How to Identify a Genuine Online Deal

1. Work out what you will actually pay

The headline price is the start of the calculation, not the end. Before comparing anything, add up the full cost of getting the item into your hands and keeping it.

• Shipping and handling. A low price with $25 shipping can cost more than a higher price with free delivery.
• Sales tax. It usually applies either way. Whether it is calculated before or after a discount depends on where you live and the type of discount (a store coupon is often treated differently from a manufacturer coupon or rebate), so compare totals at the same stage of checkout.
• Required add-ons. Some products need a part sold separately: a cable, a mounting kit, a filter, a subscription or an installation service.
• Conditions on the price. A coupon code, a membership, a minimum order value or a specific payment method may be needed to get the advertised number.
• Return costs. A restocking fee or return shipping charge is part of the risk if the product does not suit you.

2. Question the comparison price

A discount is a comparison between two prices. The sale price is usually real; the price it is compared against is where most of the persuasion happens. Look for a label that tells you what the higher number means.

• "List price" or "MSRP" is the manufacturer's suggested price. Many products rarely sell at it, so "40% off MSRP" may describe a normal street price.
• "Was" or "Regular" price should be a price that seller actually charged. How long, and how recently, is often not stated.
• "Compare at" usually means a price for a similar item, sometimes elsewhere. It is the weakest kind of reference.
• No label at all tells you nothing about where the number came from.

The strongest evidence is price history: what this product has actually been listed at over the last few months. Our guide to price history and reference prices explains how to read it, and why a price close to the recent low is usually more meaningful than a large percentage.

3. Make sure it is exactly the product you want

Many apparently great prices are for a slightly different product: an older model, a smaller size, a lower configuration, or a different condition. Compare like for like.

• Model number. Check the full model or part number, including suffixes. Two products with the same name can differ in storage, color, region or year.
• Condition. New, open-box, refurbished, renewed and used are different products with different risks. See refurbished vs new electronics.
• What is included. Bundles can add real value or pad the price with accessories you would never buy. Value only what you would use.
• Size, capacity and variant. Clothing sizes, storage capacity, pack counts and colors are often priced differently in the same listing.

4. Check who you are buying from

The same item can be a safe buy from one seller and a gamble from another. This is especially true on marketplaces, where many independent sellers share one product page.

• Is it the retailer itself or a third-party seller? The listing usually says "sold by" and "shipped by".
• Is the website address the real store? Look carefully at the domain before entering payment details. Lookalike domains are a common scam.
• What is the return policy? A short or no-return policy turns a small saving into a big risk.
• What is the warranty? Some products sold by unauthorized sellers are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
• How will you pay? Credit cards generally offer stronger dispute protection than debit cards, bank transfers or gift cards. A store asking for gift cards or wire transfers is a red flag.

5. Notice pressure tactics, then slow down

Countdown timers, "only 2 left" banners and "23 people are viewing this" messages are designed to make you decide before you compare. Some are accurate; some reset every time the page loads. Either way, they say nothing about whether the price is good.

A genuine deal still looks good after five minutes of checking. If an offer only makes sense when you decide immediately, treat that as information.

How to use this on OfferNab

Each OfferNab deal page shows the retailer, the condition when the retailer states it, and the price we observed, and flags when that price is the lowest we have recorded for the deal. Use those facts as a starting point, then confirm the final price on the retailer's site, because the retailer controls checkout, stock and shipping. You can read more about how listings are checked in how OfferNab works.