Capital One Shopping compensates us when you get the browser extension using the links provided.
Introduction
No matter the country or culture you are from, people always seek a good deal. Often it is not as though the shopper needs to make use of the money saved but that he feels good saving a penny here and there. These best money-saving apps or software are tools that can be implemented to save that extra bit while shopping.
As anyone can use money-saving apps, it is often the regular user that gets to save the most money. This is because platforms have loyalty programs aimed at retaining or getting the customer to shop over and over again. Some of the apps seek out the best deals, some the most discounted rates, and others a combination of the two. No matter what, there is bound to be just the right kind of money-saving application for each type of customer.
What are money-saving apps?
As detailed above, there are some working systems that are designed to cut the cost price of the goods or services purchased at online merchant sites. They do work in a variety of manners but most commonly the app is but installed as a web browser extension or plugin that works around the clock to provide the user with the most up-to-date information on purchases.
Each app does differ from the other in minor ways. But on the whole most apps work by charging a commission to the participating merchant sites and passing on a discount to the buyer.
Best Money-Saving apps
We listed out below the most common money-saving apps, so take a look.
The list is by no means exclusive but points to some of the most popular ones in the country.
- Swagbucks: This app conducts paid surveys for rewards. You can exchange rewards for gift cards.
- Honey: With this web browser extension, the customer gets an automated system. Find the best fitting discount coupon codes while shopping at merchant sites.
- Shopkick: The app works as a reward system. It gives people rewards that can be redeemed for gift cards, while they shop at participating online stores.
- Capital One Shopping: Capital One Shopping is a plugin that matches the best coupon codes when checking out a shopping cart. The aim of the app is to offer the shopper the lowest bills and the most in savings.
- CamelCamelCamel: An app specifically for the Amazon shopper, the CamelCamelCamel app provides the lowest price possible on Amazon for the products added to the Wishlist.
- Ibotta: This system gives cash back to shoppers on participating stores and sites. You get the refund after providing proof of purchase to the system.
- Ebates: Applies discount coupons while shopping at the participating merchant stores. It works on the system of cashback to the customer.
- Cashback Monitor: Cashback Monitor is a system that allows the shopper to search around for the best deals on numerous shopping sites. Cashback Monitor rewards users with points. You can redeem these later.
How does the Money-Saving app work?
There are numerous ways money-saving apps work. But there are some general points among the best of them. At the same time, the best money-saving apps tend to find a USP that would set them apart from the rest of the field.
Best Prices:
Most of the cost-saving apps are an always-on system that runs in the background as people surf the web or do their shopping. When you search for a particular product, the app will compare the prices of participating in online shopping sites to provide the customer with the best deals. Often you can find added price comparison tools. They give out a historical readout of the price over time, and this enables the shopper to time the buy to perfection thus entailing the best price always.
Best discounts:
It is a practice among online merchants and stores to offer discount coupons. Some of the coupons apply a flat rebate to the cost of the product whereas others tend to apply a percentage discount to the cost. For the customer, keeping track of all the coupon codes on a particular site itself is an arduous task and let alone on different shopping sites. The Money-Saving apps help out by automatically filling out the discount coupon codes while checking out the shopping cart. It saves time and effort in doing so to the customer.
Loyalty Bonuses:
Over a period of time, you can acquire credit points and exchange them for gift cards. Most shopping merchants do honor the gift cards and most large shopping sites do use loyalty bonuses to good effect. Often there are conditions before the customer can exchange these credits for a gift card. For example, you must gather a set amount of credits.
Cashback:
Cashback platforms work both with online shopping sites as well as with standard stores. If you want to use the cashback program you need to enter the purchase proof into the app. The proof of purchase is usually the bill of purchase. This way you will get your cashback through the future purchase.
With most of the money-saving apps, the cost-saving happens only with a fixed set of participating shopping outlets. Then there are those apps or programs that scour the internet for the best deals. This is very much a volume game with very low commissions and the huge number of transactions that occur daily.
To online merchants, the process is equivalent to paid advertisements. A certain cost gets build into participating in the system. In return, the stores get a customer base.
How much does a money-saving app cost?
Most of the money-saving apps have a free-to-use version that provides most of the services as a full-fledged edition does. But most of the time the money-saving applications get their money as commissions from sales generated online or in the stores. Thus, the customer isn’t charged upfront.
The apps with loyalty programs insist that the customer starts an account. This allows you to collect credits on your personal account over time. Most loyalty programs need a minimum purchase or a number of credits so you can encash them.
In the final count, there are these money-saving apps that charge a sum to get enrolled in their system. But even here the costs are at best nominal as often the large user base ensures that the system generates the most amount of money even for a small entry price.
What are the biggest advantages of a money-saving app?
- Cost-saving: When using the app, the shopper gets goods at a lower price. Most apps can’t directly compute how much you’ve saved. This is because complex equations take place. But the apps indicate how much the customer gets to save at the time of each purchase.
- Time saved: A common factor that all shoppers that use apps say is that there is considerable time saved with the use of money-saving apps. Most of the apps run in the background all the time. The apps are communicating with pop-ups whenever a saving happens. Even otherwise, browsing the net searching for money-saving opportunities takes a lot of time. Using these apps saves the customer time.
- Convenience: Money-saving apps are offering convenience as never before to customers and shoppers. They do not have to commit to memory the different coupon codes or compare the existing codes while on a shopping round. Most of the apps tend to record the sums of money saved and it is hence possible for the person to know how much he saves up on each occasion.
Convenience for users and merchant sites
No doubt, the money-saving apps bring to the customer a large convenience when it comes to saving money. Most of the apps are free to use but even with the ones that require a paid membership, the entry costs are nominal at best. With the apps, they do make money too. That is by charging a commission on every purchase made on the system.
Merchant shopping establishments don’t mind paying a commission on purchases through the apps as it brings forth business over a period of time. There is a general acceptance of apps both with the shoppers as well as the merchant sites. It’s really heartwarming that there are apps that you can use online as well as at traditional stores.
