AI Shopping Assistants: Benefits, Limitations, and Best Practices for Savvy Consumers

According to a 2026 study, 43% of U.S. online shoppers have used an AI assistant for product research in the past 90 days. However, most of those users verify AI recommendations before purchasing; 86% cross‑checked the suggestions with another source.

Is AI a reliable shopping assistant and coupon finder? Its usefulness depends on how it is used. “AI excels at helping you discover what to buy, but it falls short when it comes to maximizing savings,” says Clay Cary, senior trends analyst at CouponFollow.

Below are key considerations before relying on tools like Claude or Gemini for your shopping.

AI can help you pick a product

Early in the buying process, AI can assist with product selection. Whether you need a gift for a family member or want advice for personal use, a well‑crafted prompt can yield useful suggestions. “You can enter a really specific prompt about a person you’re trying to buy for and their interests,” says retail expert Trae Bodge. AI also helps compare features for niche requirements, such as finding shoes that support flat feet and extra ankle stability during frequent HIIT workouts. Merchants rarely offer filters this granular, so AI can fill the gap. Note, however, that AI’s knowledge is limited to publicly available data and may be outdated, especially for new or emerging products.

AI may not find today’s best deal

Searching for coupon codes with AI feels intuitive, yet the results are mixed. Several studies, often conducted by coupon‑centric companies, reveal that most AI‑suggested codes are invalid. Two main obstacles exist. First, major coupon sites have blocked AI crawlers, preventing tools from pulling their codes. Second, even when AI can browse, it may rely on cached or incomplete data rather than the retailer’s current page. “The chance that the LLM has scraped the page you’re looking for in the last 24 hours is not great,” notes Cary. Influencer codes discovered through AI can be hit‑or‑miss; traditional coupon databases and browser extensions typically deliver better savings.

AI recommendations are inconsistent

AI product recommendations can vary widely. A 2025 study of Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini showed divergent suggestions for identical product sets. While models tend to favor lower price, higher ratings and more reviews, they also factor in less obvious attributes such as a product’s placement on a page, according to Columbia Business School professor Yash Kanoria. Model preferences for critical attributes versus arbitrary ones shift abruptly across platforms. Additionally, some sites block AI access, limiting the data AI can draw from, and models may omit brands for no clear reason, with the omitted items differing from one model to the next.

Treat AI as a starting point

AI serves best as an initial research aid rather than a final authority. Cary’s experience with an air‑purifier purchase illustrates this: his AI tool revealed the need for a carbon filter when cooking, a detail he otherwise would have missed. Retailer‑specific assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa for Shopping, can offer deeper integration with product catalogs and more precise answers. “The Alexa AI is very good,” Bodge says, because it works within Amazon’s ecosystem. Comparing responses from different chatbots can also provide a balanced view. Ultimately, when it comes to price comparisons and coupon hunting, human effort remains essential.

About the author

Kate Ashford is a writer and spokesperson for NerdWallet. She is a wealth management specialist (WMS) and certified senior advisor (CSA)® and has more than 20 years of experience writing about personal finance. Previously, she was a freelance writer for both consumer and business publications, and her work has been published by the BBC, Forbes, Money, AARP, LearnVest and Parents, among others. She has a degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. Kate has been quoted by outlets including the Associated Press, MarketWatch, NBC and Fortune. She is based in New York.

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