Pablo Rodriguez, Head of Global Consumer Initiatives, PayPal

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

Sometimes the pressure of picking out the perfect gift or planning a romantic date can feel overwhelming, and that’s why online shopping and electronic payments are here to make life easier.

Here are some helpful tips for online shopping:

Read reviews. Many online stores include reviews and customer testimonials about their experience with the product. Read them to become an educated shopper.

Be aware of the sales and offers. Before buying a product in the store, make sure to look online first for special offers or discounts - you can even find online Valentine’s Day offers from PayPal.com on the Shop Tab. It may be less expensive to buy the gift online than it is to buy it at the store, plus many retailers offer free shipping.

Buy something special (not necessarily expensive) at an international store. Through PayPal, you have access to stores around the globe, making the universe of gift choices for Valentine’s Day much larger.

Check delivery dates and shipping costs. It is important to pay special attention to delivery times and shipping costs. Before buying the product, check how much it will cost to get delivered. Also be sure to read the return policies to avoid surprises.

Choose the payment method with which you feel most comfortable. Consider using PayPal the next time you’re about to reach for your wallet. PayPal offers one of the safer, leading global payment platforms to its consumers, where all transactions are monitored around the clock and protected by next-level encryption.

These tips are useful for anyone, anytime, anywhere. So hold them dear, along with your Valentine, of course.