More and more people prefer to purchase various goods not in ordinary stores, but on the Internet. In the virtual space, it is much easier to find better deals — there is no need to spend time visiting retail outlets, comparing models and their characteristics, relying solely on your memory. Often, buying on the Internet is much more profitable in terms of the price of the goods — there are various sites of promotional codes.
It is natural that you will have to spend some time comparing the prices of goods, but it is worth it. You can find the best offer on the Runet, especially since there is no need to limit yourself exclusively to Russian stores, but also go to international online stores. Unfortunately, not all people have fully mastered this method of selecting the necessary products through a virtual network. We decided to help our readers in this matter and compiled a rating of the best ways to save money on online shopping. As part of this review, the most advantageous offers for buyers were collected, which will help save finances and receive goods as soon as possible.
Top 5 Ways to Save Money When Buying Online
5. Loyal customer advantage
With this solution, you can save about 2-3% of the purchase price. The fact is that most virtual stores seek not only to attract a potential buyer to their environment, but also to keep it as long as possible. As a rule, such a decision is carried out with the help of various bonus promotions that regular customers can take advantage of. Such a program can be implemented using various PR or marketing technologies. In particular, one of the largest virtual stores in the world, Aliexpress, has introduced a special level of privileges. The more often the user makes purchases there, the higher this level becomes and the greater the amount he can save when buying goods. The online store of the domestic retailer M.Video accrues various bonuses for purchases, and they are of a cumulative type — with them the buyer can pay for the next purchase.
If a person has a feeling that he will use the services of a virtual store with enviable regularity, then it is advisable for him to register on the company’s website and subscribe to the newsletter. The last point is very useful in that a person will constantly be aware of upcoming promotions, possible discounts, will receive original promotional codes that allow you to get additional benefits when purchasing. Most users consider the bonus system to be the most profitable, regardless of how it is expressed — in points, rubles or the internal currency of the portal. Usually it is represented by a percentage of the purchase: the more expensive the purchase, the greater the bonus comes to the user’s individual account. It is for this reason that you should register on the seller’s website. A purchase there can also be made without registration, but in this case there will be no bonus account, so it is unlikely that you will be able to use this loyalty program the next time you purchase it. For the largest virtual stores, bonuses do not expire over time, but continue to accumulate — they can be used even several years after the last purchase. However, there are also certain difficulties. In particular, when registering on the site, you must carefully read the user agreement, otherwise it is unlikely that you will be able to understand the rules for calculating bonuses well.
Advantages:
- For most online stores, bonuses never expire — the discount can be used after a very long time from the date of the last purchase;
- The more expensive the product, the more bonuses are credited;
- There is an original system of privileges for the largest selling portals.
Disadvantages:
- It is necessary to carefully study the user agreement in order to accurately understand the methodology for accruing bonuses. Unfortunately, everything is often very confusingly written there.
Loyal customer advantage
4. Sales and various promotions
In most cases, discounts on goods of various kinds do not exceed 10-15%, but you can stumble upon promotions when you can purchase a product you like for only 10% of its original cost. Even compared to loyalty programs, this factor allows for maximum savings. However, in this case, sellers often deceive buyers — first they significantly overestimate the cost of products, and then give a discount exactly on the difference in price. In addition, the most popular and in demand products discounts are not very willing to give. However, during sales, you can save a decent amount. It all depends on the marketing and financial policy of a particular store. For example, some offices provide buyers with discounts on goods in turn, depending on their category, while others reduce the cost of products by tying them to certain dates — New Year, Christmas, March 8, and so on.
There are unscrupulous retailers in the network who announce discount promotions exclusively for goods that sell poorly. However, the vast majority of online stores participate in sales in one way or another, given that this trend has spread widely around the world. One of the most popular promotions for virtual stores is Cyber Monday. This year it will take place from January 27 to 29, however, some sites extend this discount promotion for a few more days. This opportunity allows you to purchase useful products at a fairly low price. In addition, as part of Cyber Monday, many stores hold various kinds of drawings. In particular, M.Video has already announced that promotional codes will be raffled off, the value of which will range from 500 to 10,000 rubles.
Advantages:
- Depending on the conditions of the promotion, you can save quite a lot;
- Often timed to coincide with different dates;
- Most virtual stores follow this tradition.
Disadvantages:
- Among the sellers quite regularly come across not too conscientious — first they increase the cost of the goods, and then they announce a discount for the amount of the rise in price;
- To keep abreast of ongoing promotions, you need to be subscribed to the mailing list of the stores most interesting to you — for this you will have to register on their official websites, which takes some time;
- Promotions are often announced on products that do not sell very well.
Sales and various promotions
3. Cashback services
On the third place of the best ways to save on purchases on the Internet, we decided to place cashback services. Their main distinguishing feature is that they are completely independent of promotions or sales — even when making a minor purchase, you can return part of its value to yourself. In the last couple of years, this practice has been used not only by virtual trading platforms, but also by representatives of ordinary retail trade, and not so long ago, the banking sector also turned to it. In other words, this method is gaining more and more popularity. When making a sale and purchase transaction, cashback in most cases is a so-called deferred discount — the store returns part of the cost to the buyer after a certain period, as a rule, it ranges from 21 to 60 days. If banking enterprises work in this regard only through debit or credit cards, then online stores use cashback services.
