Black Friday: Safe and seamless online shopping tips

Black Friday is almost here! Here is how to stay safe online and ensure your checkout process is quick and easy…

A guide to safe and secure Black Friday online shopping. Image via Pixabay

As we mark the second year of being in a pandemic, we can expect even more of a shift from in-store to online shopping on Black Friday.

In keeping with COVID-19 safety protocols, many retailers are offering the same deals, and if not exclusive offers to their online shoppers

With Black Friday around the corner on Friday, 27 November, here’s how you can prepare for a safe and speedy checkout process.

GOING ONLINE? SOME HANDY BLACK FRIDAY TIPS

SET YOUR ALARM

This sounds obvious, but oversleeping or missing a time-sensitive offer could mean the difference between getting the item you really want, or risk it being sold out.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the action by setting your alarm (and testing to see that it goes off). Also keep an eye out for special offers throughout the day.

Many retailers are offering exclusive Black Friday discounts and promotions if you sign up to their newsletters.

You may even get a glimpse of what is on offer, which will help you plan your shopping list to the tee.

CREATE A WISHLIST OR FILL YOUR CART

If you already know what you want to purchase, you can save time during checkout by adding your items to your wishlist or to your cart.

This is particularly helpful if retailers give you a limited time to shop.

BOOKMARK YOUR FAVOURITE SITES

Organisation is everything when it comes to Black Friday shopping – and bookmarks should never be overlooked!

Keep your favourite sites located in a special Black Friday folder in your bookmark manager.

KNOW YOUR PRICES

Many retailers disguise normal prices or minimal discounts as Black Friday specials. Make sure you are well informed of the normal prices ahead of time to determine if it is worth your while.

KNOW YOUR CORRECT SIZES

If you are shopping for clothing or shoe items, make sure you measure ahead of time to know your exact size. Many retailers offer sizing charts to make this easier.

This will prevent receiving an item that is too big or small or run the risk of the retailer not having the correct size in stock should you decide to exchange it.

READ THE FINE PRINT

If you need your item in a hurry – or for a Christmas present – make sure you read the fine print of when you can expect it to be delivered.

Sometimes retailers state that orders will only be dispatched when stock becomes available or in a lengthy period of time.

ALSO READ: Black Friday 2021: Makro announces unique plan for November

If you plan on making small purchases, why not pool together with a group of friends to split the cost of delivery – or qualify for free shipping.

This also works well if you need to purchase a certain quantity of a particular item to qualify for a discount.

CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT IN ADVANCE

Most retail online shopping sites require you to have a profile or link your account online.

Doing this ahead of time will speed up the checkout process.

Very often retail sites can crash due to an influx of traffic and consumers trying to check out at the same time. Avoid the frustration by downloading the official app of your preferred retailer to beat the online queues.

HAVE BACKUP PAYMENT OPTIONS

Just like websites, credit card systems can crash over large volumes of transactions taking place at the same time.

To combat this, familiarise yourself with alternative payment options like Instant EFT (Ozow and Payflex) or buy now, pay later (Payflex or PayJustNow)