Capital One Shopping Review

Does Capital One Shopping actually work? Find out if the tool is really safe and see how it compares to competitors like Honey.

Online shopping can be both fun and frustrating. Especially when you're copy-pasting promo codes at a time, hoping at least one works.

Thus, it's easy to overpay online if you hate the hassle of comparing prices and searching for legit coupons.

Capital One Shopping aims to help make the whole process automatic and painless.

Check out the pros and cons and see if it can really save you money.

What is Capital One Shopping?

Capital One Shopping is a free browser extension that helps you compare prices and search for deals across the web. It is available primarily in the US, with some features available in Canada, Australia, and Oceania.^[1]

With best prices shown front row and coupons applied automatically, the savings are effortless on your part.

It has a search function for different products on multiple retail websites. Plus, it's available as an app for your phone.

This tool was created by Wikibuy before Capital One bought it in 2018. Since then, its popularity has taken off with millions of users.

Is Capital One Shopping legitimate and safe?

Capital One Shopping is a legit, safe, and free tool that helps you land deals and coupons at over 30,000 online retailers.^[2] It comes from one of the largest banks in the US and has over 10 million users.

In 2023, it accounted for 11.1% of desktop visits to coupon sites in the US, second to Slickdeals with 18.9%. ^[3]

The Capital One Shopping browser extension has 5 stars out of over 10,000 ratings. It boasts 4.8 stars from Google Chrome and 4.5 stars from Mozilla Firefox.

Although it collects data and tracks your online shopping habits, it neither shares nor sells them to third parties for their own purpose.

That said, you can install this tool with confidence. But with any app or extension, it's good practice to look at the privacy policy before downloading it.

Does it really save you money?

Capital One Shopping helps you score in the savings department in several ways.

Let's say you click on an Amazon listing for a KitchenAid mixer. Right away, the tool will tell you if you're getting the best price. Otherwise, it will show you a similar item at a lower price from another shopping website.

You can also save by using coupons. Capital One Shopping automatically seeks and tries them during checkout.

Another way is to shop with their partner retailers. Using the above item as an example, you can get 5% back as Shopping Rewards when buying directly from KitchenAid.

Capital One Shopping has other money-saving tools like exclusive deals, price drop alerts, etc. More on them later.

Capital One Shopping Pros and Cons

Ready to download this popular extension? Review these quick pros and cons first.

Pros

• Free and easy to use
  
• Convenient access to deals
  
• Good security measures
  
• Available on desktop and mobile
  
• Rewards for shopping online

Cons

• Collects your data
  
• Coupons don't work 100% of the time
  
• Limited gift card options
  
• Requires a USA address to use
  
• Doesn't always have the best price

Below, you'll get an in-depth review of the features that set Capital One Shopping apart from other savings platforms.

Capital One Shopping Features

Capital One Shopping offers a host of tools designed to save you money no matter where you shop. Check them out below.

Automatic Coupons

This feature is one of the easiest ways to save since it takes zero effort. Instead of searching for coupons and manually pasting them into that little promo code box, the extension will try all available coupon codes for you.

If there are 2 or more applicable codes, the system will automatically apply the one you'll get more from. Capital One Shopping pulls up publicly available codes and those used onsite by other shoppers.

These codes are typically sent exclusively to members of a particular shopping platform. So when a member uses one during checkout, Capital One Shopping picks it up and stores it in its coupon database.

Nonetheless, the tool isn't perfect, so it won't always find working coupons for every order. But it definitely beats hunting for codes yourself, only to be disappointed because they're no good.

Compare Prices on Amazon

Wikibuy, the precursor to Capital One Shopping, originally started as an Amazon price comparison tool. Capital One Shopping has retained this feature and continues to improve it alongside its other money-saving tools.

Here's how it works: As you click on products on Amazon.com, you'll see a green button under the price that tells you how much you could save with another seller.

