Julia Anderson
The following scenario has probably happened to all online shoppers at least once. You’re browsing the Internet, hoping to find a product you want at its lowest price. A quick search leads you to it, and you get a rush the second you add it to your shopping cart.
Then, checkout comes, and any excitement you had about snagging a deal disappears, as you see the price increase right before making a payment. Why? Besides taxes, you probably had shipping costs added on. And depending on where you live and the size of the product, those added costs may have negated any potential savings of shopping online versus in a store.
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Well, if such a scenario has made you hesitant about shopping online, here’s the good news: These tips can help you avoid those shipping costs, so you never have to see them again.
Look for Coupons
If a site doesn’t offer free shipping upfront, it doesn’t mean you’re 100 percent out of luck. Search free shipping codes, and you could find one that’s still working.
There are several ways to achieve this goal. The first is to go to your search engine of choice and look for the site’s name plus promo code or coupon code. The second is to use a coupon website like RetailMeNot or CouponCabin to find what you’re looking for. And the final option for finding a free shipping code is to use a browser extension like Honey that will find it for you as you shop.
Become a Member of a Free Shipping Site
Some websites reward loyal customers with free shipping. Unfortunately, you may have to pay for a monthly membership to get this perk. But it can more than pay for itself after a few deliveries.
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Perhaps the best-known free shipping membership is Amazon Prime, while another worth trying is ShopRunner.
Meet the Minimum Purchase Amount
To incentivize shoppers to go on a mini spree, some sites offer purchase minimums to reach the free shipping threshold. For example, you could come upon a site that presents a popup saying, “Free shipping on orders over $75.” Buy more than $75 worth of stuff, and you can get shipping at no cost.
Ship to Store
Huge chains like Walmart and Best Buy give online shoppers the option to ship to the nearest store for free. You’ll need to carve out some time and spend a bit on gas to pick up the item, but you won’t incur an actual shipping charge when you take this route.
Ask for Free Shipping
Online competition is fierce, and many stores will do whatever’s necessary to win over customers. Use this to your advantage by calling a store or speaking to someone and ask if you can get the shipping costs waived.
Find Free Shipping Sites
Many sites offer free shipping. To figure out which ones do, visit FreeShipping.org.
