Why it Still Might Be a Dream
Currently, there are two major factors that suppliers take into account when deciding shipping costs: route density and drop size. When companies consider route density, they try to maximize the number of deliveries a truck can make on one route. Drop size means the quantity of product being dropped off during an entire delivery cycle. That’s why to maximize profit, suppliers either try to make lots of deliveries in one route, or go to the location where they would drop off the most.

Read More: Mint Manages Your Budget, Investments, and Credit Score

Right now a delivery truck can make a 120 stops a day to deliver thousands of packages. A drone wouldn’t make sense for this type of work because right now a drone can only deliver one package before it needs to go back to its’ homebase and recharge. We might need to wait for more technological advances before it becomes economically feasible to use drones for all deliveries.

The Reality
For small singular packages in a lot of different locations, using a car to go on many different routes is time consuming and expensive. Amazon has been testing out a drone that can fly up to fifteen miles. Because eighty-six percent of Amazon’s packages are under five pounds, drones would be perfect for delivering these small objects. In addition, for retail superstore Walmart, about seventy percent of their customers live within a five mile radius of their store location. This would make recharging fast and easy. In these type of situations, small packages close to warehouses/stores, drones could be making a more immediate impact into our shopping lives.

The Verdict? Improvements in shipping quality are on the horizon. With this new technology, that pair of sneakers you’ve been eyeing could be at your doorstep in time for your daily afternoon yoga class.  Happy Shopping!

Credit Card Vs. Debit Card
If you normally use a debit card for your online shopping sprees, you may want to rethink that decision. If your card info is stolen, and somebody makes purchases, the credit card holder often has less liability than the debit card holder.

Read More: How to Prevent Security Cameras From Being Hacked

There are laws in place to protect credit and debit card users, but they both differ a bit in how they handle stolen information or fraudulent activity. Credit cards have the Fair Credit Billing Act, or FCBA, that puts the card holder at a maximum liability for fraudulent card use of $50. If your card is reported stolen (or lost) before these fraudulent shopping sprees occur, then your liability becomes zero.

There are many credit cards that offer this protection, but it is important to read the fine print before you commit to one company over another.

The Electronic Funds Transfer Act, or EFTA, is similar to the credit card laws. It also protects the original cardholder, yet with a significant difference. For debit cards, there is no maximum liability.

You have sixty days to report your lost or stolen card under EFTA laws. After that point, any money taken from your account is lost. That’s not the best of news for frequent online shoppers.

What You Can Do
If you must use a debit card for online purchases, make sure that it is a card without a large balance. If someone accesses your account, they won’t be able to run off with everything.

For better security, look into your overdraft protection. Overdraft protection is frequently used with a checking account, and, in case of a lack of funding in the checking account, it uses funding from the savings account to cover the remainder of the balance.

If a thief is using your card, they have access to both of your accounts–and can wipe out your checking and savings accounts in one blow. Contact your bank to see how your checking account is protected.

Of course, you can always use a prepaid debit card. This option offers more control. If you lose access to the account, you won’t be turning over your checking and savings account funds, but will only lose whatever you had put on the card.

Bottom Line
Consult with your bank to see your best options. Then, help keep your web browsing safe from malware and virus threats with PSafe TOTAL. It offers advanced protection to keep your web surfing secure.

No matter how secure or well-known an online store is, there is always the risk that your information as a customer could be exposed, recently exemplified this past month when Amazon suffered a security breach that leaked tens of thousands of login credentials. In order to avoid your information being among the next leaks, heed the online shopping tips below:

Password Complexity Is Important

Sure, it’s convenient to remember a simple password – like your name or hometown – but this is extremely easy for hackers to guess. In reality, any password that doesn’t include a variation of uppercase and lowercase letters, special characters like !, and several numbers is prone to being hacked.

Even if it means keeping a hard note somewhere of your complex password, the headache of glancing at the note each time is much less than someone obtaining all your information and attempting identity theft.

Look for the Lock

Trusted online stores like Amazon have a locked lock to the left of their URL (https://www.amazon.com/) in the address bar on the top of your browser. This means they have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed, which means that the information you’re sending them – like credit card numbers and personal addresses – is secure. Never provide sensitive personal information to sites without the lock. It’s also especially important to never provide your credit card information over email, even if the sender claims to be from a trusted store. Trusted sites will always keep exchange of information to a section of their site that’s secured with SSL.

Use Familiar Sites

While it’s true that any online store, even Amazon, is prone to leaks and hacks, it happens much less there than on lesser-established sites. In addition to potential headaches involving slow shopping and lack of customer support, unfamiliar sites pose a security risk, as they’re less likely to have SSL encryption installed, consequently providing a more open network environment for hackers to obtain your information.

