Everything You Must Know About Online Shopping

Online shopping is extremely convenient for shoppers. The power to select whatever you need or want around the clock or wherever you are is what makes this industry boom. However, quite a few things should be known by any online shopper. Keep reading for great tips about saving money online.

If you think that you will be making a lot of online purchases in the future, consider applying for a separate credit card to use only for these transactions. It is easier to track all transactions if they are the only items listed on this card's transaction records. Additionally, you don't need to worry about your own funds being compromised, even temporarily, if you are a victim of fraud.

You should think about purchasing a prepaid debit card and loading it when you intend to make purchases. This will help you avoid using debit or credit accounts that have a large balance. If someone gets the prepaid card information, there will be nothing on the card for them to take.

Make sure you understand who is responsible if an item gets damaged during shipment when shopping online. Some retailers will be responsible for this, while others put it on the shipping company. Make sure you know who to contact and who is responsible if items are damages or need to be returned.

Check out the address bar of your browser before you enter your credit card number into a Web form. If you see "https," you can go ahead, since your data will be securely encrypted. If it does not, then you have to know that you are leaving yourself open to possible fraud in the future as your information is not necessarily being safely stored.

Never make your final purchase without searching for coupon or promo codes. It takes just a few seconds to enter the store's name and the words "coupon code" into a search engine. More often than not, you should be able to find coupon codes for a percentage off of your order, free shipping, or a fixed amount off of a large purchase.

If you make a purchase and you are directed to a confirmation page that fails to load, never hit the button that refreshes the page. if you do this, you run this risk of being billed multiple times. If you must confirm your purchase, contact the company or check your credit card statement.

Searching is the key to saving money with online shopping. Do a search for whatever it is you want to buy. You can use a traditional search engine like Google, or a shopping-specific engine like Shopping.com so you can more easily see who has the item in stock and what their price is.

Many of us have a favorite store - are you following your favorite store on Facebook and Twitter? If not, you should be! Companies often announce special offers or sales via social media sites, and by checking their Facebook page or Twitter account regularly, you may find some good deals that you otherwise would have missed out on.

Shop with a friend to save money. Many times an online store will offer free shipping or another discount if you spend a certain amount of money. If you find that you will not be spending the amount needed, ask a friend if they need anything from the store so you can both save money.

Learn about the store's return policy. Sometimes when you order online there is a possibility that you will want to return or exchange an item. If that is something that may happen, find out what the store's policies are so you do not end up being disappointed with an item you don't want.

Shopping at different sites can make it tempting to use the same password. This is really not a good idea. Use different passwords for heightened security. Use a secure document to store passwords to track them easier.

Prior to making a purchase, check out the site's shipping guarantee. If your item does not ship out when it is supposed to, you can cancel the order and get your money back. Make sure you know what your rights are so that you are fully protected when making online purchases.

Before turning over personally identifiable information or making a payment, check for the HTTPS in the location bar. The S stands for security encryption, letting you know that your information is secure. If the shopping website is a secure one, a padlock icon should be displayed in a prominent position.

Never provide your social security number when you are shopping online. Any site which asks for this is shady. This number isn't required for any online ordering. If you give any online retailer this information you may end up getting your identity stolen.

The most important thing to do before you shop on a new website is to check the return policy. If you buy something that doesn't fit, comes broken or just doesn't fit your needs, you need to be able to return it. If the store has brick and mortar locations, find out if you can make the return there.

Always print or save the confirmation page. After placing an order online, a confirmation page usually pops up detailing your order and assigning it a confirmation number. Always save this page to a .pdf file or print it out if you prefer. In the case that there is any problem with your order, this page will have all of the proof and information you will need to resolve the problem.

Before finalizing your online purchase, if there is a spot to enter a coupon code, open a new browser tab and search for one. There are a number of different sites that offer coupons codes. By doing a quick search, you might be able to find a promotional code or coupon code that you could use. This just takes a few moments, and it can save you a lot of money.

Now that you are aware of better ways to shop online, you can put your knowledge to use. You'll now be able to spend money any time of day or night, knowing how to best manage the experience. Use this new knowledge with friends and have fun with your future online shopping trips.