Using discounts and coupons is a foolproof way of saving money, and with 27% of the global population shopping online, looking for money off your online purchases is undeniably savvy.
So you search for discount codes, download bar scanning apps, and cut out coupons from magazines in a bid to keep costs low. But did you know there's an even easier way to save (or earn) money when shopping online?
Enter the world of browser extensions.
Browser extensions are plug-ins you can install on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and other popular browsers. Some automatically apply discount codes at checkout or compare the best prices from popular merchants. Others offer cash back payments after purchases.
Here are some of the best browser extensions to always guarantee more bang for your buck.
Honey
The undisputed leader in the automatic coupon space, Honey is one of the best-known browser extensions on the market - and it's certainly earned its reputation.
Rather than scour the internet for coupons and discounts from countless sites, users can go about their shopping as usual, and Honey will do the rest. When it finds a working coupon for the product you are currently viewing, it automatically applies it at checkout.
Other benefits of using Honey include finding the lowest prices onAmazon and earning cash back on eligible purchases through the extension's rewards program known as PayPal Rewards.
Capital One Shopping
Another popular extension for shoppers is Capital One Shopping, which works similarly to Honey by finding coupon codes on your behalf. You don't have to bank with Capital One to use the company's browser extension.
If you like a particular item, you can get alerts when it goes on sale. There are chances to earn cash back at many of the nation's most popular retailers.
Comrade
Nowadays, you can't browse the internet without advertisers battling for your attention. Your attention is precious to advertisers, and some extensions allow you to take advantage of that. That's what Comrade is all about.
Regular cash back apps give you money back after making a purchase, but Comrade is slightly different. Comrade is an attention cash back extension that shows you relevant recommendations when shopping online and pays you instantly when you visit them, essentially paying you for your attention.
Besides the earnings, Comrade also matches you with products that suit your needs. Recommendations are always directly related to the products you'd be looking for at the time. It's like having a personal fashion stylist dress you up and pay you for every item you try on.
Rakuten
Rakuten is a shopping rewards website that focuses mainly on cash back. Members can use the Rakuten extension to activate cash back rewards on thousands of online stores.
If the store you're shopping at doesn't offer cash back but a similar store does, Rakuten will let you know.
Ibotta
Ibotta can earn you up to 30% cash back from thousands of retailers, including eBay, Walmart, Home Depot, and Groupon. Also available as a mobile app, Ibotta boasts an extensive blog featuring deal-hunting tips, DIY projects, and more.
To use Ibotta, sign up, install the extension, and activate it before you shop. You can withdraw your earnings directly to a linked bank account.
CouponCabin Sidekick
CouponCabin Sidekick is a free, easy-to-use browser extension that helps you save money, similar to Honey and Capital One Shopping. Once installed, it automatically applies discount codes at checkout. You'll also receive real-time alerts when you visit an online store offering cash back and discounts.
However, it has a unique feature that displays discount information directly in Google search results to draw your attention to the best deal when you search for a specific product or store on Google.
The Camelizer
The Camelizer is an Amazon price-tracking website that tracks the price history of items sold on the eCommerce giant so shoppers can understand whether what they're paying is fair.
Believe it or not, many companies temporarily raise their prices right before a 'sale' to make it look like there’s a significant discount during the sale period. With this browser extension, savvy shoppers can judge when a sale is indeed a better value than the original retail price.
The best part is, The Camelizer shows you price history charts directly on Amazon's product page, so it won't interrupt your shopping experience.
PriceBlink
PriceBlink boasts multiple ways of helping you to shave costs off your regular online shopping. While you're viewing a product, PriceBlink automatically scours thousands of merchants for the lowest prices.
Discount coupons will also be automatically applied when applicable. All of PriceBlink's coupons are reviewed by the deal editors, so wave goodbye to the days of trying countless coupons that don't work.
RetailMeNot Deal Finder
Supported by over 20,000 retailers, RetailMeNot Deal Finder automatically applies the best discount codes and cash back options when you checkout at your favorite stores.
Its site is filled to the brim with the latest offers from popular retailers, including Walmart, Papa John's, Macy's, and many more.
Amazon Assistant
Amazon Assistant is Amazon's official browser extension. If you're an Amazon fanatic, you'll love everything this extension has to offer.
Amazon Assistant makes it easy to compare product prices on other stores to the same products on Amazon. It's an Amazon marketing strategy to reel you into Amazon when shopping on other online stores. As long as you find lower prices for the same products, the marketing strategy is more than welcome.
You can also see a 30-day price tracker while scrolling through Amazon product pages, which can help you make better purchasing decisions based on historical pricing data. The extension will also show you daily deals, exclusive offers, and recommendations tailored to your shopping habits.
With so many options today, saving money has never been easier! Take your time and explore these extensions one by one to ensure you always get the most bang for your buck when shopping online.
Learn how to earn money when shopping online with Comrade, the only browser extension that pays you in cash for your attention.