How to save money shopping online: the complete guide (2026)

Saving money online has less to do with luck than with habits. The people who pay the least do a handful of things consistently: they check the price history before they buy, they know when the sales come, they collect the discounts and cashback that are there for the taking, and they know their rights well enough to shop without worry. This guide goes through each of those habits, in the order that gives the most effect.

Compare prices, and check the price history

The simplest saving trick of all is never to trust a single shop's price. Use a price comparison service such as Prisjakt or Prisguiden before you buy, and look particularly at the price history: it shows whether today's "offer" really is lower than the normal price, or whether it only looks that way. A few minutes of checking can be worth several hundred kroner on a larger purchase, and often more on electronics and white goods.

Price history is also the best defence against artificial reference prices. An item that is "reduced" from a price it has barely ever sold at is not a real offer. We have written more about how to see through that in the guide to reference prices and fake sales.

Time your purchases around the sale periods

The biggest savings often come from waiting rather than from searching. The online shopping year has fixed sale periods: the January sales, the summer sales in June and July, Black Week in November and the sales between Christmas and New Year. If you do not need the item right now, it usually pays to plan the purchase around one of those periods instead of buying at full price.

Timing is also about the type of item. Seasonal goods tend to be cheapest at the end of the season: winter sports equipment in the spring, garden furniture in late summer. And remember that a sale does not automatically mean cheap: check the price history in the middle of Black Week too, because that is exactly when the temptation to dress up the reference price is greatest.

Cashback: get a share of what you spend back

Cashback means that you get a percentage of the purchase amount back when you start your shopping through a cashback service. The shop pays a commission for the referral, and part of it goes back to you. It requires no change in what or where you shop, only that you go via the service first. The rates vary from shop to shop, but over time it adds up, particularly on the purchases you make regularly anyway.

The advantage of cashback is that it can be combined with the other habits in this guide: you can shop in a sale, with a discount code, and still get cashback on top. At Sparebørsen it works like this: you click through to the online shop from there, shop as normal, and the money lands in your account once the purchase is confirmed. If the concept is new to you, we explain it more thoroughly in what is cashback.

Discount codes: useful, but with pitfalls

Discount codes can genuinely cut the price, but they have two typical pitfalls: codes that do not work, and codes that tempt you into buying more than you had planned. So make it a habit to look for a code after you have decided on the purchase, and do not let the code decide the purchase.

• Check the terms: many codes apply only above a minimum amount, to new customers or to selected items.
• Be sceptical of pure "discount code sites" full of expired codes; they cost you time and give little back.
• Note that some shops do not combine discount codes with other benefits, so read what applies before you enter the code.

A code that takes 10 per cent off something you did not need is not a saving. The rule is simple: the need first, the discount afterwards.

The newsletter trick and the abandoned basket

Many online shops give a welcome discount, often around ten per cent, when you sign up for their newsletter. If you are going to shop there anyway, that is often the quickest discount you will get. Use a separate email address for newsletters, so your inbox does not turn into a sales channel.

A related trick: put the item in the basket, do not complete the purchase, and wait a day or two. Some shops will then send a reminder with a discount to close the sale. It does not work everywhere and should not be a strategy you rely on, but it costs nothing to try when you are in no hurry. And the other way round: newsletters and teaser offers are also a common route into subscriptions you never asked for, so tidy up regularly, as we describe in the guide to subscription traps.

The right of withdrawal: the safety net that makes online shopping safe

When you shop online from Norwegian shops, you have a 14 day right of withdrawal under the Norwegian Right of Withdrawal Act, and equivalent rules apply across the EU and EEA. The deadline runs from the day you receive the item, and you do not have to give a reason. That means you can order, assess the item at home and send it back if it does not match your expectations.

The right of withdrawal is a saving trick in itself: it lets you order when the price is good, instead of putting the purchase off just to be safe. But it has exceptions and rules about return postage that you ought to know, so read the full overview in the right of withdrawal and returns in online shopping before you put it to the test.

Shipping, returns and fees can swallow the saving

The total price is the only thing that counts. An item that is 50 kroner cheaper in one shop but costs 99 kroner to ship is not cheaper. Always check the shipping cost, any fee for cash on delivery or small orders, and what a return costs, since many shops let you pay the return postage yourself.

• If you shop from abroad, VAT and possibly customs duty and a customs clearance fee come on top; see the guide to customs and VAT when shopping from abroad.
• If you choose an invoice or instalments, fees and interest can make the purchase more expensive than the price suggests. We have compared the alternatives in Klarna, invoice or card: what pays off.
• Free shipping above a certain amount tempts you to "fill up" the basket. Only buy more if you actually needed it.

Used or new?

For many items, used is by far the cheapest option. Electronics, sports equipment, children's clothes and furniture lose value quickly, and a well kept second hand example can cost a fraction of the new price. The question is not used or new in general, but what pays off for that particular type of item, and what risk you are taking.

Remember that your rights depend on who you buy from: buy used from a dealer and you still have a right of complaint, while buying from a private individual gives you weaker protection. We go through the trade-offs category by category in used or new: how to get the most for your money.

Safety is economics too

The most expensive purchase is the one that goes wrong. Fake online shops, counterfeit goods and payment fraud cost more than any discount can win back. So shop from retailers you can verify, be sceptical of prices that are strikingly low, and use payment methods that let you dispute the charge. You will find the checklist in safe online shopping: how to avoid fraud.

In summary: a simple routine before every purchase

You do not have to do everything, every time. But one small fixed routine captures most of the saving:

• Check the price at several shops and look at the price history.
• Consider whether the purchase can wait for the next sale period, or whether used is good enough.
• Look for a discount code and any newsletter discount for the shop you have chosen.
• Start your shopping through a cashback service if the shop is affiliated with one.
• Count shipping, returns and any fees into the total price.
• Shop safely, and remember that the right of withdrawal gives you 14 days to change your mind.

Each individual habit may save you a few tens of kroner. Together, over a year of online shopping, it soon adds up, without you having bought anything other than what you would have bought anyway.