Capital One Shopping vs. Honey: Which App Saves More?

Saving money when shopping online is important. Numerous apps help you identify savings, but many people compare Capital One Shopping vs. Honey as go-to options to save.

Each free browser extension helps shoppers procure savings by providing price-drop alerts, automatically applying discount codes, and more.

If you want to save money when buying something online, this Honey vs. Capital One Shopping guide shares how they compare.

Capital One Shopping vs. Honey: How Do They Differ?

The Capital One Shopping (formerly Wikibuy) and Honey by PayPal extensions share several common features, like finding active coupon codes, sending price drop alerts, and earning cash back at participating merchants.

Both platforms also are accessible through a browser add-on, mobile app, or web platform.

Here are some of the primary differences between the two:

• Redemption options: Capital One Shopping only offers gift cards when redeeming shopping credits. In contrast, Honey Gold points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, or PayPal shopping credits.
• Minimum redemption: Gift cards through Capital One Shopping require a $5, $10, or $25 balance. Honey redemptions require a $10 balance for any cashout.
• Amazon.com price comparison: Both platforms can compare prices on Amazon and apply promo codes. However, Honey can track historical prices and does a better job at comparing your total expenses when buying direct or through a third-party seller.
• Price comparison tool: Capital One Shopping includes eBay listings in addition to popular, well-known retailers. The price quotes have many overlapping vendors but differ. Each platform may also have exclusive cash back offers or discounts.

You don’t need to install or download the extension for either service, but doing so makes using the built-in features easier. Simply add either to your browser to have the money-saving websites identify savings as you shop.

Capital One Shopping Overview

In addition to upfront savings, coupon apps offer additional features to help users maximize their savings. You may not need to use all of them, but they make each shopping extension more robust.

The Capital One Shopping extension has several features that differentiate it from Honey. Here are a few worth noting.

Coupon Codes

The browser extension and mobile app can automatically apply valid discount codes for you. You can also preview codes when comparing prices by product or retailer and manually input them if you don’t install an add-on.

It’s possible to enjoy upfront savings at over 100,000 online retailers. You might even earn shopping points as well.

Price Comparison

Capital One Shopping has a universal product search option that lets you see how much all stores are selling an item for in order to find a better deal.

Instead of going to individual stores, you type in the item you want in the search bar. The extension then searches for the best available prices from top retailers.

If you’re in a store and have the Capital One Shopping app, you can use the search by scanning the item’s barcode.

Your product search will include these details to estimate your discounts and total price:

• Retailer
• Delivery speed
• Return policy
• Special offers
• Estimated total before and after rewards

It’s easy to add items to your watchlist and receive notifications when the price comparison tool detects a lower price on Amazon or partner sites.

Shopping Rewards

You can earn Capital One shopping credits when you shop online at qualifying merchants. Most retailers award between one percent and 12 percent back after activating a session from the app, online shopping portal, or extension.

Not every purchase is eligible for Capital One Shopping credits. Excluded purchases consist of:

• Guns and ammunition
• Real estate categories
• Travel insurance
• Canceled orders
• Subscription renewals
• Shipping and tax charges

Your credits become available 30 to 90 days after the purchase date to verify you don’t return the item or receive a refund. This verification period is standard with cash back apps.

It’s possible to then use your credits for gift cards to some of your favorite stores when you have a qualifying balance.

Unfortunately, the shopping extension discontinued its Local Offers program in 2022. As a result, you can no longer earn rewards on in-person store and restaurant visits.

Price Protection

Purchases from select retailers can be eligible for price drop protection. The app monitors the price history for recent purchases and can alert you when the retailer reduces the list price.

You might be eligible for a refund of the difference, which deposits back onto your credit card or linked payment account.

This feature makes saving money effortless, and you can link your email to scan receipts for purchases happening outside the Capital One shopping extension.

Product Search

You can compare prices for a specific product by typing the item name into the platform search bar. There are even curated product categories that let you easily browse personalized offers.

Read our Capital One Shopping review to get a more in-depth look at what the extension offers.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Capital One Shopping?

Here are this platform’s strengths and weaknesses.

Pros:

• Free to use
• Multiple price comparison tools
• Automatically searches for discounts and price drops
• Helps file price protection claims
• Earn free gift cards from online purchases when you buy from qualifying retailers

Cons:

• No cash back or shopping credit redemptions
• Potentially high minimum redemption
• Must add items to the watchlist to start tracking prices
• Requires app or extension to full accessibility

Overall, the app is a helpful tool to locate active discount codes.

