How Capital One Shopping Can Actually Save You Money This Holiday Season

The shopping tool can help you find the best deals on those must-have gifts.

The holidays are a time for celebrations, feasts, and traditions with families and friends. It's also a time for spending money as we purchase gifts and treats for loved ones. Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and generally one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year, it's easy to blow through your entire holiday budget quickly.

Capital One Shopping is a digital tool that can potentially save you money on online purchases, find the lowest prices, and earn rewards toward gift cards at retailers like Walmart, Sephora, Macy's, and more. If you plan to shop online this holiday season, Capital One Shopping could help you save considerable money on presents and other holiday shopping needs.

What is Capital One Shopping?

Capital One Shopping is an internet browser tool and mobile app that scours the internet for the best deals and coupon codes at more than 30,000 online retailers. It also allows users to earn rewards for online purchases redeemable for gift cards. In 2018, Capital One purchased tech startup Wikibuy, later changing the name to Capital One Shopping.

How does Capital One Shopping work?

You don't need to be a Capital One account holder to access and use Capital One Shopping. It's free for anyone with a computer or mobile device to use.

Capital One Shopping is available either as a browser extension or a mobile app. To use the desktop version, download the browser extension, which is available on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. For mobile use, download the mobile app, available for iOS and Android.

Capital One Shopping works in four ways:

• Coupon codes: As you shop online, Capital One Shopping searches online for any coupon or discount codes that apply to your purchase. The app automatically tests coupon codes to verify they work and then applies the best coupon deal during checkout on the retailer's site.
• Price comparison: The shopping app also helps consumers find the best deals on items they want to purchase. It does this by searching over 30,000 online retailers for lower prices. Capital One Shopping even considers shipping and other additional costs.

If you're shopping on Amazon.com, for example, Capital One Shopping compares prices at the retail giant to other retailers to find the best deal. If there's a lower price, you'll see the cost savings and can click the link to go to the better deal.

• Earn rewards: If there isn't a better deal, you can still get value from using Capital One Shopping. The app allows users to earn rewards on purchases at select online retailers. As you earn rewards, you can redeem them for gift cards at popular retailers.
• Search Capital One Shopping's site: While the app and browser are the most common ways to use the online shopping tool, you can also find coupons and deals, and earn rewards directly at CapitalOneShopping.com. Through the website, you can view past purchases, track and redeem rewards, and more. You can even search for hotels or view shopping guides through the Capital One Shopping site.

Can Capital One Shopping save you money?

Depending on your online shopping habits, you could save considerable money using the free shopping tool. The amount you can save or earn may also depend on where you shop and the types of items you purchase. Some retailers offer larger coupon codes or rewards rates than others.

Whether Capital One Shopping will save you money also depends on whether you were already planning to make purchases. People are often willing to spend more or make impulse purchases more often if there's a discount involved.

Is Capital One Shopping worth using?

There's no harm in using Capital One Shopping, especially if you have upcoming purchases to make online and want to find the best deal. If you're already planning to buy something, the browser extension or app works in the background to find discounts and the lowest prices to ensure you get the best deal. However, if using Capital One Shopping causes you to spend more than you planned, you can delete the app or browser extension to avoid the temptation to overspend.