Use PSafe Digital Security

Even when taking the precautions above, you’ll still need an extra layer of security to shop securely online. PSafe accomplishes this on a variety of platforms, providing cloud-based software and free internet protection for Windows and Android users in Brazil and Latin America. PSafe Total, available for both platforms, provides software optimization features and operating system protection that will notify you of any potential intrusions while you online shop, which is an outstandingly useful feature considering how rampant hackers are.

Using complex passwords, paying attention to SSL encryption presence, prioritizing familiar sites and using PSafe Total are all ways to significantly improve the safety of your online shopping.

1. StockX

While this app is specifically for sneakers, it deserves a mention here due to its sheer capability, and functionality. It’s essentially a stock market for sneakers, as the name suggests, providing secondary market pricing for each type of available shoe in real time. It also lets users buy, sell, and research different types of sneakers within the app. Also, if you’re a seller, it lets you track the value of the collections you’re offering as the prices increase or decrease.

2. Gilt

Gilt is an app that gives users the ability to search for deals on luxury and designer brands, letting you fulfill your premium clothing fantasies at a lower price than you’d be able to find elsewhere. The site offers women’s, men’s, baby’s, and kid’s apparel, along with home decorations, and other necessities. Tacked onto all of that, there are also mobile-exclusive sales to make sure you get deals, and tips other shoppers might not ever know about.

Read More: 4 Top Shopping Apps to Help You Save Money

3. Mr. Porter/Net-A-Porter

There are two apps listed here since the former mainly caters to men, as you could probably tell by the name, while the latter primarily serves women. The focus here is on more premium, and designer wares, but if your pockets are deep enough, then you’ll have a fantastic time. The app has an especially clean aesthetic, with high-definition images of everything that’s offered, including various filters to help you find exactly what you’re looking for as quickly as possible. There are even product videos, along with other useful features.

4. HauteLook

To start, this app was named one of InStyle’s ‘Best of the Web’! HauteLook, owned by Nordstrom, offers deals at 50-75% off standard pricing on everything from men’s and women’s apparel, to beauty products, kid’s clothing, and home décor. That being said, the website is members-only, and all sales only last for a limited time.

5. Waves

This app from Dan Hudson serves a wonderful, and singular purpose: to make sure you can find, and buy the clothes you see trendy Instagram users wearing in their pictures. It’s also one of the most well reviewed apps on this list, earning 4.3 out of 5 stars, so current users are clearly satisfied!

Happy Shopping!

Don’t let your phone decide when it’s time to stop shopping. Install PowerPRO today and learn how you can continue your shopping spree for as long as possible. Already using one of these helpful apps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

1. Shopkick

Shopkick is a shopping rewards app that lets you start earning points, or “kicks,” as soon as you walk in a store. You can earn additional kicks by scanning the barcodes of certain products, and making purchases. Over time, your kicks will accumulate, and can be redeemed for gift cards, movie tickets, and other rewards. There are over 270,000 participating retail locations, ranging from Best Buy  to Yankee Candle, so shopping lovers of all interests can reap some benefits!

2. RetailMeNot

The days of disorganized coupon organizers are over, thanks to this award winning app. With RetailMeNot, you gain access to money saving deals and coupons from over 50,000 retailers that can be redeemed by simply showing your phone at checkout. To top it off, RetailMeNot even sends you notifications for deals at stores near your current location, so you can shop more, and spend less wherever you are!

Read More: Target Cartwheel: An Android App for Saving Money

3. ShopSavvy

There’s nothing more frustrating than buying a product only to find it for a lower price elsewhere. Thankfully, ShopSavvy can make sure this never happens to you again. Simply scan the barcode of the item you want to purchase, and ShopSavvy will show you the price of the item at various stores, and online retailers. With ShopSavvy, your shopping skills will impress even the most extreme coupon cutters.

4. Jet

Would you be willing to waive your right to return items in exchange for extra savings? We sure would! Jet is a fun app that gives you unique ways to turn day-to-day expenses into saving opportunities. In addition to waiving free return rights, you can also pay with a debit card, or purchase “smart items” (denoted with a $ icon) for additional savings. With savings on “pretty much anything,” Jet turns your mundane weekly shopping into a money saving experience!

 Ready to Shop ‘Til You Drop?

With so many useful apps to choose from, make sure your Android has enough memory to download all the ones you need. Install PSafe TOTAL, and let its memory booster help you maximize your phone’s storage. After all, you wouldn’t want a shortage to prevent you from scoring a deal!