With the Apple AirPods Pro, for example, you could save almost 100 bucks by buying it on eBay. The price it displays includes taxes and shipping based on your actual US location.

If it doesn't offer additional savings, it will tell you that the listing already has the best price. But again, this may not be accurate as there have been instances of finding a cheaper price if you scour the internet yourself.

Considering this would take more time comparably, it may not be worth the trouble, especially if the price difference is minimal.

Price drop notifications

It seems Capital One Shopping no longer has a Watchlist feature where you can add items that you may or may not buy at some point. The tool would then monitor any price reductions or deals within 60 days and advise you accordingly.

Instead, its algorithm will prompt notifications of price drops for items you have viewed on the extension or mobile app.^[4] No need to keep a list.

This takes care of mindless browsing because it may encourage you to buy the item just because its price has become too good to ignore.

Under your Notifications, you can set when and where you will be notified.^[5] While it does not specify email as an option, some users say they still receive notifications and promotions in this manner.

Redeem Shopping Rewards

Capital One Shopping has partnered with popular retailers to give you shopping rewards you can redeem for e-gift cards.

The rewards get credited to your Capital One Shopping account. From there, you can redeem the shopping credits for e-gift cards to some of your favorite stores. So even if no coupons apply to your purchase, you can still win some perks.

You will be asked to provide your credit card information by default when redeeming your rewards. Don't worry; if you have enough rewards, the service will not charge your credit card. But if this is the case, this procedure seems pointless and can be annoying.

Moreover, e-gift card options can be limited. But overall, it's still a great way to acquire incentives online.

Exclusive deals

When browsing on the Capital One Shopping platform, you see right away deals from both partner and non-partner retailers.

Then you click the product listing from a partner site and move on to the next, and so on. You end up not buying anything. But by doing so, you could be activating personalized deals unwittingly.

So here's a hack but it may not necessarily work all the time. For example, look up an item that you don't need to buy immediately and click its corresponding listing on a partner retailer.

Check your Capital One Shopping homepage on the next day. You will likely find the item you were checking out the day before. But this time, the cash back rate may be higher, if not with a better price.

Hotel offers

Capital One Shopping is not just finding a better deal for retail products. It also allows you to earn Shopping Rewards for booked hotel accommodations.

It has partnered with hotel booking sites like Booking.com, Expedia, Priceline, and several others. With Expedia, for example, you can earn 7% back in Shopping Rewards.

While it all sounds enticing, note that it still doesn't guarantee you are getting the lowest rates. There have been instances in which you can book the same hotel at a lower price via Google Hotels or Agoda.

Product search tool

The beauty of this extension tool is you don't have to go to multiple shopping platforms to check prices and deals individually. You simply enter the item on the Capital One Shopping site and get tons of results for both products and stores.

Under Store results, it automatically displays the Shopping Rewards (if any) from that particular store.

If you click on a product, it displays up to 3 best deals in the view panel (or click Show All Offers to display all). You will notice that the displayed price already accounts for the tax and shipping costs.

However, the seller's native discount may not be applied yet. That's why when you click on the specific listing, the price could be lower. For the bargain hunter, this is all the more encouraging. Like a gift that keeps on giving.

Capital One Shopping Mobile app

As with most platforms, this tool is also available on IOS and Android devices. However, note that the Capital One mobile app isn't the mobile version of the web browser tool.

The app is for shopping while on the Capital One Shopping site. That said, you can apply coupons and Shopping Rewards automatically. It is particularly useful for those who like to shop using their mobile phone.

If you're at a brick-and-mortar store, simply scan the item barcode to find comparative listings. This is something you can't do with the browser version.

How to Sign Up for Capital One Shopping

Signing up for Capital One Shopping is simple. First, download the extension on your browser or the app for your phone. The extension is available for Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Once you have the extension, you can create an account by providing the following information:

• Name
  
• ZIP code (may be used to calculate shipping and taxes)
  
• Whether you have Amazon Prime (to account for free Prime shipping)
  
• Email address
  
• Password

And that's it. Once your account is created, you're ready to shop. The extension will point out any potential savings as you shop online.