Honey by PayPal Overview

According to its site, the average annual savings secured through the Honey shopping extension is $126. Here are a few of its online shopping tools that assist users in finding money-saving opportunities.

Droplist

If you don’t have time to log in every day to check if an item’s price has dropped, Honey’s Droplist feature lets you add items to this list and get alerts when a better deal is available.

This can be a great way to save if you don’t need an item right away.

You can add items from over 800 stores and set the number of days you want to watch them. The maximum is 120 days. The app even syncs with your Amazon Save for Later list.

In addition to monitoring future prices, the app shows the price history from select retailers for the past 120 days.

Exclusive Offers 

Along with activating available coupon codes, you may receive exclusive discounts and cash back opportunities from online retailers. These offers appear when you’re researching a particular product or store.

Installing the Honey extension can help you unlock the most deals to save money shopping.

There is also a toggle switch on the web platform to only see exclusive offers without downloading special software to start using the shopping service.

PayPal Cash

You can earn Honey Gold points at thousands of online retailers and receive up to 20 percent back on qualifying items in your shopping cart with this easy-to-use rewards site. Each point is worth one percent back.

The app highlights merchants offering double cash back or special codes for additional savings. You need at least 1,000 gold, equivalent to $10, to redeem earnings.

Gold is redeemable for free gift cards to various retailers. For additional flexibility, you can also request cash back or PayPal credits to use at your favorite store on your next purchase.

This rewards program is similar to what you’ll find with Rakuten. Read our Rakuten review to learn more about that shopping extension.

Product Search

You can search for products by name or brand using the built-in search bar. The search results show prices for several retailers, cash back potential, and if free shipping is available.

Shoppers can use the tool to view the pricing history for the most recent 120 days, compare current prices between Amazon sellers, and view similar items.

This feature is also helpful when you are searching for back-to-school supplies and have multiple items to purchase.

Read our Honey app review to get a more in-depth look at what the shopping extension offers.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Honey?

Here are the positives and negatives of this coupon app.

Pros:

• Easy-to-use mobile and desktop versions
• Free
• Works on all major browsers
• Saves time and money on shopping
• Gift card, cash back, and PayPal credits on purchases
• In-depth price tracking tools

Cons:

• $10 minimum redemption
• No price protection for recent purchases
• Requires extension or app for the most usability

PayPal by Honey is a helpful resource to use if you like to save money shopping online.

Honey vs. Capital One Shopping: Where Do They Differ?

Both coupon code browser extensions can assist with saving money and finding the best deal. The superior platform can depend on your shopping preferences.

Price Checking

Both services retrieve similar price quotes using an interactive search engine, but the merchant search results can be different.

For instance, Capital One Shopping includes eBay listings. Honey tends to stick with established stores.

The better platform can depend on which one you find easier to use or which layout you prefer.

Shopping Credits

You can earn cash back at similar retailers with both platforms, but the cash back rate might be higher for your favorite stores with a particular service. You need to explore each shopping portal to estimate your earnings.

Honey has more flexibility with redeeming your shopping rewards since you can request cash back and PayPal Cash.

The rewards rates and retail partners are competitive with many of the best cash back apps, and you have several online shopping tools to secure additional savings.

Taking Advantage of Coupon Codes

Both services are among the best coupon sites because they will apply coupon codes automatically for many online sites. Each site tracks code redemptions from other users to find the best savings.

There are also multiple ways to save money online in addition to automated coupon redemptions. One example is exclusive offers that can help you save more than with standard promo codes.

Price Monitoring

Honey has more extensive price history tracking, although Capital One Shopping is better for ongoing price protections. Either service can send price drop alerts for particular items.

Can You Use Honey and Capital One Shopping at the Same Time?

Yes, you can compare prices and check for active discount codes from both services simultaneously to determine if you can find a better deal elsewhere.

However, you can only earn shopping credits from one shopping portal per transaction.

Bottom Line

Shopping online is a terrific way to save time and money. However, it is frustrating to spend time finding coupons only to discover that they are no longer valid.

When looking at Capital One Shopping vs. Honey, it’s difficult to say that one is better than the other. Since they’re both free, it’s wise to try both so that you don’t miss out on savings opportunities.

They’re both free to use, so there’s no risk in giving them a try to see which performs best for your needs. Each one can help you earn cash back for extra savings.

How do you save money when shopping online?

*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up for Capital One Shopping using the links provided.