Top 7 Best Shopping Apps for Holiday Discounts

It can cost you several hundred dollars these days for a new smart phone, even if you sign up for a multi-year plan. But you can recoup that cost—and save even more—if you use mobile shopping apps to take advantage of discounts this holiday season.

Last year about 40 percent of the 2,180 subscribers surveyed by the Consumer Reports National Research Center said they used their phone to see whether a product was being sold elsewhere for less. Or they checked promotions and coupon codes. Fifteen percent said they used reward cards from an app to make a purchase. Men and women differed, however, in the ways they used their phones while shopping.

We think that more shoppers should take advantage of the deals just a touch-screen tap away. The free shopping apps listed below can help. Many share similar functions, but enough features differ that you’ll want to see which apps suit your needs best.

To protect your phone against apps that may not be as private or safe as you’d wish, check our story on mobile security apps. To find out how app-savvy you are, take our quiz, “Would You Download This App?” Other app safety tips: Regularly check and install updates for your apps, to ensure you’re protected against current threats. Download apps only from trusted sources like the iTunes and Google Play stores. And avoid using apps on unsecured Wi-Fi networks.

Can’t find a deal on one of the gifts on your list, even with these apps? Check out the deals at outlet malls. The discounts will be deeper around the holidays, and outlet mall websites often have coupons you can use to save even more. For more holiday shopping tips, see our holiday gift guide and our list of apps that can help you with other holiday chores, like parking and managing your gift lists.

––Mandy Walker (@MandyWalker)

Clutch

Store all your coupons, as well as loyalty and gift-card data with this app, then use it to flash the appropriate information at checkout to get your discount or have your purchase credited. The app also searches for daily deals and additional coupons that can be scanned at checkout. Clutch has its own loyalty perks, too; when you use them, you build up points that you can redeem for gift cards.

Works on: Apple

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Favado

Works on: Android and Apple

Goodzer

Calling itself the “local shopper’s best friend,” Goodzer compares prices on products ranging from deodorant to little black dresses carried by stores in your neighborhood.

Type in what you’re looking for and Goodzer will troll nearby stores large and small to find out who has it and how much they’re charging. You can sort the results by price, distance, and store name, and see if it can find an even better deal online.

Works on: Apple

Pounce

See a product you’ve been looking for advertised in a circular or catalog at a great price? Snap a photo of it with your iPhone and this tool lets you buy it directly from the retailer in two clicks. (Shipping fees are disclosed before your second click.) The app saves credit-card data, contact info, and shipping addresses on your phone, so you only need to input them once. Participating retailers include Ace Hardware, Babies “R” Us, Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Staples, Target, Toys “R” Us and Urban Outfitters.

Works on: Android and Apple

PriceGrabber

This app lets you scan products’ barcodes while shopping to see whether other retailers offer lower prices.

You can also set up a price alert, which tells you when an item you want has been marked down to your desired price at your preferred store.

Works on: Android

RedLaser

RedLaser scans an item’s bar code to compare prices at thousands of online retailers and local walk-in stores.

And you can track favorite products, receive notifications of special deals, manage loyalty cards, and make purchases.

Works on: Apple, Android, and Windows

RetailMeNot

This app collects coupon codes and sale information from a range of retailers and lets you bookmark your favorite stores so that you can check for discounts while you’re shopping.

Instead of printing out coupons, just show the code on your phone to a cashier to get the deal.

Works on: Android and Apple