Top 4 online Christmas shopping hacks

Top 4 online Christmas shopping hacks

Just in time for Christmas, Instagram launches it’s brand new ‘Shop tab’ feature, which allows users to shop their favourite brands from right within the app. 

To celebrate the launch and help support local Aussie businesses, Instagram Australia is holding it’s first-ever in-app shopping event ‘InstaNight Shopping’ (6pm, Thursday, December 3). Talk about a double-whammy!

So, mark your calendars boys and girls, because with exclusive offers from brands like David Jones, Adore Beauty, BANGN BODY, Bed Threads, HiSmile and Culture Kings - this could be an event worth checking out.

Of course, many people are steering clear of crowded stores this year. So to help out, here are four simple tips for a better online shopping experience:

1. Say bye to buyer’s remorse with Honey

The Honey app is every online shopper’s secret weapon to never paying full price again! Just add the free Chrome extension to your browser and it’ll automatically find and apply any available coupon codes to your order at the checkout when you shop online so you can save a few extra pennies.

2. Earn Qantas Points on autopilot

Earn Qantas Points for shopping online by installing the free Qantas Shopping Points-Prompter to your browser (available on Chrome, Firefox and Safari for desktops & tablets only). The next time you shop with an eligible online store you’ll be notified to click to earn Qantas Points on your purchase.

3. Ditch your cart at the checkout

Here’s a sneaky little hack that retailers wouldn’t want you to know: ditch your cart at the checkout. No, this isn’t our way of getting you to save by swearing off shopping. But, now that you mention it … 

Dad jokes aside, online stores hate unfinished business. So, if you leave an item in your shopping cart and close the tab (without placing the order), a discount offer just might land in your inbox within a day or so. This doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a try.

4. Different quotes for different folks

Have you and a friend ever looked up the same flights or accommodation together on the same site but were both shown totally different prices? That’s a little thing called ‘dynamic pricing’ my friend.

Many online stores use dynamic pricing, which shows each customer a different price for an item depending on your location, browsing history, shopping habits and a range of other factors. One way around this though is to clear your cookies or use an incognito/private browser when shopping online.

Want a little extra bang for your buck? Then check out our ‘Savings guide to freebies and discounts in 2020’. Otherwise, head over to our life and money hub for more personal finance tips and tricks.