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21 online shopping hacks & tips
Perfect for last-minute Christmas need-buys

Some MoneySavers finish their Christmas shopping by the end of January. Not everyone can be that organised though, and with the big fella soon to slip down the chimney, some still have 'need-buys' to do. So today our aim's to help make that easier, quicker & cheaper.

Do a budget of what you can afford to spend, and then make a list of what you need, not just as an organisational tool, but to help curb your impulses. Christmas is just one day, don't ruin your new year for it. DON'T BORROW, it's not worth it. And perhaps there's still time to cull what you need to buy, with a last-minute no unnecessary presents pact.

1. Abandon ye shopping basket all those who enter... Log in to your online shopping account, add what you want in the basket, then fail to finish - within 48 hours many companies often send you codes to tempt you back.

Martin asked for examples of this on X (Twitter) last year, and the most common firms doing it seemed to be Argos, Currys and Morrisons - see our list of retailers which offer abandoned basket discounts. As Louise told us on Facebook this week: "I did this and got £8 off an £80 spend last night from Argos."

3. Last ORDEEERRRSSS - go quick for cheapest delivery. The last dates to get pre-Christmas delivery without paying a premium are close. Indeed, TOMORROW (Wed) is the last standard order date for companies such as Currys, JD Sports and Disney Store. After that, if you want things delivered in time, expect to pay more. See our full last free or cheapest delivery dates, including the likes of...

Amazon | Argos | Asos | Boots | Currys | John Lewis | M&S | Nike

4. Don't assume you can just return things for a full refund. Over 50% of people wrongly assume if you buy something in store and change your mind, you've a legal right to a refund. As Martin's new video explains, while some shops do have policies allowing it, they don't need to (unless it's faulty) and it can leave you stuck.

Thankfully, the rules are different online. Here, you do have a statutory right to change your mind - you've legally got 14 days to tell 'em and 14 days after that to send it back (that's the law, if their websites say different as some do, they're wrong). Yet even here, be aware, there are exclusions, the big ones being personalised or perishable items.

5. Get 1% near-instant cashback on your debit card spending. The Chase Bank* debit card pays you 1% cashback on almost all spending up to £15/mth, so you effectively get whatever you buy on it discounted. Crucially, you don't need to switch bank to get it, you can use it as a second account (just load it with the money you'll spend in advance), and it doesn't do a hard credit-check when you apply, just a 'soft' ID-check.

It's also a top card for spending abroad, as there's no foreign exchange fee and you get the cashback when away too. See our full Chase review for more details.

Bigger spender? Amex's Everyday CREDIT card offers 5% cashback for 5mths, up to a max £125 paid after a year, yet it's a credit card so ensure you pay it off IN FULL each month to avoid the 31% rep APR.

11. Can't find a discount code? Try department store codes. Don't just check the site you want to buy from for a discount code - online stores that sell a range of brands often have a workaround. For example, La Redoute stocks Adidas, Converse, Levi's and more, and has up to 40% off selected items using the code 'MERRY' until 11.59pm tomorrow (Wed). See our list of 10 multi-brand online stores this works with.

12. For bigger items especially, use a shopping comparison site. We like PriceSpy and PriceRunner, though there's also the ubiquitous Google Shopping.

13. Buying a new mobile? Our Cheap Mobile Finder tool allows you to find the cheapest deals from over 60 retailers and resellers. If you know what phone you want, use our cheapest new handset tool (often cheaper than buying outright, plus you can usually get 100+GB/mth data too), or use our Refurb Finder. If you don't know what phone you want, you can also find which handset's right for me or what's the best handset on my budget.

14. Haggle big discounts online. While buying online is usually cheaper, the one advantage of buying in store is you may be able to haggle. Yet sometimes there's a way around this - if you get a window offering a live chat (as opposed to an automated chatbot), don't dismiss it. See how to haggle with online chats.

15. Last posting dates. There's still time (just about) to cut the cost of sending parcels for Christmas. Use discount courier websites to get the big firms to deliver for less than you'd pay direct. Full details, including firm-by-firm final posting dates, in Cheap parcel delivery.

17. Hunt out online outlet stores. Don't drive miles to outlet villages to snap up end-of-line bargains, just go online. Lots of big names, such as B&Q, Ninja and even Tesco, offer substantial discounts on unsold lines through online outlets. Our Outlets deals page lists over 20, for huge clothing, homeware and other discounts.

18. Defend yourself - pay just 1p on a credit card to protect £100s. Buy goods costing over £100 (and under £30,000), and even if you pay just 1p on a credit card - the rest any other way - the card company's jointly liable with the retailer for the WHOLE amount. It's the veritable financial superhero, especially if a firm then goes bust. See full info in Section 75 protection.

- Spending £100 or less, or on a debit card? You can still claim for faulty or undelivered goods under the less well-known chargeback scheme.

19. Buy through cashback sites & apps. Check if you can make merry by buying via a top cashback site and getting money back. Plus the easy, free Airtime app tracks your spending at 200+ retailers and pays 1% to 15% cashback, which you can redeem as credit on your mobile bill (for O2, EE, Vodafone, Three and more). You CAN use this on top of cashback sites for a double win.

20. How to buy second-hand in a first-class way. Grab goods for a fraction of the original recommend retail price - and it's planet-friendly. We've tips to track down uber-bargains in 30 Vinted tips, eBay buying and Facebook Marketplace. Clare told us on Facebook: "I'm addicted to Vinted. I'd say 90% of my clothes come from there. I even got a brand-new wedding dress with tags still on for £23. I've sold a few things too."

21. Predictions of deals yet to come, including Asos and H&M sales. Scrooge may've needed ghosts to see into the future - we just track the marketing patterns of major firms over the last decade to do the same. We're quite a way through now, but the Christmas Deals Predictor still has a few highlights left (bah humbug).

For more... our Cheap online shopping tips can help slash the cost.