Online promo codes and vouchers have many different names but they’ll all lead to the same outcome. Most let you get a percentage off your purchase(s), while others save a fixed dollar amount or enjoy free shipping. Here’s the gamut:
1. “X% Off”: These discount codes subtract a percentage off the price of the product you’re buying. Some codes let you apply the savings to your entire order while for others the discount only applies to a single or selected items.
2. “$X Off”: These codes let you take a fixed dollar amount off your order. Again, some coupons apply the savings to your whole order. While for other coupons, the cash saving is only for a single item or bundle.
3. Free or Discounted Shipping: When you buy anything online, one of your biggest costs can be getting everything delivered. Especially if you’re buying from international retailers from the other side of the world. That’s why discount coupons offering free or discounted shipping are so popular.
4. Bonus gifts: Another popular promo coupon is the free gift coupon. The code often reflects the gift that you are going to receive with any minimum purchase. A cosmetics promo code like ‘FREELIPSTICK50’ could be for free lipstick with every S$50 purchase.
The more e-commerce sites offer discount codes, the more likely they are to enjoy repeat sales and cultivate loyal customers. Retailers like Lazada are happy to offer discounts because they want your business rather than have you spend money somewhere else.
Some of the most common online reward codes are simply for signing-up for an account on a website and subscribing to newsletters. Online retailers are happy to give you a sign-up discount because they’re gaining a valuable new customer. It also creates new opportunities for them to offer cross-sells and upsells, which can lead to more revenue in the future.
Down the road, on specific dates or milestones – like the retailer’s anniversary or the customer’s first year as part of the retail site’s community – retailers also have the opportunity to build even greater loyalty by offering more discounts. This can be anything from more discount vouchers and coupons, to free products.
Online shopper pro tip
Sign-up to mailing lists and newsletters to collect more coupons
According to science, shoppers love coupons more than gifts. Research Professor Paul Zak, found that shoppers received such a buzz when given an online shopping coupon that their emotional responses were higher than if they had been given a kiss or a cuddle¹.
During the study, he discovered that women who received a coupon experienced a significant boost in oxytocin levels, a hormone associated with happiness. Their stress levels fell, heart rate dropped and breathing became calmer compared to those who did not receive the coupon. So there really is a lot of science behind coupon shopping.
Some online retailers let you combine coupons, which can mean even bigger savings. If a retailer lets you use multiple coupons when you’re paying for your shopping cart, make sure to use them in the right order to get the best value.
For example, if you have two discount vouchers to use at the checkout – one is for 20% off purchases and the other for S$15 off – always use the 20% off code first. This will apply the discount to the full price of your purchase so it’s a bigger saving. Then use the S$15 coupon to get even more savings.
Websites dedicated to providing the most up-to-date codes and links for retailers and brands are easy to find with simple web searches. Cuponation, Shopback, Street Deal and others even rate vouchers so you know whether the code is worth applying or not.
Coupon sites sometimes have links to promotions that retailers are running on landing pages that you would normally never hear about too. These can be accessed directly through the provided links and are an easy way to save on purchases.
It’s best to take a look at as many coupon code sites as you can to find the best deals. Most have discount vouchers and coupon codes for every shopping category on the Internet. Some websites like iPrice and Cheapcheaplah are popular for grocery shopping coupons. Others like CouponzGuru have an extensive collection of coupons for everything from mobiles and electronic goods, to fashion and accessories.
Here’s a tip: always do your online shopping first before looking for coupon codes. Find what you want to buy, then search for the right coupon to get it cheaper.
When you’re ready to check out, open a new browser window and start searching for online coupon codes. Search for the name of the retailer where you have been shopping along with “discount codes,” “discount vouchers,” “coupons codes” or “shopping codes.”
You’ll be surprised at the number of websites that have the discount codes for the product(s) that you want to buy. Browser extensions like RateX and Honey in Chrome and Firefox even automate the whole process to make finding coupons a breeze.
Online shopper pro tip:
Shop first then find the best coupons to buy everything cheaper
One brand that understands the power of discount codes and vouchers is the pioneering online retailer Lazada, one of the most popular online shopping platforms in Asia.
Launched in 2012, the site has attracted millions of loyal shoppers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines by offering a fast, simple and effortless online shopping experience.
The e-commerce site has a wide range of products across a number of categories. This includes consumer electronics, TVs and home appliances, home and lifestyle, health and beauty, women and men’s fashion, cars and motorbikes, groceries, pets, babies and toys.
