Online shopping has become a way of life for all of us. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a pair of Ariat boots or that perfect set of golf clubs, you can find anything with online shopping.

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We love online shopping even more when we get a discount for signing up for a retailer’s loyalty program or downloading their app.

Do you ever wonder why after you sign up for the loyalty program or download the app those digital coupons just happen to “pop up” when you are in the store? Better yet, do you wonder why if you were shopping for golf clubs, you start getting coupons and ads for other golf-related products?

There is a very good answer to that according to Komando.com. For the extra percentage off or what incentive a business is offering, you give their loyalty program permission to track your purchases.

When shoppers download a store’s app and their location is turned on, the retailer knows you are in the store. That’s how those digital discounts just happen to come up when you are in your favorite retail store.

Everyone loves free Wi-Fi access, but is it really free? It doesn’t cost anything, but when you sign on to the store’s “free” Wi-Fi, your phone is pinged and the business knows everywhere you go in the store.

So, you are trading your privacy for that extra incentive.

What can I do about this?

Unfortunately, tracking is part of the digital age; however, here are a few tips that can help you maintain your privacy, Komando says.

• Uninstall the retailer’s app or at least turn the location settings off.
• Don’t get too many loyalty cards or accounts the fewer the better for your privacy.
• Turn off your Bluetooth so the beacons are unable to track you.
• When you use your internet browser use incognito mode so you are not tracked.

Find these and many more tips at Komando.com to help protect your privacy while you shop.