This is a sponsored post by Capital One Shopping. All opinions are 100% our own.

Have you seen those Facebook ads telling you not to shop Amazon without using a particular money-saving service? I saw them and ignored them, that is, until I started writing for Budgeting Couple.

I signed up for Capital One Shopping, and I am amazed at how seamless the service works and how it makes me a more informed buyer (and when I say “informed,” I mean I don’t have to pay as much, so that’s more money in my pocket).

What is Capital One Shopping?

Trying to find the best way to describe Capital One Shopping is difficult because it does so many things to save you money and reward you with gift cards.

However, in the broadest sense, it is an online shopping comparison tool. Capital One Shopping scans its database of thousands of websites to give you a list of current prices from top retailers (It also takes taxes and shipping into account). Then it’s as simple as buying from the retailer who is offering your product at the lowest price.

How Can I Get Capital One Shopping

Capital One Shopping is free. You can add the Capital One Shopping extension to your browser on your computer or get the mobile app. It really is that simple to put your savings on autopilot. 

Check out the mobile app. It will ask you what are a few of your favorite stores or online shopping sites (like Walmart, eBay, and Kohl’s). Knowing this will help Capital One Shopping find deals at the places where you like to shop.

Get the Capital One Shopping Browser Extension

How to Use Capital One Shopping

The Capital One Shopping browser extension makes saving money effortless. Click to add it to your browser (like Chrome, Edge or Firefox), and you’re done.  You will never know it’s there. That is, until there is a money saving opportunity. As you shop online, Capital One Shopping will alert you to discount codes and and other ways to save money. 

Tell Capital One Shopping if you are an Amazon Prime member. Capital One Shopping will take your Prime Free Shipping into account when it’s comparing prices across multiple retailers. You get to pick the lowest price Capital One Shopping finds.

Link a credit card for online shopping to earn even more money.

10 Ways to Save Using Capital One Shopping

Capital One Shopping is an online shopping comparison tool, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are 10 ways Capital One Shopping can save you money:

1. Find Better Prices When Shopping Amazon

While you peek at the price, scope out the specs, and read the reviews, Capital One Shopping searches Amazon and thousands of other sites to curate a list of retailers and their current prices for the product you’re looking for. It takes into account taxes and shipping to give you a true picture of which retailer on their list will save you the most money.

If it finds a lower prices elsewhere, just click on the button to follow it to greater savings. I was looking at purchasing a second monitor, and it found one for $41 less, 11% cheaper than the Amazon price.

2. Capital One Shopping Shows You the Price History of a Product

When you purchase stocks, what does everybody tell you: Buy low and sell high, right? Capital One Shopping price history feature will give you the skinny on whether you are buying high or buying low. If the price has dropped, then you might want to jump on it.

As you analyze the price history more and more, you will see prices do not stay down for long. If you want to buy a pair of earbuds and see they jumped up $7, you can add the item to your Capital One Shopping watchlist, and it will track the price and alert you when it drops by 5%. 

3. Capital One Shopping Points Out Similar Products Users Bought Instead

If all Capital One Shopping did was give us the peace of mind we were getting a great price, that would be enough. But, it does something else that is sort of mind-blowing. Capital One Shopping analyzes trends and instantly delivers shopping insights to you. Discover what percentage of shoppers looked at the same product as you and actually bought it.

Capital One Shopping will also tell you what products they purchased instead which will give you a list of Top Alternatives. Among the alternatives presented to me, the monitor that caught my eye captured 3% of the views, but none of the sales compared to the list of similar products. This feature shows people’s preferences and where they chose to invest their money. 

4. Capital One Shopping Automatically Applies Coupons To Thousands Of Sites

OK, you know the dance. You shop online and you are about to check out, however, you notice something that gives you pause: Enter promo code. Promo code? There is a promo code? So, what do you do? You open up a new tab on your browser, go to Google, enter {store name} + “promo code” and you sift through all those coupon sites.

Capital One Shopping will search for promo codes for you and automatically apply them to your orders. If there is a valid promo code in their database for your order, they will find it.

5. Capital One Shopping Offers You Credits Back From Popular Sites Like Walmart And Ebay

When you are on a partner site, an alert will pop up asking you if you want to activate Capital One Shopping credits. After you click the button, you will see it turn from “activating” to “activated.” Once activated, you will earn credits. These credits will be a percentage back for shopping at a partner site. And, you can later redeem those credits for gift cards. Earn $5 in rewards, then grab a $5 gift card.

How does Capital One Shopping Loyalty Credits Work?

Loyalty credits work exactly like cash back. If you want loyalty credits, you will need to link a credit card. You will earn rewards every time you make a qualified purchase using your linked card. The credits earned can be redeemed for gift cards, or you can apply the credits to purchases made through Capital One Shopping.

6. Save Money Using Capital One Shopping Universal Product Search

To harness the full power of Capital One Shopping shopping insights, use Universal Product Search. Enter a product you want to buy into search, and Capital One Shopping will tell you which stores have that item and the price at which they are selling it. It truly does make you a more informed shopper.

