You’ve probably heard of online coupon sites—maybe you have friends who use them. Maybe you’ve received an online invitation in your inbox to join one. And perhaps you’ve just ignored the invitations or failed to look further into coupons websites because they didn’t interest you, you mistook the invitations for spam, or because you just didn’t know how the site worked and were hesitant to invest your time or give up any personal information.
Of course, it’s everyone’s choice to sign up for a service, but if you have chosen to avoid online coupons sites because you don’t understand how they work, you are missing out! Coupon websites are a great way to save money. Odds are, you’re shopping online anyway, and unlike old-fashioned coupons, online coupons won’t clutter up your junk drawer! If you have been feeling hesitant to join a coupon website because you weren’t sure what it entailed, here is some information on how they work and what to look for when you sign up.
Finding a Good Coupon Website
Your first step is not just finding a coupon website, but also finding a good one. There are several coupon websites out there, but some are better than others. The first thing you should do is seek out online reviews to see what other people recommend. This way you’ll learn which sites are the most user friendly, and which have the best features and the fewest problems.
Look for a site that offers you the most. Some just list general discount codes that you can find anywhere, but others provide exclusive online coupons and offer additional savings to loyal customers and to customers who recommend their service to friends, and some even provide cash back. Those extra features can add up to a lot of extra savings, so they’re more worth your time.
Signing Up
Signing up should be similar to starting an online account with a reputable retailer. You’ll likely be asked for basic information, such as your name and email address. You’ll likely be given the option to save your mailing address and credit card number to make transactions faster. You may be asked to provide some general demographic information, or some information on your interests so the site knows which coupons and discounts to offer you.
Shopping and Saving
Once you’re all signed up, you can begin shopping. Different sites work in different ways. Some will just provide you with coupon codes and leave it up to you to visit the retailer’s website on your own to use the coupon. Others, however, will let you purchase discounted items right through the coupon website, speeding up and streamlining the whole process. These sites are great because they also allow you to purchase from multiple brands in one transaction, so you’ll not only be saving money, but valuable time as well.
Some coupon websites will provide you with more or greater discount offers the more you shop with them, so try to purchase items you would be buying anyway through the coupon website as often as possible.
Sharing with your Friends
As mentioned, some coupon websites provide extra incentives for sharing the site with your friends. The website might provide you with a personalized link to share that they can track, a coupon code to give your friends, or they might offer to send your friend an email invitation right from your account. Some coupon websites will give you incentives just for inviting or sharing with your friends, while others require your friends to actually sign up or make a purchase in order for you to receive your incentive. Often the friends you refer will receive a special offer as well.
Now that you know all about how coupon websites work, you have all the information you need to decide whether you want to sign up. It should be a pretty easy decision—who doesn’t like saving! Coupon websites are usually easy to use, fun, and they lead to significant savings. They are a great way to enhance your shopping experience and help you save on the items you’d be purchasing anyway.
So go ahead—do a little research. Ask your friends about the coupon websites they use, sign up, and start saving money!
