Capital One Shopping Price Protection Review [2024]: Save Big When You Buy Online

If you’re the type of shopper who’s committed to finding the best deal, then you’re going to like what Capital One Shopping Price Protection has to offer.¹ Capital One Shopping is a software company owned by Capital One, and its main focus is to help consumers like you save money when shopping online.

Your days of endlessly searching for the lowest prices and then becoming frustrated when prices drop again afterward are safely behind you — since Price Protection can help you receive reimbursement from several major retailers when possible. It will also track your online purchases and earn you a partial refund on items that aren’t delivered on time. Sound interesting? Keep reading to learn how Capital One Shopping Price Protection can save you money.

What is Capital One Shopping Price Protection?

Capital One Shopping Price Protection is a personal finance tool that was created by Eric Glyman and Karim Atiyeh in 2014 under a different brand name and acquired by Capital One in 2016. The company’s goal is to help people learn how to save money on their online retail purchases after they’ve bought something, rather than before. Instead of wasting time trying to find the best deal for your online purchase, Capital One Shopping's algorithms track price drops and send refund requests on your behalf.

Offering refunds from several major retailers with price-adjustment policies, Capital One Shopping can help track price drops and get you reimbursements when possible. To date, it has saved its users over $20 million.

How does Capital One Shopping Price Protection work?

Since every company has different price-adjustment policies, keeping track of each one can feel impossible. That’s where Price Protection comes in — by tracking these policies across online stores Capital One Shopping monitors, and then leveraging them to award refunds. 

Capital One Shopping doesn’t just stop at price-drop refunds. It also stays on top of any late deliveries and leverages company policies to issue partial refunds when available. 

These perks might all seem like magic, but they aren't. By scanning your online shopping receipts, the company’s software then monitors for price changes and shipping delays. Depending on retailer policies, Capital One Shopping will either file a claim on your behalf or help you contact the retailer directly to claim your savings.

At the end of the day, Capital One Shopping isn’t just helping you save money when shopping online — it’s also saving you a lot of hassle and time spent learning company price protection and adjustment policies, as well as contacting companies for you in some cases. But the best part about this service is that it’s 100% free to use (with no hidden fees), and you get to keep every cent it saves you.

Who can use Capital One Shopping Price Protection?

Capital One Shopping is available to anyone living in the United States or Puerto Rico who’s at least 18 years old and has a valid email address. After enrolling either online or through the company’s mobile app, users can get started with saving with Capital One Shopping.

How much can you earn with Capital One Shopping Price Protection?

The exact amount of savings you can earn with Price Protection varies, although depending on the value and frequency of the purchases you make, it does seem to be considerable. One user reported receiving two refunds in one week; another said they were given $80 in refunds — all of which resulted from price drops detected by Capital One Shopping. 

The company also reports that through its delivery-monitoring feature, Capital One Shopping users have gotten everything from full to partial refunds of shipping costs, with some retailers even dishing out extras such as store credit or one-month rush-shipping benefits. When you're struggling to pay bills and working at learning how to manage your money, every little bit counts.

Getting paid with Price Protection is relatively straightforward, especially since it’s not the company paying you but the original retailer where you made the purchase. In fact, Capital One Shopping doesn't require you to add a credit card or bank account when signing up, since all the service needs is access to your personal email account to scan for online receipts.

As far as actually getting paid, this will depend on the policies of individual retailers, which will determine how and when you receive a refund. Capital One Shopping does not offer a time frame for your refund, as some retailers require additional steps from you. Retailers often issue refunds to your original form of payment.

Maximizing your earnings with Capital One Shopping Price Protection

Price Protection is a service that’s meant to complement your normal spending habits, helping you capture any savings on purchases made with one of the online retailers it monitors. Because of this, there really isn’t a “best way” to maximize your earnings.

But by understanding how the company works, you’ll be able to better anticipate the types of purchases that may end up earning you more. For example, more expensive purchases are likely to earn you a bigger refund than less expensive ones.

Being compensated for late deliveries is also more likely if you regularly make online purchases that are shipped. For instance, if you shop at Amazon frequently, Capital One Shopping's late delivery monitoring for Amazon purchases can come in handy.

For the most part, the amount of earnings you stand to make with Price Protection is fairly straightforward, with some slight variability based on the policies of the eligible online retailers it monitors. The best way to use Capital One Shopping isn’t to focus on earning more, but rather to spend confidently with the knowledge that the company will earn you any savings you qualify for.

Common questions about Capital One Shopping Price Protection

How to sign up for Capital One Shopping Price Protection

Signing up for Capital One Shopping Price Protection is easy, as you just need a valid email address to get started. However, keep in mind that the company supports only certain email providers, including Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook webmail providers. Another important point is to make sure the email account you sign up with is the same one you use for your various shopping accounts, since you will need to give Capital One Shopping access to your emails in order to scan receipts for potential savings. You'll also need to give Capital One Shopping access to your Amazon account if you want it to track late deliveries.

You can get started with a Price Protection account by downloading the Capital One Shopping app for iOS or Android or creating an account on the Capital One Shopping Price Protection website. After entering your email information, you’ll also need to grant Capital One Shopping permission to access your emails by checking the box on its permissions page. Once this is done, you can sit back and shop confidently, knowing the company will reach out if and when you qualify for any savings.

Other side hustles to consider

Capital One Shopping Price Protection is a great way to earn a bit of extra savings on purchases you already make. The company will also save you quite a bit of time and hassle going after these retailers yourself. That being said, if your goal is to figure out how to make extra cash beyond refunds there are better side hustles to consider.

You might, for example, start earning a passive income by renting out your car when you’re not using it. Or if your problem is more about budgeting than earning more money, you can always start using one of these budgeting apps to rethink your finances and plan ahead.