How do I compare the total price including shipping between stores?
The price on the product page is not necessarily the amount you pay. The shipping difference between stores can cancel out a price difference that looks advantageous. The correct comparison is on the total price: product plus delivery, to your address.
Short answer
- Total price = product price + delivery cost to your address.
- Some stores offer free shipping above a certain order value; check it on each store's site, as it can change.
- Fast delivery usually costs more; if it is not urgent, also compare standard delivery.
- On marketplaces, each seller can have their own shipping cost, so check it before ordering.
Why shipping can reverse the best offer
Hypothetical example: a mixer costs 299 lei on one site with 25 lei shipping, so 324 lei in total. The same mixer costs 315 lei on another site with free shipping, so 315 lei in total. The second site is actually cheaper, even though its page price is higher. Without the total-price calculation you would have chosen wrong.
How to calculate the total price correctly
- Note the product price at each store, read as close together in time as possible.
- Add the product to the cart and go as far as the delivery step, without paying, to see the shipping cost for your address.
- Add the product price and the delivery cost for each store and compare the totals.
- Check whether the order value reaches the store's free-shipping threshold, if there is one.
What to check at each store
- The shipping cost to your address, shown in the cart.
- The free-shipping threshold, if any, and its conditions: it can depend on the product, the delivery method or the seller.
- Extra fees for the chosen payment method, if any.
The elements of the total price and where to find them
| Element | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Product price | On the product page; 4pricing records it as shown on the page. |
| Shipping cost | In the cart, at the delivery step; 4pricing does not track it, you add it yourself. |
| Free-shipping threshold | On the store site or in the cart; it can depend on the product or the seller. |
| Stock availability | 4pricing records whether the product shows as in stock on the page, at each check. |
How 4pricing helps
4pricing records the price shown on each product page and the stock status, at scheduled checks (every 6 hours by default), and shows them in a group next to your own price and that of the competitors you added. Shipping is not tracked: you add it manually when comparing, once you have seen it in the cart. The history of recorded prices helps you see whether a low price is stable or a passing offer, so whether it is worth waiting to reach a free-shipping threshold.