7 tips to bring out the smart online shopper in you

Online shopping has made life so much better for consumers because it’s easy to navigate, plus it has so many options and possibilities! Finding the perfect steals, getting the most affordable price, even having Cash on Delivery here in the Philippines as a payment option — it literally feels like a whole new world.

Whether you’re an expert or a budding online shopper, tips and tricks are always welcome, especially if it will guarantee you more savings, a sure purchase, and a safe and convenient online shopping experience. If you want to level up your skills and become a smart online shopper, here are seven tips that will get you there.

1. Visit multiple stores to compare prices

One of the many wonders of online shopping is it lets you visit multiple shops and merchants with just a few simple clicks or taps. It may even come as a surprise that the product you’re looking for is actually sold by three or four other shops, which you can freely visit as if you were shopping in person.

Visiting these virtual shops gives you the opportunity to compare prices, shipping fees, delivery time, and other potential deals that could not only get you your money’s worth, but even more.

2. Look for vouchers, discount codes, and cash back apps

If you think you’ve already scored awesome savings just because an item is on sale, think again. This is where vouchers and discount codes come to play, and actually make online shopping more fun.

Merchants usually offer vouchers and discount codes on their shop’s page to attract more consumers. These give online shoppers savings whether it’s a minimum purchase to get the discounts, getting free shipping with no minimum purchase, or if you’re lucky, even a free item.

Another thing you can do is look into cash back apps or app extensions which also grant you instant savings apart from the sale discount that you’re already getting. Think of it as a hack to get the most out of your purchase.

3. Consider the feedback of other shoppers

Customer feedback can be seen as an online version of word-of-mouth recommendations. Shops with multiple reviews or feedback help you get a proper assessment of their service and the quality of their products. You can also check if the seller is responsive to inquiries or how they handle returns should items be defective.

Reading online reviews is good as it helps you see what other people think. But if you have friends who have made similar purchases or can vouch for the items that you want, then even better! These are things for you to consider as an online shopper to make sure that you aren’t being tricked into buying a defective or counterfeit product.

4. Time your purchases

Just like offline stores, online shops offer regular and seasonal promos. But if you really want to have an upper hand in maximizing these discounts, don’t just look at specific dates; consider the time as well.

Because online shopping has become massive, promotions have also evolved. You now have access to flash sales or limited-time offers which only last for a couple of hours. To get the best deal, make sure to match the sale dates and check which products are also included in these flash sales. This way, you are able to secure more savings by having multiple discounts for one or more products in one go.

5. Enable shop notifications and email announcements

One of the easiest ways to get more information about sales and promotions is through notifications and email announcements. Do like every online shopper does – enable those notifications and sign up for those free subscriptions.

But before you click on anything when you receive these notifications and emails, make sure to read them carefully because scammers and fraudsters are also getting smarter and extra creative these days. If you get an email that looks suspicious, message the shop directly to confirm or check with a friend who also follows them.

You can never be too careful when it comes to the digital space, so always keep in mind to never share any sensitive or personal information with anyone.

6. Don’t “Proceed to Checkout” just yet

A good online shopper knows when to go all out and when to reel it in, even for a short while. If there’s no special occasion and you just find yourself browsing through some products, feel free to add anything you like to your cart as long as you don’t proceed to checkout immediately.

They say good things take time, so why not wait it out a bit, even just for a day or two? This will give you time to ask yourself, is this something you need or is it an impulse buy? Is there an upcoming sale that could score you savings? Are there available vouchers that can lower the price? Are there other items you can purchase as a bundle?

While there are no guarantees that the product you want to buy would still be available by the time you’ve finally decided, you can always think of it as a sign of whether something is really meant for you or not.

7. Choose Cash on Delivery

All things considered, your online shopping will boil down to your payment method. You can always opt to choose online payments through credit cards, debit cards, and e-wallets so all you have to do next is wait for your purchase to arrive. But when it comes to being extra careful, many online shoppers prefer Cash on Delivery in the Philippines.

Cash on Delivery allows you to make sure that the item that you will receive is actually what you ordered. This also grants you more time to either save up, find resources, or move things around in your budget before paying for your order.

Payo understands how much online shoppers enjoy Cash on Delivery in the Philippines. That’s why it helps both local and international brands integrate Cash on Delivery into their selling platforms, making online shopping more convenient for you. Not only that, as soon as you finish checking out, Payo also provides you with updates like the status of your purchase and when you can expect it to arrive.

You can learn more about how we offer Cash on Delivery to our different partner brands here. We hope you have a great time with your online shopping!