Microsoft’s Edge browser already contains several shopping-specific tools for Black Friday and holiday shopping. Today, Microsoft said it’s adding even more: automatic alerts of price changes, and a migration of its coupon and price-history features to the mobile version of Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft may be actively trying to block users from choosing another browser in Windows 11, but where online shopping is concerned, Edge is truly useful. When shopping at Amazon or Best Buy, for example, Edge will not only suggest coupons that it knows of, it will also automatically try inputting them when it’s time to check out. Edge also tracks the price history of a specific item, letting you know if you’ve found the best price available and tracking the historical price of the product, too. Price history has been a staple of sites like Camelcamelcamel for years, but before Edge’s browser integration the feature often required a plugin.
Edge is now taking price tracking a step further. Soon, Edge will use your browsing history to keep an eye on products you’ve viewed, and if that product changes in price, Edge will let you know. (Edge often uses the URL bar as a message center, with notifications that slide out. Presumably, Microsoft will also use this to notify you of price changes.)
Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
For now, however, many of those pricing features have been reserved for the desktop browser. Microsoft said Thursday that it’s already ported over the coupons feature to the mobile version of Edge for iOS and Android. Later this month, Microsoft will be bringing the pricing comparison and price history tools to Edge on Android as well, while the remaining shopping features will be added in future versions.
The company will also allow users to pin the Microsoft Rewards experience to the Edge toolbar. Rewards, Microsoft’s way of paying you to use its services, is already quite aggressive in pushing itself on you; in March, for example, Bing was caught pushing popup ads to promote Bing Rebates. Now, Microsoft said, you can simply click the ellipsis menu within Edge, right-click the Microsoft Rewards option, and select “show in toolbar.”
Finally, for every ten purchases made in Microsoft Edge at eligible retailers, Microsoft said it will make a donation to the Eden Reforestation Project for planting trees.
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor
As PCWorld's senior editor, Mark focuses on Microsoft news and chip technology, among other beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.