Using VPN to buy things cheaper
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Online prices aren’t as fixed as they seem. Depending on where you’re browsing from, the cost of flights, hotel bookings, software, and even digital subscriptions can change dramatically. That’s why more shoppers are turning to shopping online with a VPN as a clever way to save money. By masking your real location and allowing you to appear as if you’re browsing from another country, a VPN can reveal lower regional prices that you might otherwise never see.
However, while this strategy can lead to significant savings, it also comes with important considerations, including currency differences, payment restrictions, and potential terms-of-service limits. In this article, I explore how to use a VPN to buy things cheaper and how to do it safely and responsibly.
How to get things cheaper with a VPN
- Get a VPN with worldwide servers; I recommend NordVPN, now 75% OFF
- Download the app and install it on your device
- Mark down the original chosen product price
- Clear your browser's cookies and cache
- Connect to a VPN server in a country with cheaper consumer goods prices
- Revisit the website and check prices again – chances are you'll get lower ones
How prices of things are determined
Theoretically, the major price determination force is the supply and demand principle. When the demand is high, prices go up, and vice versa. Lower demand goods cost less, creating a sort of equilibrium. So, you can easily benefit from VPN shopping.
In practice, businesses are no strangers to price manipulation. For example, they can set higher prices for wealthy countries, even though the quality of the service remains the same. Netflix Premium costs $24.99/month in the US and AR$19,999.00/month in Argentina, which is nearly half the price.
Traveling agencies can use user profile targeting to increase costs. If you've missed a flight, they can set a higher price for the upcoming plane ticket to the same destination because they know you're in urgent need. Likewise, they can exclude some deals and discounts if they consider you will book the flight anyway, for example, to the Burning Man festival you visit annually.
Lastly, there are deals between producers and distributors. Video games on the popular Steam platform can cost more in one country and much less in another. That's because the publishers negotiate specific prices per region, and Steam has to adhere.
Ultimately, the consumer pays more, but not necessarily so if you utilize market-leading VPNs.
3 best VPNs for cheaper things
- NordVPN – best VPN to buy things cheaper
- Surfshark – top VPN with worldwide servers
- IPVanish – affordable VPN alternative for extra savings
To efficiently use a VPN to buy things cheaper online, it has to hit specific marks, like worldwide servers, server obfuscation, and, of course, not be expensive. Here are our top performers.
1. NordVPN – speedy servers with excellent privacy features
| Servers/countries: | 9,500+ servers in 149 countries |
| Connection obfuscation: | Yes |
| Compatible with: | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Current deal: | Get 75% OFF NordVPN + 3 months free |
NordVPN is the best VPN for buying things cheaper online. It offers 9,500+ servers in 149 countries and provides obfuscated servers for robust online privacy protection.
Its proprietary NordLynx protocol guarantees a lightning-fast connection, ensuring you have no issues jumping between online shops. It also has Chrome, Edge, and Firefox browser extensions, so you can clear cached data and use a VPN without leaving the browser environment.
You can get NordVPN for merely $3.49 per month with a 30-day money-back guarantee on the side. If you want to try it out before committing, a 3-day free trial is also available.
2. Surfshark – an intuitive app with friendly pricing
| Servers/countries: | 4,500+ servers in 100 countries |
| Connection obfuscation: | Yes |
| Compatible with: | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Current deal: | Now up to 85% OFF Surfshark + 3 months FREE |
If you're looking to buy things cheaper and don't want to overspend on a VPN, either. Surfshark is one of the most wallet-friendly premium VPNs, whose price can be further reduced with an additional Surfshark promo code "OFFCN". It was developed with user comfort in mind, so its minimalistic app does not overburden you with unnecessary information. Everything is just a few clicks away, which makes it particularly easy to switch between countries or enable a more private online browsing mode.
If you want to make a vpn purchase and save money, it’s easy with Surfshark. Everything is just a few clicks away, which makes it particularly easy to switch between countries or enable a more private online browsing mode.
This VPN provides 4,500+ speedy servers in 100 countries with obfuscated ones called Camouflage mode in the Surfshark app. The software was audited and proved to be a genuine no-logs service, with another audit providing positive results regarding its browser extension security.
Surfshark is also extremely cheap, having subscriptions for as low as $2.49/month with unlimited simultaneous connections. Try the service for free with a 7-day free trial or use a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. IPVanish – reliable VPN at a low price
| Servers/countries: | 3,400+ servers in 112 countries |
| Connection obfuscation: | Yes |
| Compatible with: | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Current deal: | Now up to 83% OFF IPVanish |
IPVanish is an affordable VPN that comes with a variety of features, such as a kill switch, split tunneling, obfuscated servers, and even Threat Protection. During our in-house IPVanish tests, I encountered no connection speed issues, which is great for shopping with a VPN and online transactions.
It has more than 3,400+ servers in 112 countries. Even though its server fleet is smaller than that of NordVPN or Surfshark, you can still use it to find amazing deals.
Starting at $2.19 monthly, IPVanish is affordable. Moreover, Android and iOS users can try out the service for 7 days. There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee for users to fall back on if they're unsatisfied with the product.
How to get things cheaper with a VPN
Using a VPN is an easy process overall. But to ensure you actually succeed, I have provided you with some helpful steps below:
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Choose a VPN service with worldwide servers. I recommend NordVPN with fast and secure global servers.
- Download the app and install it on your device.
- Write down the prices you want to compare without the VPN.
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Clear browser cookies and cache according to your browser.
- Exit the browser environment.
