Online promo codes and everything we need to know about them: Saving is something that is of great importance in adult life – especially if your plans for the future involve something that requires money.
It is not without reason that people are constantly looking for new ways to keep as much money in their pockets as possible, but still buy the products and services they need. An excellent means for this can be online promotional codes.
What are their main types and what to watch out for when using them to actually save and not spend even more?
Types of online promo codes
Online promotional codes are divided into several basic types, primarily due to the type of bonuses they offer. At the very beginning, however, it is worth saying that you should always bet on a certain source of their origin (more on this later in our guide).
So to make things clear, we can get online promotional codes in several forms, and the most popular ones include:
- percentage discount – in this case we get a discount, usually on the entire receipt, in the form of a percentage of the amount spent in a given store;
- discount for a specific product / category of products – a discount, whether monetary or percentage, only on a selected product or its type (for example, on all women’s shoes) – most often applies to the last products of the series;
- 2 for 1 – a very popular promotion in grocery stores, whereby buying one specific product, we get the other one for free (or for a symbolic zloty);
- free funds to spend – the code for them allows you to get a discount (for example – PLN 10 on the entire receipt), but usually on a certain value of the receipt. So we usually have to spend at least a few dozen zlotys to qualify for a discount.
What to watch out for when receiving and using codes?
The popularity of online promotional codes has, willy-nilly, been noticed by scammers and is very willingly used by them to rob unsuspecting people. It is natural that each of us is always happy to get the biggest discount possible – but sometimes it is better to get a smaller but sure one. So before we use a promo code, let’s always look at things like:
- source of their origin – the ideal situation assumes that you receive an online promotional code directly from the retail chain. It is nothing new for these networks to send such codes to their regular customers, especially those who have subscribed to the newsletter. We can also reach for discussion groups, the advantage of which is the ability to comment on each of the coupons, allowing you to avoid problems and find out.
- There are also websites that aggregate all kinds of promotions. However, never take the codes from e-mails of unknown origin, but also websites of dubious quality, especially those impersonating retail chains;
- requirements for getting them – it is natural that in order to obtain a promotional code online, we usually have to provide basic data about ourselves. However, they must be secure and absolutely minimal – an email address and name should be enough to obtain this type of code. The red light may turn on when a given page requires us to provide a phone number – we should run away from the page with the promotional code as soon as possible if it requires us to log in to the bank. Then we can be sure that we will be deceived;
- method of use – online promotional codes rarely impose on us the need to meet certain conditions in order to receive a discount. We should always look at what the conditions are so that we don’t get stuck at the checkout where the code may turn out to be correct, but we don’t really qualify for a discount;
- adequate value – online promotional codes were created to promote a given store and its products – we must be fully aware of this. So let’s not count on receiving items at a wholesale price or suspiciously cheap – even though the retail chain really tries to encourage us to buy, it will always want to make money on us. Also when we use an attractive promotion from our perspective. So if we see a promotional code that gives too much (for example, a 90% discount), always check all the above aspects carefully, and above all, be careful not to be cheated.
Summary
While online promotional codes are a great way to multiply your own savings and leave more money in your pocket, they can also be a clever trap – and this is not necessarily related to popular scammer methods that we should watch out for when entering the data necessary to receive the code.
It is often the case that due to apparent savings, we buy more just to save more, and not because we need the items. So let’s remember this when shopping sensibly. With or without promo codes.