7. Capital One Shopping Saves You Money by Monitoring Prices

Use price-drop alerts. When you tap into the universal product search or look up items on Amazon, you will be able to research the price history. If you see the price has fluctuated and it is higher than it has been, then you can click the W+ symbol or click the “Add to Watchlist” button and let Capital One Shopping monitor the price for you. When the price drops, it will send you an alert.

8. Capital One Shopping Saves You Money With Featured Offers

Who doesn’t like special deals? With Capital One Shopping, they come in the form of Featured Offers in the app or on the homepage. It might be a higher percentage off (recent offers ranged from 10% to 80% off) or loyalty credits (like the equivalent of $25 for signing up for a VIP service).

9. Capital One Shopping Will Show You Trending Deals (More Credits Earned!)

Trending Deals will show you how to earn loyalty credits (equivalent to cash back) at a variety of online retailers. JCPenney recently offered 9% in Capital One Shopping Credits, and Travelocity offered the equivalent of $10 back in loyalty points. With so many sales going on during the holidays, it is a great time to stack savings and earn credits that can be redeemed for gift cards.

10. Capital One Shopping Will Show You Local Offers that Will Save You Money

This is a nice feature because you can patronize and support local businesses. You can find these local offers online or in the app. View the deal, and click on the button to claim your loyalty credits/credit reward.

How Does Capital One Shopping Work

Capital One Shopping aggregates a lot of shopping data and harnesses the shopping experience of millions of shoppers to find the killer deals and coupon codes. Here is how Capital One Shopping describes what it does: 

  1. Capital One Shopping gets you better offers
  2. It automatically applies a valid coupon code at checkout 
  3. Capital One Shopping lets you know when prices drop on products you’ve viewed

How Does Capital One Shopping Make Money?

Capital One Shopping is paid a commission from retailers and brands when customers like us choose to buy a product at a lower price discovered by their service. It alerts us to these deals through its app, its website, emails, and other forms of notifications. Capital One Shopping also shares targeted offers from retailers and brands.

How Does Capital One Shopping Make You Money

If you buy three things monthly online, Capital One Shopping says you can save $219 a year. Is this making you money? If you are buying things you normally buy, and you shell out $200 less than expected, it’s real savings that can be used to make a car payment, pay off a credit card, or deposited in a high-interest savings account.

Another way Capital One Shopping makes you money is through the credit rewards program. Link your credit card to Capital One Shopping so that when you purchase through one of its partner stores, you will earn a loyalty points back on your purchase back.

When you make a purchase through one of its partner stores and the credit reward function is activated, then you will earn a percentage of your purchase back when you buy with a linked credit card. When you have earned enough credits, you can redeem them for a gift card. You can also use your credit rewards to offset the cost of a purchase through a partner retailer.

Start Saving Money with Capital One Shopping

What’s the Difference Between Mobile and Desktop Versions

Whether you are on your phone, laptop or desktop computer, you can tap into the savings from Capital One Shopping. All you need to do is add the Capital One Shopping browser extension to your computer and download the app on your iOS- or Android-based phone.

When you take advantage of the browser extension, Capital One Shopping is able to work seamlessly in the background seeking out lower prices. It also tests out coupon codes used by other members of the Capital One Shopping community. When one of us uses a valid coupon code, then it becomes available to all Capital One Shopping members. And, these coupon codes cover thousands of online retailers, not just Amazon.

When you use the mobile app, you will conduct searches for products. A list of the latest prices will populate your screen from partner retailers. And, always check the Local section to help out local businesses. In my region, there were a number of restaurants I discovered and wanted to try. Capital One Shopping can open up new experiences for you. Who knows, you might discover a new favorite restaurant and enjoy a 4% discount.

And one more thing you have to try: After you get the free Capital One Shopping app, scan a barcode to see what kind of deals you can find. When I was checking out the app, I scanned the barcode from a relatively obscure book on my desk by one of my former college professors. I was shocked when it knew the book and saved shoppers an average of $4 (more than 10%). In order to check out the barcode scanner on the mobile app, just select the search function on the bottom of your screen. Then, it’s just a matter of point-and-shoot.

Is Capital One Shopping Legit

Capital One Shopping (formerly known as Wikibuy) was founded in Austin, Texas, in 2014, and Capital One acquired it in 2018.

It has an Excellent rating on Trustpilot, having earned 4.5 out of 5 stars. Out of the 1,657 ratings in late December 2019, 95% of them (1,576 to be exact), said Capital One Shopping was Excellent. In total, 97% say Capital One Shopping is Excellent or Great.

Is Capital One Shopping Safe

Capital One Shopping collects information to optimize your savings and shopping experience. This allows it to offer comprehensive information to you so you can save as much as possible. But like most fintech companies, keeping your information safe and secure is of the utmost importance.

Capital One Shopping is a great way to keep more of your money in your pocket, so when Capital One asks you, “What’s in your wallet,” you can say, “Money!”

Be sure to add the Capital One Shopping extension to your browser and get their free mobile app so that you can always have coupon codes and price matching available at your finger tips.

>>Click here to add the (free) Capital One Shopping extension to your browser (direct link) Available on Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and the Microsoft Store.

>>Click here to grab the (free) Capital One mobile app (direct link) Available iOS and Android devices.

Start Saving Money with Capital One Shopping

*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you get the Capital One Shopping extension using the links we provided*