My 6 Tips For Keeping Your Online Valentine’s Day Shopping Secret

Giving your spouse a gift on Valentine’s Day is a sweet gesture to express love. However, planning it as a surprise can be tricky—especially if you share devices or accounts with your partner.
Use Incognito Mode or Private Browsing
Shopping in incognito mode ensures your browsing history isn’t saved. Once you close the browser, there’s no trace of the websites you visited, so others using the same device won’t see your plans.
To activate incognito mode across different browsers:
- Google Chrome: Click the three dots and select New Incognito window. Or, press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) / ⌘ + Shift + N (Mac).
- Microsoft Edge: Click the three dots and choose New InPrivate window, or use Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) / ⌘ + Shift + N (Mac).
- Mozilla Firefox: Click the three lines and select New private window, or use Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) / ⌘ + Shift + P (Mac).
Incognito mode has different names across the major browsers, but it performs the same role.
Turn Off Email Notifications
Online stores often send order confirmation emails that could spoil the surprise. To avoid this, turn off email notifications from the retailer or temporarily mark their emails as spam. You can also use a separate email account for Valentine’s shopping, so all order-related emails go there instead.
To turn off email notifications from Gmail, click the gear icon in the top right corner. Then, choose See all settings from the menu. Head to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab and click Create a new filter.
In the From field, enter the retailer’s email address (you can also add their name to the Subject field). Next, click Create filter and then check the box for Mark as read. Finally, click Create filter again to save the changes.
Any emails from that retailer will automatically be marked as read and won’t appear in your inbox.
Clear Browser History and Cookies
If you’re not using incognito mode while shopping, clear your browsing history and cookies to avoid leaving a trail.
In Google Chrome, click the three dots at the top right, select Delete browsing data, choose the time range and items to clear, and then click Clear data.
In Microsoft Edge, tap the three dots in the top right, head to History, and click the Bin icon. Choose what to clear, set the time range, and hit Clear now.
In Mozilla Firefox, click the three lines in the top right, then navigate to History > Clear recent history. Now select the time range and items to clear, then click Clear now.
For quicker access to these settings, use Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows or ⌘ + Shift + Delete on Mac.
Shopping apps also send push notifications about recent purchases. This could be a red flag for your surprise gift, so it’s best to disable them until after Valentine’s Day.
Here’s how to disable notifications:
- iOS: Open Settings, tap Notifications, select the app, and toggle off Allow Notifications.
- Android: Head to Settings, tap Notifications > App notifications, choose the app, and turn the toggle off.
Just remember to turn them back on again after Valentine’s Day.
Use a Different Payment Method
People often overlook their payment method when shopping online, but it can actually ruin a surprise. If you have a joint bank or credit card account with your partner, they might easily spot your purchases.
To keep things secret, try using prepaid gift cards or virtual credit cards instead. That way, they won’t notice any suspicious transactions, and you can still keep it a secret.
Choose an Alternate Shipping Address
Now that everything is set, there’s just one last step: updating the shipping address. If you usually get packages at home, consider using another place like a friend’s house, your office, or even a P.O. box. It might feel like an extra step, but it’ll ensure your special surprise doesn’t end up in the wrong spot.
These are some tips I usually use when shopping online to surprise my partner. So, if you’re planning something special this Valentine’s Day, give them a shot and see how they work for you.
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