English for online shopping: Phrases and vocabulary you need to know

Online shopping is a part of our everyday lives – whether buying groceries, clothes, electronics or something else. But online shopping in English can be confusing. Many English-language websites and product descriptions use specific words or phrases that can be challenging to understand and are often context-specific.

For people who are learning English as a second language, it can be difficult to find what you want and feel confident when buying online. But with some common online shopping vocabulary, the online shopping experience is much easier. Take a look below.

Browsing and searching

These terms and phrases are useful when you first arrive at a website and want to navigate it to find what you’re looking for.

• Online store – the name of the virtual shop on the website.
• Homepage – the main page of the website.
• Search bar – the place to type what product/item you want to buy.
• Categories – the types of products/services that are available on the website.
• Filters – specifications that you can apply to your search to be more specific, e.g. brand, price range, size.
• Sort by – an option to order search results according to your preference, e.g. by lowest price first, by top customer reviews first.
• Product description – a page or section of text that gives the specifications (technical details) of an item/product.
• Product features – the physical properties of the product, e.g. large screen with black, matte rim.
• Product dimensions – the size measurements of the product.
• Product materials – what the product is made of, e.g. polyester.
• Stock availability – whether the product is available to buy at the time.
• Out of stock – the item is not available to buy at the time.
• Recommended retail price (RRP) – the price the manufacturer recommends the product is sold for.
• On sale/on offer – a label to indicate that the product price has been lowered.
• Discount – another way of saying that the product price has been lowered or is part of a deal (often displayed as a percentage).

Adding to cart and buying

These terms and phrases are handy when you’ve selected your goods and want to make a payment.

• Shopping cart/basket/trolley – the place where you keep your items before you’re ready to buy them.
• Retailer – the shop/company selling the items.
• Checkout – the process of paying.
• Proceed to payment – usually shown when you view your shopping cart, means that you will begin the payment process.
• Billing address – the address connected to the card that you pay for your purchase with.
• Shipping address – where you want the items delivered to.
• Standard delivery – the website’s usual time for your items to be delivered. Typically 3-5 working days.
• Express delivery – a faster version of delivery, normally more expensive than standard delivery.
• Next-day delivery – the items will arrive tomorrow (depending on the time when you place the order).
• Click and collect – you buy your order online, but pick it up in a physical store.
• Payment method – how you want to pay for your purchase (e.g. with a credit or debit card).
• Save payment details – an option to store your card details in the website, so you don’t have to enter them again when you want to buy more goods another time.
• Voucher/code/coupon – ways to get money off your purchase. These usually require entering a number from the voucher or coupon into a box before you select ‘pay’.
• Payment confirmation – the page that shows your payment has been successful and your delivery has been confirmed.
• Reference number – a unique number that defines your order. This is important to track delivery and if you have to contact customer service.
• Receipt – a ticket that has all the details of your order.
• Track order – a way to follow your order. You should be able to see when the order has been processed, dispatched, and delivered.
• Expected delivery date – the day your order is planned to arrive at your address.

Delivery

These terms and phrases can help you stay up-to-date on your order’s delivery.

• Dispatched – meaning your order has left the warehouse/storage and is on its way to you.
• In transit – the order is on the way.
• Out for delivery – the order is with a delivery company and will likely arrive soon.
• Delayed delivery – there has been an issue and the delivery will take longer than expected.
• Delivered – the order has arrived at the address.
• Attempted delivery – someone tried to deliver your purchase but was unable to (normally because no-one was home).

Speaking to customer service

These terms and phrases are common if you need to contact customer service about an issue or update with your order.

• Contact us – a page with a phone number, email address or live chat to interact with the company.
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs) – a page with questions that customers commonly have about their purchase. A good place to visit before contacting customer service.
• Return policy – information about when, and how, you can send back products to the company. Some websites will have specific criteria, like that returns have to be made within 30 days of the original purchase.
• Return label – a label you can print at home and stick to your order to send back to the company.
• Request a refund – ask to get your money back for the purchase.
• Request an exchange – ask to change your purchase to something else.

Learning and practising online shopping vocabulary is essential if you want to make buying things online faster and more streamline. Go to a website now and go through the steps – even if you’re not buying anything, it’s a great way to get familiar with the vocabulary.

Happy online shopping!

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