Unexpected top sellers on the platform include baby diapers and milk formula and one of their fastest growing categories is digital goods, where customers can buy credits for mobile games and redeem these on app stores like Google Play.
Merchants and brands have direct access to more than 550 million customers in six countries through one retail channel. Lazada has been nicknamed the ‘Amazon of Asia’ and discount vouchers have played an important role in the company’s growth.
Lazada’s stylish app is packed with user-friendly features to provide a simple and intuitive shopping experience on-the-go and is hugely popular in Southeast Asia’s mobile-first culture.
Customers can window shop endlessly with the app because it has been built from the ground up around their needs and shopping habits. This lets them discover products on the app in a non-intrusive way.
Here are some easy tips to get the best out of the Lazada shopping app.
1. Follow your favourite stores
A handy feature on the app lets you follow your favourite stores so you’re always the first to know when they have new products or discounts and sales. Use the app to keep track of all the stores you like so you can snap up bargains before anyone else.
2. Make the algorithm work for you
The app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse the way you browse and shop. The more you use it, the better it gets at finding the things you want. It’s like having your own personal assistant racing all over Lazada looking for the clothes and styles you like, your favourite lipstick colours and all the other things that make you, you.
3. QR your way to the best deals
See something you like at a physical store offline but don’t have time to do a proper search if it’s available on Lazada at a cheaper price? Don’t worry. At select Lazada partner stores, scan the QR code using the app’s code scanner and it will take you straight to the product or promo within the app. It’s a quick way to find good deals without wasting your time trying to hunt them down in-app.
4. Chat directly with sellers
It can be frustrating finding something on Lazada that you like but being unsure if it’s exactly your size or the right colour. No problem. Now you can chat directly with the seller through the app and ask them yourself. That way you can be 100% sure that you’re getting exactly what you want every time.
5. Shake it up
‘Shake Shake’ is an easy way to get random Lazada discount codes and promotions. All you have to do is open the app, check you’re logged in, then shake your phone for the chance to win. It’s that simple.
Online shopper pro tip:
Use Lazada’s mobile app to find the best deals
Lazada has been a huge success by integrating every aspect of online shopping into one place. Everything is designed to create a seamless experience, from searching for products, to purchases, tracking and delivery. The Lazada app is central to driving that experience and making it easy for millions of shoppers to find and buy the products they love and want.
Another popular feature is LazMall, which features online shopfronts from brands like Apple, Samsung, L’Oréal, Estee Lauder and Danone. LazMall sells 100% original and authentic branded products. Customers are guaranteed that if they receive a non-authentic product they will receive their money back.
While discount codes and discount vouchers are a big part of the fun of shopping in Lazada, there are plenty of other ways that you can save too. Here are some simple tips to help you get the best out of shopping on Lazada.
1. Keep a lookout for daily promotions
Monitor for daily promotions on the app and the Lazada website homepage. Daily deals are separated by product categories, which helps you to easily search for any special deals from your favourite brands. Just as the name says, daily deals are updated every single day. Subscribe to Lazada’s newsletter to stay updated on daily promotions too.
2. Follow Lazada on social media
When it comes to finding great deals on Lazada, social media is your best friend. Facebook, Instagram and Lazada’s own social commerce TV channel are where you can keep tabs on the latest deals, sales previews, discount codes and freebies.
Follow and like Lazada’s social media accounts to play games and quizzes for the chance to win free discount coupons.
3. Keep your wishlists up-to-date
Lazada is famous for its Online Revolution Sale, Black Friday Sale, 11.11, Super Sale and flash sales. A great tip to ensure that you secure the best deals is through the Lazada Wishlist function. Browse the website or mobile app a few days before a sale to prepare for the shopping sales frenzy.
This way, you’re not racing around all over the site looking for deals on the Big Day. Prices are going to be reduced during the sale, so all you have to do is click ‘Add to cart’ from the Wishlist and head straight to checkout. Searching in advance gives you more time to think about what you really want to buy and avoid impulse buying.
4. Know where you stand on returns
Lazada has a good reputation for delivering what it advertises. But it is still important to understand Lazada’s return policies in case you ever have to return something.
5. Shop smart, save more
By combining the ease of shopping on Lazada with the power of promo codes, discount codes, coupon codes and discount vouchers, you have the chance to make big savings on virtually anything you want to buy online. Remember, when you use any Standard Chartered credit card for purchases, you’ll save even more.
This article is brought to you by Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore) Limited. All information provided is for informational purposes only.
¹Source: Media Post – A Rationale for Coupons (If You Need One)
