YOUR GUIDE TO ONLINE SHOPPING COUPONS AND DEALS

How online coupons help you save money

Coupons have been around the World Wide Web since this tried and tested marketing strategy crossed over to the e-Commerce industry. A lot of online buyers scour search the Internet for online coupons and e-vouchers in order to save money and get more value for their hard-earned money. Most businesses provide these discount coupons as a token of gratitude to customers in exchange for their loyalty and as a way to increase customer following through referrals and word-of-mouth advertising.

True enough, a discount coupon code can reduce the amount of the items purchased online. For shopaholics and budget conscious moms out there, coupons can help slash up to 50% off the regular shopping costs. By simply registering or signing up to receive daily deal updates, you’ll receive the much awaited coupon links and codes to your inbox on a daily basis. Coupons do not only apply for items such as gadgets, clothes, or food, it is also applicable for services such as spa treatments, travel getaways, car repair, and even non-tangible objects like software applications.

Indeed, finding online coupons is not only an excellent way to take advantage of big savings, but it is also a great source of fun for coupon hunters.

Where to find Coupon Codes

Some familiar examples of coupons include a fixed amount off the regular price of the item, buy 1-take 1, freebies, or percentage discounts if you buy a set value of products. There are even printable coupons which can be used at a local store of the merchant.

  1. Online coupons can be in the form of alphanumeric codes or as hyperlinks. Coupon codes or promotional codes are variations of letters and/or numbers that can be used on a checkout page to get a specific discount. Some codes do not only provide a fixed amount off or percentage discount but would also even provide you free shipping. You might come across to those that provide both free shipping and return shipping. Sometimes, you can get coupon codes from online merchants themselves, from well-known affiliated programs or from third-party websites. Coupon links work automatically on the merchant’s store once you checked out.

  2. You can find coupon codes by surfing the internet through search engines like Google or Yahoo. By simply typing keywords like "online promotion code", "coupon code", or "discount code" on the search web browser. You might even want to get specific by typing the above keyword along with some details of the merchant or items you want to buy, like “Lebron coupon codes“. If you would be shopping to specific merchant, you might want to try searching using the merchants name followed by the keyword coupon, like “codepl.us coupons“.

  3. Printable coupons look and work exactly like the ones you can see from newspapers or magazines. These won’t work at online stores, and are only redeemable at local stores of the merchant stated on the printed coupon. Some printable coupons require specific software in order to be printed. Be wary of the sites for downloading the printable coupon to avoid getting malwares. You might want to download coupons on reputable sources for your computer’s safety.

  4. Most of the time getting a coupon through a coupon aggregator website starts by signing up and selecting the preferred categories that they wish to get a deal from. This will then trigger the site to send an email to this user every day; with all the deals that the leading deals sites in the specific area has to offer, displaying the categories that they chose when they signed up. These coupon aggregators syndicate the best coupon websites, publishing several new coupons that automatically change at every refresh.

  5. Coupon websites are basically virtual advertising websites that make use of direct marketing to simplify group-buying deals. The process starts when the website presents a fresh offer from a certain business. These offers are often products, events, or services with generously high discount rates. The offers are highlighted on their website or sent to people who are subscribed or opted in to their newsletters and sometimes shown to more prevalent medium like television or social media. By just clicking a “Buy Now” button, users get to pay the coupon cost through their credit cards. The website on the other hand sets a minimum amount of users who can get the coupon.

Check for different sources

A good coupon site provides discounts for a wide variety of merchants. Some sites have their discount codes updated which are very important since merchants change or update their product discounts without the knowledge of the coupon code providers. It is always better to check other websites for additional codes just in case the one we have wouldn’t work. Take note that you might find some stackable discounts, so it’s really worth checking for different sources. Doing this does not only provide online shoppers additional savings but also convenience, since they are likely to have great experience by having more options available to them.

Get updated

Not just because you see the “% off” tag beside the item, you are going to click that “Get it” button right away. This might not be the best of price so it is a smart move to spend more time scouting and searching for the best deals especially when you are eyeing to have flight tickets or hotel accommodations at a very affordable price.

You might also want to check the social networking pages of your desired merchants. You can subscribe to their Twitter or Facebook pages or other social networking accounts for updates if they would give out new coupon discounts.

