16 deal apps and tools for finding online shopping bargains

If you’re a frequent online shopper but don’t comparison-shop before making a purchase, you could be missing out on deep discounts. Alas, scouring the internet for the lowest price on a coveted item can be a time-suck — especially if you’re looking for something in a pinch.

We surveyed smart shopping experts and evaluated a variety of deal sites and online shopping tools ourselves to identify these 16 trusted ways to save money every time you shop online:

Free shipping deals

When shopping online, finding a great deal gets even sweeter when you can score free shipping, too. But trying to track down promo codes that actually work, as well as retailers that offer the perk, can be frustrating if you don’t know where to look. Skip hopping from site to site and check out FreeShipping.org. It’s a web site that aggregates all of the retailers that offer free shipping and other discounts to customers. The site includes the terms and conditions of the free shipping deal and the promo code, where applicable.

Price comparisons

Save yourself the hassle of digging into multiple websites to find the best price on items you’re buying online. Consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch recommends the browser extension Popcart, which sends a pop-up notification any time a product you’re looking at is cheaper on a competitor site. In addition to retail price comparisons, the browser extension also compares unit prices on items.

You probably already buy a lot at Amazon.com. Should it be even more? Install the Amazon Assistant browser extension, says smart shopping expert Trae Bodge of TrueTrae.com, to see how Amazon’s prices stack up as you shop for products on competing sites.

Coupons and promo codes

Our sources recommend CouponCabin.com for its vast collection of online promo codes and printable coupons that can be used in-store. Consumers can find deals from online and brick-and-mortar retailers such as Nike, Overstock.com and Target. The site also maintains a list of retailers’ active cash-back offers.

The Honey browser extension helps save shoppers time and money by doing all the work, says Kyle James, founder of Rather-Be-Shopping.com. After registering for the site and downloading the extension, you’ll see a Honey widget appear when you check out at any participating retailer. The widget searches the web for all relevant promo codes and applies the one with the biggest savings to your order.

Next time you go on an online spending spree, consider using Cently, recommends consumer savings expert Woroch. It’s a browser extension that automatically searches for coupon codes while you shop, tests them and applies the one with the biggest savings to your order. Unlike similar extensions, you don’t have to divulge your personal information by becoming a registered user.

Daily deals

DealNews.com is a go-to resource for the retail experts here at Kiplinger. The site offers a curated selection of product deals — ranging from electronics to home goods — that gets updated daily. Bargain hunters can also find smart shopping tips on the site’s blog. Recent topics include a list of the retailers with the best customer rewards programs, as well as determining when is the best time of year to buy a smart phone.

Deals on travel

If you’re planning to travel during the pandemic, you can take advantage of historically low prices on airfare and hotel packages. To find the best travel deals, we often recommend these three sites to help get the most value for your money:

• Scott’s Cheap Flights sends e-mail alerts when airfare deals based on your search parameters become available.
• On Kayak.com, you can search for travel deals by plane or train, as well as rental car and hotel packages.
• Google Flights allows users to search average airfare and hotel prices using an interactive map. The site even aggregates vacation rental listings offered by VRBO, Booking.com and TripAdvisor.

Deals on gift cards

No matter if you’re buying a gift card as a present or for yourself (to prevent overspending), you can always find them at a lower price through an online gift card exchange site compared to buying direct from the retailer. Try these two:

• Cardpool offers discounted gift cards from the likes of Best Buy, Nordstrom and Patagonia for up to 35% off face-value. For example, we spotted a $25 Fandango gift card selling for $17.50 — that’s 30% off. The cards available on Cardpool have no expiration date, no fees and come with a 60-day purchase guarantee of validity.
• GiftCardGranny is another gift card exchange site worth a look thanks to its vast selection and cash-back rewards, says TrueTrae.com’s Bodge. You can earn cash back by purchasing select gift cards (think: Lowe’s, Uber Eats and Apple’s App Store) and then redeeming the rewards for a direct payout or free gift cards once you’ve earned at least $5 in rewards. In addition to big name retailers, you can also find gift cards for local businesses based on the ZIP code you enter into the search field.

Cash-back rebates

We’ve previously written about browser extension Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) and why you should take advantage of its rebate offers while shopping online. Once you’ve downloaded the browser extension, sign up for a Rakuten account. After you’ve registered, you’ll gain access to 2,500 online retailers where you can earn up to 40% in cash-back rewards.

If you frequently shop using a smart phone, consider downloading a mobile app such as Ibotta that lets you earn cash back on everyday purchases, suggests Rather-Be-Shopping.com’s James.

You can score money back on everything from grocery items to pet supplies purchased through the app, which requires linking a credit or debit card to your Ibotta account.

Deals on insurance

Don’t limit your comparison-shopping to traditional retail purchases such as clothes, electronics and household goods. You can even use online sites and tools to help score the best rates on insurance policies. One such site we recommend at Kiplinger is Policygenius.com, where you can get price quotes for a range of policies including life, homeowners, auto and renters insurance.

If you need life or long-term care insurance, consider using AccuQuote.com. You’ll have to cough up your contact information so an agent can follow up with you directly at a later date, but you’ll immediately receive a list of insurers that match your profile and estimated monthly premiums for each plan.

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