Capital One Shopping: How it works and how to earn rewards

Online shopping portals can help you save money on everyday purchases, and some let you earn rewards on top of the points or cash back you already get from your credit card.

Capital One Shopping takes a slightly different approach: It combines shopping rewards with coupon codes, price comparisons and deal alerts.

You don’t need a Capital One credit card or bank account to use Capital One Shopping. The free service is available through its website, browser extension and mobile app, and you can redeem eligible Shopping Rewards for gift cards rather than cash or travel points.

Here’s how Capital One Shopping works, how to earn and redeem rewards, and what to know before using it.

What is Capital One Shopping?

Capital One Shopping is a free online shopping tool that helps you find lower prices, apply available coupon codes and earn rewards at participating retailers. It can also compare prices across merchants and alert you to potential savings.

Unlike a traditional airline or hotel shopping portal, Capital One Shopping doesn’t directly award airline miles or hotel points. Instead, eligible purchases and promotions earn Capital One Shopping Rewards, which can be redeemed for select retailers’ electronic gift cards.

Capital One Shopping is separate from Capital One Offers, which provides shopping promotions to eligible Capital One cardholders.

How to use Capital One Shopping

You can shop through the Capital One Shopping website, install its browser extension or use its mobile app.

1. Create a Capital One Shopping account:Visit Capital One Shopping and create an account. You don’t need an existing Capital One credit card or bank account to sign up.
2. Find a retailer or product:You can search for a specific product, browse participating brands or explore available deals.
3. Activate an eligible offer:If you find a retailer offering Shopping Rewards, follow the activation instructions on Capital One Shopping before completing your purchase.
4. Complete your purchase:Finish your order with the participating retailer and keep your confirmation email until the transaction is reflected in your account.

Keep in mind that rewards aren’t necessarily credited immediately. Capital One Shopping says eligible rewards typically post within 30 to 90 days after making a qualifying purchase or completing a promotion’s requirements, although some may take longer.

Returns, cancellations and other exclusions can affect reward eligibility. Using another shopping portal or applying an unlisted coupon code may also interfere with tracking, so be sure to review the offer’s terms before completing your purchase.

How to use the Capital One Shopping browser extension

The Capital One Shopping browser extension can help you find savings without having to manually check the portal before every purchase.

Once you’ve installed the extension and signed in, you can shop at participating websites as usual. Depending on the retailer, the extension can alert you to available Shopping Rewards, search for coupon codes and compare prices.

I keep the Capital One Shopping extension installed on my browser, so whenever I’m shopping online, I can easily see if any rewards are available. Even if an offer isn’t always available, it’s nice to know when I might be able to earn something extra on a purchase I was already planning to make.

Before checking out, review the terms of any available offers, including minimum spending requirements and product exclusions. It’s also worth comparing the final price after discounts and shipping rather than choosing a retailer based solely on its advertised rewards rate.

Capital One Shopping also offers price-drop notifications for eligible products, which can be useful if you’re planning a larger purchase and have some flexibility about when to buy.

How to redeem Capital One Shopping Rewards

Unlike traditional cash-back shopping portals such as Rakuten and TopCashback, Capital One Shopping lets you redeem your rewards for electronic gift cards at participating retailers rather than cash.

When you’re ready to redeem your rewards, sign in to your Capital One Shopping account and navigate to the “My Rewards & Savings” section. From there, select “Redeem Now” to browse available gift cards and complete your redemption.

Available retailers and redemption amounts may vary, so check your account for current options.

Keep in mind that Shopping Rewards aren’t the same as cash. If you’d prefer rewards that can be deposited into your bank account, a traditional cash-back shopping portal may be a better fit.

What credit card should you use with Capital One Shopping?

You don’t need a Capital One credit card to use Capital One Shopping, so consider using a card that earns a strong rewards rate on everyday purchases or online shopping.

You can generally earn credit card rewards on eligible purchases in addition to Capital One Shopping Rewards, allowing you to earn rewards through both programs on the same purchase.

Personally, I like using my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for online purchases. While it doesn’t offer bonus rewards specifically for online shopping, it earns at least 2 miles per dollar on purchases, so I know I’m getting a solid return on my spending.

For example, if I make a $200 purchase through Capital One Shopping using my Venture X, I’ll earn 400 Capital One miles in addition to any eligible Shopping Rewards.

Bottom line

Capital One Shopping is a free tool for finding online discounts, comparing prices and earning rewards that can be redeemed for gift cards.

You don’t need a Capital One credit card to use it, and eligible purchases can earn Shopping Rewards on top of your usual credit card rewards.

If you regularly shop online and don’t mind redeeming rewards for gift cards rather than cash or travel points, Capital One Shopping is worth trying out. Just be sure to compare prices and review offer terms before making a purchase.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Source: thepointsguy.com