Online Coupon Redemption Procedure

  1. Access the online shopping website where you will make the purchase. Go through the process of selecting your items or products to buy just as you normally do. As with picking out items off a shelf.

  2. You may now proceed or start the checkout process as normal for the website where you are shopping. Confirm or accept that you are buying what you want, and that it needs any requirements to qualify for the coupon code you want to use.

  3. Proceed to the checkout process. On each page, scan the page for an online coupon code or promotion code option. The location of this option will vary from store to store.

  4. Enter or paste the coupon code from the deal you want to buy in the appropriate box. Click the Apply or “Ok” button on the checkout page. Some store sites will make this part of the regular checkout page, while others will direct you to a separate or another page to confirm your coupon code.

  5. Scan or double check your shopping cart to confirm that the coupon code was properly entered and is reflected in your total price is correct. If not, get back through the checkout process and try it again.

  6. After that you can now pay the item or product you want to buy by using a credit card, debit card, money transfer services, or online payment systems like Paypal.

Things that You Should Consider when Dealing with Shopping Online

Today, online shopping has revolutionized the traditional forms of shopping. Instead of hitching a bandwagon, business find a more lucrative business with setting up an online store. Because of this customers, no matter where they are, would find the products, items, or services that they truly crave for. But before you join the craze, here are some things that you should keep in mind:

  1. Most of the top online stores bargains reward programs when you are a loyal customer. Though the price or offer may vary, members would definitely save about 4-5% if you keep an eye out.

  2. Check if the slashed price offers include sales tax. Sales taxes can add up to the amount of the item so ensure that you are really getting what you have paid for.

  3. Always check the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of the Site.

  4. Buy items or transact only with trusted companies and secure or encrypted websites.

  5. Check if the payment system is secure.

  6. Use credit card instead of debit card. In case there are disputes, credit card payments can be withheld. Or, if you are one of the savvy shoppers who guards his credit card carefully, you can use a one-time-use credit card which uses randomly generated number that can be used for one time only. This credit card is a guarantee that no thief will get access to your account.

  7. Look around the Site and check if it delivers to your city or state.

  8. Read the fine print about substitution or refund.

  9. Check the return policy. Some companies have different return policies for certain items so be sure to check them first.

  10. Verify the minimum purchase necessary for delivery. See if the company is offering standard flat-rate shipping on all of their products or only to specific merchandize. Always keep shipping cost and the shipping time frame in your accounting list whenever you buy online items.

Best Tips for Online Shoppers

  1. Sign up on every online newsletter to check on the latest sale. This is a good way to score the best deals especially during the holiday season.

  2. Read customer reviews. Check customer’s comment to learn more about the product that you want to purchase. Since you do not know how the product would look like in person, the customers’ feedback would really help you decide whether you should go for it or not.

  3. Be familiar with the quality ratings. Read the product description thoroughly and make sure you understand what “fair”, “like new” and “refurbished” means. These ratings are often given to electronic devices to give consumers an idea of the condition that the item is being sold in.

  4. Keep a record of your purchase. Most of online stores will email a copy of the receipt either save it to your computer or print a copy for future use.

  5. If you are a student, you’ll likely get more chance to get big savings with textbooks in August. This is because students enjoy sales tax exemption in several states.

  6. Take advantage of “out-of season” clearance sales.

  7. Look for reliable price comparison site like PriceRunner and Pricewatch to ensure that you’ll have the lowest possible price for your beloved items.

  8. Check if the web address bar has “https” in the front address. If it does, this signifies that the checkout is more secure than the others. Also, make sure that the security certificate that the website is using is updated and active.

Conclusion

Online shopping gives you the freedom to choose the things that you want without scouting the mall and brush elbow-to-elbow with the crowd. With just a few simple clicks, you can find the greatest deals without waiting in line to get to checkout. It also allows you to save time and effort because you can actually purchase, have the item gift-wrapped and delivered directly to your friends or relatives. These, plus the high price of gas makes people prefer online shopping rather than the traditional way of shopping. So, whether you are working long or odd hours you can enjoy the convenience that online shopping offers as long as you are smart not just with scoring the best savings but also by transacting with reputable website like CouponGents.us then you are a sure online money saver!