Five ways to save while shopping online

It’s hard to beat the convenience of online shopping. Not only can you buy what you need from the comfort of your home while wearing your favourite pair of trackies, there are plenty of ways to save a few dollars. From memberships and newsletters with personalised offers, to discount and coupon sites and apps, and making the most of reward points, it’s all about knowing where to look to find the best deal.

Here are our five tips for being a savvy online shopper.

1. Sign up to your favourite retailers’ newsletters

Emails and newsletters are the go-to method for many retailers to let customers know when sales or specials are happening. They may even tailor specific deals to individual customers based on previous purchases or browsing habits. 

If the constant flow of emails announcing weekly specials is clogging up your inbox, create a rule to send these emails to a separate folder, or create a separate email address just for promotions. This way you don’t miss out and your inbox stays manageable. 

2. Use browser-based plugins to find discounts and cash-back offers

Always know when there are discounts or cash-back offers on your favourite brands with browser-based plugins. You’ll need to create an account with the plugin provider and add their extensions to your browser. Once you sign up and download the plugin you’ll be alerted to available offers if they are available for a specific website.

3. Be smart about rewards and buy now pay later options

Rewards and points systems are great incentives for things you buy all the time, such as groceries and petrol. But if you’re going out of your way to chase rewards on purchases you wouldn’t otherwise make, you might not be doing yourself any favours. 

You should also understand the point to dollar ratio on purchases made with reward points. If something costs $150 or 50,000 points, and you spent $500 to earn those points, is it better to pay outright or use the points? This is a decision you’ll need to make based on your situation.

Buy now, pay later providers let you ‘take home’ your online purchases immediately while paying the balance off in regular instalments. If you’re diligent about making your repayments, these options can help spread out the cost of your purchase. But, if you miss a repayment or are unable to make a repayment in full, there could be fees charged or a negative mark placed against your credit score, or both. 

4. Make the system work for you

Shopping online makes it easy to compare prices, so it pays to do some research before you checkout. 

For non-urgent purchases, leave items in your shopping cart until you have enough to reach a free delivery threshold. If you leave items in your shopping cart long enough, or don’t visit a particular site for a while, the retailer may send you a special discount to entice you to come back. 

The pop-ups and flashy ads offering a discount if you sign up to a newsletter or become a member can be annoying, but don’t dismiss them without a second thought. They can add up to big savings in the long run.

Another trick is to clear your browser history and cookies, or do your shopping in your browser’s incognito window. You might miss some of the behaviour-based discounts, but retailers won’t be able to target you with dynamic pricing.

Don’t forget to check return policies so you’re not paying to return something that doesn’t fit or isn’t what you thought it would be. 

5. Avoid online shopping scams

Online safety might not always be the first thing on your mind, but keeping your payment details safe and secure can go a long way towards preventing someone else using your card to pay for their holiday shopping. 

According the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) Australians lost over $4 million in 2019 to online shopping scams. Always make sure you’re shopping with reputable sites to reduce the risk of your details being compromised. 

You should also keep these tips in mind:

• Look for “https:” at the beginning of the URL and make sure the padlock security symbol is visible on every page of an online store. 
• Don’t use public Wi-Fi to shop.
• Keep virus and malware protection on your device up-to-date.
• Check your statements for any unauthorised transactions.
• If you suspect fraudulent activity, contact your bank or card provider immediately.

For more on online safety, visit our security section.

Bonus tip:

If you’re shopping on overseas sites, always make sure you check the currency the price is displayed in, and work out what the final price will be in AUD.

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