Online Shopping Tips To Save Money

If you shop online, then you are one of the millions of customers who save some serious cash every year. Online retailers are getting more creative in ways they score big with shoppers. Either way, if you are a smart online shopper and want to get more discounts without scraping the web, try these online shopping tips.

#1. Get out of the dynamic pricing trap

Online merchants use a sneaky strategy called the dynamic pricing to show different prices to different online shoppers depending on their location, spending pattern, browsing history and the demand of the product.

I am sure you have seen how cheap airfare goes up by 50% when you check it the next day or during the holiday season. That’s how dynamic pricing works and it has gone very sophisticated. Now, online retailers are aware of your shopping behavior and price point. This makes you vulnerable to dynamic pricing trap making you pay more than someone who pays less for online purchases.

To get out of this trap, follow these steps:

  • Clear your browsing history and cookies
  • For unbiased pricing switch to the incognito mode of your browser
  • Logout of email and social accounts like Facebook, G+ when you are shopping online
  • Choose a localized version of websites for better prices

#2. Shop on the right day

You will be surprised to know how online retailers and stores roll out special deals on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Retailers know that consumers are most tempted to shop online on weekends this why they jack up the prices. But if you are planning to buy cheap airline tickets than Sunday is the best day with Monday being the most expensive to buy air tickets.

According to a consumer study, for purchasing computer and electronics Tuesday is the best day as most electronics retailers send out coupons on a Tuesday. For bookworms, Saturdays are best as major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble target customers who will spend the weekend shopping for books.

#3. Opt-in for GreatBuyz Streamz

How difficult is it for you to keep track of your favorite retailer’s discounts, promotional deals, sales and newsletter? With so many retailers and brands to follow, it is overwhelming to look for coupons online every time you want discounts.

With GreatBuyz Streamz you never miss on best offers from the brands you like. GreatBuyz simplifies the way you keep a tab on best deals and discounts online by:

  • Filtering out the junk emails and SMSes
  • Letting only useful information about brands you like reach you
  • Offering unlimited options to follow your favorite brands
  • Opt-out whenever you don’t want to follow a brand anymore

#4. Learn to use multiple discount coupons strategically

Whenever you have multiple discount coupons or promo codes to use, use them in the right order to avail maximum discounts. For instance, if you have a coupon for $20 and a promo code for 10%, use the promo code first. This will reduce the final price by 10%, afterwards, you can use $20 coupon to get additional off.

#5. Learn about price-drop refunds

How often it happens with you that you buy an item online one day, and the very next day the same item is available for sale with slashed prices? It can be frustrating but some online retailers like Amazon are known for refunding the price difference if you contact them. Amazon has a policy of refunding the difference if you notify them within 7 calendar days from the delivery date of the item.

There are some credit cards that offer you price protection i.e. no matter where you shop, if the price of the item you bought drops within a certain amount of days, you will get the refund. Pretty cool isn’t it.

#6. Get more coupons with multiple email addresses

A thrifty trick to avail huge discounts is to signup for newsletters with multiple email addresses. Some online stores love to send huge single-use discount coupons to a select group of customers. Using multiple email addresses, you can increase your chances of receiving huge discount coupons.

#7. Smart reward programs

Smartphone apps like Swagbucks offer you an opportunity to avail special bonuses by doing certain tasks like participating in paid online surveys or browsing product catalogs. Some apps even offer you rewards for playing games or watching videos.

#8. Customer service bargains

Sales reps are there to close deals and meet their targets, and you can use this for your benefit. Ever discovered a huge discount coupon just to find out it expired a couple of days ago? Fret not, just call the customer service and tell them you are about to make a purchase and if they can extend the validity of the coupon you have. In most cases, either the customer care rep will give you a new promo code or extend the validity of the existing one, either way, you will end up with a discounted deal.

Another trick I have discovered is that if you install live chat software on most websites to inquire about the product you want to buy and ask if there is any sort of discounts they are offering. Interestingly, chat support can issue special promo codes that are not available widely.

#9. Leave items in your cart

A sneaky trick to avail discounts and save some money is to leave products in your cart for a couple of days. Stores hate unclosed deals and they will want you to complete the purchase. This increases the chances of you receiving coupons. However, this trick only works if you are signed up on the merchant’s website and logged in when you leave items in your cart.

#10. Run smart comparison checks

There are tools like PriceBlink browser add-on for all popular browsers that help you find the absolute best deals online. Such tools automatically pull the prices for an item from multiple merchants and arrange them in a chart so that you do not end up overpaying. They also notify you if there are any discount coupons available for you to use.