Who Should Use Capital One Shopping?

Capital One Shopping is a valuable tool for anyone who shops online. Most especially if you are an impulsive buyer who overpays because you just don't like the hassle of deal hunting online that doesn't work out in the end.

This tool is a time-saver, offering convenience you wouldn't have otherwise. And besides, it feels great to instantly save significant bucks when you can do it so easily.

On the other hand, if you never buy stuff online, there are better tools that can help you save in person. Check out one of them down below.

Capital One Shopping Alternatives

When it comes to deal sites, the more the merrier. You don't have to stay loyal to just one shopping tool to find the lowest possible prices.

Here are a few popular Capital One Shopping alternatives that work great together or as standalones.

Honey vs Capital One Shopping

Honey is the most similar alternative to Capital One Shopping. Both extensions find coupons, check for lower prices, and offer rewards when you shop.

On Amazon, Honey only checks prices against other Amazon sellers.^[8] It won't search the web for cheaper prices on other sites. Honey also has a handy price history tool that tracks an item's price fluctuations over time.

These plugins have their merits, and they often have different reward rates and coupon codes. Check out both tools to increase your chances of landing a great deal.

Rakuten vs Capital One Shopping

Rakuten is a popular shopping portal that focuses on cash back at thousands of retailers. If you're mainly interested in this feature, this tool is for you. Rakuten is also available as a browser extension and mobile app.

While Capital One Shopping is an all-around savings tool, Rakuten fares better at finding cash back. This is because the latter has a comparably more extensive network of partner retailers.

Rakuten also tends to have higher reward rates than Capital One Shopping.

Ibotta vs Capital One Shopping

Ibotta is a cash back and savings app for groceries, but they've also expanded to clothing, beauty shops, and more. It's available as a browser extension, but the mobile app is handy for on-the-go shopping trips.

Before you shop, you can add offers and deals to your account. You'll also earn cash back once you upload your purchase receipt.

Ibotta works for both online and in-store shopping. But the easy-to-use app really makes it stand out as an in-person shopping tool at over 150 retailers.^[9] Used together with Capital One Shopping, you'll be able to save however you choose to shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to pay for Capital One Shopping?
Nope, Capital One Shopping is an entirely free tool. You don't even need to be a Capital One customer or have an account with them. Just install the extension, sign up, and it'll start running.

How does Capital One Shopping make money?
Capital One Shopping partners with retailers and makes a commission when you shop at stores they recommend. They also have advertisements for local stores and deals on the website and app.

Does Capital One Shopping work on cell phones?
Yes, Capital One Shopping has both a mobile app and a browser extension for Android and iOS. The app version works similarly as the browser extension except that you must do your shopping within the platform.

Can you use Capital One Shopping and Honey?
Nothing stops you from using more than one deal site. In fact, it can be beneficial to use Capital One Shopping and Honey since they often have different coupon codes and deals available. Both extensions run automatically, so you don't have to do any work.

How do I get rid of Capital One Shopping?
To uninstall your Capital One Shopping extension, click on the menu at the top right of your Chrome browser. Find "Extensions" under "More Tools." You'll be able to turn off or completely remove Capital One Shopping.

Does Capital One Shopping sell your data?
Capital One Shopping does not share or sell your data to third parties for marketing purposes. They use your personal and online activity data to verify your identity, send updates on promos, and improve their products.

Bottom Line

Everyone likes to save money. As long as it's safe and secure, any tool that makes it easy to do that is worth considering.

If you shop online, even if it's only occasionally, Capital One Shopping is a legit service that can help you find great deals. Plus, it's nice that you don't have to do anything on your part once you've downloaded the extension or the app.

Of course, you must read and understand its privacy policy first. You can then decide whether you're comfortable giving some of your data and the savings are worth it.

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