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A lot of Pinays have already embraced online shopping as a viable alternative to going to malls. No traffic, no lines, no need to put on makeup or dress up nice. But there are still a lot out there who are intimidated by the sheer prospect of choosing a dress or shoe size without actually fitting the item.
If you're one of them, girl, you have been missing out! There are plenty of helpful ways for you to make your online shopping experience a lot more fun and convenient. What's more, it could even be rewarding, too. Here are eight online shopping commandments and genius hacks that would do you well to heed.
Online Shopping Commandment #1: Shop during the middle of the week!
According to shopping trends from popular online stores like Lazada, ZALORA, Booking.com, and GoodsPH, a lot of Filipinos shop online on Tuesdays onwards because of the release of fresh new deals and exclusive voucher codes. Now you know. You're welcome.
Online Shopping Commandment #2: Go virtual window shopping.
Browse your options! You can even shop from stores or big e-commerce sites overseas, which have comprehensive terms and conditions to protect the users like ASOS, Bloomingdale's, and eBay.
ASOS asymmetric striped dress at eBay, USD24.99 (IMAGE: ebay.com)
Make sure you take advantage of special offers and shipping fee discounts, of course! Free shipping for your purchases may be available, too, in select stores.
Online Shopping Commandment #3: Browse the photos.
You know better than to immediately trust a person's profile picture on social media, so why shouldn't you apply that same scrutiny on the items you're buying online? Beyond that, you could be pleasantly surprised through the carousel of photos and zoom-in functions that online sites usually have. Certain stylish details (like a backless cut you'll only see on photos taken from behind or a plain high-neck top that turns out to be a cozy ribbed tee) are to die for, AMIRIGHT?!
Online Shopping Commandment #4: Put it in the cart but don't check out right away!
If you're not really in a hurry to make a purchase but really like an item, put it in your cart anyway. You don't have to complete the transaction immediately. In a day or two, you might be surprised to find a discount code in your inbox from the online shop, or a notification of a sale, just so you'll finally close the transaction.
Online Shopping Commandment #5: Whip out that tape measure!
Looking for clothes? Make sure you know your measurements and refer to size charts. Don't gamble on estimates—that's a risk you should never take!
Self-adhesive push-up silicone bra at Lazada, P414 (IMAGE: Lazada)
It'll save you the hassle (and possible extra costs) of returns or exchanges. Plus, nothing feels better than a bra or a top that hugs your curves in all the right places and makes you feel like a ~*goddess*~.
Online Shopping Commandment #6: Know that timing is everything!
Flash sales that will save you some cash can happen any time and any day of the week—but most especially during holidays or special celebrations (like International Women's Day last March 8). Deal alerts can be sent to your email or be shown as push notifications any time, too, so you can get first dibs on special offers. STAY. ALERT. And it doesn't hurt to subscribe to email blasts or turn on notifs.
Online Shopping Commandment #7: Pick your payment method wisely.
The difference of "Cash On Delivery" (or COD) and using other payment methods such as using credit cards is convenience. For items on Lazada with smaller price tags, for instance, it's better to pay COD, but for high-ticket items, use your credit card. Aside from being convenient, there are installment promos available from various banks and exclusive promo codes from the partnerships of the merchants to the banks. AWESOME.
Online Shopping Commandment #8: Take advantage of the FREE shipping.
Add another item that costs a few hundred pesos to your cart, and get FREE shipping nationwide and—are you ready for this—worldwide!
Tony Moly Liptone Get It Tint HD at Althea, P430/piece (IMAGE: ph.althea.kr)
Why would you pay for extra if you can get it for free, right? Plus, you can enjoy fast delivery from Lazada (within two to three days), Althea (within seven working days and all items from the land #blessed with wonderful skincare and cosmetic finds: Korea) and ZALORA (within two to five days). You can even get free shipping from none other than every beauty-obsessed girl's haven: SEPHORA!
Online Shopping Commandment #9. Earn back while you shop!
Services like ShopBack, the most raved about and leading Cashback site in Southeast Asia, allow you to get some of that money back whenever you shop by offering rebates, vouchers, deals, coupons, and more. All you have to do is to make ShopBack your first stop for online shopping before anything else.
For example, if you are looking for a trendy dress from ZALORA, head over to www.shopback.ph first or use the app (available for both iOS and Android), and click on the ZALORA link to redirect you to that site. Do your shopping with your usual payment method, and voila! You just have to wait 48 hours for you to get your Cashback through your ShopBack account.
How much you can save with this cute UNAROSA LBD from ZALORA:
Price: P1,995 (minimum spend is P1,750)
Discount Using The Promo Code 5INMARCH: 13% (P259.35)
Price After Discount: P1,735.65
Bonus: Up to 9% Cashback (you earn P156.21)
Total Spend: P1,579.44 (that's about 21% in savings!)
You don't even need a credit card to enjoy this cash back! You can withdraw straight from your bank accounts, PayPal, or E-Wallets, ensuring your convenience. There are plenty of other stores tied up with ShopBack too, such as Althea, travel sites like Booking.com and Expedia, and even special services like foodpanda.
Bonus Online Shopping Commandment: Share the love <3
ShopBack is pretty generous to new subscribers, as they offer a P200 bonus if you sign up with them through shopback.ph/cosmo. Then, if you refer a friend, you also get a bonus. You'll get P100 for referring, while your friend will also get P100 for being a new subscriber. If you successfully refer five friends, you can earn up to P1,200 this March! Referral of friends is unlimited, so the more you refer, the more you earn! And to earn more, just share your unique referral link to your friends, or post it on your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram walls. You can also share them on your blogs to get your followers to sign up!
Those are some *seriously* tempting (and compelling!) reasons to shop online, aren't they? Shopping virtually has never been as convenient and rewarding. Who else can't wait to sign up and start filling their virtual shopping carts?
Log on to shopback.ph to know more, or download the ShopBack app available in iOS and Android.
