Here are five things you should know before finding the best deals online today:
1. People are reaching for their phones to shop for presents, and some are doing it at work. More than 28 million people — or 23 percent of Cyber Monday shoppers — plan to shop for Cyber Monday deals from their mobile devices this year. More than 98 million people will use their computers at home to shop for deals, while 11.2 million will shop from their computers at work.
2. Use your credit card for online purchases. According to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, using your credit card for online purchases is smarter than using a debit card. In general, when you pay with a credit card, you have certain rights to dispute unauthorized charges that you may not have with a debit card or other form of payment.
3. As online shopping becomes increasingly popular, delivery services are estimated to send more than a billion packages this holiday season. Shipping services — like FedEx, United Parcel Service (UPS) and the United States Postal Service — have reminded customers to be aware of delivery deadlines. These are the guidelines you should follow to make sure your gifts are delivered on time.
4. Early morning remains the busiest time for online shopping. More than 38 percent of consumers shopping on Cyber Monday planned to shop first thing in the morning. More than 33 percent will shop late in the morning, and 16 percent will shop over lunch.
5. Make sure to shop at legitimate online retailers. Use secure websites. Use secure websites whenever you need to enter personal information online. Look for websites that begin with "https" instead of just "http." The "s" stands for secure.
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