- Launch the VPN app.
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Pick a server on the map or the server list in the country with lower prices and connect to it.
- (Optional) Select an obfuscated server if you need a VPN connection to be masked.
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Revisit the website and double-check the prices.
- Continue experimenting with different countries' servers to check prices globally and get the best option.
What you can get cheaper with a VPN
Most of the time, you can reduce the cost of services with geographically targeted pricing or price discrimination. This means that there's a limited number of services that you can get cheaper with a VPN. For example, you will not get lower potato prices just because you connect to a server in Poland.
Here are some examples of what can come cheaper thanks to a VPN.
1. Flight tickets
Using a VPN to get cheaper flight tickets is quite common. It’s no secret that flight companies manipulate the prices, with some cases showing a hundred-dollar ticket price change between a mobile app and website purchase.
Airline companies can offer different prices based on your geographical location or user profile. They will increase the prices for wealthier regions and ask for more from users who are more likely to book a flight based on their collected data.
So, can you get cheaper flight with a VPN? Yes, you can quickly switch through servers in different countries and compare the results. Furthermore, with a new VPN IP, you will drop your online traces each time, and airplane companies cannot target you with personalized deals that are sometimes more expensive.
2. Hotel and car bookings
Travelers are usually the primary geographical pricing target because they don't have many ways to verify the original cost. Hotels can show higher prices for tourists from wealthy countries and offer cheaper options for others.
The same applies to car rentals. Most often, tourists can't choose as they need a place to stay or ways to travel, and they take the deal that's offered.
Just like with flight tickets, you can utilize a traveling VPN to check prices in different geographical regions and get the most affordable options. Furthermore, some agencies will increase the prices for last-minute bookings if they notice your travel date is due. With a VPN, you can get cheaper hotels by hiding personalized information and checking the default deals.
3. Streaming services
It doesn't take long to notice that streaming services offer different prices for different geographical locations. For example, on the US server, I got a Netflix option starting from $7.99 per month, but when connected to Argentina, it suggested three different options with significantly better deals.
Most popular streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ offer different prices in different regions, and a streaming VPN is the number one technology to get a more affordable subscription cost. Usually, connecting to a VPN server in a country with better deals solves the issue, but you can check our guide to get Netflix cheaper to know everything there is regarding streaming cheaper via VPNs.
4. Entertainment services
Most goods you can buy cheaper with a VPN are online services. But it doesn't end with streaming sites. You can save nearly $10.00 on YouTube Premium, which is much cheaper in India than in the US. You can check our YouTube Premium article for a list of all subscription prices per region.
Another popular service you can snatch is a cheaper Spotify Premium, which costs several times less in Turkey than in the US.
Although Microsoft does its best to push Xbox Game Pass to more users, it doesn't shy away from geographical pricing. Instead of paying the full subscription fee, you can utilize VPNs and get Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cheaper in regions like Argentina, Brazil, and Turkey.
5. Software
Just like with its Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft asks for different prices depending on where you're buying. I got the full $99.99/year subscription cost for Microsoft Office 365 personal suite connected to US and EU servers, but the cost dropped three times when I connected to Brazil.
Adobe family programs are also widely used software that can quickly empty your wallet at full price. For example, Adobe Photoshop costs £21.98/month in the UK and $22.99/month in the US – that's nearly a $7.00 difference per month.
Adobe Photoshop is a perfect example that currency rates are important. Although the prices may look quite similar, the currency rate difference is significant enough. If you use multiple software packs, these changes can amount to much, especially on a monthly subscription basis.
6. Video Games
Video game prices change significantly depending on where you're buying from. Right now, the latest Electronic Arts Star Wars Jedi: Survivor costs $69.99 and $89.99 in the US, but in South Africa, it costs $10.00 less for the standard and $20.00 less for the Deluxe edition.
The same applies to League of Legends RP, Hearthstone packs, and Epic launcher games. Almost all video game platforms use geographical pricing, and some players have no other choice but to try to lower them because paying $80.00 every three months for a card game is too expensive.
However, you must be particularly careful because video game companies often issue bans if they notice users attempting to buy cheaper. It's advisable to use VPN servers like NordVPN's dedicated IP, so you always look like you are browsing from the same region with lower video game costs.
Final thoughts
Using a VPN to buy things cheaper online is an effective way to avoid overpaying for the same service. However, you must subscribe to a reliable VPN with sufficient worldwide servers and outstanding privacy protection features.
I found NordVPN to offer the best price-value ratio with servers in 149 countries, advanced encryption algorithms, and obfuscated servers for an extra layer of online undetectability.
Remember that retail sites don't want you to buy cheaper, and they can ban your account upon detection. That's why taking precautions like cleaning out your browser cache and cookies and utilizing the many cybersecurity features VPNs provide is essential.
FAQ
Can you use a VPN to get cheaper prices?
Yes, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in a different country with more affordable deals. You can utilize NordVPN's servers in 149 countries to compare global prices and pay less for streaming service subscriptions, flight tickets, software licenses, and more.
Should I use a VPN when shopping?
Yes, using a VPN when shopping online is highly advisable because it protects your online traffic from third-party surveillance and malware. A VPN encrypts online data flow, making it indecipherable to cybercriminals, and it will blocklist the websites known for hosting dangerous viruses.
How to save money shopping with a VPN?
You can save money shopping online with a VPN by connecting to a server in a country with better prices or hiding your user profiles from retail websites. The former ensures you get the best global prices possible, and the latter denies personalized targeting, which sometimes increases the service cost.
