I was thinking of picking something up at eBags today, when a new coupon popped up on my radar that seemed to sweeten the deal even more.  The prices I was quoted were already discounted by a current sale on the site, but this new deal seemed better, so I applied the coupon to my shopping cart.  Unfortunately, as is often the case, multiple coupons don’t stack and the new coupon negated the other savings.

This is generally expected, but what eBags did next really shows that they know what shoppers– and especially deal hunters– are looking for in an online shopping experience.

Clarity & Choice

Finding the best deal for a purchase can be a confusing, and often frustrating, ordeal.  Coupons may or may not be stackable (even worse, certain coupons might be stackable but only with specific coupons), discounts may be calculated based on the total purchase or on a per item basis, coupons may only work on specific items in your cart or none at all, the list goes on (I’m not even going to get into strange fluctuations in shipping costs).

When it comes to coupons, you just try them all and do your best to keep track of which one gives you the best deal in the end.  Can’t remember where you put the coupon code that resulted in the best price?  Too bad, you’ll just have to spend more time on Google trying to find it again.  This is both time consuming and mentally tiring.

This is what eBags does when you override the current coupon with a new coupon to your shopping cart:

Instead of just leaving you high and dry and ditching your previous coupon, eBags gives you a chance to choose which coupon you like the best.  What’s more, they give you a comparison of the total prices with each coupon so that it’s clear which option is the best deal.

This makes a huge difference in feeling confident that you’re getting the best deal.

You also know that they know how their coupon system works (stackability, restrictions, etc.) instead of just random coupons that you have to piece together to get the best deal.  Cognitive dissonance (aka “Buyers Remorse”) comes in many forms, and if you can’t be confident that you fully unlocked the mysteries of a vendor’s coupon system, then you are never quite sure you got the best deal.

With eBags’ coupon comparison, there’s no question.