How to get the best price when shopping online

1. Use comparison sites to find the best deal

You probably know you should shop around to find the best price, and the good news is there are tools that can do the hard work for you – but there are also things you need to be aware of.

Price comparison sites such as Google Shopping, PriceRunner and PriceSpy will check prices (including delivery charges) on multiple websites. You can be as specific or as vague as you like: if you know the exact brand, model and colour you're after, the results will be very on point; while if you're at the beginning of a buying journey and just want an idea of prices, you can use much looser search terms.

It's worth checking multiple comparison sites, though, as previous Which? research has found that they sometimes display different prices for the same items at the same retailers.

2. Don't be duped by a 'was' price

It's natural to get excited when you see a big saving, and one of the most common types of online discount is 'was/now' pricing. 

But sometimes the 'was' price isn't all it seems, and the discount is less than it first appears. Our investigations have uncovered a string of tactics used by retailers that could, in some cases, be misleading.

We analysed the pricing history of 1,617 TVs with 'was/now' pricing at four major tech retailers between February 2024 and February 2025, and found a slew of dodgy TV deals. Of these, 56% had at least one intervening price between the sale price and the advertised 'was' price, and some had many more. This could mean that price-reduction claims give a false impression of the savings, as the 'was' price didn't represent the most recent previous price. 

For example, the LG OLED65B46LA 65-inch 4K TV was available for £1,499 from Very in November 2024. Its ‘was’ price was shown as £2,499, so you might think you were getting a 40% saving, which would be great. However, it had also been for sale at seven different prices since that ‘was’ price – all lower than £2,499, so the real saving is less impressive.

Also, be aware that sometimes the higher price may be an RRP (recommended retail price). This is suggested by the manufacturer and doesn't mean the retailer has ever actually sold the product at that price.

To check a product's pricing history, try using CamelCamelCamel for Amazon and PriceRunner for wider market coverage.

3. Consider product seasonality

Some products follow a predictable seasonal pattern, which means you're more likely to pick up a bargain at certain times of year.

For example, new TV models are usually released between April and July each year. When a model has just been released, it will be at its most expensive. If you wait until later in the year, the hype will have died down – along with the price. You could even wait until the new lines are released and pick up a previous year's model for a knockdown price.

Retailers also follow patterns. We previously found that John Lewis, for example, had more items on promotion in November than in any other month. And, of course, nearly all retailers offer plenty of discounts on Black Friday (at the end of November) and in the January sales.

4. Search for discount codes

Try Googling the name of the site you're buying from with the words 'discount code', and more often than not you'll find several websites claiming to offer codes that will save you a hefty saving with your chosen retailer. 

This can be a process of trial and error, as the best codes tend to expire or be valid only for certain ranges from a retailer's website, but a discount code that works can mean you save a significant amount.

You simply copy the code and then paste it into the promotional code box when checking out on the website you're shopping with.

5. Join the mailing list

Retailers often offer a discount on your first purchase if you sign up for their mailing list.

You can always unsubscribe once you've got the code and made your purchase, or you could set up an email account or folder specifically for promotional emails that you don't particularly want to read. 

It can also be worth following your favourite brands on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X so you're the first to find out when they're launching new sales. There might also be competitions you can enter to win free stuff.

6. Abandon your cart

When you're shopping online, create an account with the retailer and make sure you're signed in, then add what you like to your basket, go to the checkout and leave the website without completing your order.

This is what marketing types call an 'abandoned cart'. It will sometimes trigger an email to be sent to you, often containing a discount code to tempt you into returning and completing your purchase.

7. Check loyalty schemes 

Love them or hate them, retailer loyalty schemes are often the most reliable way to get a discount when shopping both online and in-store. Many retailers now offer member-only discounts, including supermarkets, Boots and Superdrug. AO also has a scheme, although you have to pay to join it. Find out how loyalty schemes compare. 

Don't let a loyalty discount tempt you into buying a product that you weren't already looking for without doing some extra research, as we've found that sometimes loyalty discounts are less impressive than they appear. 

We took a snapshot sample of loyalty offers on a day in May 2024, then checked how many times the items' non-member prices had been in place during the previous six months. This helped us establish to what extent the non-member price was a fair reflection of the 'usual' selling price for people who aren't members of the shop's scheme.

At Superdrug, 16% of the products we looked at had been at their non-member price for less than half the time. At Boots, it was 10%. When it came to the supermarkets, it was 10% at Tesco, 5% at Sainsbury’s and 3% at Co-op. At Morrisons, it was 20% of the products in our investigation, but our sample size of 45 items was very small due to Morrisons' limited number of loyalty prices.

8. Earn as you spend 

Free-to-use cashback sites such as Quidco and Topcashback offer deals at more than 4,000 retailers.

Signing up could get you access to bigger discounts than you’ll find elsewhere, and cashback on your purchases to boot.

Another option is to use a cashback credit card or debit card, which enables you to earn rewards on your spending.

9. Check if returns are free

Which? looked at the returns policies of the 20 biggest online fashion retailers in August 2024 and found that more than half don't offer free postal returns.

Those that didn't offer free returns charged between £1.99 and £3.99, but some don't make these fees clear in the checkout journey.

If you're ordering something you think you might need to send back, you could save money by picking a retailer that offers free returns. 

10. Don't base your decision on price alone

Here, we've been telling you all about getting the best deal – but it would be a mistake to choose a product based on price alone.

Unless you're buying something where quality genuinely doesn't matter, it's always best to choose the product first and then find the best price, rather than the other way round.

Check reviews before you buy (just watch out for the fake ones), and go from there.

Which? reviews thousands of home, tech and baby products every year, so visit our site before you buy to be sure you're buying a product that will work and, importantly, last.

• Find out more: how to spot a fake review