These days, so few of us are willing to pay full price for, well, anything. That’s why more of us are Googling for promo codes and discount codes for everything from UberEats to online casinos these days, as we seek to take advantage of the online discounts that platforms of all stripes now consider essential to their respective business models. However, all too often we will frantically search for a discount code online for something that we want, only to find that the code is expired, fake, or that we are ineligible for that particular code. So, how can you find bonus codes online that actually work? Here are our top tips.

For retail: use verified bonus code aggregators

If you are looking for discounts on retail items such as clothes and makeup, a quick Google search will bring up no shortage of sites promising to offer the latest valid codes. However, very few of these will actually work. The most reliable way to quickly find valid retail bonus codes is to use a trustworthy site that compiles codes and verifies them. There are a number of sites that test bonus codes before publishing and will remove any that are no longer valid, such as Coupon Cabin, DealsPlus, and Retail Me Not. These should be your first ports of call.

For online casino games: use a third-party review site

Online casino games, such as slots, and sports wagers are increasingly popular across the US these days, especially because most of the top casino platforms make extensive use of bonus codes. If you want to play real money casino games without betting your own cash, you can always find a bonus code that offers you this chance. The best way to find codes that are safe and actually work is to use an expert, third-party casino review site. For example, this casino bonus review site always lists the latest valid codes for free spins and deposit bonuses at all of the top casinos. This is the most efficient way to find codes that actually work.

For food: learn your T&Cs

Oftentimes, our frustration with invalid bonus codes peaks when we are trying to order food. How often have you tried in vain to enter a code into Postmates or UberEats, only to find that it doesn’t work? This might be because food delivery apps are savvier than most to bonus code shoppers, who will harvest as many online promo codes as possible to ensure that they never have to pay for a meal.

As such, most codes for food delivery services these days tend to have very specific terms and conditions attached. Most of these will revolve around being a first-time app user, using the code at a specific time or day, or ordering from a specific set of restaurants. Always familiarize yourself with the bonus code policies of any delivery platform you wish to use so that you can find a code that works when you need it.

For everything: use a browser extension 

Finally, don’t forget to try out a browser extension that will enter bonus codes at the checkout on your behalf. Platforms such as Honey and WikiBuy will automatically enter every single bonus code on the web into the checkout box of a website within a few seconds, in the hopes that one of them will work. These are free browser extensions that anyone can use to try and grab a freebie.

By following these simple tips, you can avoid ever paying full price for anything ever again.