Online Christmas shopping: the ultimate guide

It’s that time of year again, and many of us are getting ready to shop, sing, and snuggle up with our loved ones for the holidays. But the stress of gift-buying can sometimes feel anything but merry. That’s why we’ve put together some tips to help you create a Christmas gift list, stick to your budget, score last-minute deals and stay safe while shopping online. Let’s go!

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The internet is bursting with shopping options, so it can be hard to know where to start. If your relatives have set up wish lists online, then it’s easy to know what they want. If not, you can ask yourself the following questions to get your creative juices flowing:

• Are they saving up for a big purchase that you could contribute to?
• Have they talked about buying themselves a particular item recently?
• Is there a topic they’re really interested in or keen to learn more about?
• Is there an activity you could do together? 
• What do they do to relax?
• Do they have a favorite food or drink? (Food-based gifts are great low-cost items and if you slightly miss the mark, they can be easily re-gifted.)
• Do they have a favorite charity that you can donate to on their behalf?
• Is there a store or brand they really love?
• What do they need? (e.g. practical items for school or working from home.)

With the Christmas countdown ticking away, it’s easy to accidentally overspend by making a last-minute impulse purchase. Apps can be used to keep track of your budget. While general note-taking apps like Evernote will do the job, we recommend specialized Christmas shopping apps that help you manage your gift recipients, planning, shopping and budget.

Apps like Christmas Gift List (Android) and Santa’s Bag (iOS) let you create a list of all your recipients and set budgets for each person. When you think of great gift ideas, you can immediately add them to the app so you don’t forget them. You can mark gifts as purchased and view useful stats such as how much you’ve spent so far and your total budget. 

Commit to planning ahead and starting your Christmas shopping early. Beat procrastination by blocking out time in your calendar for online shopping and setting a timeline with concrete goals. Ideally you want to have everything “in the bag” by mid-December, so you can relax and enjoy the lead up to Christmas. 

Online stores are also keen for you to shop early this year so they can avoid logistical bottlenecks. Many retailers are rewarding early birds with special discounts, so getting organized weeks in advance can also make your Christmas more affordable. 

Planning and budgeting are two key ways to spend less at Christmas. If you don’t have a clear plan, you won’t really know how much you’ve forked out until it’s too late. You may also be tempted by dazzling or heavily discounted items and impulsively add them to your shopping cart without really knowing who you’re going to give them to. Take advantage of major sales such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Get advance notifications by signing up for the newsletters of the stores you plan to buy from.

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Online shopping brings with it security concerns. Luckily, there are some simple ways to ensure your transactions are secure and you’re eligible for a refund if your perfect present turns out to be a lemon. 

• Use websites you know and trust. If a website seems a bit suspicious, look up the business on the Better Business Bureau—or your country’s equivalent—to see if it’s legit. 
• Make sure the website is secure. The URL should start with “https” and there should be a closed padlock icon next to it.
• Don’t make purchases when you are on a public wifi network, as it might not be secure and your payment details could be stolen.
• Pay with a credit card wherever possible. This method of payment gives you the highest level of legal protection if you need to dispute any charges.
• Check the return/refund policy and keep records. Save your purchase order, invoice and any other confirmation details in case you need to send anything back. 
• Check whether the store has a customer support center that you can contact if things go wrong.
• Read product and seller reviews: if other people had bad experiences, stay away.

Even the best laid plans can be derailed by the madness of the festive season. Don’t lose heart! There are several ways to finish your last-minute Christmas shopping without paying through the nose or buying socks for everyone on your list.

• Give experiences. If you gift someone a day trip to a national park or swing dancing lessons, all you’ll need to organize is a card. The rest can be sorted out later.
• Donate to charities on others’ behalf. Simply print out the receipt and put it in an envelope together with a personalized note. 
• Shop local to avoid long or uncertain shipping times. Local online stores with in-store or curbside pick-up will let you get your goodies sooner.
• Subscriptions and memberships are ready in just a few clicks. Think entertainment (Netflix, Spotify Premium), food/cooking (Hello Fresh, Marley Spoon), or even socks!
• Find last-minute deals on websites like RetailMeNot and Wikibuy, compare prices on ShopSavvy or Shopbrain, or set up price alerts.

Shopping on the websites of local businesses is not only a great way to avoid shipping delays. Buying from local, independent shops (not chain stores) also helps to support small businesses that are suffering financially as a result of the pandemic. By redirecting your Christmas euros, you can make a positive impact on your community and help your favorite local store as well!

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N26 makes online Christmas shopping simple and secure. Spaces sub-accounts let you put money aside for gifts, so you don’t accidentally run out of funds and can easily check what’s left in your budget. Each time you buy a gift, simply move the required amount into your main account with just a few taps.

You can also add a personalized tag to your purchases (e.g. #xmas2021) to gain an overview of all your Christmas spending. Whenever you pay online with your N26 card using Apple Pay® or Google Pay®, you’ll benefit from multiple layers of security for added peace of mind.

Last but not least, N26 gives you access to exclusive deals and promotions offered by our partners. Simply head to the Perks section of your N26 app to browse special deals hand-picked just for you.