purchase or a vacation. “While there are many types of rewards that may give you more back for airline purchases or groceries, one of the best options right now is a flat-rate cash-back card because this eliminates the need to track categories or spending limits while allowing you to earn more across a variety of purchases and retailers or merchants,” says Woroch.
Take it one step further, as there are cash-back tools that can also help you earn more back on every purchase. For instance, Woroch recommends CouponCabin.com, which offers cash back for thousands of online retailers across various product categories including groceries, clothing, electronics, baby goods and appliances. At the time of writing this, you can earn 7.5 percent back at Albertons, 2 percent back at Walmart and 2.5 percent back at Macy’s.
Likewise, the e-commerce company Rakuten gives users cash back from hundreds of retailers that they’re likely already shopping from (more than 3,500 stores are included). Rakuten also allows you to stack deals, so if a retailer has an item on sale or a buy-one-get-one offer, you get that deal plus the cash back.
There are also some stand-out rewards credit cards that award cash back for spending. Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for CreditCards.com, explains that the American Express Blue Cash Everyday is a great option because it recently added a 3 percent cash back category for U.S. online retail purchases (for up to $6,000 in annual purchases, then 1 percent cash back after that).
