The Secret to Stacking Discounts When You Shop Online

After working in retail for many years, I’ve learned that it is a complete waste of money to ever pay full price for anything.  There is always a way to get it for less.  Nowadays, companies rotate through their promotions so frequently that you will never have to wait long for a really good sale.

I was employed at a popular women’s fashion retailer for long enough to see their marketing strategy change over the years.  In my early days with the company they only did 40% off sales about twice a year. It was rare and exciting when the sale launched.  Nowadays they do it about once a week in various departments, and even do 50% off once a month now.  That seems to be the norm for most companies now.  Even really high end brands are constantly offering 10 to 20% off.  Sometimes you must use promo codes to get your sale price, other times nothing is needed.  Usually they don’t let you use multiple promo codes or coupons in the same transaction.  But what if there was another way you could stack multiple discounts– up to 3 at once?

Even if you are in dire need of something last minute and can’t possibly wait one week for a sale, you can still get it for less than full price, and I’m going to show you how and where.

These tactics can be applied to nearly anything you be online! So keep it in mind for anything that you shop online for – office supplies, home décor, clothes, vacations through sites like Expedia, camping or hunting gear, etc.  ANYTHING!

You’re going to need a couple things to get the best price. An EBATES account, a discounted gift card, a sale, and your promo code.

EBATES

Have you heard of it? It’s been gaining popularity really quickly.  If you aren’t using it to shop online, you are missing out, because it’s the easiest way to get a refund on all your online purchases. They send you a quarterly check to either your PayPal account or in the mail to your address, your choice.  Plus, after your first purchase of at least $25 you’ll get a $10 gift card to a retailer of your choice.  I just started using it about a month ago so I’ve gotten my $10 gift card and $13.01 in rebates.  That amount will vary greatly depending on where you shop and how frequently. Each store gives you back a different percentage and it varies from 1 to 15% back.

1. Sign up here.
2. Do a search on the EBATES site for the online store where you are making a purchase.
3. Activate the EBATES discount before your purchase, and voila! You’ll get money deposited in your EBATES account after each purchase.
4. To make things easier- you can install their button on your browser and it will flash red whenever you are at a website that partners with EBATES to get you money

Discounted Gift Cards

This option is also gaining traction lately.   What is a discounted gift card? It’s a card for which you pay less than the loaded amount.  For example – you buy a gift card that has $50 loaded on it, but you only pay $40 for it.  So you just saved 20% on your purchase just by using a discounted gift card.

1. Where can you find discounted gift cards? Here’s a list of discounted gift card websites. I recommend doing your due diligence and making sure you are buying from a reputable website.  This article reviews some of the most popular gift card exchange sites.
2. *Safety Tip: Make note of the length of time for which the website guarantees your money back if anything goes wrong, and use the gift card before that time allotment expires.
3. *Usability Tip: Double check that you are getting a gift card that you can use online. Some are online only, in-store only, and some can be used either way.
4. *Best Deal Tip: Also, keep in mind, some major brands like GAP also accept gift cards from Banana Republic, Old Navy, etc, because they are all under the same parent company. So, if you are interested in a discounted GAP gift card, but can’t find a great deal, try looking for a highly discounted Old Navy gift card, and chances are you’ll be able to use it at GAP.

(Discounted gift cards and Ebates do not work in conjunction with each other. Ebates is only eligible on online purchases made with a credit/debit card. If you pay for part of your purchase with a gift card and part with a credit card, then you’ll only get Ebates back on your credit card portion.)

Promo Codes

You know what I’m talking about- those sales that require you to enter a code at checkout time in order to activate the discount.  Online retailers typically only allow one promo code at a time.  But sometimes you can enter multiple codes. Where can you find redeemable promo codes? on the website you’re shopping, at Ebates website or app, living social or groupon, or just do a search for “promo codes for ________” in your search engine.

Sales

Okay, it’s almost go-time! The last step in the process is to look for items that are on sale without requiring a promo code.  Something like “workout tanks 2/$20 this weekend, automatic reduction at checkout, no promo code required”.

Put it all together!
You bought your discounted gift card, activated your Ebates to get money back on any purchase not paid for with a gift card,  found a promo code, combined it with a current sale, and now you’re going to purchase it on your discounted gift card (that you bought with your favorite rewards points credit card).  Got it?! Whew. It might seem daunting, but it’s easy once you have the pieces in place.

I like to be perfectly transparent with all my readers so you should know that this article has some affiliate links.  I only have affiliate links to companies that I myself trust and love and use.  I do not ever recommend products that I do not believe in.  That seems deceptive, and a surefire way to lose my credibility and your trust.  Not all links in this post are affiliates, either. Some links are informational only, meant to help you make an informed decision. My mission is to write a blog full of integrity and to be a helpful and encouraging source of knowledge.

Do you know of any additional discounts we could be stacking onto this strategy?  Let me know if I’ve missed anything by leaving a comment below.  And if you liked this post, sign up for our email newsletter so you’ll always be up to date on our latest content.