A woman shared valuable advice for those who online shop in a TikTok video viewed two million times.
Brigette Muller posted the video to her account @hummusbirrd where she shared common coupon codes shoppers can use during the checkout process. Viewers chimed in and offered their own tips for finding discount codes.
According to the American Marketing Association, promo codes have become so common that consumers have started expecting them to be a natural part of their shopping experience.
The organization noted that if there is not a code offered by a retailer, a shopper may look for codes on websites that list them.
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“Promo codes are a valuable part of most retailers’ marketing mix,” the piece stated. “They can help marketers hit sales targets, acquire new customers without losing money and move surplus inventory.”
Muller said it was “easy” to guess coupon codes and noted that they may vary among different stores.
She then ran through a few variations of a code typically offered to first-time customers. Shoppers can type in “welcome,” followed by a number to potentially get a certain percentage off their purchase.
“If it’s a more hip company, try something like ‘Hello,'” Muller recommended.
She told Newsweek in an email she guessed a coupon code while shopping about a year ago and was surprised that it worked. Since then, Muller has guessed coupon codes a handful of times.
A frequent online shopper, Muller said the trick works about 25 percent of the time.
Her advice was welcomed by viewers, and many offered their own tips for finding a discount code that works.
“Omg and popular girl names + a number…Rachel10 lauren15 claire20,” wrote a TikTok user.
One viewer said they worked in customer service and said different variations of “sorry” can help take some money off the order.
“Also try seasons,” another recommended. “Spring10, summer10, etc.”
“Need this because Honey hasn’t worked for me in MONTHS,” a viewer wrote, referring to the browser extension that applies discount codes to online orders.
A viewer shared that shoppers can leave their online shopping cart for a day before getting a promo code sent to their email.
“These are awesome for big companies but please don’t do it to small biz, show them support and spend the extra $,” a TikTok user wrote.
Muller agreed with this sentiment and told Newsweek these tricks should be used with larger companies that can likely stand to give a discount.
“I really don’t recommend doing this in ways that feel unethical—like guessing codes for small businesses or using codes that would make the entire order free,” she said.
Though some viral hacks are helpful for shoppers, others may have missed the mark.
Viewers were not impressed by a woman’s TikTok video where she showed how there can be more space in a shopping cart for a child and for groceries.
A viral thread prompted Reddit users to discuss the differences between shopping online and shopping at a store in person.
Newsweek also reported on various hacks someone can use to get rid of fruit flies.