Study Reveals Free Shipping Obsession; Online Shopping Trends Among Gen Z Americans

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey released today by FinanceBuzz, conducted in partnership with Bank of America, reveals key generational differences between younger and older online shoppers. According to the study's results, 93% of Americans regularly shop online, amassing an average of over 150 packages each year.

The survey of 2,000 U.S. adults reveals a generation of increasingly strategic shoppers who have built rewards, reviews, and even artificial intelligence into a full system for buying online.

"Online shopping used to be about convenience. Now it's a strategy," said Melinda Sineriz, Managing Editor at FinanceBuzz. "Younger shoppers are stacking tactics, timing purchases, chasing rewards, and even asking AI for a second opinion to squeeze more value out of every purchase."

Key findings from the survey include:

• 93% of Americans shopped online in the last week, and the average household receives 2.9 packages a week, equating to about 150 per year.
• 84% have made an online purchase from bed, and 71% have shopped online during work hours. Both of these numbers climb sharply among Gen Z Americans.
• While 94% of shoppers still consult customer reviews before buying, 80% of Americans have also used AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude to help make shopping decisions.
• 94% say free shipping is a deciding factor in where they shop, and 81% admit to adding items to their cart just to hit a free-shipping threshold.
• 72% factor rewards or cashback categories into which credit card they use online, and 70% say those rewards are important when choosing a card.

The data also points to a generational divide in how much Americans trust AI with their money. Gen Z is the least likely generation to lean on AI for shopping decisions, but the most likely to trust social media reviews. Even so, most shoppers aren't ready to hand over full control: 57% say they trust customer reviews more than AI recommendations, compared to just 7% who trust AI more.

Rewards remain a bigger part of the calculus than many retailers may assume. 72% of shoppers factor rewards or cashback categories into which card they use for a purchase, and 60% check for cashback bonuses before buying. Altogether, 70% of Americans say online shopping rewards are important when choosing or comparing credit cards.

The full study and findings are available at https://financebuzz.com/online-shopping-trends.

About the Survey

FinanceBuzz, in partnership with Bank of America, surveyed 2,000 Americans via the online research platform Prolific in July 2026 about their online shopping habits, including how, when, and why they shop online versus in-store. Online shopping was defined for respondents as any purchase made online, including groceries, Amazon orders, or any purchase made from a mobile device or computer.

For all press inquiries or to speak with one of our experts, please contact the FinanceBuzz research team at [email protected].

About FinanceBuzz

FinanceBuzz offers the expert resources and support necessary to navigate the complexities of personal finance. FinanceBuzz empowers consumers to build financial confidence at every life stage via its personal finance website, which covers a wide range of topics, including credit cards, insurance, banking, investing, retirement, and more.

FinanceBuzz, a Launch Potato brand, was founded in 2016, and the company is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. For more information, visit FinanceBuzz.com.

About Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 60 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. As the #1 small business lender in the United States (FDIC), Bank of America offers industry leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries and/or jurisdictions. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Visit BofA Fast Facts for more information about the company.

Media Contact
Chris Lewis
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SOURCE FinanceBuzz