1. Charge It
Don't pay by check: Always use a credit card or e-cash whenever you buy on-line.

2. Look for Seals
Look for seals of approval—from, TRUSTe, and the Better Business Bureau. These ensure that the company is legitimate and that your personal information will be protected.

3. Get Help
When you have questions, use on-line customer-service support features, including on-line chat and voice-over-IP functions, as well as toll-free numbers.

4. Buy Big
Consider buying smaller items such as printer toner cartridges, diskettes, Zip disks, and cables in volume to save money.

5. Save and Print
Save a copy of your on-line order receipt by saving the Web page locally. For extra security, print it out.

6. Clip and Save
Almost all vendors offer coupons and rebates, but few consumers bother to find them.

7. Track Your Delivery
Pay attention to shipping information and options to learn when your order is supposed to arrive. If at all possible, get a tracking number.

8. Buy Used
Check closeout or refurbished product sections. These often include amazing bargains. Just make sure they include some sort of warranty.

9. Search Smart
Use bots (robots), or automated search engines, to compare prices among resellers only if you are in the rush because they give less precise information than browsing the merchants by yourself. Also, be aware of possible bias—some bots are hosted by sites that also sell products.

10. Be Specific
If you know the name and model number, enter them for much faster searching.