As more people shop online, the increase and demand for discount codes have skyrocketed. As much as discount codes are exciting to buy and fun to use, there are times when we feel like “argh” this code doesn’t work – you fill your cart, prepare to check out, apply the code, and something goes wrong; no savings. 

Some might not believe this, but on average, coupon/promo codes work only about a third of the time; another reason is sometimes, they might be expired, non-transferable, there are exclusions, or they probably just don’t work. 

Luckily there are some tricky ways you can easily get discount codes online, and in turn, you get to save a ton of money. 

How Do I Easily Find Discount Codes for Online Stores? 

Using discount codes when shopping can be a great way to save money. Even more so, experts at Coupon X say using discounted codes can even save you from being overcharged online. If you’re asking how you can do this, then read further;

Be An E-commerce Nerd

It’s good to browse in incognito mode, or you can clear your browser cookies; why? Websites can track your internet behavior and get an insight into how much you spend buying items online; with this, they can set the prices of items at a much higher rate – if you make expensive purchases. But clearing your cookies or, better still, browsing in incognito mode with your browser can save you from getting overcharged; you could even get discounted prices. 

Call Customer Service

There are times when you get email alerts for coupon codes, and you don’t want to use them, and when you plan on purchasing something, they end up being expired. But here is the catch, if you want to buy, let’s say, a gadget, you can call customer service, and they might accept your coupon code. 

Search For Discount Codes From A Trusted Source.

Websites like DealsPlus, RetailMeNot, Coupon Cabin, and Slickdeals work with thousands of retailers and brands to aggregate sales and codes; more so, these sites test and verify these codes. 

When visiting these sites, they might ask users to indicate a thumb up or thumb down to rate the usability of codes, and this makes it easy for you to see how often code works. 

Install A Browser Extension.

How this works is that when you visit an online store, you can click on an icon — a browser extension with a wiki buy icon or honey icon — and then it automates the process of searching for suitable discount codes for you. It searches for every available free promo code with the most savings and then applies it. 

Play Smart.

You can play smart by filling your virtual shopping cart, checking out, and then abandoning it. But be wise to bookmark the URL of the virtual cart. If you leave it for a while, you will most likely get an ad offering you a discount on what you have in your virtual cart – this is called retargeting, and it’s mostly used by large e-commerce companies. Once you have the code, you can apply the code; even more so, some stores might email you directing you to complete a transaction with a discount code as a form of encouragement. 

Sign Up For Loyalty Programs.

If you just love buying products from a specific retailer or brand, you can easily sign up for their loyalty programs, download their app, or even follow them on social media. By doing this, you get a chance to receive promo codes; more so, you might also receive a promo code or receive a bonus code on your first purchase. 

You Can Go Old School.

Companies still put online coupon codes in newspapers and magazines; yes, it still happens. You could even get some nice online discount codes on mailers and catalogs. 

Connect On Social Media.

You can follow retailers on social media – Twitter, Facebook, etc.; why? These retailers often reward their social media followers with exclusive coupons and access to important sales.

Final words

It would be best if you took your time to find discount codes. Another benefit of signing up for loyalty programs is that you get a constant stream of email codes, and when this happens, you should keep your codes. One basic thing you should know about online shopping is that the market is competitive, so merchants are constantly finding ways to make you a customer. By this, they make tempting offers, so you’ll likely get a discount.