Shoppers’ expectations about higher prices are justified: By analyzing prices across 100 million products in online stores between 2021 and 2022, a new report from PayPal’s Honey found that consumers will face higher costs in common gift categories this year. Prices of electronics and toys are up 11%, and jewelry is up a whopping 31%.
Below, Select looks at what consumers can do this holiday season to find deals and save money on gifts for loved ones and family members, whether that’s by using a price match or signing up for a coupon service.
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Scouring deals
Even though prices on many gifts may be higher this year, retailers stuck with excess inventory from 2021 are launching sales in order to offload their surplus of items. This means that consumers looking to save money can do so by starting to shop early during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and by keeping an eye on deals as the holidays get closer.
As for Black Friday, Select is highlighting some of the best deals you’ll find at retailers, whether it’s a general round-up or for your favorite merchants like Target or Best Buy.
Take advantage of price matching
This holiday season, some retailers are offering price matches for a limited time. With price matching, retailers offer to match prices on identical items found at other retailers.
Between October 6 and December 24, Target will price match goods purchased online or in-store. In order to receive the price match, you’ll need to provide proof of a lower price by showing the original ad or the retailer’s website.
Walmart also has a price matching policy that’s offered all year around. This applies to items purchased online or in-store.
Use coupons and shopping portals
While receiving coupons in the mail may seem antiquated, consumers can still easily get access to promotions, discounts and coupons online. With services like Ibotta, Honey and Capital One Shopping, you simply have to download a browser extension in order to start saving money on your purchases.
Honey is known for automatically providing consumers with promo codes and discounts at retailers across the internet. You just have to download the browser extension and when you’re about to checkout on a retailer’s website, Honey will scan for and apply any applicable discount codes. It also has a feature known as a ‘droplist’ which consumers can use to set up price alerts on items at select retailers.
Ibotta may be a good choice if you’re interested in earning cash-back on everyday purchases, like groceries, too. Ibotta can be used to earn cash-back at select online and in-store retailers and can be linked to select loyalty programs. And once you earn $20 in cash back, you can redeem it as a direct deposit into your bank account, through PayPal or for gift cards.
Ibotta
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Cost
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Cash back
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Coupon codes
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Price comparison
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mobile app
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Works with in-store purchases
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welcome bonus
Earn $15 after you spend $50 shopping with Ibotta.
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How to redeem your savings
Redeem cash back once you reach $20 as a deposit into your bank account, PayPal account or for gift cards.
Pros
- New users can earn a $50 welcome bonus
- Offers at over 300 participating retailers
- You can activate savings, then shop and save on in-store purchases
Cons
- You can only redeem cash back after you reach $20
Capital One Shopping is another shopping browser extension which offers features like coupon codes scanning, price comparison and rewards. It’s available as both an app and a web browser extension, and you don’t need to be a Capital One account holder to sign-up. Like Honey, Capital One will scan your shopping cart at an online retailer to determine if there are any applicable coupon codes. It also has a price comparison feature, so you can see how the price of goods stacks up at different retailers. Plus, you may earn rewards through Capital One Shopping which you can redeem for gift cards at a variety of retailers.
Capital One Shopping
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Cost
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How to save
Get a Shopping Credit (which acts like cash back) on eligible purchases, automatic coupons and price comparisons.
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How to use it
Download the Capital One Shopping app or install the browser extension.
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How to receive your savings
Shopping credits can be used to purchase gift cards.
Use the right credit card
No matter where you’re shopping this holiday season, you’ll want to have a credit card that earns you travel rewards or cash back for your spending. To earn even more rewards, consider using a card that earns bonus rewards at your preferred retailer or sign up for a new card that has a sizeable welcome bonus.
The Citi Premier® Card currently has an 80,000-point welcome bonus which you’ll earn after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. That welcome bonus is worth $800 in cash-back or gift cards and potentially much more if you transfer your points to one of Citi’s travel partners.
Citi Premier® Card
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Rewards
3X points per $1 spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and on hotels and air travel, 1X points on all other purchases
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welcome bonus
80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
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annual fee
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
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Balance transfer fee
5% of each balance transfer, $5 minimum
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
If you’re an avid shopper at Amazon and already have a Prime membership, you may consider getting the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card. Cardholders earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market purchases. Plus, the current welcome bonus is a $150 Amazon.com gift card upon approval.
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
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Rewards
5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market; 2% back at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores; 1% back on all other purchases
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welcome bonus
$100 Amazon.com gift card upon approval
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annual fee
$0 (but Prime membership is required)
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Intro APR
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Regular APR
17.24% to 25.24% variable
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Balance transfer fee
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Foreign transaction fee
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Credit needed
If you’re an Amex cardholder, you may also be eligible for additional discounts on Amazon. By redeeming just one American Express Membership Rewards point, you can get up to 40% off (up to $40) on your Amazon purchase. In order to be eligible, you’ll need to connect your Amex and Amazon accounts. Just check here if you’re eligible for the offer.
All you have to do is go to the checkout page, and enter “0.01” when you’re prompted to use your Membership Rewards points. You’ll then receive your discount.
And if you’ve been holding onto points or cash back, it may be a good time to redeem your rewards, whether that’s with a statement credit to reduce or erase your existing balance or with gift cards to give to others.
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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