Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff
It’s a shopper’s nightmare: Buying something, then seeing it cheaper at another store. Thanks to price-comparison apps, there’s no need to guess if you’re getting the lowest price.
All you need is a smartphone and some downloaded apps. Smartphone owners have been using the price-comparison apps for the past couple of years. But they’ve improved a lot recently. They’re faster and easier to use than earlier versions. -- Joseph Pisani, AP business writer
Price-comparison apps
It’s a shopper’s nightmare: Buying something, then seeing it cheaper at another store. Thanks to price-comparison apps, there’s no need to guess if you’re getting the lowest price.
All you need is a smartphone and some downloaded apps. Smartphone owners have been using the price-comparison apps for the past couple of years. But they’ve improved a lot recently. They’re faster and easier to use than earlier versions. -- Joseph Pisani, AP business writer
Pisani has been using Amazon.com’s price-checking app for about a year and wrote that he always finds the prices on the app lower than at a store. But he never tried other popular apps.
So he tested five free apps available on both iPhone and Android phones to find the best deal for a new Cuisinart fruit and vegetable juice extractor. Pisani found the product at a Bed Bath & Beyond store, where it cost $149.99. He scanned the barcode from the box with his iPhone and started comparing prices. Here are the lowest prices he found for each app.
GOOGLE SHOPPER
LOWEST PRICE: $131.99
Google wins for finding the lowest price for the juicer. Pisani was surprised to find that the best price was at a physical store and not online. Macy’s had it on sale that day for $131.99. (Pisani went to Macy’s to make sure it actually was that price, and it was.) One bonus is that the app also makes it easy to call the store or put it on a map if you need directions.
AMAZON MOBILE
LOWEST PRICE: $135.85 ($124.36, plus $11.49 shipping)
This app searches for prices only within Amazon.com. It doesn’t show any prices for local deals. That said, it had the second-lowest price, even with shipping. You do need to have an Amazon account to buy from the app. But if you already have one, purchasing from it is easy, and done in one click.
PIC2SHOP
LOWEST PRICE: $135.85 ($124.36, plus $11.49 shipping)
This app found the same price from Amazon and linked to the Amazon website. The app does search for nearby store prices, but it wasn’t as extensive as the Google app. It only found one physical store price, but it wasn’t cheaper than the price available on Amazon.
REDLASER
LOWEST PRICE: $148.95
This app is owned by eBay. The lowest price was from an online retailer. Even though this app didn’t find the best price for the juice machine, it’s worth downloading. You can scan in loyalty cards for certain supermarket and drugstore chains, so you hand over your phone to the cashier instead of carrying a bunch of cards. It lets you buy items within the app from some retailers.
MILO
LOWEST PRICE: $149.99
This app is also owned by eBay. This app shows prices for brick-and-mortar stores, not online retailers. The lowest price it found for the juice machine was at a Macy’s store, but it didn’t pick up the sale price of $131.99 like the Google app did. This app matched the price of the item at the Bed Bath & Beyond store, but it’s still worth downloading if you are looking to buy something right away and can’t wait for it to be shipped.
Hardcore deal seekers will want to download all five apps. But if you don’t want to spend the time scanning barcodes five times, at least download these three: Google Shopper, Amazon Mobile and RedLaser. Google Shopper saved Pisani $18, the most of the bunch. Amazon’s came in a close second. RedLaser’s price was just a dollar less than Bed, Bath and Beyond’s, but the app has more features than others.



