Black Friday shoppers can save money with shopping apps

Black Friday shoppers with smartphones can save money with the right shopping apps. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Thanksgiving is a special time for gathering family together for a meal, but also there is football and Black Friday shopping. For smartphone users, there are a bevy of shopping apps that will help shave a bit off the bill.

Shopping to do

Black Friday shopping is starting early this year; some retailers are launching “Black Midnight” to start sales early, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Best Buy, Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s are all opening their doors at midnight on Black Friday, hours before most other stores. Shoppers want to find ways to save money on Black Friday, and those with smartphones have an edge. There are a bevy of shopping apps geared to find the best deals.

Pan and scan

One of the most common types of shopping app comes equipped with scanning software, which will enable a phone to scan bar codes and other types of codes.

RedLaser, according to SavingAdvice.com, will scan bar codes and alert the user to where that item is cheapest. It’s available for Android and iPhone. According to USA The latest version includes online payment through PayPal, so users can pay for and pick up their items or have them shipped. RedLaser, which is made by eBay, isn’t supported by all retailers, so check with a retailer before buying.

According to CNBC, a similar app called ShopSavvy scans the bar code and displays prices from various retailers. It also shows users promotional offers and coupons. ShopSavvy, according to the ShopSavvy website, is available for Android, iPhone and Windows Mobile.

Some apps, such as SnapTell, perform a similar function but require users to snap pictures of bar codes or QC codes with their phone cameras and upload them to the app.

Amazon’s Price Check App and Google Shopper, according to CNBC, integrate voice search. A person can speak the name of the product into the phone and a search is automatically conducted to comparison shop. Both apps also have code scanning and picture upload functions. Amazon Price Check is only available for the iPhone and iPad. Google Shopper is available for Android and iPhone.

There’s an ad for that

Other apps to help save money show off the best deals being advertised by retailers. TGI Black Friday, for iPhone and Android, compiles Black Friday ads and shows users where the best prices for certain items are, according to CNBC.

Coupon and price comparison site FatWallet.com has an app for the iPhone called Black Friday Deal Finder, according to PRWeb.

Coupon Craze

CouponSherpa will find a coupons for items in the store where the user is located using location software, according to SavingAdvice. The mobile coupon app will bring up the coupon bar code on the phone’s screen for cashiers to scan or manually enter the coupon code.

Similar apps, according to the Los Angeles Times, include MobiQpons and Yowza.