In order for the user to realize this opportunity, he will have to register on the corresponding site. It presents a large number of cashback programs, describes in detail the conditions under which finances will be returned to the account, and many other important points. There are quite a lot of cashback services today, but preference should be given to the largest ones. This has its own rationale. In particular, the most famous sellers cooperate with large organizations, which allows you to get additional benefits. Using these sites, you can get up-to-date information about current benefits and offers. To do this, it is quite enough just to subscribe to the newsletter from the cashback service, after which all the most interesting options will be sent to your email. There are even special thematic services dedicated to mobile devices, perfumes, cosmetics, household appliances, travel and so on. Such sites are characterized by elementary navigation, so even an inexperienced web user will be able to understand them. Such a scheme is beneficial to everyone — the buyer receives his return depending on the cost of the goods, the intermediary, which is the cashback service, also has its own percentage, and the seller provides himself with additional loyalty from the consumer.
Advantages:
- You can directly receive a refund in the form of a percentage of the purchase made;
- An increasing number of online stores attract customers with the help of these resources;
- Similar sites are characterized by maximum ease of navigation.
Disadvantages:
- The return of funds is not unlimited — the bank is able to transfer to the user only a certain amount during one time period;
- It is far from always possible to receive a refund in the form of real money — often they are transferred to a mobile phone account or come to an online store account.
Cashback services
2. Use of discount cards
Despite the fact that many people perceive discount cards as physical media, in other words, they are used only in ordinary stores, they are an excellent way to save money when shopping online. In particular, it is very convenient to be the owner of a cumulative discount card — depending on the amount spent, a fixed percentage of the discount increases. However, there is a certain limitation here: it will not work to achieve a discount above a certain percentage. To put it simply, when the user has collected enough money to get the maximum discount, then it will not be possible to achieve a greater reduction in the price of the goods.
There is another key point: many stores do not issue a discount card immediately, but when making a purchase for a certain amount, only people over the age of 18 will be able to get a coveted piece of plastic with the possibility of additional savings. Electronic and virtual loyalty programs do not require the issuance of a physical medium — you can issue a card by installing a special application from an online store, but you will first have to register on the corresponding site. There are also universal discount cards, and they are both physical and virtual. With their help, you can get a discount in several stores at once. Often, various prize draws are held among the holders of discount cards. It is not at all necessary that the user wins something, however, such promotions further increase loyalty to a particular store. The application is also convenient in that it will promptly notify a person about various kinds of promotions and sales. Many online stores and retailers issue cards to each customer absolutely free of charge — for this, you just need to fill out the appropriate form either on the website or at the store’s checkout. There are discount cards that accumulate points — they can pay up to 100% of the total purchase amount.
Advantages:
- Goods can be bought cheaper, although the discount is not as high as on sale;
- The accumulative system of points allows you to pay with them without spending money;
- You can get a virtual card;
- A discount card allows you to participate in various promotions and prize draws, although in the latter case the chance to win something is minimal.
Disadvantages:
- The store, in its essence, simply binds the buyer to itself, creating the illusion of maximum benefit when buying any goods.
Use of discount cards
1. Promo codes
A promotional code is a unique combination of symbols with which you can get certain bonuses; you can use it when paying for purchases in an online store. Sellers issue them in order to attract new customers — they are allowed to purchase at a discount, or for already regular users, stimulating them to further purchases. Since the promo code is unique, it can only be used once. One of the main positive aspects associated with them is the ability to save money on literally everything — buying clothes, household appliances or food, booking hotels, railway and air tickets, they are issued free of charge.
Working with this discount tool is quite simple: you need to get a special code, and when making a purchase, enter it in the appropriate field. The discount can be quite serious — up to 60%. Often, online stores with paid delivery of goods provide promotional codes to pay for the delivery itself — it is either seriously reduced or completely free. There is also another tool: a gift for the purchase. They are usually used by cosmetic stores. With this promotional code, you can get a set of samples of perfumes, mascaras and other products. This is an additional benefit for the store itself — if the user likes the proposed product sample, then with a high probability he will buy it next time. Becoming a happy owner of a promotional code is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. For example, there are many virtual services where they are generated for each user in free access, for example, on the promokodus.com resource. Literally every day, a significant number of original codes and promotions of various virtual stores are posted there. Often the distribution of such information is carried out through social networks or through an electronic mailbox. Often, stores resort to a certain trick, for example, you can use a promotional code only if the purchase is made for a certain amount. Many users today say that promotional codes are the most profitable tool to get a good discount without the slightest risk to your wallet.
Advantages:
- With their help, you can save a lot;
- Purchases can be made with serious discounts, literally without getting up from the computer;
- Some promotional codes imply a certain bonus for the purchase — a small gift or a set of products in the form of probes;
- A unique promotional code can be transferred to friends or relatives.
Disadvantages:
- There are no fundamental negative points — you do not need to pay for promotional codes, you do not have to wait for a certain age to apply.
Promo codes
In conclusion, a useful video
Well, our review of the best ways to save money on online shopping has come to an end. We tried to consider each method in as much detail as possible. It is possible that some points seemed unclear to you: if you want to clarify them, write about it in the comments to this article. We will try to collect additional information as soon as possible and provide it to you.