How to save money when shopping online: 10 practical methods

The most effective way to save money online is not collecting promo codes: it is checking the real price of a product before buying (history, struck-through price, total cost), letting price drops come to you with alerts, and using your rights, such as the 14-day withdrawal period. Promo codes, cashback and refurbished goods come next, as long as you know their limits.

Here are ten practical methods, from the most rewarding to the most occasional. Legal points refer to French and EU consumer law.

How do you know if an online price is actually good?

1. Check the price history

A price is only good or bad compared with its past. A product flagged "on sale" may be at its usual price, while one with no banner may be at its lowest in months. Before any significant purchase, look at how the price has moved over several weeks. For Amazon, our guide to Amazon price history explains how to read it.

2. Read struck-through prices sceptically

In France, since May 28, 2022, the struck-through price of a discount must be the lowest price the seller charged in the previous 30 days (article L112-1-1 of the Consumer Code, transposing the EU Omnibus directive). The rule curbs abuse, but it covers neither older price increases nor "recommended prices" shown as a reference. Details in our guide to the 30-day rule.

3. Compare the total price, not the headline price

The price that counts is what you actually pay. Before checking out, look at:

• delivery costs and the shipping option selected;
• who the seller is: the retailer itself or a third-party marketplace seller, whose terms may differ;
• must-have accessories not included (cable, bracket, installation);
• the free-delivery threshold, which sometimes nudges you to add something you did not need.

How can you pay less without checking prices every day?

4. Set price alerts

Returning to a product page every day is tedious, and short-lived drops often go unnoticed. A price drop alert flips the logic: you set the price you are willing to pay and get notified when it is reached. You no longer buy because a banner says so, but because the price matches your goal.

5. Buy at the right time

The January and late-June sales in France, Black Friday in late November, a new model launch: each category has its good windows and its times to avoid (an air conditioner mid-heatwave, for instance). Our best time to buy calendar covers them month by month. If the price hits your target before the event, there is no need to wait.

Promo codes and cashback: how do they really work?

6. Use promo codes without wasting time

The most reliable codes usually come from the retailer itself: newsletter sign-up, first order, mobile app. Code-aggregator websites list plenty, but some are expired or come with conditions (minimum spend, excluded categories). Two simple rules:

• always compare the total after applying the code with another retailer's price without one;
• never pay, and never hand over card details, to "unlock" a code.

7. Understand cashback before relying on it

How a cashback site works: when you click through its link to buy from a partner retailer, the retailer pays it a commission, and it passes part of that on to you. In practice:

• the money is often credited after a delay, once the order is confirmed (returns can cancel it);
• tracking can fail if you go through another link, use an unauthorised code or block certain cookies;
• a minimum balance is sometimes required before you can withdraw.

Cashback is a bonus on a purchase you had already decided on. It does not make an overpriced product a good deal: a cheaper price elsewhere without cashback is often the better option.

Lever	What it gives you	Its limit
Price history	Knowing whether today's price is genuinely low	Needs some history on the product
Price alert	Buying when the price drops, without watching	You need a realistic target price
Promo code	Instant reduction at checkout	Expired codes, conditions, sometimes a higher starting price
Cashback	Partial refund after purchase	Delayed payout, tracking not always reliable
Refurbished	Cheaper than new	Condition and commercial warranty vary

Is buying refurbished a good way to save?

8. Choose refurbished and know your rights

For tech in particular, refurbished products cost less than new ones. In France the term is regulated: under decree no. 2022-190 of February 17, 2022, a product can only be called "refurbished" ("reconditionné") if it is a used product that has undergone tests covering all its functions, with repairs if needed and deletion of the previous user's data. Phrases such as "as new" or "like new" are banned for these products.

Bought from a business, a refurbished or second-hand product comes with the two-year legal guarantee of conformity. The only difference from new: a fault is presumed to have existed at purchase for 12 months, rather than 24 months for a new product. Between private individuals, this legal guarantee does not apply.

Which consumer rights help you avoid losing money?

9. The 14-day withdrawal period

For an online purchase from a business in France (and, more broadly, across the EU), you have 14 calendar days to cancel without giving a reason, starting the day after you receive the product (articles L221-18 and following of the French Consumer Code). The seller must refund you within 14 days of your decision, including the original delivery charge based on standard delivery; it may, however, wait until it gets the product back or proof you sent it. Return shipping is usually yours to pay if you were told so beforehand.

Some purchases are excluded: personalised goods, perishable food, unsealed hygiene items, digital content already downloaded, and hotel or transport bookings, among others. In practice, this period gives you time to check a product suits you, and to send it back if you quickly find it was much cheaper elsewhere, once return costs are factored in.

10. Know the legal guarantee before paying for an extension

Any product bought from a business, online or in store, comes with the two-year legal guarantee of conformity, free and mandatory. Before paying for an extended warranty offered at checkout, check what it really adds: cover beyond two years, accidental damage, theft or a loan device.

Which traps make you spend more online?

• False urgency: countdown timers, "limited offer" banners. Ask yourself whether you would buy at the same price without the clock.
• "Don't miss it" flash sales that trigger unplanned purchases. Our guide to spotting a fake discount helps you sort them.
• Forgotten free trials that turn into paid subscriptions: note the end date as soon as you sign up.
• Padding the basket to reach free delivery, which sometimes costs more than the shipping fee.

For Amazon purchases specifically, see our tips to pay less on Amazon.

Put it into practice: automate price tracking

Applying methods 1, 4 and 5 by hand means going back to every product page regularly, noting prices somewhere and hoping to catch the drop in time. With several products it quickly becomes a chore, and drops lasting a few hours or days slip past. UniverTrack does that work for you:

1. Paste the product link (Amazon, Cdiscount or another online store): the price is checked automatically and a dated history builds up, with past history available for Amazon.
2. Set a target price and check the "good time to buy" indicator to see whether today's price is attractive.
3. Get an email when the price hits your target, then buy after checking the total price.

If you hunt deals across many products and want to weed out fake discounts, the Malin plan (up to 50 products, fake-discount detection) fits best. To compare the same product at several retailers you add yourself, choose Pro; for a single big purchase, Découverte is enough. Details on the pricing page, and every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no commitment.