Online shopping for beginners: a step-by-step guide

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

Online shopping means choosing goods on a retailer's website, paying by card and having them delivered to your door or to a shop for collection. Once you have done it twice it feels as ordinary as using a catalogue, and this guide walks you through every step.

What you need before you start

• A device connected to the internet – a computer, tablet or smartphone. A tablet is often the easiest to start with; see tablets for over-60s.
• An email address. The shop sends your order confirmation and delivery updates there.
• A debit or credit card. Our guide to paying safely online explains which is best for what.
• A mobile phone or landline nearby. Your bank may send or ring through a one-off code to confirm that it is really you paying.

Step 1: go to the shop's website

Type the shop's web address into the address bar at the very top of the screen, for example the name of a high-street shop you already know followed by .co.uk or .com. Typing the address yourself is safer than clicking a link in an email or an advert. For your first few orders, stick to retailers you already use in person.

Step 2: find what you want

Every shopping site has a search box, usually at the top with a magnifying-glass symbol. Type what you are looking for, such as "men's slippers size 9", and press Enter. You will see a page of results. Click or tap on any one to see larger pictures, a description, the price and often reviews from other buyers.

Most sites let you narrow the list using "filters" down the side: size, colour, price range and so on.

Step 3: add it to your basket

When you have found the right item, choose the size or colour if asked and press the button marked Add to basket (some sites say "bag" or "cart"). Nothing has been bought yet. The basket is exactly like a basket in a shop: you can keep browsing, add more, or take things out.

To look in your basket, click the basket symbol, normally at the top right of the screen.

Step 4: go to the checkout

When you are ready, open your basket and press Checkout. The site will now ask for a few things in turn.

An account, or "guest checkout"

Many shops ask you to create an account: your name, email address and a password. An account saves typing your address next time and lets you see past orders. If you would rather not, look for "checkout as guest". If you do create accounts, use a different password for each shop; our guide to passwords made simple shows an easy way to manage that.

Your delivery address

Type your address carefully, including the postcode. Many sites find the address for you once you enter the postcode.

A delivery option

You will usually be offered standard delivery (cheapest, a few days), faster delivery for a higher charge, or collection from a store or parcel point. Check for a free-delivery threshold: many shops deliver free if you spend over a certain amount.

Payment

Type the long number across your card, the expiry date and the three-digit security number from the signature strip on the back. Your bank may then ask you to confirm the payment with a code sent by text or through its app. Never share that code with anyone who rings you.

Step 5: check and confirm

The last screen shows everything together: the items, the delivery charge, the total and your address. Read it through. Only when you press the final button, usually Place order or Pay now, is the order made.

Within a few minutes you should receive a confirmation email with an order number. Keep it until the goods have arrived and you are happy with them.

Step 6: delivery and tracking

When your order leaves the warehouse, the shop normally emails again with a tracking link. "Tracking" simply means you can see where the parcel is: with the courier, out for delivery, or delivered. Many couriers give a one- or two-hour time slot on the day.

If you are likely to be out, you can often name a safe place or a neighbour during checkout or through the courier's tracking page. Be aware that if you tell the courier to leave a parcel somewhere and it goes missing from there, it is harder to hold the shop responsible. Without that instruction, the parcel remains the retailer's responsibility until it is in your hands.

If it is not right

For most things bought online you have 14 days from the day the goods arrive to say you have changed your mind, and a further 14 days to send them back. Faulty goods are covered separately and for longer. The confirmation email usually explains how to return things, and our returns and refunds guide sets out your rights.

Other ways to ease in

• Click and collect lets you order online but pick the goods up from a real shop, with staff on hand.
• Supermarket home delivery is a good regular use: the heavy shopping arrives at your kitchen door.
• Ask a family member to sit beside you for the first order, with you doing the typing.

Common questions

Do I have to create an account to buy something?

Not always. Many retailers offer a guest checkout. Supermarkets and marketplaces generally do need an account, because they keep your address and order history.

Is it safe to type my card number into a website?

On a genuine retailer's site, yes. Check the address starts with https and that you are on the shop's real website. Our online shopping safety guide shows what to look for.

What if I press the wrong button and order two?

Do not panic. Contact the retailer straight away using the details in your confirmation email; many can cancel before dispatch. If it has already been sent, your 14-day right to change your mind covers you for most goods.

Will I be charged for delivery?

It depends on the shop and how much you spend. The charge is always shown before you confirm the order, so you can back out if it seems too much.