VPNs are most often used for their security and privacy-enhancing features, but did you know they can also help you save money? Well, you do now, and here’s how.
Free VPNs are not exactly the safest or most reliable option, and a good VPN costs at least some money, so is it really a good trade-off? Is it worth buying a VPN subscription to save money on other purchases?
It depends on your lifestyle and your shopping habits, but in general, yes, it is worth it. If you plan to buy a lot of discounted goods (more on that later in the article), the savings will offset the cost of a VPN. In addition, a VPN is a tool for online privacy and security, so it is usually a good idea to have one anyway.
But let’s get back to saving money. How can a VPN service help you?
What is price discrimination?
Normally, when you go to a local store, prices do not change from day to day (unless there is a discount, of course). Prices will also remain the same for you and your friends. However, this is not always the case when it comes to online shopping.
Some online retailers base their prices on certain information about their customers, such as:
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age
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interests
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location
How is this even possible? When you browse the internet, websites tend to collect certain data about you. The data collected by different sites can be exchanged, providing site owners with information about your browsing and shopping habits, which then tells them your estimated age, income, and interests. And as for your location, it is revealed through your IP address every time you connect to the web.
So what about the prices? Customers can face price discrimination when asked to pay more for the same goods than others, for example, residents shopping from countries with lower GDPs. Companies know that people in developed areas are willing to pay more for things like hotels or flight tickets. Therefore, bumping prices for them can bring more profit, but it makes sense to lower them for customers who probably do not have as much money to spend.
What can you buy cheaper with a VPN?
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome price discrimination based on location or interests. If a site knows nothing about you, it cannot discriminate. This is where a VPN can come in handy. And what can you buy?
Flight tickets
Airlines often bump up their prices online for customers who show interest in certain flights. Let’s say you want to spend some time in the UK, so you check flights multiple times during the week. The site owner sees this and knows that you are particularly interested in certain flight connections and may try to raise prices to gain more from your travel plans.
Your location also plays a role here. The prices you see may be different from those seen by someone from India or Malaysia, for example. That is because your IP address reveals where you are from (approximately), and if you are from Canada or the US – which are more developed countries with high GDPs – you are probably able to spend more money on vacation than someone from another country. This is often exploited by airlines.
A VPN can help you by masking your real IP address and changing it to another, possibly from a different country. Moreover, it can cover your tracks online, so the website owners will not know that you are interested in certain goods.
Hotel rooms
When it comes to hotel rooms, price discrimination works the same way as in the previous example. Booking sites may use your personal data (location, browsing habits, interests) to raise some prices.
Traveling is generally a luxury hobby that not everyone can afford. Flights and hotels of a good standard are quite expensive, so website owners sometimes raise prices even more – after all, if someone can afford a vacation in a touristy region, they can afford to spend $50 more on a hotel, especially if they are interested in a particular location.
That is why you might want to try and use a VPN to experiment with hotel prices, as seen from other parts of the world.
Rental cars
As a common part of a travel package, car rental prices can also be influenced by customer’s location and browsing habits. The principle remains the same – buyers from “richer” regions can pay more. If you plan to rent a car, you can try a VPN and, perhaps, hunt down a nice discount.
Streaming and entertainment services
The same online services offer different price plans in different markets. Therefore, you can try out a VPN to see if you will be able to buy a cheaper plan for yourself. Keep in mind, however, that this may violate their terms of service. Do it at your own risk.
How to use a VPN to hunt down discounts?
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Choose a VPN. Ideally, pick a service with multiple server locations, unlimited speeds, and a good privacy policy.
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Buy a VPN subscription (if you use a premium service, which we recommend) and install the app.
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Before you do anything, open your web browser and clear your cache, cookies, and browsing history. This will ensure that websites do not “remember” your previous searches.
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Open the VPN app and connect to the server of your choice.
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Go to your favorite store or booking site and search for anything you want to buy. Write down the prices (and the VPN server you are connected to) for later comparison.
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Close the site and clear your cache, cookies, and browsing history again.
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Connect to another VPN server and repeat from step 5.
After trying multiple VPN locations, you can compare prices. Chances are that some locations will offer better deals. Keep in mind that this is a game of trial and error – you may have to compare multiple servers to find a good discount.
When will a VPN not help?
Some websites may protect themselves from “cheaters” and implement anti-VPN measures that will prevent you from using a VPN. Sometimes, they may also ask for a billing address, and you will not be able to proceed with your purchase if your address does not match your IP location.
What’s more, using the prices of other markets may result in a violation of the terms of service. If you want to use a VPN to buy cheaper games or subscription services, we recommend checking the ToS first.
Last Updated on by soubhik
