If you’re a regular in online shopping, it pays to know some tricks on how to be a value-oriented shopper. The perks of online shopping are aplenty: it’s simple, hassle-free, and therapeutic. You can take your pick from the hundreds of online marketplaces in your location or anywhere else in the world.
Through online shopping, you can buy just about anything—from small to big items—without having to leave the comforts of your home or line up at the mall’s checkout counter. Last but not least, ecommerce lets you do a lot of online bargain hunt, so you feel you’re really getting your money’s worth.
Indeed, online shopping can be so much fun, especially if you know a few tricks here and there, allowing you to be a value-oriented shopper. With that said, make sure to add these shopping hacks the next time you’re looking to fill your shopping cart:
- Know when the best deals are out.
Retailers would usually schedule sales and other promotions during certain days of the week, which may fall anytime between Wednesdays and Fridays. These are the best days to score the best deals and huge discounts; plus, new selections may be added to the store’s collection at low, introductory prices. Needless to say, you should also remind yourself to be on the lookout for yearly sales events during periods leading to holidays.
- Ask for a promo code.
It’s common for websites to give discounts or promo codes to first-time buyers. If they forget to provide you with one, ask for it directly. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and they’ll likely be very accommodating to your request.
Pro Tip: When you visit a website, and a chat box pops up, asking if you need help or if you want to chat with a company representative, don’t close it right away. Say hello and ask nicely for a promo code that you could apply in your purchase. Some deals are only accessible from their end, so unless you ask explicitly, you may miss some great savings.
Alternatively, you could keep the items you want to buy in your shopping cart for some time, until the retailer emails you with a discount code to encourage you to complete the purchase.
You could also do a simple Google search by typing the retailer’s name, followed by the keywords “voucher code,” “discount code,” or “promo code.” Check at least the first five results and look for a valid code that you can apply during checkout.
- Add items to your wish list.
While you’re shopping online, you might come across something that catches your fancy, but you’re not ready to buy yet. Put those items in your wish list or mark them as your favorite, depending on which feature is available on the online shop you’re visiting. With this done, you can expect to get updates when your saved items go on sale, which gives you a chance to buy them at marked-down prices.
Pro Tip: If you have a very limited budget or really want to save money online, going for brand new items may not always be the way to go. You can also purchase refurbished items online. This is especially true for electronics as there is a rise in interest in the refurbished industry.
- Get around pricing traps.
Whether you like it or not, websites or online retailers can track your browsing or shopping history. They can use that information to come up with offers that are based on how much you typically spend on your purchases. Some websites call it dynamic pricing, which is nothing but a glorified way of saying that they have something to offer that might interest you based on your purchasing habits.
Fortunately, there are some ways to make sure that you receive different pricing options. These include clearing your browsing data, logging out of your user account, or browsing in private or incognito mode. These steps delete or hide your past online searches or purchases so that you could get past the tracking system.
- Choose credit card over debit card as much as possible.
As long you’re diligent in paying off your credit card bills, you should use it as your mode of payment instead of a debit card. That’s because credit card companies are expected to process refunds in case there are disputes from the cardholder, whether it’s due to an unauthorized purchase or loss of goods during shipping. Meanwhile, investigations about refunding debit cards may take longer to process.
