Welcome Back to Coupon 101!
To read the rest of the posts in this series, click here
In order to use coupons effectively, you need to understand both store policies and basic coupon policies. I wish that I could tell you that after reading this post you will have all the knowledge you need to never have a problem using coupons again. Unfortunately, there is "the way it should be" and "the way it is". You are going to run in to a store manager or (more frequently) a cashier who doesn't understand coupons and gives you a hard time. Perhaps this post will help you in those frustrating cases where you find yourself needing to explain a store's coupon policy to a store employee!
One of the best things I can tell you to do is to check the websites of your local stores to see if they have a posted coupon policy. This should help you with about half of the stores. Beyond that, you can try emailing the coporate offices and ask them their policies. While most stores do give their managers some latitude (limiting quantities, etc), the larger chains expect their stores to adhere to a set policy. Pulling a printed copy of their coupon policy (either in an email from corporate or printed directly from the website) is often an argument-stopper!
Let's talk about a few basic rules:
1. Most stores will allow you to combine a store coupon with a manufacturers coupon. This is what is known as "stacking". How can you tell the difference between a manufacturers coupon and a store coupon? The most obvious difference is a lack of a "Remit To" address. Another is a lack of numbers under the bar code (or a bar code that starts with letters or isn't the standard 10-digit code). Grab most any coupon out of the Sunday inserts and you will see both of these. Now grab an Easy Saver Coupon from the Wags circular or from the RiteAid circular and see the difference.
2. Limit One Per Purchase simply means that you cannot use 2 of the same coupon on 1 item. It doesn't mean that if you have 15 items you can't use 15 manufacturers coupons. It means that if you have 15 items, you can't use 25 manufacturers coupons on those 15 items. A purchase is an item. A transaction is a group of purchases. You will occasionally see the coupon that says "limit 1 per transaction", but they are very rare.
3. Internet Printable coupons have 2 "bar codes" on them that prevents their misuse. The first bar code is the one that gets scanned at the point-of-sale. The second is not really a bar code, but the Veri-FI seal with an individual ID number for that coupon....and no two coupons have the same number. One of the biggest reasons that cashiers try to give for not wanting to take several like-IPs is because they don't know if they are photocopied. A quick look at the Veri-FI codes should prove that they weren't (or else they would have the same Veri-FI code). For more information on Veri-FI, click here. Of course, if the corporate policy is to only accept one like-IP per transaction (grrrr...Genuardi's!), the only recourse you have is to write to corporate and ask them to change their policy.
4. You can combine an "off 2" (such as $.50/2) coupon with a BOGO sale. The coupon doesn't actually require that you PAY for 2. The coupon just wants you to get 2 and the store is giving you one for free as part of their store sale.
5. In most cases, stores don't mind you taking "peelies" or hangtags off of products for future use. They are provided by the Manufacturer and all they care about is that you use it at some point to buy their product. Of course, I hope that I don't have to tell you how rude it would be to grab every single peelie off the shelf at once.....but I've been known to grab 3 or 4 one day...and then 3 or 4 more a few days later, etc. So grab some peelies to wait for a better sale, but don't be a Peelie Hog...leave some for other customers.
6. Internet Printables are valid no matter if they are printed in black & white or color ink. As color ink is more expensive than black ink, set your printer to grayscale (medium quality) and print away! Many IPs even say "valid if printed in B&W or color right on them. The fear that many have over B&W printed coupons is that they are afraid they are photocopied. See #2!
What other coupon questions do you have? Post them in the comments (no matter how silly or basic you may think they are. This IS Coupon 101, after all!)
kimmiep621
thanks for post. i always feel like i'm stealing when comes to the peelies, i've only ever taken them off the altoids for the cvs bogo sales. i feel like someone else might want it. maybe if i find good one though i'll have to try it
Amy
What do you know about catalinas that print off with a store logo but are marked "manufacturer's coupon"? Shouldn't they be accepted at any store? Thanks for this great post! I really appreciated the explanation of the Veri-Fi system - I'm trying to convince one of my local stores to accept internet printables!
Jennifer
Thanks for #3! I never really looked at IPs that closely. Now I have the right info and ammunition!
I just had a problem at Walmart this weekend (imagine that!) and the one CS girl said we're not allowed to take these because they're copied... or something to that effect. The cashier had already put them through. I was just going back with CS b/c I knew how many coupons I had and one had not rung up. Ok, why didn't I just forget the 1.00 and leave? I was close. Really close. But, that's my 1.00!!
I try to take only a few from tearpads as well. It kind of annoys me to know that people take so many and then trade or auction them on other websites. I think you know what I mean (remember the $5/2 CVS battery coupons--I saw tons of those up for auction).
Mindi
Amy: as long as they have a "Remit To" address on them, they are no different than any other manufacturers coupons. Just be careful, because sometimes a Catalina IS specific to that store (although the only recent one that comes to mind is the Healthy Start $5 one from Acme that was on top of the $15 P&G ones that printed out). The store logo is just advertising! The best thing to do is to seek out a manager (not a "supervisor"...you want a guy wearing a tie) when you are in the store and show him the Catalina, pointing out the remit to address and let him/her know that you want to spend it in their store. When I've done that, I've never had a problem.
Jennifer: try marking all of your coupons with a swipe of a yellow highlighter! You don't have to do it while you are cutting them, but if you keep on in your binder/purse, between swiping them with the highlighter in the store and while you are cutting them, it's a quick process. The next time you have a problem with them not scanning all your coupons, just say "oh - can you grab my coupons out and we'll match them up? Mine all have a yellow mark". Other than that, I often hand the cashier my coupons in batches...as in "here's 8 Progresso coupons" (wait while she scans and count the beeps) "here's 4 Yoplait" (wait while she scans) and so on....
Laura
Hello, Thank you for this information. I am new to couponing and I have a question about BOGO coupons. I see people mention that if items are on sale BOGO and you have a BOGO coupon, then both items are free? Or is it if you have two BOGO coupons (regardless of whether there is a BOGO sale)? How does this work (does this work?)? See, I'm confused. Thank you!!!!
tiarra
Sooo I just want to verify, if I wanna buy 10 sodas and I have 10 bogo coupons, 10 $1 off coupons annnnnd 10 .50 cents off coupons, I can use all of them ?
Mindi Cherry
No - you need to pick one. You can only use 1 manufacturers coupon per item